Page 18 of Made For Ruin

The taste of her short-circuits my brain.

She’s sweet and pure and perfect. Her lips are soft, yielding under mine even as she kisses me back with an intensity that makes my blood burn. Her hands fist in my shirt, pulling me closer, and I growl into her mouth.

My free hand slides into her hair, silky strands wrapping around my fingers as I angle her head to deepen the kiss. Her tongue meets mine tentatively at first, then with growing confidence that makes me want to devour her whole.

When I finally break away, we’re both breathing hard. Her lips are swollen from my kiss, her cheeks flushed pink. The sight sends something primitive racing through my blood.

I trail my finger along the thin strap on her shoulder. “My son buy you this dress?”

Lainey shivers but meets my eyes. “Yes.”

Something dark and savage tears through me.

I’ve never felt this kind of possessive rage before. Never wanted to mark someone as mine so badly it hurts. My hands fist in the silk of her dress, and I pause for just a moment. This isn’tme. I don’t lose control like this. But then she looks up at me through those lashes, lips still wet from my kiss, and I’m gone.

The sound of ripping fabric fills the room as I tear the dress right down the middle.

The silk parts easily under my hands, like it’s as eager as I am to stop pretending. I peel the ruined fabric away from her shoulders, letting it slither down her arms. Each inch of exposed skin makes my mouth water. When I get to her waist, I drop to my knees, dragging the dress down over her hips with a violence that surprises us both.

And then she’s standing there in nothing but a lacy black thong.

Her breasts are perfect – full and high, nipples hard from the air or arousal or both. Her waist curves in dramatically before flaring to hips that were made for my hands.

Long legs, smooth skin, that tiny black scrap of lace barely covering anything at all. My hands actually shake as I run them up her calves, over her knees, along those soft thighs. Every image I’ve ever fantasized about pales in comparison to the reality of her.

“These from him too?” I run a finger along the lace of her panties, feeling her whole body tremble.

“No.”

“Don’t lie to me, baby.”

“I’m not.” There’s a hint of defiance in her tone now, even as she blushes. “I bought them myself.”

“Good.” I shrug out of the thick flannel I’m wearing over my t-shirt and hand it her. The need to cover her, to replace every trace of Axel with myself, is overwhelming. “Put this on.”

Her hands shake slightly as she slides her arms into my shirt. The sight of her drowning in my clothes, the hem barely covering the tops of her thighs, hits me like a physical blow. This is howshe should look – marked by me, covered by me. My scent on her skin. My clothes on her body.

“What are you doing?” She asks as I bend down and throw her over my shoulder in a fireman’s carry. The movement makes my shirt ride up, giving me a view of her ass that nearly stops my heart.

“Taking you home with me.”

FIVE

LAINEY

My body is on fire.

Every part of my skin where Marcus touched me blazes. Like I’ve been waiting my entire life for this.

I have no idea what he’s even doing here. The Summit is the last place I expected to see him. He’s more the lone wolf, cabin-in-the-woods kind of guy. Not the kind who wanders into a crowded event full of people he doesn’t know—or care to know.

My mind races as I try to piece it together.

Axel and I just got here about forty minutes ago. We were supposed to meet Derrick’s friend, hand over the money, and leave. At least, that was the plan. But nothing about tonight has gone according to plan.

After I gave Enzo the money, Axel and I got into an argument. I ducked into one of the private rooms to get away for a minute. I was just about to send a text to Ruby when the door flew open.

And then Marcus barged in out of nowhere.

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