Page 26 of Conflicted

Before I could speak, Micah’s strong fingers wrapped around my wrist. Spinning on his heel, he strode for the exit of the club.

He’d threatened to drag me out of somewhere by my heels before. I had to say, this was a far more agreeable scenario.

I followed him willingly, letting him tote me into the chilly night air. We didn’t go far, just into an alley that ran alongside the club. He dragged me down into the depths of it, away from prying eyes. I cast a compulsion net anyway. Better safe than sorry.

Releasing my wrist, Micah faced me, his chest heaving. The moon lit up his face, throwing his beautiful jawline and nose into sharp relief. “Well?”

I raised a brow. “Well, what? You’re the one who dragged me out here.”

The need in Micah’s eyes faded slightly, his spine stiffening. It was like he was taking that man I’d kissed in the club and packing him away before my very eyes. “Never mind.”

“Wait.” I stepped to the side to block his exit. “Tell me what you need, little angel. You never know, I might give it to you.”

His lip curled in a sneer. “You? You can’t give meanythingI need.”

This. This was better. Him sniping at me was familiar. The base hatred we felt for each other put us back on the level we both preferred.

Backing him up against the wall, I caged him in with my arms. “Sure about that, little angel? Because that’s not the impression I got when you kissed me.”

His eyes flicked to the side. “That was a mistake.”

“A mistake you want to repeat if I’m reading this correctly, which I assume I am. Despite what you might think about demons, we’re actually a highly intelligent species. You have to be if you want to extract maximum pain from humans.”

Loathing filled Micah’s eyes. “You disgust me.”

“That might be true, but not all of you is disgusted by me. A part of you wants to know what it’d be like to have me inside you. To know what it feels like to be at my mercy. Look me in the eyes and tell me that’s not true.”

A muscle jumped in his jaw. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

Triumph roared through me even as I kept my face impassive. “But you want me.”

“Against my will, yes. You’ll never be the one I trulywant, but apparently my cock doesn’t give a shit about that. So you can fuck me as much as you want, but it won’t mean anything.”

It hit me then, why Micah wanted me. It wasn’t the bond. At least, that wasn’t the main driving factor behind this.

No, it was what I’d been taunting him about. The reason he’d kissed me in the first place.

“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.”

Micah wanted me to fuck him because it was as close as he’d ever get to being with Dimitri.

For some reason, that knowledge had my flames licking at my skin. Why though? I didn’t usually give a fuck who my bed partners were thinking about. So long as I got off, I didn’t really care.

But, for some reason, with Micah Ididcare. I wasn’t going to be a Dimitri replacement, fulfilling some misguided fantasy that he couldn’t let go of.

Wrapping my hand around his throat, my voice was sharp enough to cut glass. “Be sure what you’re asking for, Micah. I won’t fuck you like that former angel would. It won’t be gentle, soft, or caring. I’ll fuck you with all the hate I have for your kind that courses through my veins. I’ll punish you for every eternal minute you’ve spent living in glory while I was rotting in squalor. I’ll fuck you like I hate you, because I do. There’d be no love in it, Micah. Just hate.”

I released him and stepped back, waiting for him to walk away. He wouldn’t want me now. Not when I’d made it clear what would happen.

But to my eternal shock, Micah smirked. “Good.”

I froze as his hands went down to unbutton his trousers. “Didn’t you hear me?”

“Crystal clear.” He turned away, facing the wall. His creamy skin was on display, taut cheeks I wanted to bury my face between. “Show me then. Fuck me like you hate me. Punish me. Do it, knowing I hate you too. That you can own my body, but you’ll never own my heart.”

Those words pierced me deep, but I used my hate to patch the wound. This would never be anything to either of us, but seeing as I couldn’t get hard for anyone else, I wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity.

“Good,” I echoed, grabbing some lube from my wallet. “I don’t want your heart. I don’t want anything from you, Micah, except this tight hole.”