Page 31 of Checks & Bonds

I struggled against his hold, but his grip was too tight.

“Don't ever talk to me about you fucking anyone else,” he growled.

“Why not?” I shot back defiantly. “It's not like you've been waiting around for me, have you?”

His eyes darkened even further, and for a moment, I thought he might actually hit me. Instead, he leaned in closer, his breath hot against my face.

“You don't know what you're talking about,” he said through gritted teeth.

I glared up at him, refusing to back down. The tension between us crackled like electricity in the air. My chest heaved with each ragged breath as I stared into his eyes, daring him to make the next move.

"You think I'm supposed to wait?" I asked, voice quivering despite my efforts to stay strong. "My body is the only thing I have left that's mine. Of course I didn't wait. And I didn't expect you to either."

Henry's smile sent a shiver down my spine, a predatory grin that made my skin crawl.

"You think you still own this body?" His voice was a low growl. "You don't."

He released one of my shoulders, his hand trailing down to touch my thigh. I sucked in a breath as his fingers glided up my skin, slipping under my dress.

"Do you see how you respond to me?" he murmured, leaning in closer. "Your body is mine. It always has been."

His fingers brushed against my panties, and I felt a jolt of both shame and something darker, more primal. A glimmer of surprise lit his eyes as he pressed against the damp fabric.

"Already wet," he said. "What a slut. You like being degraded this way? Is this what gets you off? Is this what Dan did?"

His teeth gritted together, anger mingling with something else in his gaze.

I knew I should push him off, fight back with every ounce of strength I had left. But I couldn't bring myself to move. My body betrayed me, reacting to his touch despite the loathing churning inside me.

His fingers continued their cruel exploration, each brush against my skin sending waves of conflicting emotions through me. My breath hitched, and I bit down on my lip hard enough to draw blood.

Henry's eyes bore into mine, a dark intensity that made it impossible to look away. His touch was both punishing and intoxicating, a heady mix that left me teetering on the edge of despair and desire.

For a moment, everything else faded away—the anger, the fear, the betrayal. All that existed was his hand on my body and the undeniable connection between us.

And then reality came crashing back in, shattering the fragile illusion.

I closed my eyes briefly, trying to gather the strength to push him away, to reclaim even a shred of control over myself.

But as Henry's fingers continued their relentless assault, I realized with a sinking heart that it wasn't just my body that had betrayed me—it was my willpower too.

Henry slipped his fingers into me, his touch both invasive and electric. I gasped, the sound escaping before I could stop it. His thumb brushed my clit, sending jolts of sensation through my body. His gaze locked onto my face, dark and unyielding.

I sucked in a breath, trying to keep my composure. But the traitorous heat pooling in my core betrayed me.

"That's right," he murmured, his voice low and almost soothing. "Look how powerless you truly are."

"I fucking hate you," I spat, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and unwanted arousal.

His lips curled into a cruel smile as he slipped a finger deeper inside me, clenching his teeth as his thumb continued its tormenting dance on my clit.

"Oh, yeah?" he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You're going to show me how much you hate me, aren't you?"

My body reacted to his touch despite the fury boiling within me. Every stroke of his finger sent waves of pleasure coursing through me, mingling with the rage that made my blood burn. It felt so wrong, so twisted, but I couldn't deny the way he made my body respond.

I wanted to push him away, to scream at him and claw at his face. But instead, I found myself arching into his touch, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The conflict between my mind and body was maddening, tearing me apart from the inside.

My heart pounded in my chest as I struggled to maintain control over myself. The pleasure was intense, almost unbearable, and it fueled the anger that simmered just beneath the surface.

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