Page 117 of Worth Every Risk

Gemma’s jaw clenches, and she stares me down. “I think you owe the boys an apology.”

All eyes are on me. Expectant. Waiting. “The fuck I do.”

I slam my fist so hard into the cake the whole thing splits in half and icing splatters over everyone.

I storm out of the room and head to the basement. Raw fury fuels my every moment, burning through my veins like lit petrol. I don’t even know who I’m angry at. Mostly myself, for going off like an idiot upstairs. I’d half hoped a shit ton of strawberries would pour out of the cake, just so my bout of madness might have been justified.

The self-hatred that’s rolling around my head right now is unbearable. Mark Charlton’s an arse, but I lost it over a cake because Aries put the idea in my head.

I check the time. I have three hours to cool off before I have to pretend to be the happy father of a newly seventeen-year-old. I don’t know if Charlie will ever forgive me for making a scene like that. I can’t think about it now, though.

I slam open the door to the gym and rip off my cake-covered t-shirt, throwing it to the floor. I go to the sink and wash the cake off my hand, my forearm, and scrub myself dry with a towel. I’m not dressed for a workout, but I kick off my loafers and turn on the treadmill, running in my bare feet and shorts. All I need right now is to blast away my anger, my frustration, and this is as good a way as any.

I’ve broken a sweat when I hear a knock on the door. I can see Aries’s red hair through the glass.What the fuck does she want?I beckon her in and she pushes the door open, lingering on the threshold. She’s so fucking beautiful, her face so full of remorse, that a deep soulful rage comes over me.

This woman… she’s the reason everything’s coming apart at the seams. Her hair, her face, her lips… God, the curves of her. Her smell, her taste…

I’m losing myself in her.

I slow down the treadmill and push my hair off my face. “What do you want?”

“We need to talk. I’m sorry. I panicked. I thought they’d try to hurt Charlie. I didn’t want to fuck up again. I thought—”

“Don’t fucking talk.” I get off the treadmill, pacing towards her, reaching her in seconds. I pull her into the room, slamming the door behind her. “I’ve had enough of you talking.” She gasps, but before she can speak I’ve pushed her against the wall. “Do you know how fucking angry I am?”

She shakes her head, blinking rapidly. “No,” she whispers.

I press my body against hers and my cock begins to harden, desire pooling through the pit of rage that threatens to suck me up and spit me out. “Do you want me to show you how fucking angry I am?”

She nods, the tiniest whimper sliding out from between those full, pink lips. On her next breath, I press my lips to hers, kissing her hard, invading her mouth with my tongue, not giving her asecond to rethink her answer. I fist a hand in her hair, gripping it tight, tugging so hard it must hurt, but she doesn’t make a sound.

I force the kiss, deepen it, ravage her mouth with mine. The stubble on my jaw will make her skin raw, but I’m past caring. If I can take what I need from her, it might kill this obsession that’s turning me into a monster.

She pulls back, speaking against my mouth. “You said it was over. You said—”

“How can it be over? You’re in my fucking bloodstream, Aries. Every passing moment, you’re there. In my mind, my head, my heart.Fuck. I can’t get rid of you.”

I kiss her again, hard. It’s not romantic. Not careful. My hand fumbles at her jeans, hauling them halfway down her thighs with a rough yank. Every movement I make is full of rage. I slide my fingers between her legs, where she’s already so wet, so slick, that I drive two fingers, three, into her with ease.

She wants me even when I hate her, even when I’m so mad I can’t think straight.

I finger-fuck her, thrusting into her like I could tear her pussy apart.

Small moans burrow from her mouth into my shoulder, and I can’t be sure they’re pleasurable. I could be hurting her.

I freeze, Aries still between my arms, caged against the wall. My breathing is heavy, laboured from the run, from Aries, from not knowing if I want to fuck her or hurt her.

I pull back, watching her as I slowly slide my fingers out of her cunt, the slick sucking sounds of her wetness filling the gym. My dick is painfully hard, just as desperate for her as I am.

There are tears in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. Her eyelashes are wet with them and mascara makes slippery tracks over her cheekbones.

“Did I hurt you?” I whisper, my voice sounding dangerously close to breaking.

She shakes her head, then strikes her heart with her fist. “Only here. I love you. I fucking love you.”

Turmoil thrashes through my chest; a torment of feeling that blazes the rage right out of me.How could I ever want to hurt this woman?

I fucking love you.

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