Page 37 of Illicit Temptation

The worst scar? Guilt that Ian didn’t make it. He died that day with the hostages. Because of me. Because of Malone.

The simple clicking of the bedroom door now separating me from Shea dredged up my trauma all over again. It paralyzed me in the past but pulled back to that moment, I realize her locking me in only means one thing. Shea intends to leave this house without me.

Not. Happening.

I push past the crippling torment and fly out of bed. With just a squeeze of the door’s lever, I know it’s locked.

Fury floods my veins.

I hadn’t yet done a thorough examination of the home’s layout, including adequate crawl space in the ceilings. Nothing’s ever happened here to Shea, Lachlan made a point to inform me.

I storm over to one of the bedroom windows and shove the navy silk panels aside. A quick flash of the reflection in the sparkling plate-glass windows reminds me I’m naked and the staff tending to the property will see me.

I throw on a pair of running shorts. With sneakers on my feet, I climb from that window and balance on the ledge until I hop onto the roof. Scurrying across, not seeing a patch of black ice, I slip and nearly fall right off.

Jesus, I need to get a hold of myself. But what did she expect me to do, stay locked in the damn bedroom?

Keeping better track of my steps, I reach the edge. I look down and swear in relief, seeing the balcony to Shea’s bedroom. Carefully, I lower onto it and thankfully, the curtains to the double French doors are pulled aside.

Shea stands in the middle of her bedroom watching me in horror, her jaw dropped.

After jiggling the door levers, I politely knock. “Open this door, princess.”

Her ashen face of fear turns stern and bold, her eyes narrowing. Playing with me, she folds her arms and shakes her head.

I should remind her it’s fucking frigid out here, especially with the ocean’s icy wind whipping against my skin, but I don’t want her to open the door out of fucking sympathy. She has to learn to obey me when I give her a command.

Smiling, I step back and kick at just the right place tosend enough force and loosen the bolt that keeps the doors locked. It slips out of place, something I can easily fix, or just replace the lock and make sure I have a damn key.

The double doors fly wide open and Shea yelps. She tears off for the door to the hallway, but I’m quicker. I grab her from behind and throw her onto the large unmade bed.

With our confrontation heating up, I calm myself. This is an opportunity for me. She must be terrified of what I’ll do to her. I can bargain my leniency for an absolute oath to never do this again.

Her scent of lilacs and oranges hardens my cock so fast, I’m already leaking precum. I rub my aching dick between her luscious thighs. The warmth and the heat there have me losing my fucking mind.

“You better have a good reason for locking me in the bedroom, princess,” I sneer, our noses nearly touching.

Her breathing breaks like sharp waves. “I... I was going out for a run. I thought you wouldn’t let me go.”

“Now you listen to me, princess.” I bring my lips to the shell of her ear. “Do something like that again, something wildly inappropriate, then I’ll be forced to return the volley with something even more wildly unprofessional.” With my cock nudged firmly between her legs, I feel her clit throb. “Fuck, princess, I think you want me to punish you with my cock.”

“You’re...” She chokes out.

“Oh...” I huff out a laugh. “Can’t wait to hear you finish that sentence. I’m what?”

“You’re...heavy. Get off me.”

“Not until I know you got the message. Have I done or said anything to make you think I’m unreasonable?”

“Besides dumping my boyfriend in your brother’s trunk?”

“That was him. I’m talking about you.” I push harderand give her one last glorious feel of my cock and then sit back. I expected she’ll start kicking her feet, my cock and balls in the line of fire.

“You’re impossible,” she grunts, just lying there.

Fuck, does she want me back on top of her?

“And it’s only my third day. I’m just getting started. And if this is what I’m up against, being locked in my room—”

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