Page 105 of Dance of Deception

“You tried, little dancer,” he murmurs darkly. “But we both knew how this would end.”

I claw at the thick rug beneath me, trying to push myself up. But Carmine is still pressing me down, his weight unyielding, his body locking me in place, daring me to keep fighting.

Which I do.

Still face-down, I jerk violently, kicking out, trying to catch his ribs, his legs, anything. I reach back, my nails scraping at his arms. It only seems to amuse him. He catches one of my wrists, then the other, yanking them behind my back and pinning them together with one brutal hand.

“Still fighting?” he breathes savagely. “That’s good. Keep fighting.”

He leans down, his lips by my ear.

“I like it when you fight me.”

His free hand skims over my back, his fingers taking hold of the shredded bodice of my dress before ripping the last of it away, the sound sharp and final in the quiet of the library. I feel air against my bare skin, bucking beneath him, and he lets out a low, approving growl.

I jerk my head back, trying to catch him off guard, but he’s already anticipated the move and shifted his grip. His fingers tangle in my hair and he yanks, arching my neck even more. His teeth scrape my jaw, the bite just shy of painful, sending a white-hot bolt of something forbidden down my spine.

“Let me go,” I pant, struggling in his iron grip.

Carmine chuckles. “No.”

I twist again, this time managing to throw him off balance. His grip loosens for a fraction of a second, and I seize my chance. I wrench myself free, shoving up onto my hands and knees, scrambling forward?—

He’s faster.

I don’t make it two feet before his arms lock around my waist and he slams me back to the ground again. The breath leaves my lungs in a rush as he pins me down, his hands gripping my wrists, his weight heavy on me.

My chest heaves, my skin burning where his fingers dig into my flesh. I cry out when he grabs a fist of my hair, twisting my head around, forcing me to look at him. He’s breathing hard too, his lips parted, his pupils dilated.

“Where exactly do you think you’re going?” he murmurs, his breath fanning against my cheek. “You're lying to yourself, little dancer. You keep running, but you don’treallywant to get away…do you.”

He doesn’t wait for a response. He lets go of one of my wrists and grabs a fistful of my ripped wedding gown. He yanks it up over my bare thighs, then up to my waist.

Suddenly, I feel the sharp crack of his palm slapping my ass. I let out a strangled sound, a mix of fury and something far more dangerous.

Needy. Wild. Explosive, andwrong.

I shove at the floor, trying to gain some space, but it only makes him push harder, his hips pressing into mine, his fingers going to my wrists again.

“Go on,” he taunts. “Fight me.”

I do. I twist. I claw. I kick one of my heels up and back, barely missing the vulnerable space between his legs. He lets out a savage cry, catching my leg, forcing it back down.

His mouth is at my throat again, his teeth scraping my skin, his breath hot and uneven. “Who knew I’d married such aneager little fuck toy,” he snarls into my neck.

I shake my head, gasping as his teeth sink in harder, not quite breaking the skin, yet marking, claiming.

“Iam not,” I seethe. Even as I say it, my body betrays me, arching into him, my pulse hammering against his lips.

Carmine’s gaze is scorching as it meets mine. “Liar.”

His palm crashes against the soft skin of my ass again, bringing a cry to my lips and a shiver to my core. I tremble, writhing under him, my pulse spiking when I feel him suddenly grab the back of my thong.

Oh fuck…

I bite back a moan as he tugs, forcing it tighter between my legs. The sweet friction of the lace against my clit has my chest hitching and my pulse skipping as wetness soaks the fabric. Carmine growls, tugging on the thong again before suddenly, his muscles jerk.

I cry out when I feel the lace tear away from me. I can feel it dragging over my slickness before my eyes suddenly bulge when he shoves it against my lips. I open my mouth to cry out, and he stuffs my ruined panties into it.

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