Page 19 of Pure Vengeance

I inch closer, inhaling the scent of my soap on her skin.

“It doesn’t have to hurt, but sometimes it’s better when it does.” I brush my nose across hers. “Do you want it to hurt?”

Her pulse picks up, gets more erratic.

The blue of her eyes is pushed away by her dilated pupils.

I squeeze a little tighter.

“Anton.” My name squeaks out of her lips as her hands come up to my arm, trying to pull me off of her throat.

“Do you want me to hurt you, Claire?” I ask again, hardening my tone.

“No. Please.” She swallows against my hand.

“Hmm.” I loosen my grip. “I don’t think you’re telling me the truth.” I reach down with my other hand, gathering the hem of her nightgown and sliding my hand beneath until I touch her creamy skin.

She’s bare.

Fuck, she’s smooth.

She tries to push her thighs together, but it’s not enough to keep me out. She’ll never keep me out.

“Open your legs, Claire. Let me in,” I order, tightening my grip around her throat again.

Her eyes widen, and so do her thighs.

My fingers glide easily through her folds.

I grin.

“Fuck, sweetheart, you’re soaked.” I gather her arousal on my fingers and bring it up to her eyeline. “See?”

Her face erupts in a red blush that makes my cock ache.

Wiping my fingers across her cheek, I leave a smear of her arousal across her face as I let go of her throat.

“Liars don’t live long in my world, Claire.” I grab the neckline of the neckline and tear it in two, down the length of her until the garment hangs from her shoulders.

She tries to gather it back together, but I hit her hands away.

“I want to see what I have to work with here.” Shoving the nightgown off her shoulders, I push until it pools at her feet, leaving me with a full view of her nakedness.

“Stop,” she whispers, trying to cover her breasts with her arm.

“Stop what?”

“Looking.” She lowers her eyes. “Just stop.”

“Has a man never taken the time to look before?” I grab her wrist and pull her arm away, tucking it at her side. “Because that’s a fucking travesty.”

She raises her eyes to mine, uncertainty lingers there.

“I’m not too much of an asshole to tell a woman when she’s beautiful. And you, Claire, are fucking gorgeous.” I brush her hair back behind her shoulders.

Hooking my hands beneath her arms, I hoist her up off the floor and easily toss her onto my bed. As soon as her ass hits the mattress she scrambles, like I’m going to let her get away when she’s this close. When my cock hungers this much for her.

The bed dips beneath me as I climb on, following her as she scoots back until her head bumps the headboard.

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