Page 44 of Crown of Lies

Fuck. I know how he feels.

14

ATLAS

Quinn’s lipsare warm and soft, just like I remember. The moment they meet mine, it’s like a dam bursting open inside me, unleashing a flood of pent-up desire. I kiss her back fiercely, my tongue delving into her mouth as I pull her tight against me.

She arches into me, a soft moan escaping her lips as I trail kisses down her neck. I nip at her skin, marking her with my teeth as well as my ink.

I need to claim her, to make her mine. My hands roam over her body, touching and exploring every inch of her soft skin. I can feel her heart pounding against my chest, matching the frantic rhythm of my own.

Heat explodes between us, consuming me from the inside out. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing, but this need has overtaken me and there’s not a damn thing I can do to stop it.

And right now? Stopping is the last thing I want to do.

Seeing that fucker hit on her, watching him put his filthy hands on what’s mine… it made me see red. I wanted to kill him, to murder him with my bare hands for daring to touch her. The rage consumed me, burning through my veins like molten lava.

And then when she suggested I had no claim over her because we’re not married? Because she wasn’t wearing myring? It unleashed something primal inside me, a possessive need to mark her as mine in every way possible.

I need to see my mark on her skin. I need it more than my next breath. More than anything in this fucked up world.

My breath comes out in a ragged burst as I break from the kiss and look down into her eyes. They’re dark with desire, her pupils blown wide. Just like mine must be.

“Atlas,” she breathes out, my name falling from her lips in a way I haven’t heard in far too fucking long.

I growl in response, nipping at the sensitive skin just below her breasts. Mine. She’s mine, and I’ll make damn sure every fucker in this club knows it.

I pull back, breathing hard as I indulge my need to look down at the fresh tattoo on her skin one more time. It’s still bloody and dark, the ink stark against her pale flesh. A primal satisfaction surges through me at the sight of the mark.

“Fuck,” I growl, tracing the outline with my fingertip. The skin is raised and hot to the touch. She hisses, a mix of pain and pleasure, and the sound goes straight to my cock.

My mark looks good on her. Damn good. But it’s not enough. I need more.

“This looks fucking perfect on you,” I tell her. “But it’s still not enough. I need to see all of you.”

Without waiting for a response, I grab her bra and yank it down forcefully. The flimsy material tears easily under my hands, baring her breasts to my hungry gaze.

Her nipples are hard, begging for my touch. I don’t hesitate to oblige, palming her breasts and rolling the sensitive peaks between my fingers.

She arches into my touch, a soft moan escaping her lips. The sound drives me wild, stoking the fire that’s been burning in my veins since she dragged me out of that bar.

“Yes,” she gasps, her hands clutching at my shoulders. “Holy fuck, yes. More.”

I lean down, my mouth hovering over one taut peak. “I’m gonna make sure every fucker knows you’re mine,” I tell her, my voice a gravelly promise. “Is that what you want? Is that what you want to hear me say?”

I swirl my tongue around one nipple, earning a sharp intake of breath from her. “I-I don’t… I can’t. God, just don’t fucking stop.”

Not quite the answer I’m looking for, but it’s probably hard for her to think clearly when I’m devouring her perfect tits.

I suck harder, groaning at the taste of her until her entire nipple is in my mouth. My hands roam over her body, claiming and possessing. I need to brand her with my touch, to imprint myself on her so deeply that no one will ever be able to erase me.

“Yeah, you do like that, don’t you?” I murmur against her skin, my lips brushing the sensitive underswell of her breast. “You like knowing that Nico is gonna see what we’ve done. Killian too.”

She whimpers, her fingers tightening in my hair. “Yes,” she answers in a rush of breath. “I do. I do love it. I want—want them to see.”

“Let me hear you beg for my cock.”

I can almost see the switch flip inside her.

---