Page 104 of As the World Falls

“Yeah…” he says lowly. “I’m starting to realize this was never anything at all.” And on that note, he turns around and leaves,marching right past me. I keep my eyes on Cecilia as she watches him go, noting the way she doesn’t call or chase after him. There is acceptance in her gaze, although she is clearly upset.

“Well, that was dramatic,” I say, shutting the door and leaving her and me on the patio.

She turns her fiery gaze on me now. “You’re such an asshole. You know that? I can’t believe you made him think I chose to stay here.”

“Would you have stayed at his place if you actually had a choice?” I ask her. She blinks and tears her gaze from me, looking defeated. “That’s what I thought.”

“You’re still an ass.”

“I can be an even bigger one, babe. Don’t push me.” She looks up at me again, her nose scrunching up as it does when she’s annoyed.

“What’s got your panties in a twist?”

“Maybe the fact that I have to transfer all my work here and uproot my life because you forced your way into mine when you weren’t wanted,” I snap.

“That was your prerogative, not mine. I didn’t want this either,” she fires back.

“Says the naïve little girl who got involved trying to play savior.”

“To be fair, Hodge approached me. Not the other way around. What did you expect me to do?”

“To trust your brother,” I yell, making her jump. “To fucking trust me a little too.”

“Trust you?” she shouts back. “How could I ever trust you? You’ve done nothing but make me a puppet while you pull the strings, deceiving me when I was trying to help my brother.”

“But look what’s happened, Cecilia. Your brother is in your life again. He’s finally been transparent with you, as have I. You have gotten everything you wanted in the end, and you fuckingmade me fall for you in the process.” She takes a step back, her eyes wider than ever as she breathes hard, staring back at me. “I am not a weak man, Cecilia, but you have had me on my damned knees since I met you, and after everything…you still can’t find a little good in me. You still can’t trust me.”

She shakes her head frantically. “You don’t know what you’re saying. You just said I wasn’t wanted.”

I move closer to her, pleased she doesn’t retreat as I do. “Fine. I take it back. I want you here, but it doesn’t matter because you’re too scared to give in to what you want so badly, even when I’m begging, and this is me begging, Cecilia.”

She swallows hard and fixes me with another scowl, another attempt at bravery. “You don’t beg, James Kingston. You’re cold and cruel. This isn’t who you are.”

I reach my hand out, grabbing hold of her dress and yanking her to me so that she’s plastered to my chest. Her hands land on my biceps as I wrap an arm around her waist and speak softly. “I’m not claiming not to be, babe. I want you to fear me. Fear me. Want me. Give in to me, Cecilia, and I will do anything you say. I will be yours. Wholly.”

I bunch more of her dress into my hand, exposing her thighs to me again. They were plump and smooth, and I needed to touch them because I didn’t get a chance to earlier. I drop my other hand from her waist, letting it slide down her side and to the hem of her dress so that my palm was slowly smoothing over the skin on her thigh. She gasps at the contact, and I keep my eyes on hers, watching them turn hazy with want.

“What are you doing?” she rushes out, nearly breathless.

“Tell me what happened between you and Lance,” I demand, needing to know.

“Nothing,” she hisses when I squeeze her tighter in my hand. “I…I told him I didn’t feel the same way he does about me.”

“He wants you?” She nodded, confirming what I already knew, but it still pissed me off. I take ahold of her jaw, forcing her to meet my stare. “He can’t fucking have you,” I growl. I slide my hand completely under her dress until I find the spot between her legs that I’ve been dying to feel. She gasps as my fingers trail over her underwear, where her clit lies beneath, and I caress her there, making her squirm in my hold.

“Please,” she pants already.

“Please, what?” I ask lowly.

“Please,” she cries out again. “Please, just do something. I can’t take it anymore.”

“Are you saying yes?” I ask her, just to be sure.

Her arms fly around my neck, and she pulls me down, her mouth taking mine in a savage kiss that had my head spinning. She presses her chest harder against mine, her fingers digging into the back of my neck as she kisses me with everything she has. “Yes. Yes. Please,” she finally groans onto my lips.

I stumble on my feet, walking backward until my legs meet the edge of the patio furniture, and I fall onto it, bringing her down with me. She climbs onto my lap, straddling me and taking my mouth with hers again. It was pure ecstasy. She was heaven. Tasting her and feeling her on top of me and all around me. I never not wanted to be like this with her.

“Unbutton your shirt,” she demands, tearing her mouth from mine. I do as she says because I was always eager to please her. I unbutton my shirt, and she tears at the sides, ripping it open just as I undo the last button, exposing my chest to her. “You’re gorgeous,” she says in wonderment, eyes scanning my body.

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