Page 25 of Conflicted

I’m sure others found Micah’s glare intimidating, but all it did was turn me on that bit more. “I thought you were going to behave.”

My brows shot up as I thumbed behind me. “Um, I was dancing. How’s thatnotbehaving?”

“With two men,” he ground out. “Is one not enough to keep you satisfied?”

The photos I’d seen earlier flicked through my mind. “Ah, so this isn’t about me at all. It’s about Dimitri.”

Micah blanched. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I think you do. Let’s speak frankly, Micah. Dimitri broke your heart by choosing a demon over you. Then we add in that Dimitri realised he did love another, but once again, that person wasn’t you. Am I close?”

Micah was angry now. His nostrils flared, hands fisted at his sides. When he spoke, his voice was deathly quiet. A warning. “Back off, Nox. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh but I do. You had to watch the man you love walk away from you. Not just you, but the entire unit. He left behind the only life he’d ever known without even a backwards glance.”

Micah was trembling, light sparking at his hands. He didn’t raise them though. Didn’t make any move to stop me. Which was good, because I was on a roll. I didn’t know where these words were coming from and I was powerless to stop them.

“You had to watch him fall. Watch him say goodbye to those you consider family.”

Micah’s chest was rising and falling quickly.

“Then you realised that fate hadneverplanned for you to be with him. That you could love him as much as youwant, but you were never meant to be his. No, you’re fated to be with someone who’s nothing more than a cheap imitation. You can squint and see him in me, but not completely.”

Something I said had Micah frowning, small lines appearing beside his eyes.

“All along, fate played you for a fucking fool,” I said bitterly. “It’s played us both for fools, little angel. Now we’re stuck with a fucking bond neither of us want or need.”

“That I can agree with,” he said hoarsely.

I gave him a tight smile, ignoring the knot that had formed in my chest. “And so, like I said, this isn’t about me at all. It’s not even about the fact that we’re mates. It’s because you saw me dancing with two men. Me, the man who reminds you of the one you really love. The one you’d choose over everyone, even if fate has other plans.”

I moved closer, my breath rushing over his mouth tauntingly. “So tell me you’re not bothered all you want, little angel, but stop lying to yourself.”

Light flared in his eyes as something in him seemed to snap. He raised his hand. I braced myself for the hit…

…but it never came.

Instead, Micah grabbed the back of my neck and hauled my lips against his.

Surprise kept me still for a split second. I couldn’t do anything but taste him. He was all buttery warmth, tinged with sugar. Like the fresh croissant I’d had one early morning in Paris over a hundred years before.

All too soon, he went to pull away. That had me snapping back to reality.

I hadn’t had enough of him. Not yet.

Now I was the one wrapping my hand around theback of his neck as I took control of the kiss. My other hand went to his rear, pulling him tight to me. His cock ground against my thigh as mine pressed into his abdomen.

Impatient to taste more of him, I flicked my tongue against his lips until they parted for me. I took no prisoners, swooping inside as though I was trying to devour him.

I’d been expecting him to fight me for dominance. To attempt to wrest control from me. But no, Micah did the last thing I expected.

He turned pliant in my embrace, letting me take what I wanted. He wasn’t passive though—far from it. His small whimpers and moans fed my lust, along with the erection still pressed against me.

Fuck.I needed more. Question was, how much was he prepared to give?

I broke us apart, staring wildly into his face. Everything I felt was reflected in his eyes. Confusion. Frustration. Lust.

Need.

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