Page 72 of Where the Darkness Goes

“Connor,” I confirm, though I’d half forgotten his name before Garrett reminded me.

“You like it when he touches you?”

Something deep inside me twinges. “Y-yes.” I can’t hide the shake of my voice.

His lips press together, and he stares at me. His chest rising and falling is the only sign that he’s still alive.

He lifts his foot, taking a steady, agonizing step toward me. Then another. Then another. He doesn’t say a word until he’sright in front of me, so close I can feel the heat of his skin. He rests an arm on the wall above my head, leaning in until we’re nearly forehead to forehead.

“You like when he kisses you?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Yeah?” He lifts his free hand to my chin, tilting it up to face him. “How does he kiss you, Little Bit? Is it soft and gentle?” He presses his lips to mine, barely a breath of a kiss, and I don’t have time to react because I’m in such shock. I wish I’d savored it more. My lips search for his in the air, but he’s too far away. “Or does he kiss you the way you like? Does he kiss you like he hates you?” His mouth claims mine in a fiery passion, equal parts flame and fury. He nips at my lips, sucks on my tongue. He kisses like he’s trying to kill me, like he wants my every last breath for his own. No one’s kiss has ever been as all-consuming as Garrett’s is. When he stops, I’m out of breath and panting, embarrassed by how easily I crumbled.

He doesn’t back up or give me space to think, just stays right in front of me as if the kiss never happened. “I asked you a question.”

“He…it’s fine. It’s enough.”

“Enough?” He scoffs. His hand trails down the front of me, over my breast. My nipple responds to his touch, hardening at the brush of contact. Slowly, his fingers tease their way down my stomach. He doesn’t say a word, just stares at me. My mouth is open, waiting, begging for him to do something. Anything. I should be embarrassed. I should tell him to stop, but I can’t. I won’t.

I inhale as his fingers reach my thigh and brush the hem of my dress. Entire countries are discovered, founded, established, and involved in wars within the time it takes his fingers to skate up my thigh and brush against my panties. He nips my lips. “You deserve more thanenough.” His fingers brush across the fabricslowly, oh so slowly, and then, when I’m ready to combust, his fingers meet skin.

I cry out before he’s had time to do a single thing, so shocked and turned on and disgusted with myself I can’t do anything but close my eyes and enjoy the sensation.

His face slides against the side of mine until his mouth is next to my ear. “Look at me.” His fingers stop and my eyes rip open.

He pulls back to his original position, face just in front of mine. “Don’t you dare close your eyes and think about someone else when I’m the one who makes you feel this way. Do you hear me?” His fingers begin moving inside me again, waves of sensation coursing through my muscles. “I’m the only one who makes you feel this way, aren’t I, baby?”

I whimper. It’s all the answer I can give as my legs shake, threatening to give out. The gentle massage of his thumb sends currents of desire through every part of me, and I drop my head back, eyes closed.

He stops. Pulls his hand away.

“No,” I beg. My eyes are back on him in a second. With a look of pure fire, he drags his middle finger over my bottom lip, and I can taste myself on his skin.

The world is silenced by the beating of my heart as I watch him lift the same finger to his own mouth and draw an identical line across his bottom lip. A wicked smile flickers across his face as a shaky breath escapes my throat.

His eyes don’t leave mine as his tongue replaces his finger, licking away every trace of me from his lip. Drinking me in as if I’m his favorite flavor.

Heat hot enough to solder metal is the only thing that exists in the space between us.

“Don’t look away again.” A tugging sensation sweeps through my core as our eyes dance between each other’s, so much unspoken there. His hand returns to work as his lips find mine.His kiss is bruising. He kisses me like he’s been trapped in a desert, and I’m the first water he’s seen in weeks. Like he wants every last ounce of me for himself. He kisses me like I might save him.

Angrily, his fingers work faster, curling inside me as I fall apart. I’m close, but I’m afraid if I tell him that, he’ll stop. I fight to keep my eyes open, eyes on him.

Molten lava spreads through me, making my body heavy as I feel my muscles tensing. I’m right there.

I—

“Garrett—”

I cry out as he drops to his knees, pulls my panties to the side, and brings me over the edge with his mouth working me in a raw act of possession. My body is fire and ice and warm honey and a million glowing stars. There are no thoughts or feelings or anything other than…

YES.

Our surroundings disappear, going fuzzy at the edges, and pure euphoria claims me as its own.

As the world begins to take shape again, and I realize where we are andwhowe are and how royally bad of an idea this was, I adjust my dress and underwear, staring at him as he stands up. I want to ask what this was supposed to be, why he would do this, but I’m afraid of the answer.

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