Page 83 of Riordan's Revenge

He didn’t get back on the mattress.

“One of the things I like most about you is your wild spirit. I’d never ask you to change anything about yourself. You are too special. Too unapologetically you. You turn me on like you were built to torment me.”

His hand moved faster.

“You walk straight through any boundary I try to put in place. Any request I make. You’re a live wire. A fucking force of nature. I won’t ask if you’re sorry for following me because I know I’ll be disappointed, both in your answer and in me asking that question.”

A warning played out in my head. Something in his tone gave me pause. He’d failed to resist having sex with me but seemed to have collected himself. I didn’t know what was going on or what his words meant, but I didn’t like them.

I moaned, wishing I could speak.

Riordan groaned in response and fisted the quilt, not touching me apart from with his avid, furious gaze. Abruptly, he came. Cum spilled over my belly and breasts. I squeezed around the vibrator, but it slid out of me some more.

I could hardly care, because all my focus was on the man calming his breathing to speak.

My heart hurt. This wasn’t going to be good.

Riordan’s gaze locked on to mine. His hair fell in his eyes. “I’m out. I can’t do this. It’ll end me. I can’t live in constant fearfor you and I won’t ask you to be anything other than who you are. It wouldn’t be fair. Sorry, Cassie. Goodbye.”

He picked up his clothes. Turned his back to put them on. Behind the gag, I yelled at him.No. No, please.

With his shoulders rigid, Riordan walked away.

After a few seconds, the click of the door reached me. I roared and fought the ropes. Earlier, I’d feared being hurt, but by Manny, or a stranger. Never by Riordan. I needed him. He couldn’t fucking leave me.

Minutes passed.

To save my wrists, I stopped fighting.

Only then did his words sink in. He’d asked me in his text to stay in the warehouse. It was a demand for a small degree of respect, a boundary set for my sake, not his. Or so I’d thought. I’d been wrong.

What had I done?

Riordan had left me, and it was all my fault.

Chapter 26

Riordan

Outside the door, I slid down the wall and tipped my head back. Counted to ten. Twenty. Fifty.

Started over.

I’d never acted so out of control. We’d agreed a deal. With fine print. An end date. Nowhere in there had been herobeyingme. I had no reason to be stressed.

I’d also never leave her like that. I mean, I had, but I wouldn’t do it for long.

But I’d meant what I said.

In the moment, it had been all-encompassing.

The more I breathed through my panic, the more that notion eased. Changed.

I didn’t understand myself at all, but I knew what I wanted.

Taking out my phone, I paged to a website. Clicked through. Paid out my money. Then forced myself to sit and wait.

Chapter 27

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