Page 62 of Knot So Sweet

There was a possessiveness in the way he said it, something that made my blood run hotter, my muscles tense. My body screamed for him, even as my mind fought back.

I wasn’t just going to roll over for him.

"Gears?" I blurted, trying desperately to latch onto anything to keep the distance between us, to stop the walls I’d built from crumbling to dust under the weight of his gaze.

Viper nodded, that dangerous smirk still lingering as he crowded me against the bookshelf, leaving me no room to escape. His presence was suffocating, in the best and worst ways. His breath ghosted over my skin, his lips so close to mine that I could feel the heat of him, could almost taste him.

"You need to understand something, sweetheart," he whispered, his lips brushing my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. His hand slid up, his fingers trailing against my jaw with a soft touch that belied the power behind them.

"I almost killed my VP for touching you the way he did."

The weight of his words sank in. My breath hitched as his hand slipped around my throat, not squeezing, just holding me there, claiming me. His fingers pressed lightly against my pulse, which thudded beneath his grip, wild and frantic. His dominance was everywhere—surrounding me, flooding the room, making my knees weak, making my body betray every ounce of resolve I had.

"And if he does it again," Viper growled, his voice a deadly promise, "I’m not sure I’ll be able to control myself." His thumb brushed over my pulse point, sending heat coursing through me.

"Ghost is the only one who can keep him in line, the only one he listens to. Because if I go talk to him…" He paused, his lips hovering over mine. "I’m not sure I’ll have a VP much longer."

The tension between us crackled like lightning. His hand slid from my throat down my arm, his touch light but burning, leaving fire in its wake. Every nerve in my body screamed for him, even though my mind still tried to hold on to some semblance of control.

But I was losing. Losing to him. Losing to myself.

With one last desperate effort, I pressed my hand against his chest, glaring up at him even though my body trembled from the contact. "Why didn’t you push her away sooner, Viper?" I demanded, my voice sharp, though my heart raced like a drumbeat.

"I’m not some weak omega you can dangle in front of Tiffany to make a point. You don’t get to play with me like that."

His grip around my throat tightened just enough to make my back arch, forcing my body to press against his chest. My breastspressed into the hard planes of his torso, making the heat between us unbearable.

His eyes blazed with fire, his voice a deep, low growl. "I’m not playing, sweetheart." He dipped his head, his nose brushing through my hair, inhaling me. "Stop fighting me, Candice. You’re mine, and it’s time you fucking realized it."

"I hate you," I hissed, but the words came out weak, hollow, empty. My body was a traitor, trembling under his touch, aching for him. My heat clawed at me from the inside, demanding him, pulling me under, even as my mind waged a losing battle.

"You don’t hate me," Viper growled, his hand moving from my throat to grip my chin, forcing me to look up at him. "You hate how much you need me."

I swallowed hard, unable to look away from him. My pulse raced, my breathing shallow, my body leaning into his touch, despite every bit of defiance I tried to cling to. Heat pooled low in my belly, and I could barely think beyond the primal need taking over.

"You claimed me," Viper said, his voice rough, animalistic, as he pressed even closer, his body pinning me against the books. "You fucking claimed me."

"You claimed me first," I shot back, my voice breathless, my chest heaving as the raw, primal hunger between us surged.

A wicked grin spread across his face, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous, predatory gleam. "Fuck yeah I did," he growled, his lips brushing against mine, teasing. "And now, I’m going to show you exactly what being mine means."

But just as the intensity between us hit a boiling point, my stomach let out a loud, angry growl. The sound shattered the heated moment like a slap, and I froze, mortified. Viper blinked, the tension in the air still heavy, but his brow lifted as amusement danced across his face.

For a second, the silence stretched, and then, a low sexy as sin, chuckle rumbled in his chest. He shook his head, still impossibly close. "You’re hungry," he murmured, his tone softening just enough to make my pulse stutter.

I swallowed hard, my body still humming from the electrifying tension between us. I hated how his laughter felt like a tether, drawing me closer despite my best efforts to resist.

"You're not going to kiss me?" I muttered, trying to summon some semblance of defiance, but it came out weaker than I intended.

Viper’s smirk widened, his fingers brushing my cheek in a tender contrast to the earlier storm of his dominance. "Not yet," he said, his voice dripping with certainty. He leaned in, his breath warm against my skin as he whispered, "First, I’ll feed you."

My heart thudded in my chest as his lips ghosted over my ear, the warmth of him too much, and yet not enough.

"Then," he continued, his voice a promise that sent a shiver down my spine, "we’ll finish what we started."

I exhaled, shaky and uneven, the moment shifting again—less dangerous, but no less charged. I knew this was far from over, but for now, the hunger gnawing at my stomach was undeniable, and Viper… he was right. He always seemed to be right.

Without breaking his gaze, he pulled back slightly, his smirk still in place. "Let’s get you something to eat, sweetheart. You’ll need your strength for later." The way he said it made my heart skip, a mixture of anticipation and dread rolling through me.

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