Page 93 of In Shadows We Dance

Her gaze jumps up to mine.

“Strip.”

Her hands move, curling around the hem of her hoodie. She pauses, eyes locked on mine. I can’t decide if she’s hoping I’ll relent or scared I’ll tell her to stop.

I won’t.

“Now.”

She pulls the hoodie over her head. My tongue runs over my bottom lip, eyes tracing every inch of visible skin.

“Look at me.”

Fear, shame, and desire war with each other on her face. She wants to do this.Needsto do this, but doesn’t want to admit it.

“I know you feel it. How much you want this. How much doing what I say turns you on. You like it when I see you. Take off the rest.”

Her T-shirt lands on the hoodie, then her jeans. Her arms wrap around herself, trying to shield her body from my gaze. But her cheeks are flushed, her eyes are shining, and the way her teeth sink into her lip tells a different story.

“Everything, Ballerina. I want all of you on display for me.”

She shakes her head again, a small, desperate move. I’m not sure if she’s denying me, or denying what she’s feeling.

“Please, Wren.”

I reach out, stroke a finger along her jaw, then wrap my hand around her throat, forcing her head back.

“There’s no point in begging, not for this. Save it for the right things. Beg for what you truly crave, the things that make you burn. You know what I want. You want it too.”

She reaches for the clasp of her bra. It falls to the floor. Her breathing is ragged, breasts moving up and down with each inhale and exhale, but there’s a spark in her eyes. The air between us grows thick, charged, as she bends and drags her panties down her legs, then straightens.

I take a moment, letting my eyes travel over her.

Every curve. Every line.

Every. Beautiful. Fucking. Inch.

“You can pretend you don’t want this.” I take a step closer. “But you proved last night that you do. You showed me how you respond to my touch, my demands. The way your eyes darken. The way your lips part.” I reach out to tap her bottom lip. “Open your mouth.” When she does, I push my finger inside. “Lick.”

Her tongue curls around my fingertip.

“Suck.”

There’s a slight pressure when her cheeks hollow out and she sucks my finger deeper. With my other hand, I trail my fingers down her arm to wrap around her wrist and pull her flush against me. My head lowers until my lips touch her ear.

“I bet you’re so fucking wet I could slide my dick inside you right now without any foreplay.”

Pulling my finger free from her mouth, I cup her ass with both hands and squeeze.

“But you haven’t earned a fucking just yet.”

My fingers flex on her ass again, then I turn her, so her back is to me and we’re both facing the mirror.

“Look at yourself. See what I see. See how much you need what I give you.” My hands move to her hips, up over her ribs, until I reach her breasts. Cupping them in both palms, I lift them, my thumbs stroking over her nipples.

“Look in the mirror. Look how beautiful you are. Don’t you want to know why they made you fade into the shadows? Why they taught you to disappear?”

“I’m looking.” Her voice is small, uncertain.

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