Page 8 of Vicious Rule

“You know, you should have said something. I might have reconsidered,” he says as he watches a couple just a few feet away.

“Really? I think that’s just the misery talking.”

A slow smile brightens up his face. “You’re probably right. You know, I don’t make you do things to punish you.”

“Could have fooled me.”

He doesn’t say anything for a few minutes until he leans in and whispers in my ear, “What about a girl? That could work.”

Little does he know I’ve already scanned the party for any of the women I might like and found nobody. “I don’t see anything I want.”

A couple begins to make loud grunting noises on the other side of the room, and I look over to see Nico fucking that blonde pretty hard. The scene is mesmerizing. I’m instantly jealous of her. He’s powerful and relentless with her body, a man who knows how to fuck, for sure.

“So you do like him.”

I turn my head and smile at Alex. “I like great sex. He’s not horrible, but he’s not my type.”

Something that resembles relief comes over his expression. He looks over at Nico and the woman having a good time and then back at me. “Why? I don’t do guys and even I have to admit he’s got something. Didn’t you say he was an Italian god?”

“Maybe you should try men for a change. He seems to have an effect on you,” I joke before looking down his body to see his hard cock pressing against his pants. “Wow, he really has an effect on you.”

Alex adjusts himself and grimaces. “I’m looking at the woman, if you must know. I’d think you’d be looking at her too. She’s stunning, and damn, she knows how to take a pounding.”

Men. They have no idea about anything but their own dicks.

“You know, that’s not exactly the thing I find appealing about the women I like, Alex. The ability to take a pounding isn’t a real selling point for me. Or most women, for that matter.”

His look of relief from a minute ago morphs into one of confusion. He doesn’t say anything, but it’s clear he doesn’t understand why I wouldn’t care about how well she takes Nico’s cock.

The man himself looks over in our direction and seems more interested in the two of us than the woman he’s fucking. I open my mouth to say something to Alex about it, but before I can utter a word, he’s sliding his arms around my waist and pulling me to him.

I smile at Nico, pretty sure what’s going on, as I say to Alex, “Was it something I said?”

Lowering his mouth to near my ear so he looks like he’s kissing my neck, he says, “We’re supposed to be together. He’s not going to buy that lie if we don’t act like it. So pretend like you’re having a good time.”

A shudder goes through me when he presses his lips to just above my collarbone. “You keep doing that and I won’t have to pretend. We’ll definitely be having a good time.”

“Mmmm…I like where this is going. So you’ve decided to give in to me, just like I said you would.”

And that right there—that attitude that he’s so sure he’s going to have me on his terms—ruins everything. I spin around in his hold and glare at him, irritated he ruined a moment I enjoyed.

“Why do you do that?”

“Do what?” he asks, once again more confused than anything else.

“Ruin things. You know, I would have been with you a hundred times before now if you didn’t always do that.”

“Do what? You haven’t told me what I’m doing. Whatever it is, we can do this later. This isn’t making us look like we’re together.”

My eyebrows shoot up into my forehead. “Really? Because two people arguing is pretty much the international sign of them being a couple. Jesus, Alex. What you know about women and being with them could fit on the head of a goddamned pin.”

He moves his hands up to my face and cups my cheeks. “I keep telling you give me a couple hours and I’ll show you all I know about how to please women.”

I roll my eyes, but all I can think of is the one question I have whenever he says that. Will it be after you fuck half a dozen women that night?

Why that matters is beyond me. I’ve never cared about being exclusive with any man or woman I’ve been with. That’s not my style. I wasn’t the only woman his brother was with when he and I got together. That never bothered me, and I loved Gideon. Half the time I’m not even sure I like this Rule, yet I get jealous knowing he’s with other women.

“Whatever, Alex. Are we done pretending we’re happy together? I have things to do, and since you don’t need both of us watching your guests, I’d like to go.”

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