Page 36 of Corrupting Ivy

His gaze slipped down to my chewed lips before he crushed his mouth to mine. I groaned in victory as his tongue slipped inside, massaging and twirling in a back-and-forth motion. He loosened his grip around my throat but still held me firm, allowing the blood to feed my deprived brain. He released my arm and spun his hand in my wavy hair, tilting my head back to an angle better suited for his invasion. Randall broke our kiss, then spun me around, pressing my cheek hard into the cool brick wall.

“Do you want to see why I’m irredeemable? Why you should’ve heeded my warnings?”

He bent my arms behind me and held them in place with one hand. His belt buckle jingled as he loosened it, then pulled the belt through his loops with a swoosh. My heart sunk into the pit of my stomach.

I squeezed my eyes closed. “Pl-please don’t hit me.”

Randall pressed his nose into my neck and inhaled, his breath hot on the shell of my ear. “When I hit you,” he gripped my ass cheek and squeezed, “you’ll be begging me to.” He bit my lobe, then licked it. “Only a weak man abuses his woman.” My breath hitched in my chest as he pulled my sensitive lobe into his mouth, sucking. He wrapped his belt around my wrists, holding them firm against each other. My core throbbed as he spun me around.

His fist found my throat again, his lips feasted on my mouth. Our tongues tangoed with passion and fire. He pulled my thigh up to wrap around his waist, then gripped my ass, pressing me into his hard length between us.

The door banged open, and I tore my lips from his.

Remy stood with her palm on the door, keeping it wide open for anyone to take a peek. “Jesus, Randall. In my stockroom?”

I hid my face in Randall’s chest, embarrassment eating at me like a parasite, but Randall fisted my chin and brought me front and center, claiming my lips with his teeth, then bore a hole into my soul with his gaze. “You’ll learn quickly that I don’t care what people think about me. I do what pleases me. I take what I want when I’m damn well good and ready, and no one stops me.”

I tipped my head against the wall, swallowing the knot in my throat as he released my thigh. Placing my foot on solid ground, he tugged his belt, freeing my wrists.

“I expected this from you, Randall. But Ivy, I gave you a fair warning. Now don’t come to me when you need help picking up the pieces he’s torn to shreds.” She spun on her heel and left the room.

“And here I was thinking she held me in high regard.”

I bit my lip and placed my hands on my burning cheeks. “I thought you said you didn’t care what people thought of you.”

He threaded his belt back through his pants. “I don’t.”

Randall left me reelingwith my thoughts, as per usual. What the hell just happened? Did I really just let him do that to me? And at work, no less? Did that make me look desperate?

I was not desperate.

Straightening my shirt, I fluffed my hair, then put it in a ponytail before taking my walk of shame into the main room. I wasn’t sure what I expected to find, but it wasn’t this.

The bar was still in full swing. People laughed and danced as though nothing happened. Remy poured shots and cracked beers. The deputy was back at the door. I scrunched my chin and tilted my head. Did I walk into the same bar? The one that had a bar fight just moments ago? This reminded me of some strange episode in the Twilight Zone.

If it hadn’t been for the bat with a smear of blood and my stinging elbow, I would have thought I imagined it all.

“Ivy, let's go,” Remy called from my right.

My cheeks tinged with heat when I heard her call my name. We’d only got a couple more hours, and I’d be asleep in my bed, forgetting tonight ever happened.

I took my place behind the bar and waited for time to pass like watching water boil. It dragged on, giving me the impression it would never end. I messed up orders, spilled beer and liquor all over the bar and floor, even ruined some gal’s blouse. I couldn’t get him out of my head.

“He’s already got you shook, hun.”

I dumped the beer down the drain, grabbed another glass, and poured the correct lager. “I’m just tired, is all.” It was a lie, I knew that. But I couldn’t admit to Remy that she was right. I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction.

“Who’s got you shook, sugar?” A blonde hair woman asked me as she listened in on our conversation.

“Uh, no one.” As much as girl talk sounded like fun—since I hadn’t had it in ages—I wasn’t about to open my mouth and let rumors fly.

“Your long-time crush, that’s who.” The woman’s face blanched as Remy blurted out my business.

“You’re with Spence Randall?”

The beer tipped as I placed it on the counter, sloshing it over the side, forming a frothy puddle. “No. I’m not.” I turned to Remy and snatched the rag out of her hand. “Remy doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” I ground out my words while staring lasers at her heart. I wiped up the mess, then took a dry towel and cleaned off the glass before handing it to its new owner.

“That’s not—”

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