Page 31 of Brutal Ice

His fingers closed around her hand. Warmth shot through her, chasing away the growing chill that wanted to cling to her bones.

“Why aren’t you afraid of me?” he growled.

She stared into his eyes and told him the absolute truth. “I am. You terrify me.” But what she didn’t tell him? Despite her fear, she was drawn to him. Drawn to him more than she’d ever been to anyone else in her life. He was dark. He was dangerous.

And he called to something equally dark that she’d carefully buried deep inside herself.

He pulled her onto the dance floor. Bodies gyrated all around them. The lights rolled across the crowd. Concealing. Revealing. Concealing.

They wouldn’t be out there long. Just enough to get the point across.

Royal kept Violet pinned closely to his body. He could feel every delicate inch of her against him. His hold was possessive. Consuming. His left hand dropped to her ass, and when she jerked, he pulled her against him even more.

She knew they had to put on a show.

Would she break before the show was over? Run away?

His left hand stayed curled on her ass. His right slid under her chin. Tipped back her head.

Her friends were still there. The men. The women. Her friends watched. Strangers watched. There were always eyes in Punishment.

The lights overhead rolled once more. Concealing. Revealing.

He took her mouth. Drove his tongue past her plump lips and tasted her like the fucking starving lover he was supposed to pretend that he was.

No pretending necessary. He’d discovered that when it came to Violet, he was quite ravenous. The taste he’d had of her upstairs had only whet his appetite. He wanted more. He wanted his mouth on her hot, wet core. Wanted his tongue licking her clit. Wanted her scent around him. And her cries of pleasure ringing in his ears.

He wanted her completely naked.

He wanted to lift her up against him. Wrap her legs around him and take her as the lights rolled over them.

The music pounded. He did lift her up. How could he not? And her legs curled around him. He’d already ripped her panties away. She wore no underwear now. It would be so easy to plunge right into her.

To take and take.

“Violet?”

His head lifted. At first, he just stared at her. Wet lips. Red from his mouth.

The lights rolled. Concealing. Revealing.

“Violet, we’re leaving.”

He slowly lowered Violet until her feet touched the floor.

“Violet!”

Violet jerked, and her head angled toward the blonde who’d called her name. “Simone.”

Simone grabbed her arm and pulled Violet toward her. “We’re leaving.” Her suspicious gaze raked Royal.

He rolled back his shoulders. “Violet’s coming home with me.”

Simone’s jaw dropped. “Violet doesn’t go home with strangers!”

He smiled. The rolling lights caught his smile. “I’m not a stranger.”

“Yeah, you’re the rich asshole who paid ten grand to dance with her tonight. It was just to dance, dude. Violet isn’t for sale.” She tugged on Violet. “The group is leaving. Let’s go.”

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