Page 26 of Split

“That’s fine,” Roman murmurs.

My brows shoot up in surprise. “Really?”

“Yes, you can submit to the exam when you’re ready,” he says blandly, still watching my mouth as he pushes his thumb inside. “In the meantime, you’ve got other holes I can use.”

I immediately recoil, spitting out his thumb as I flinch back, but Roman doesn’t seem deterred by my blatant disgust for him. He just sighs in annoyance, tipping his head. “On your knees, pet.”

I gape at him in disbelief.He can’t possibly expect me to service him here and now, can he?

I get my answer when he abruptly takes me by the shoulders and shoves me from his lap to my knees. I wince as they hit the cold marble floor, a brief shot of pain vibrating through my shins.

“You’re going to show me what a good girl you can be, aren’t you?” he asks, lifting a hand from my shoulder to my caress my cheek with the backs of his knuckles.

I want to scream, spit at him, tell him I won’t do it… but all I do is glare up at the demon seated before me, my hatred simmering beneath my skin like a living, breathing entity.

The mirth in my eyes only seems to excite him. A smirk pulls at the corner of his lips as he leans his face down closer to my own, taking my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I see that fire in your eyes, darling,” he growls, the low, husky vibration of his voice rattling through me like a warning. “I see how much you want to fight me right now, but you’re not going to, are you?”

He slides his thumb up my chin, slipping it past my lips and pressing the pad of it down against my tongue, forcing my mouth open. “No, you’re going to be a good little pet and suck my cock because you want to please me. You want to make it good for me.” He retracts his thumb from my mouth, trailingsaliva over the curve of my chin and down the column of my neck. “You want me to come down that pretty little throat of yours so you can swallow every drop, don’t you?”

No.

“If that’s what you want,” I whisper, and a little piece inside of me cracks.

I can’t say no to him, though– not if I value my own wellbeing. If I resist, Roman will only force me into compliance. He’ll make this worse than it has to be.He’ll make it hurt.

Not to mention the fact that if I have any hope of escaping this hellhole, then I need to lead him to believe I’ve accepted my role as his wife. A blowjob is a small price to pay for my freedom, in the grand scheme of things. There’s no white knight on his way here to save me from the big bad wolf. I’ll just have to save myself.

Roman nods his approval, stroking a hand over my hair as he gazes down at me reverently, those piercing green eyes glinting in satisfaction. “Good girl.”

Something inside me lights up at his praise, my stomach immediately curling in on itself at the realization. I hate that my body and mind can’t get on the same page. I’m not sure who I despise more right now– my husband, or myself.

I startle at the familiar sound of Clara’s Mary Janes clipping against the floor and try to push up from my knees, but Roman’s hand on my shoulder keeps me firmly anchored in place as she crosses the room to deliver the plates of food. Mortification burns through me as she stoops to lower both plates onto the table in front of Roman, averting her eyes to avoid looking at me crouched between his knees.

“Can I get you anything else, Mr. Volkov?” she asks politely.

Embarrassment and anger wage a war inside me as I kneel at Roman’s feet, staring up at the housemaid. Her refusal toacknowledge my existence right now makes her complicit in this whole thing– I think I might hateherthe most.

“No, that’ll be all, Clara,” he replies in a clipped tone, his fingers idly toying with the strands of my hair. “Please close the doors on your way out.”

“Of course, Mr. Volkov.” She spins around and hurries away while I hold my breath until I hear the thud of the double doors being pulled closed behind her.

Roman gazes down at me with a faint smile, sweeping the sides of his suit coat back as he reclines in his chair, spreading his knees wider. “Go on,” he urges, nodding down at the sizable bulge pressing against his slacks.

My cheeks burn with humiliation, my breath still coming out in staccato pants. I once again have the urge to scream, to spit, to throw something– but I swallow all of that back, tucking my rage away in a little box in my mind as my shaky hands reach for his belt.

My wrist brushes against his cock as my fingers land on the buckle, and I swear I feel it jump with excitement. As I work to unfasten his belt, I bump it again, his breath hitching.

I glance up at Roman to find his expression twisted, almost as if he’s in pain. Like he’s aching for me to touch him right now.

Perhaps I do have some power here on my knees, after all.

I unbutton his slacks and drag down the zipper, my eyes dropping to take in the outline of his thick length straining against the fabric of his black boxer briefs. Shifting the hem of his shirt up to reach for the waistband, my gaze snags on his sculpted lower abs and the thin trail of dark hair starting at his belly button and disappearing beneath the elastic, my tongue darting out to wet my lips. Liquid heat starts to swirl inside me, rushing to my core as I slowly ease his boxers down and free his erection.

It's long and thick, standing at attention as I reach out to wrap a hand around his girth. I’ve only seen and touched one dick before in real life, but that experience did nothing to prepare me for this one. Wesley was half the size of my husband. Roman’s cock is hot and hard in my palm as I stroke him from base to tip, mesmerized by the sight of it. When I glance up at his face, I find him watching me with rapt fasciation.

I bat my lashes demurely, licking my lips again. “I haven’t done this before,” I admit.

He likes that.Delight flickers in his eyes as he reaches down to cup my chin in a hand, tilting my head up. “I’m sure you’ll be a natural,” he remarks, his voice strained as I continue pumping him in my fist. “This mouth of yours has to be good for something other than talking back.”

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