Page 49 of Scarred Souls

“I didn’t say that.” Vaughn’s deep voice echoed through the small tiled room.

Heart pounding, I made my way to the far wall, putting as much distance between Vaughn and me as possible. Any closer and he’d spot my trembling hands and flushed neck. I wanted to appear confident and unflustered. I wanted him to be the one squirming under my calm gaze even though I felt as electrified as a high-voltage power line.

“Then don’t let me stop you.” I folded my arms and leaned against the wall, relying on its support to keep my jelly legs from buckling.

“Not like this.” He jerked his chin toward me. “Turn around.” And miss the show? When I frowned in confusion, he growled, “Turn around or leave.”

He’d laid out my options. I knew which one I ought to pick, yet I found myself following Vaughn’s instructions.

I’d lost my goddamn mind.

Sweat trickled down my neck. I told myself it was because of the steamy room, but that was a lie. My body would be overheated even if we were in Antarctica.

I tightened the towel around my waist and glanced over my shoulder through the mist. Vaughn’s smirk had vanished, and in its place he wore a steely expression. It was the look of a man tired of being tested, as if he’d been pushed too far and was about to put his foot down.

Oh, shit. Maybe I’d screwed up by staying? Maybe it wasn’t too late to?—

“Eyes to the wall.”

Something about Vaughn’s commanding tone had me rapidly doing as I was told.

The water switched off, and heavy footsteps approached. Then Vaughn’s large body crowded me in. My heart rate went into overdrive as I imagined all the wicked things I wanted him to do to me.

There was so much of him invading my personal space. He was hot and wet. Water dropped from his hair onto my back and shoulder. With nowhere else to go, I pressed my palms against the tiles. He seemed to like that, if the animalistic rumbling from his chest was any indication.

Then his lips were at my ear. “Last chance to leave. Walk out that door right now, or stay and help me finish.”

I wasn’t certain what kind of help he had in mind, but I really wanted to find out.

My panting breaths moistened the tiles before me. I’d lost the ability to form words. What would I even say at a moment like this? Vaughn had won. I was way out of my depth with this game, which suddenly didn’t feel like a game at all.

This was nuts. Stupid. Maybe Vaughn thought so, too. What if we were a couple of stubborn fools who’d called each other’s bluffs and neither was prepared to back down?

Worse yet, what if this inexplicable attraction between us only escalated after whatever happened next?

Dangerous territory, my mind screamed. Too bad my lady parts overruled it by yelling, Keep your prudish opinions to yourself!

I licked my lips. “Do you want me to?—”

“Don’t move. Stay just like that.”

Then I heard the unmistakable sound of him jerking off—jerking off to me. Faster now that he had me right where he wanted me. It was dirty. It was wrong. But I’d be damned if it wasn’t the most erotic thing I’d ever experienced.

He ripped the towel from my waist, leaving me in only my swimsuit.

“That ass,” Vaughn growled in an appreciative tone. “Fuck me, I want to sink my teeth into it.”

But he didn’t lay a finger or tooth on me even though I desperately wanted him to.

The low back on my one-piece left plenty of exposed skin and little to the imagination. I arched my spine and canted that booty to give him a better view. And I knew, I just knew, he was staring at it while stroking himself. I made a small noise and rubbed my thighs together, searching for friction to relieve the building ache.

I was learning a lot about myself today. Like, I was a total ho who wanted a hulk-sized jerk to do disgraceful things to me. The collection of colorful vibrating toys in my nightstand should’ve been a forewarning of my true nature, but here we were.

Vaughn slammed one hand on the wall beside my head, then his breath blew hot against my neck. Was he…sniffing me?

I sensed his movements quickening and wanted to turn around so badly, but somehow, I knew that was nonnegotiable. If I did, it would be over. He’d kick me out of the casita and finish on his own. For now, this was all Vaughn was willing to offer.

He breathed heavily, each exhalation heating my shoulder. Then he grunted from deep within his chest, and warmth splashed the bare skin of my lower back.

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