Page 74 of Brutal Obsession

Am I dreaming? Is this strange, tender man real?

Cian carries me to the bed and lays me down like a princess. He’s so gentle that if we were wearing clothes, I’d guess we were about to sleep. But despite my exhaustion, there’s no way I can fall asleep when Cian nuzzles my breast and then sucks a nipple into his mouth.

A second wind breaks over me. A fresh heat.

This man, I swear.

He grazes me with his teeth, and my clit’s already begging for another round. Lust suffuses me so suddenly, I think I might swoon.

Cian just dried me off from the shower, but here I am, already sopping wet again.

He discovers that for himself when his fingers head south to explore between my legs and announces his satisfaction with a pleased groan.

“Cian…oh my god.” I whine, whimpering like a wounded animal.

“You’re so wet for me.” He growls near my ear, crushing my breasts against his muscular chest.

I never really understood how big Cian is until now. The man could suffocate me to death if he laid on top of me for too long, and I’d die a happy woman because I love the way he covers every part of me with his heat.

God, he’s beautiful. His body, with all that golden skin and those muscle striations and that eight-pack of abs, is a work of art.

Don’t even get me started on his gorgeous face.

“Please. Ple?—”

He devours my mouth mid-plea and buries his cock inside me.

Except this time, it’s completely different.

This time, Cian slows down the pace, gliding in and out while gazing into my eyes. Almost as if he’s searching for my soul.

Despite the intense emotions bubbling up inside me, I can’t look away.

“I used to watch you, you know,” he whispers.

“You did?” I whisper back.

“Yeah. After that night at the club. Before then too, if I’m being honest.”

I lick my lips, moaning when he nibbles on my neck. “Wh-why?”

“Why do you think?”

I steal his focus momentarily by scraping my nails against his scalp as I hazard a guess. “Because you think I’m pretty?”

Raspy laughter spills over my skin. “Pretty? Fuck no. I think you’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. But that’s not it.”

The compliment burrows into my heart. “Why, then? Were you worried about me?”

His tongue traces the divot behind my collarbone. “Yes, but that’s not it either. That night you were attacked, you were so shaken up, you were trembling. But instead of focusing on yourself, you caught a glimpse of my fist, pushed me into a chair, and told me to sit still while you grabbed a bag of ice for the swelling.”

He lifts his head, and the intensity in his eyes freezes me like a deer in the headlights. I feel as if I’m on display. “It wasn’t a big deal. You hurt yourself protecting me, so looking after your injury was the right thing to do. Anyone in my position would have done the same.”

“Honey, I can’t think of another woman who would have spared even a second worrying about a guy like me under those circumstances.” He ghosts his knuckles down my cheek. “So to me, it was a big deal.”

“Oh.” I swear, his admiration seems genuine, but surely that’s impossible. No one from my old life admires me. Howcould anyone respect the tease who basically served as a decoy, distracting men so my father could punish—or kill—their buddies? “I see.”

“I’m not sure you do,” he murmurs.

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