Page 25 of Don't Look Away

Okay, now,that strikes fear into me, and it’s not so much his words, but the weight behind them. The dark intent in his voice. We were joking around a second ago, but I have absolutely no doubt he means what he’s saying now.

I freeze, going completely still, which causes him to pull back and look at me. His fingers are still stroking my core, pulling out only long enough to toy with my clit, before plunging back inside my channel.

He pulls back to look at me, his gaze colliding with mine. He holds me there like that, his eyes holding me, his fingers strumming me like an instrument, an instrument that’s under hiscompletecontrol. “Tell me you understand, Little Rabbit.”

I have so much to say. First and foremost, I intend to ditch this town the second I find out who killed Bree. But I know better than to confess any of that to him, so instead, I reach for logic.

“You’ll tire of me eventually,” I answer, keeping the conversation light. “Next year, there will be another Preference Ceremony, and you’ll pick a new girl, and I’ll be a distant thought.”

One side of his mouth curls up into a half-smile like that statement amuses him. “For your sake, I pray that’s true…”

CHAPTERNINE

Roman

I’ve never prayeda day in my life. The devil doesn’t pray. But that’s one plea I hope God hears. I’d get down on my knees right now if I thought he might listen.

Lux is the absolute worst kind of drug. Whenever I’m close to her, I swear, I can feel her in my fucking veins. She dominates my every thought. And I could fuck her twice a day and still wantmore.

The only cure is touching her, kissing her, keeping my cock inside her.

And I meant what I said, if she ran away tomorrow, I’d hunt her ass down so fast, she’d wonder if it was all a fever dream. Because this thing between us is mine to control. She leaves when I say she leaves. This ends when I say it ends, and not a second before.

I continue to stroke her pussy, watching her face as pleasure overtakes her. She’s so damn beautiful, especially like this, consumed with ecstasy, her pedal-pink lips stretched open, each breath coming in short bursts.

“Roman, please,” she whimpers, resting her head on my shoulder like it’s all too much. “Please.”

I know what she wants. My cock. But she’s not getting it. I have something to prove to her, to myself. This thing between us doesn’t controlme, it’s the other way around. I can resist her if I choose to.

Once you get a taste of her, trust me, brother, you’ll always want her.

My brother’s words haunt me, because, so far, he’s not wrong. But one thing he didn’t account for is that I’m stronger than him, at least when it comes to relationships. He’s always been a romantic, heart-on-his-sleeve type.

Not me.

I’ve never had any trouble walking away from a chick, and Lux won’t be the exception. She’s different, sure, but I’m the same cynical bastard I’ve always been. That’s never going to change.

And in the end, when all of this is over, I’ll be ready to walk away…but onmyfucking terms, not hers. Not anyone else’s.

“Roman, I need you,” Lux says, panting, clawing at my shoulders. “Please, please,please.”

With a smile, I kiss her, devouring her like both our souls depend on it, all the while, keeping my tempo—in, out, in out—using my thumb to apply pressure to her clit.

Her hand closes around my cock, and she squeezes, pulling upward, stroking me.Fuck, she feels good. And she’s so ready. It’d be so easy to push into her now and end this torture.

I remove my hand from her cunt, and pick her up. She curls her legs around my waist as I walk her to the edge of the hot tub, using the stairs to walk us both out of the water.

The air is cold, but I hardly notice as I place her down on one of the lounge chairs. Rising up, I kneel and stare down at her. I love her like this. Wet and ready for me, looking up at me with wide, trusting eyes. It sparks something in me, a primal energy that makes my cock twitch.

Goddamn.

Setting my jaw, I glare down at her. “Spread your legs.”

She does as instructed without hesitation, propping her feet up on the cushion of the lounge chair, then spreading her knees apart, revealing that sweet cunt.

My little whore.

“Good girl.” I lower my head and touch my lips to the soft curve of her belly. She arches up abruptly and sucks in a sharp breath like she doesn’t want me touching that area.

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