Page 39 of The Devil's Secret

“Mmm, I wish you would.” My gaze trails over her tits as I back away to see their shape hidden behind her white tank. “I keep thinking about that day, you on top of me, rubbing your pussy, except now, when I think about you, you’re not wearing any clothes.”

“Oh, is that what this is about?” Her mouth curves into a sardonic smile. “I can take my clothes off for you right now. It’s what I do best. I’m sure you know that by now.”

The vein in my neck throbs, wanting to grab her and show her just how special she truly is. “It’s never been about that for me and you damn well know it.”

Her eyelids drift to a close, and that’s when that vulnerable side, the one she fights to hide, slips out. Her chin shaking, brows furrowing, she can’t escape it, no matter how badly she may want to.

“Joelle…” I whisper.

Instantly, her gaze zaps to mine, but her mask, it’s back on as she clears her throat, her attention scattered behind me.

Her eyes swell before she looks to me. “Why do you have people everywhere? What is this place?” Shock pulls at her features.

“Bodyguards. They’re not gonna hurt you.” I cut through the distance, palming her cheek, my heart strumming with intense emotion, hoping she stops resisting once and for all. “I wouldn’t hurt you either. You’ve got to know that, baby.” I can barely contain how I feel for her. It’s fucking impossible. One second I want to hate her, the next I want to kiss the living hell out of her, to remind her what we were.

“Right. Sure. Of course you wouldn’t harm me.” She shakes her head, slipping out of my hand, her face turned with revulsion, making me wince. “So, you storming into the club, murdering people, that was what, you being a good person?”

“I didn’t say I don’t hurtotherpeople. I just said I wouldn’t hurtyou. And you suddenly care what happens to Faro’s men now?”

“No! But a man like you, with an army of your own, must not be any different than the Bianchis are.”

“You know what, Joelle, if that’s what you really think, then fuck this. Let’s go.” My hand shoots to her upper arm, but she pulls away, taking a step back.

I groan with irritation, marching forward, but she continues to move away, her glare zeroed in on me.

“Where do you think you’re going? Hmm?” I take another step. “My men are all over the house.”

“Let me out of here and you’ll never see me again,” she swears, continuing to trek backward.

A reluctant chuckle breaks from my throat. “See, that’s where the problem lies. I want to see you. All the damn time. It’s a problem I didn’t know I’d have, but here we are.”

Her lips flutter as though she’s trying to formulate a response, her movements halted, and I take that opportunity to quickly catch her, circling my arms around her thighs.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing?” She fists her hands, slamming them once into my chest, her gaze furious as I hoist her up and over my shoulder.

“Put me down!” She pounds her fists against my back, causing a deep laugh to roll out from me.

“Nah, baby.” I smack her ass hard, walking up the stairs. “You won’t be going anywhere until you learn some fucking manners. I promise to teach you.”

She growls like a wild cat, someone I’ll gladly tame until she falls in line, until she realizes she’s much safer here than returning to her previous life.

I get her fear, being taken by me, but I’m not the enemy. I’m the friend she needs. The one who could stop the pain the Bianchis have inflicted, if only she’d quit being so stubborn.

Once we reach one of my unused bedrooms, I open the door and take us inside, throwing her on the bed.

“Don’t fucking move,” I warn, my steely gaze on hers.

“You can’t keep me here,” she pants, propping herself on her elbows. At least she’s a good listener.

“Haven’t you noticed yet?” I walk over to the dresser, rummaging through the kink drawer, finding a pair of soft, black cuffs I frequently use on the women I bring home. “I can do whatever the hell I want.”

Turning back, I spin them on my finger, inching closer. She sits up, staring hard at them.

“What are you going to do with those?” Her eyes pop wide.

“What do you think I should do?”

My footsteps lightly thud over the bare wood floor until I get to the bed and sit beside her, my gaze trailing down her body, from those pair of stunning blue eyes to her soft thighs, covered in a pair of tight jeans. “You fight me at every step.” I move my hand toward her, roughly cupping her jaw. “Maybe you’ll learn to behave if I restrain you.”

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