Page 171 of Brutal Savage

“What’s wrong? Did I do something?” A crease forms between his brows, and when his gaze prances down my body, wearing nothing but one of his white t-shirts, he grunts, clenching his jaw.

“Don’t you look at me like that!” I snap. “Who the fuck were you with tonight?” I stare at him accusingly, unable to control my tone or the tears spiraling down my cheeks. “And don’t you dare lie to me!”

“You think I cheated on you?” His eyes flare.

I nod.

“Mo chuisle…” His voice softens. “I would never. Ever. I swear.”

I sniffle. “Says every man who’s ever cheated on a woman.”

Blinking back tears, I swipe them away, wanting for once to believe that I could be loved. That I could be treated with respect and loyalty.

But it’s never been that way for me. Jerry would be out sleeping with everything that walked, not that I cared much about that. It was the fact that he was touching me at all that made me sick. And my boyfriend before him slept with a friend of mine and wasn’t even sorry about it. I don’t have the best track record for loyal men.

I just hoped that maybe, just maybe, Tynan was different.

I’m always wrong about people, aren’t I?

“It’s fine if you did.” I clear my throat, fighting the ache in my chest. “This was never real, right?” I force a smile, straightening my back. “Just don’t expect me to be faithful to you either.”

I turn on my heels and march out of the room, breaking into a silent sob, pinching my eyes closed from the pain in my chest.

But I don’t get far.

He grabs my wrist and yanks me against him, my front pressed to his. He cups my chin, searching my gaze with the raw emotions painted across every line of his face, like he’s hurting too.

“Don’t you dare walk away from me, love. Not when you just accused me of doing something that despicable.”

I let out a sob, unable to contain the pain etched inside me from the images of him with another woman. “You smell like perfume. And it’s not mine.”

His features turn brooding and intense, and in an instant, he’s grabbing my jaw, pushing me up against the foyer wall.

“You think I came home late because I was out fucking someone?” He tilts my chin up with his thumb, his eyes dropping to my lips. “That I would do that to you? That I could ever replace you like that?”

My bottom lip quivers, and I look down.

“Look at me, baby.”

When I do, I let out a cry, my resolve breaking, wanting so badly to believe he’s different.

“Never, Elara. There were women there, yes, and one tried to touch me and I immediately pushed her away. I didn’t touch anyone. I would never do that to you.”

He smirks.

“Why the hell are you smiling?” Confusion settles on my face.

“Because…” He slides his free palm up my thigh, his voice thick and raspy. “It’s clear you were jealous, which also means you care.”

The tips of his fingers softly roll higher until they’re tracing my bikini line. My lips part on a throaty moan, his touch making me forget why I was upset to begin with.

“Did it make you crazy to imagine me with someone else? Tasting her? Filling her cunt with my cock?”

“Stop it!”

And I don’t mean what he’s doing, but what he’s saying. Because it does make me crazy. I can’t handle the imagery.

A single finger feathers over my bare pussy. “Then say it. Tell me it made you jealous.”

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