Page 10 of Tangled Desires

She doesn’t answer. Just stares at me with those wide blue eyes, the kind of look that drills straight into a bloke’s head and starts rooting around for things he’s got no business remembering. Her eyes soften for a moment, and my jaw clenches, fists curling tight at my sides. Thatlook. Fuck, I know it. The one that screams pity without saying a word. There is no chance I’m letting her see me like that. Weak? Pathetic?Absolutely not.

Years of taking shit, standing firm while everything fell apart, I’ve done it alone. No parents to back me, no soft place to land. Just me, carrying it all for my brother, fighting demons no one else sees.

“I don’t care.” She murmurs. Good. Perfect. And yet, she’s still here.

“So, why’re you sticking around, then?” My voice drops. “Thought you couldn’t stand me.”

“I can’t,” she snaps, quick as a whip.

“Mhm.” My mouth tugs into a smirk. “Eyes are saying something else, though.”

Her breath stumbles, just for a second, but I catch it. “Yeah, right,” she bites back, but there’s no mistaking the hitch in her chest. Leaning in, I close the gap, my nose brushing the edge of her hair. She stays still, frozen, like she’s daring me. Or maybe daring herself. Her arms are still crossed, defensive, but her lips part, pulling in quick breaths. My gaze drags down her body—fuck, the way she’s standing there, like a goddamn challenge wrapped in a dream.

“You’re driving me fucking insane,” I murmur, my voice low enough to scrape against her ear. “All I can think about is you, Imogen.”

“Why does everything you say have to be so filthy?”

“Can’t help it.” My hand ghosts down her side, fingers skimming her hip. “You have any bloody clue what you do to me?” Her lips purse, defiance stamped across her face.

“Don’t know, don’t care.”

Bullshit.

In one quick move, I grab her by the waist and pull her toward me. Her gasp is sharp, her hands landing on my chest. Her body arches against mine, her lips parting just enough to let out a shaky exhale.

“Sure about that, sugar?” My voice is a growl. “Can you feel what you do to me?”

“Screw you, Harrison,” she scoffs, but there’s no heat behind it—just something charged, something that sends a jolt straight through me.

“Is that what you want?” My hand locks onto her waist, yanking her closer. “Because I’d be more than happy to oblige.” She doesn’t answer. Doesn’t need to. Her body leans into mine, her breath hitching, her chest brushing against me like she’s just daring me to take the next step.

“Tell me, sugar,” I taunt, my lips curling into a wicked grin. “If tonight hadn’t gone sideways, would you have gone home with him?”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Tell me.” My voice drops lower, and I roll my hips against hers, slow and deliberate.

Her jaw tightens, a flush creeping up her neck. “No.”

“Didn’t think so.” My smirk deepens as I lean in, my mouth brushing her ear. “Because let’s face it, sweetheart—he couldn’t fuck you like I could.”

Her shudder betrays her even as she rolls her eyes. “You’re so full of yourself.”

“Maybe.” My fingers trail down her arm, catching the slight tremor in her muscles. “But don’t pretend you don’t love it. Admit it—you like the way I get under your skin. The way I talk. It turns you on, doesn’t it?”

“No. It shits me.”

“Yeah?” My breath skims the curve of her neck as goosebumps rise along her skin. “Because you know I’m right. I know you want this. Tell me I’m wrong,”

Her silence hangs heavy between us, thick and undeniable. Her lips part, and for a second, I think she’s going to tell me off.

Instead, she grabs a fistful of my shirt and pulls me close to her. “Ugh, just shut up.”

The words barely leave her mouth before she presses it against mine. The kiss is rough, raw, all teeth and tongues. Sweet lip gloss mixed with red wine floods my senses, and fuck me if it isn’t addictive.

She pulls at my hair, hard, sending a growl tearing out of my chest. Suddenly, I’m turning her around so she’s up against my car, pressing my knee between her thighs, rubbing it against her heat. She gasps, hips rolling against me, and that sound?That little gasp? It rewires my whole damn system. I’m gone. Completely gone.

The wetness seeping through my jeans sends a pulse straight to my cock. My hands grip her waist, dragging her closer, needing her tighter, harder,more. My mouth moves to her neck, biting down just enough to leave a mark—a reminder of this moment she won’t be able to hide. Her hips grind faster, her body trembling against mine, and I swear there’s nothing more perfect than her like this—wild, desperate.

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