Page 31 of Tell Me You Like It

I look again at the vast stretch of darkness in front of us, just a sliver of moon illuminating the water as it rushes up the shore. “Okay, well, there’s no one here.”

We’d see lights, or something, right?

He takes my hand, and on instinct, I try to tug it out of his grasp.

“Listen, Little Rabbit,” his tone is hard, devoid of that playful edge it usually has. “You’re with me now, and the sooner you accept that the easier this will be for you. I don’t fuck around. I don’t play games. It’susnow.” He grabs my chin with his other hand and pinches it painfully. “And I’ll help you find your friend, but make no mistake, this isn’t a fucking favor. This is what I do for the people inside my circle. And you are not only inside my circle, youaremy circle, baby girl. Get fucking used to it.”

When he releases my chin, he does it with a flourish, which causes me to stumble backward. What a fucking asshole. How do you justtellsomeone you’re dating them? I didn’t ask to be in his fucking circle. He acts like it’s a privilege or something. And maybe for some girls it is, but not for me. For me, it feels like I’ve been hit by a colossal wave, and dragged three feet under the water with no possible way to escape.

But I will escape. I have to. After what happened last year, there’s no way I can be under someone’s control again. No fucking chance.

As I stumble, he’s still holding my hand and stops me from falling. Pulling my hand from his, I straighten and struggle to keep cool. I want to scream at him, to tell him to fuck himself, and then walk away. But, again, I need him. I can’t risk pissing him off. Not yet, at least.

“Bree obviously isn’t here,” I say evenly. “Where else could she be?”

His heated gaze flicks over me, and for the first time, I wonder if I’m out of my depth with this guy. I can already tell he’s not easily manipulated—so fluttering my eyelashes and pretending I’m into him isn’t going to cut it. If I want his help, I’m going to have to make it seem real. Make him believe I’m here for him, and only him.

Swallowing, I take a step forward. My heart feels like a wrecking ball inside my chest—slow, heavy thuds that jerk my entire body.Thud. Thud. Thud.

When I’m within half an inch of him, I reach out and place my hand on his chest. He’s wearing a fitted black t-shirt, and beneath the thin fabric, I can feel a wall of muscle. He must work out on the daily, because his pecks are chiseled to perfection, like a slab of marble. Perfect.

“Help me,” I say in my most sultry voice–which,honestly, is really just a deeper version of my own voice. “And I’ll give you what you want.”

I havezerointention of following through with it, but he doesn’t know that. I’m not above lying to get what I need from him.

“That’s cute.” He catches my wrist and pulls me flush with his hard body. When he smiles, it’s dark like the devil. “Because you never had a fucking choice, Little Rabbit.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Roman

She thinksshe’s calling the fucking shots here, and I need to shut that shit down immediately. The longer I allow her to believe she’s in control, the bolder she’ll get, and I can’t have that.

I can’t lose control of this thing between us.

With a growl, I yank her toward me a fraction harder, even though she’s already pressed against me. She yelps a little but doesn’t pull away. I’ve got her now. I’ve got her exactly where I want her.

Dipping my head, I brush my lips lightly against hers. We’re so fucking close, I can feel her heart hammering against my chest. Her breath quickens, and her eyes flutter closed.

It would be so easy to take her now, right here, out in the open. She’s already halfway there, despite her protests. And she’s a fucking goddess—all these luscious curves. I can’t wait to explore them all.

Instead, I pull away. She sways a little when I releaseher, and her eyes fly open like she’s surprised and a little disappointed. She covers it well though. In half a second, she straightens her spine and lifts her chin in defiance. But I saw it. For a split second, I saw the hunger in her eyes.

I laugh, amused, capturing her chin again. “Don’t worry, baby. When I take you, it won’t be out in the open. It’ll be somewhere private. Somewhere I can make you scream, and no one will come to your rescue.”

Something passes across her face–though whether it’s fear or interest, I don’t know. And in complete honesty, I don’t give a fuck. She’s mine. She’s given herself to me, and I’ll take her any fucking way I want.

Fear is quickly replaced by anger in her eyes. “I hate you.”

Nowthatamuses me. I’ve always craved a challenge. “I know, Little Rabbit. I’m a bad guy, so I can’t say I blame you.”

I release her chin, but I keep my grip on her wrist, and turn, pulling her toward a set of old wooden stairs that lead down to the beach. It’s dark, so I take each step by memory. Lux, on the other hand, is slow, taking each step more carefully.

“Where are you taking me?” she asks. I can feel her shaking a little. It’s dark, and the wind has an icy edge to it. The beach can get pretty cold at night, and if I were a gentleman, I’d go back and get the jacket that’s always in my trunk. But I’m not a gentleman, and we have her best friend to find—if only to shut Lux the fuck up, so I can get back to focusing onmyplan. Because that’s what matters here. This fucking side-quest with her friend is just a distraction. A distraction I don’t fucking need.

We don’t have time for this bullshit.

When we reach the bottom step, I drag her across thesand about a quarter of a mile, to a little alcove I know is there. The closer we get, the more apparent there’s life nearby. Lights glow from a partially-formed cave that’s been naturally carved into the cliff by the ocean over God only knows how many millennia. Nowadays, though, the water doesn’t come up this high.

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