Page 13 of Ink & Desire

My gaze strays down her neck to her collar bone and down to the slight swell of her breasts over the neckline of her dress. I take my time looking her over, making my perusal of her obvious, before bringing my gaze back to her face. Her eyes have shifted now to something more wary, less angry. Hungry, maybe? I lean in until my lips are nearly touching her ear.

“Oh, I can think of a few things you could ask me for. I bet I could have you begging if I really wanted to.”

The image I’d had earlier this afternoon of her on her knees before me flits through my head again, turning my semi-hard cock into an iron bar in my pants. Fuck. What’s the deal with this woman? How does she have this effect on me? I fight off the urge to press my lips to the skin beneath her ear, to press my body against hers. Instead, I ease back to put a little more space between us so I can see her face.

“Not even in your wildest fantasies,” she taunts. Is her voice less steady than before? It’s hard to tell over the thumping bass of the music, but I think it might be.

“You have no idea how wild my fantasies can be, angel” I say.

“Why do you keep calling me that?”

My gaze tracks over her face and down to the swell of her breasts above the neckline of her dress. “A proper girl like you? Wants everyone to think she’s little missperfect. Daddy’s little angel. But I bet you could be dirty, given the right motivation.”

Her eyes widen slightly, and she sucks in a shaky breath. “I guess you’ll never find out.”

Her words take me by surprise. There’s an almost wistful longing hidden in her tone as if maybe she wants to know more. This time I know her voice isn’t as steady as when she’d been yelling at me. Maybe she’s just as affected by me as I am by her. Not that it matters. She’s not my type. Even if she were, I don’t want anything to do with her on principle. But damn, is my imagination on fire with thoughts of how good it would be.

“Your loss.”

She huffs out a little laugh and rolls her eyes again, sending another spike of irritation through me. Before I can think better of it, my hand shoots out to grab her neck. My hold isn’t tight enough to hurt her. It’s just enough so she feels my strength. So she realizes how quickly I can take control of her body if I wish. Her sharp intake of breath makes me smile and sends a bolt of lust through me. But it’s nothing compared to the look in her eyes. The anger is still there but overriding that is excitement. I can feel her rapid pulse beneath my fingers as I tilt her jaw up until she meets my gaze. I tell myself that if she pushed me away, I’d let her go. If she struggled at all, I’d release her immediately. But she doesn’t. She stands still, allowing my hand around her throat. Almost as if she wants it there.

“Let’s get one thing straight, angel,” I say. “If I wanted you, I’d have you. And you’d thank me afterward.”

My other hand goes to her hip, pulling her lower half flush against me. I watch her eyes go wide when she feels my hard length press against her belly. I tighten my hand around her throat just enough to let her feel who’s in control. Her mouth parts on a sigh and the anger in her eyes is gone, replaced by naked want. To anyone passing by, we’d look like a couple in an intimate embrace, just on the verge of kissing.

“You like that, don’t you? My hand on your throat? Being at my mercy?”

She hesitates for only a second, but I notice it.

“No,” she says in a weak voice.

I grin, satisfaction coursing through me as I lean in close to her ear. This time, my lips brush against the shell of her ear when I whisper a single word.

“Liar.”

Releasing her abruptly, I take a step back, putting some much-needed distance between us. I ignore the way my body already misses the feel of hers against it. This is insane. We’re in the middle of a dance club, surrounded by drunk idiots. I can’t cause a scene here.

“You’re a bastard,” Avery says, scowling at me.

I shrug. “You knew that already. Keep the table. I’m leaving.”

I turn toward the dance floor, searching for Henley. I need to get out of here before I do something even more reckless. Like bend Avery over that table and fuckher until she can’t walk straight. The image of her beneath me as I push into her, filling her, pops into my head. I nearly turn around and walk back over to her, consequences be damned. Instead, I shake my head to clear away the image and search out my sister to tell her I’m leaving.

It takes me a few minutes to find Henley and get her attention. When I tell her I'm leaving, she puts up a token resistance but I can see in her eyes that she knows something is off with me. In the end, she nods, hugs me goodnight and thanks me for coming out. She’s surrounded by a group of young, beautiful people now, so I know she won’t miss me for long. There’s a redhead in a short skirt who seems particularly fond of my sister tonight. And I know Henley has a weakness for redheads. I give her a knowing look.

“Have fun,” I say. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

She rolls her eyes. “That’s a short list.”

“Text me when you’re home safe,” I say.

She rolls her eyes. “You know I will.”

I point a finger at her. “I mean it.”

Sighing, she uses one finger to draw an ‘X’ on her chest. “Cross my heart.”

I nod. “Good.”

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