Page 262 of By His Rule

“Kian—”

“No,” he bellows, his voice echoing off the walls around us as he surges forward. “You don’t get to lie to my fucking face. Not again.”

His warm, minty breath rushes over my face as the heat from his body calls to mine.

“Give me something. Anything to assure me that I’m not alone here,” he begs, his eyes still alternating between mine and my lips.

Oh my god, just kiss me already.

He moves closer still, and I step back, attempting to keep a safe space between us. It works for about five seconds, then I bump into his desk, and not a moment later, his hands land on either side of my hips, trapping me.

“Temptress,” he whispers, ducking low and dragging his nose up the line of my jaw.

My fingers curl around the desk, and I squeeze my eyes closed in a lame attempt to ignore the powerful charge of electricity that shoots through me at our limited connection.

I don’t breathe. I don’t move. I don’t do anything.

His lips find my ear, and his breath sends a shiver racing down my spine.

“Give me something,” he whispers. “Please.”

It doesn’t escape my attention that this man standing before me has probably never begged for anything in his life.

But right here, right now, he’s begging me to tell him I feel something.

Me.

My body burns red hot. My skin tingles everywhere we’re even close to touching. And my heart...that is completely out of control in a way I’ve never experienced before.

“Kian, I’m not the kind of woman you want?—”

“Fuck that, Lorelei,” he snaps, pulling back to stare me dead in the eyes. “Fuck the pretences and the expectations. This…” he says, pointing between the two of us. “It’s more than any of that bullshit. It’s real. It’s real, and raw, and fucking painful. Tell me that you’re with me. Please, for the love of God, tell me that you feel it too.”

My heart slams against my ribs as he silently begs me to finally confess the truth.

My body acts without instruction from my brain and I find myself nodding. “Yeah,” I whisper. “I feel it.”

62

KIAN

The confession has barely passed her lips before I’m on her. My mouth collides with hers as one of my hands wraps around the back of her neck and the other slides down her thigh, hitching her leg up around my waist.

Fuck, I need this.

I need it like I’ve never needed it in my entire life.

And it’s not just the release. It’s her. I need her so fucking badly.

“Lorelei,” I groan into her mouth as her hands slide up my arms before wrapping around my neck.

She moans in response, and it only makes me burn hotter for her.

Closing the final bit of space between us, I shove her dress up around her hips and spread her legs, allowing me to press against her.

“Oh God,” she cries, throwing her head back and breaking our kiss.

“Fuck. Look at you,” I groan before leaning over her and kissing and licking down her neck.

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