Page 106 of Brutal Prince

I expect to hit the ground — bricks around here, if I’m not mistaken — but instead I land on something soft.

My eyes flutter open just long enough to take in my surroundings.

He has me on a day bed, the covers drawn back, the beige cushions supporting me.

Fuck.

It’s happening.

But I can’t let it.

This wasn’t the plan, Indi!

I mean…this was part of the plan, but the timeline’s accelerating waaaay too fast.

Get up.

Shove him away.

Do something, you dumb fucking slut.

So I do the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. I kiss him.

Briar shoves a hand up my skirt, and scrapes his knuckles over my pussy. My body responds on instinct, arching off the cushions as I let out a long groan.

“Fuck.” Briar sounds so pissed off, a shiver of fear races through me. He grazes the side of my neck, my throat, my collarbone. All hard enough to sting.

Indi, get your fucking head straight! You can’t give him what he wants. Not yet.

Quid pro quo, you dirty slut.

“Briar, no.” I shove at him, wriggle furiously, and sway as I drag myself to my feet.

He lays there like the king of this fucking golf estate, propped on an elbow like yesterday in the woods, and watches me as I start gesticulating wildly.

“This is crazy. We have to get to school. I can’t do this. Not now. Sometime, maybe, but not—” I clamp my lips shut, but it’s too late.

“Sometime?” Briar drawls as he slowly rises.

God, has he always been this tall? This fucking hot?

“Yeah,” I whisper. “Maybe.”

He moves to touch me, but I step back in case my entire body revolts against me.

“So why’d you want me alone, huh?” Briar tilts his head. “Do you have any fucking idea what it does to me, to have you so close, and then you just fuck off?”

His voice drops so low, it’s as if I’m feeling the vibrations of each word instead of hearing him speak.

I step back, lifting my hands. “I wanted to say sorry.”

He stops, frowns. “What?”

“For yesterday.” And then the words just pour out of me. The weed greased the wheels, but honestly, this shit was one of the reasons I couldn’t fucking sleep last night.

“I didn’t mean to tell you all that shit yesterday. You don’t need to know that stuff. No one does.”

The edges of Briar’s mouth curve up, his lips parting. “Your mother?” he asks quietly, stepping closer.

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