Page 179 of Quinlan

Damien understands. His palm is a shackle around my hip. His teeth are a silent threat as they graze up the curve of my neck. “Go on.”

His cock presses to my back. He’s hard and huge. A shiver runs up my spine at the contact. At how Damien teases me with his cruelty. He’s telling me it’s coming. He’s telling me I’ll scream.

He gets off on prolonging it, on making it worse for me. He’s harder when he pushes the front of my tank top down to expose both my breasts.

I look at our reflection in the window. His hands are back in place, one on my wrist, the other on my hip. He’s towering over me. So big. So intimidating.

He makes a low sound at the back of his throat. He’s losing his patience when I don’t speak.

“There’s more. I can’t help you if you’re not talking to me and I’m not leaving before you do.” With a rough roll of his hips, he slams me into the desk. “So unless you want this to hurt, give me everything. I want to hear you.”

“You’ll leave me. You’ll kick me out.” And there it is, out in the open. I would be embarrassed to admit to this vulnerability out loud, except Damien is there. Staring back at me. A force to absorb whatever I throw at it. “I’m here to be used until Rex is—”

Damien whips me around, his hand on my chin, tipping my head up. I’m facing him. I see him. Glowering. A destructive force, ready to ruin me.

A shield to protect me against my own damn self.

“Say it,” he hisses. “Until Rex is what, Quinlan?”

“Dead.”

Whatever my half-brother did, it was terrible. Rex ruined a part of him. I hate him for it. I hate him for laying a finger on a child. On anyone.

“After he’s dead. I’ll be useless to you.” I close my eyes. It’s too painful to look at him. “This is just another manipulation, making me believe you like me. Once there’s no more Rex, there’ll be no more me. Just say it already.”

“God, I love you.”

My eyes fly open. The widest they’ve ever been.

“You’re so perfect, darling.” His lips brush mine, sapphire eyes so dark they’re almost black. “And so, so terribly wrong. I love you. I’m never letting go.”

I’m not sure what comes first. If his hands are on my cheeks or his mouth crushes into mine. It’s impossible to tell, and fuck, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that he’s owning me. All that matters is that he loves me.

He’s meant it. He really has.

He loves me.

Damien growls, drives his fingers deeper into my hair. He tugs on the roots, forcing my head higher, closer to him. He bites my bottom lip. His tongue lashes against mine. He’s tasting me, punishing me.

“I. Love. You.” It sounds like a curse. Like he’s angry that he couldn’t say it before. “A world without you in it isn’t a world I want to live in. I’m nothing like him.We’renothing like him. We’ll never use you. We want you so bad it hurts, damn it. We just want you. Just you, Quinlan. It wasn’t supposed to turn out like this, but we can’t let go. We won’t let go. Is that what you wanted to hear? Does that clarify things for you? Do you understand how important you are here?”

He grips my wrist, thrusting it to his heart.

I blink. My breaths are as rugged and labored as his.

Yes, that’s what I wanted to hear. What I needed.

My brain is scrambled. My pulse is loud in my ears.

The desire for this man is turning me into a feral woman. A twisted woman who craves his love more than anything. And his touch.

I spread my legs, and Damien rewards me with a violent thrust of his hips.

“This comes as a surprise, I see.” His thumb brushes my hardened nipple, and when he pinches me, I moan for him. “Not for me. I’ve loved you for years, Quinlan. From the very start. And I willalwayslove you.”

The heavy air in the room becomes even denser. I didn’t think it was possible. Then again, we aren’t alone anymore.

“Sweetheart.” Rome walks up to us, peeling off his jacket and throwing it on the floor. He steals me away from Damien and I can see what this is. I see it in Damien’s expression. He’slettingRome take me. “Crying by yourself instead of calling us? What’s that about?”

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