Page 29 of Only With You

My brows pinch as my lips part and close. “No, I’m not, and as enticing as it sounds, I’m going to have to pass. You’re not worth it.”

“Then, we’re good.”

Unblinking, I gape at the man before me. Wondering if maybe I had more shots than I thought I originally took and just can’t remember.

“No, I’m not going to choke you. Would you choke me if I asked you?”

It’s a rhetorical question, but I hope he gets my point, but his sardonic chuckle tells me otherwise.

“Yeah.”

My eyes grow wide and my cheeks become irrationally warm.

What exactly did I drink again?

I narrow my eyes. “Sure you would.”

“Give me consent and I will.”

I chuckle now at how ridiculous this sounds. Not the consent part, but what he’s implying. “You want me to give you consent to choke me?”

He nods, staring at me with a grave expression. “I don’t take consent lightly. I need your word that it’s what you want. I don’t like miscommunication or misunderstandings.”

My lips purse as I contemplate it. What the hell is wrong with me? What was in that tequila or in the air because I’m thinking about it. And I can’t shut down the thought.

That’s why I find myself nodding and saying, “Okay. I give you consent to choke me.”

He wouldn’t seriously do it, right? Sure, he’s here and oddly staring at me, but he wouldn’t touch me.

One moment, his hands are behind his back. The next, one hand is wrapped around my neck. If my eyes could leave their sockets, they would have, because they’re bulging out.

I’m too stunned to speak or move. A burst of adrenaline ripples through me and I’m not sure it’s a bad thing. I’m brought out of my daze when my feet begin to move backward.

Landon moves forward with his hand on me. His palm is rough. I can feel the calluses, but his grip isn’t tight. It’s comfortable and weirdly enough, it feels as if it’s a perfect fit.

Did I really think that? Oh my God, I’m drunker than I thought.

When I feel the cool brick against my back, he steps closer to me, but he never presses his body to mine. But he’s close enough that I can feel the warmth of his body and get the faint scent of his cologne.

He leans down until his warm breath fans the shell of my ear, and his beard grazes it. “If you think it, commit to it. I didn’t take you for a quitter,” he rasps. “Next time, don’t think, just do.”

I swallow and that’s when I feel him lightly squeeze.

“You miss out on a lot of fun when you think too much.” I can’t see his face, but I’m pretty sure he’s smirking. “See how easy this is? You could have had me at your mercy, but instead, you’re at mine.”

My face burns and strangely, so does my body. I have no idea what’s going on, but another shudder rolls down my spine.

“Only because I gave you consent, so stop sounding so smug,” I counter, but cringe at how breathless I sound.

He squeezes some more, the air around me becoming harder to breathe. I should tell him to stop, but I can’t bring myself to. I feel trapped in a haze, my curiosity at an all-time high, wondering what’s going to happen next.

This is so wrong. I shouldn’t wonder, but…

“You did, and still, here you are. So willing,” he murmurs, and I feel the soft vibration of his words against my chest.

I don’t realize how heavy my heart is beating until the pad of his thumb digs into my skin where my pulse hammers ridiculously. And it’s not until I clench my thighs that I finally snap out of it.

My hands become clammy and my face is hotter than before. There’s no way I did that. Not for him. Fuck that. I didn’t do that.

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