Page 17 of Heartless Vows

His hot breath warms my face as I brush my lips over his.

It’s not enough.

I test his bottom lip with my tongue. When he doesn’t take over, I lose myself in cataloguing every centimeter of his lips, teeth, and tongue, until urgency sweeps me away and I can no longer discern where I end and he begins.

Every cell in my body animates. Need throbs in my clit. My nipples harden. Wetness dampens my panties.

He pulls back. I chase him. He tightens his grip on my throat and stops me.

Reality crashes down on my head. I shake from head to toe, but I can’t unsheathe my nails from his nape.

I don’t know when I released his shoulders and started clawing at the back of his neck, but his heavy-lidded gaze tells me he doesn’t mind. In fact, his lopsided smirk encourages me to do it harder. To scratch him deeper. To leave my mark on him.

Despite my death grip on him, he doesn’t press his body to mine.

Did I do something wrong? Am I reading too much into his expression? Is he mocking me again?

“You’re fucking delicious,mia topolina. More. Again.”

I tuck my face against my arm mere milliseconds before his mouth crashes onto mine.

“I-I did what you asked. I kissed you. You promised.”

He groans and drops his forehead to my temple.

“I did. I will. I’ll fight for you, Aurora.”

Weight lifts from my shoulders and I sag against the wall. My shoulders and neck ache from the odd angle, but I don’t dare let go of his nape.

My reprieve doesn’t last.

He flicks the tip of his tongue over my cheekbone in a teasing lick before dropping his mouth to my jawline and brushing his lips over my flesh as he speaks. His half whisper, half growl travels down my chest and throbs in my nipples.

“But I never said I’d stop touching you. I’ll protect and ravage you at the same time.”

I twist my fingernails deeper into his nape and whimper as he nips and licks his way down the side of my throat.

“No, wait. You can’t.”

“I can and I w—”

We both startle as I slap my palm over his mouth, and for an absurd moment, I wonder who moved my body without my permission. My heart pounds in my throat. I swallow and consider peeling my hand off his face but decide to trust my knee jerk reaction.

“Don’t say it. Man of your word, remember?”

After a terrifying moment, the cold fury in his gaze fades away, so I rush to explain.

“You can’t protect me if you knock me up without legal ties already in place.”

He quirks a brow.

“No matter what our parents say, their verbal agreements won’t hold up in a court of law.”

His eyes darken. I press my palm harder against his mouth and continue.

“I know, I know, in this lifestyle, a man’s word is supposed to be law, but… I don’t trust them. I know it sounds stupid, but we should sign a prenuptial agreement before—”

He removes his forearm from the wall for the first time in forever and pulls my hand away from his mouth. His thick fingers cover most of my forearm as he holds my wrist.

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