Page 10 of Forbidden Pawn

“See, no wire,” I say, before I jokingly add: “Except for the one in my bra.”

“I can see that,” he remarks, as he pointedly scans my upper body. “Now the pants.”

His intense gaze feels like a laser burning into my skin as I bow down to unzip my pants and drag them down over my hips. I step out of them as gracefully as possible and lift my chin to meet his observant eyes.

His face remains cold and unreadable, just as before. I can’t stop myself from sucking in a sharp breath of air when he closes in on me and hooks a finger underneath the left strap of my bra.

“What are you doing?” I breathe helplessly as he pulls the strap over my shoulder.

“Checking you,” he says nonchalantly, as if he was going through some paperwork.

I freeze while he pulls down the other strap as well, before removing the cups of my bra and exposing my boobs before hiseyes. I can’t suppress a little hissing sound when he reaches up and traces his finger underneath the curves of my tits. His touch feels electric and hot, and so, so wrong.

I don’t find myself repulsed, like I should be. Instead, I have to force myself not to lean into him, or close my eyes and hum with approval.However, I have no control over my nipples hardening under his touch.

What’s wrong with me? This is disgusting. He is disgusting.

“Good,” he assesses, and the sizzling tip of his finger finally leaves my skin.

I sigh with relief, but then he goes down on his knees and does the same with my panties. He hooks his fingers under the hem and drags them down, while I do my best to remain as calm as possible. I close my eyes and ignore the surge of shame that washes over me when I feel his eyes on my most sensitive area. He pulls my panties down to my knees, and I can’t stop myself from letting out a soft mewl when his hands land on my legs and trail over my skin, back up to my hips and then to the back of my body.

Another sound escapes my lips, louder this time—and he laughs darkly as he cups my ass with both hands.

“Do I have to check in there, too?” He asks.

A sinister smirk appears on his face when he looks up at me, while I feel like I’m about to explode with fiery shame. I try my best to conceal the confusing flutter that is spreading through my core. He shouldn’t be touching me like this. He’s a stranger, a dangerous man, a man I hate. But his hands feel so…

I hurry to shake my head. “No. Definitely not.”

“Because you don’t want me to find anything or—“

“I didn’t stuff anything up my ass!” I protest, louder than intended.

That makes him chuckle. “A good criminal would.”

“I’m not a criminal,” I say. “You are.”

He scoffs, and—finally—lets go of me, before he gets back up on his feet.

“A little high and mighty for a blood princess like yourself, don’t you think?”

His gaze falls down to my wrist, and my heart almost stops when his eyes linger on the silver bracelet with the charm locket that holds my father’s picture. No. Not that! I close my hand over the bracelet, terrified that he might take it from me.

“No,” I say. “This is… my mother gave this to me. It means a lot to me.”

He smirks. “I can take whatever I want from you.”

I retreat when he takes a step forward, keeping my hand protectively wrapped around the bracelet while shaking my head. I should never have brought it here. What was I thinking?

“Do whatever you want to me, but don’t take this bracelet,” I say. “Please.”

I soften my expression and look up at him with the pleading eyes of a little girl who is afraid of losing something precious — which, I guess, isn’t that far from the truth. It’s a lie that my mother gave this bracelet to me, but it’s still the most valuable thing I possess.

His dark eyes pierce right through me, and I bite my lip to stop myself from saying anything stupid. I can’t forget who I am in his eyes. I’m Grace Reid, the youngest daughter of one of the most prolific crime families in the Boston area. I must never forget that.

“Fine, keep it then,” he says eventually.

I sigh with relief and close my eyes for a moment, and when I open them again, my gaze falls onto his crotch, where I notice a visible bulge poking against the fabric of his pants. I gasp and take a step back, while heat rises to my ears.

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