Page 17 of Carnival Master

“But you do.” My lips brush against her earlobe. “Admit it.”

She opens her mouth to protest, but I twirl her to face me and cut her off with my mouth on hers, stealing her breath and her willpower. A muffled whimper escapes her throat as my tongue tangles with hers, a plea for more.

I want to devour her, brand her as mine. Mark every inch of her perfect skin and keep her with me forever.

But that’s not our reality.

I reluctantly release her, her body sliding away. She sags against the wall, eyes dazed as she pants, watching me warily.

“See?” I grin. “You just needed a little persuasion.”

She swallows hard, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “This changes nothing. My answer is still no.”

My smile fades. “Why? You feel it, too. I know you do.”

She lifts her chin, determination sparking in her eyes. “Because some things are worth resisting, no matter how tempting.”

Her words strike me like a blow to the gut. Worth resisting. Am I so easy to turn down?

I straighten. “Guess I’ll have to try harder, then.”

Her eyes widen, breath catching. “Are you threatening me?”

“Never.” I turn, heading for the back door. “I’d never force you, Sofia. But I will convince you. Someday, you’ll beg me to finish what we started.”

“In your dreams.” But the breathlessness in her voice tells me she’s not as unaffected as she pretends.

I grin, opening the door. “Sweet dreams, baby girl.”

And with that, I leave, the memory of our kiss and her trembling body seared into my mind. My girl might be putting up a fight, but I live for the chase. And I always get what I want.

10

SOFIA

Isink into the plush spa chair beside Sasha, the warm water bubbling around my feet. My best friend’s presence usually calms me, but my stomach churns with guilt today.

“Spill it,” Sasha says, eyeing me over her cucumber water. “Your texts were cryptic as hell.”

I stare at my feet. “I met someone.”

“Not Paulie, clearly.” She leans closer. “Who is he?”

“The ringmaster at the carnival.” Heat creeps up my neck. “Tyson.”

“A carnie?” Sasha’s eyebrows shoot up. “That’s... different for you.”

My hands tremble as I consider telling her the whole truth. How do I explain that he spied on me using my webcam? That he broke into my house? Instead of calling the police, I kissed him?

“There’s more,” I whisper, “but you have to promise not to freak out.”

“Girl, you’re scaring me.”

“He’s intense. Like, stalker intense.” The words tumble out. “He hacked my computer and watched me through my webcam. Then, showed up at my house uninvited.”

Sasha’s face drains of color. “Please tell me you called the cops.”

I shake my head, shame burning my cheeks. “I didn’t. I... I kissed him instead.”

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