Page 26 of Ruthless Desire

"Never," she breathes, but there's a hitch in her voice that betrays her. A flicker of heat in those eyes that tells me she's not as immune to my darkness as she pretends.

I smile, slow and predatory. "We'll see about that."

Without warning, I crush my mouth to hers. It's not a gentle kiss, not a seduction. It's brutal and damning. She struggles at first, hands pushing ineffectually against my chest. But then something inside her relents.

With a broken moan, she melts into me, her lips parting in surrender.

I growl my approval, deepening the kiss until we're both gasping for air. When I finally pull away, her lips are swollen and bruised, her eyes glazed with unwilling desire.

"There's my good girl," I purr, tracing the curve of her cheek with my thumb. "I knew you had it in you."

Reality seems to crash back over her, and she jerks away as if burned. "Don't," she chokes out. "Don't fucking touch me."

I let her go, watching with amusement as Natalie stumbles back. Her legs hit the edge of the bed, and she sits down hard, looking lost and small against the opulent backdrop.

"I'll touch you whenever and however I please," I inform her, my tone conversational. "The sooner you accept that, the easier this will be for both of us."

She glares up at me, fury warring with fear in those stormy eyes. "I hate you," she spits.

"No, you don't," I counter, moving to pour myself a drink from the crystal decanter on the sideboard. "You hate how much you want me. How much you crave the darkness I'm offering you."

I take a slow sip of the amber liquid, savoring the burn. "Tell me, Natalie. In all your years of painting, of pouring your blackened soul onto canvas... have you ever felt as alive as you do right now?"

She opens her mouth, clearly ready to deny it. But then she hesitates, uncertainty flickering across her face.

I press my advantage, stalking towards her with measured steps. "You can lie to yourself all you want, my savage beauty. But we both know the truth. You were made for this. For me. For the glorious depravity we'll create together."

I set my glass down on the nightstand, never taking my eyes off her. Natalie's chest rises and falls rapidly, her breath coming in short, sharp pants. She's a cornered animal, all instinct and adrenaline. It's intoxicating.

"Stand up," I command, my voice low and dangerous.

Her eyes flash with renewed fury. "Fuck you," she spits, hands gripping the edge of the bed. "You killed Mark. You kidnapped me. I'm not playing your sick games."

I smile, slow and predatory. "Oh, but you are, moy voron. Whether you want to or not."

I reach for her, but she's quicker than I anticipated. She ducks under my arm, making a mad dash for the door. I let her get halfway across the room before I move.

In three long strides, I catch her. My arm snakes around her waist, lifting her off her feet. She screams, a sound of pure rage and terror that sends a thrill through me.

"Let me go!" she shrieks, thrashing in my grip. Her elbow catches me in the ribs, hard enough to make me grunt.

"Feisty," I chuckle, tightening my hold. "I do so love a fighter."

I carry her back to the bed, pinning her beneath me. She bucks and writhes, every inch of her radiating defiance. It's glorious.

"Get off me, you psycho!" she snarls, nails raking down my cheek. I feel the sting, the warm trickle of blood, and my control slips.

I grab her wrists, slamming them above her head. "Enough," I growl, letting her see the beast that lurks beneath my civilized veneer. "You want to fight? Fine. But know this, Natalie - I will always win."

"I hate you," she hisses, tears of frustration gathering in her eyes. "I'll never stop fighting you. Never."

I lean in close, my lips brushing her ear. "Good," I purr. "I'd be disappointed if you gave in so easily. But make no mistake, lyubov moya - you will give in. Eventually."

She turns her head away, a small act of defiance that makes me want to claim her all the more. "Never," she repeats, but there's a tremor in her voice now.

I release one of her wrists, using my free hand to grip her chin and force her to look at me. "You can deny it all you want," I murmur, thumb tracing her lower lip. "But I see the truth in your eyes. The darkness that calls to mine."

"You're insane," she breathes, but she doesn't try to pull away.

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