Page 63 of Unlawful Seduction

My hunger was too significant to wait to fuck her but for so much longer.

“Hmmm… And if I catch you?”

“Then you can have anything you want.”

I rubbed my jaw, debating how and where I wanted to fuck her. “Be careful what you hope to achieve. That would make for a very cold night. On the other hand, if you’re captured in my web, I’ll enjoy spending the night devouring you. Every sweet inch.”

CHAPTER 16

Mallory

I’d never known a man like Beckett. He was a slick combination of brawn and intelligence wrapped in a rugged costume. But that’s all it was, a costume. I sensed a slight teddy bear nestled inside, or a golden retriever.

Although the exterior package was as rugged as I’d ever seen.

The thought brought a smile to my face and I was the one to beckon him this time, encouraging a man I doubted needed any.

Devour.

My pulse thrummed wildly, my breath catching as his gaze traveled over me, his expression dark and unyielding. He was different than before, invoking a rapturous set of sensations as he prepared to ravish me.

There was no mistaking the fact he wielded all the power while we were here. I should feel vulnerable, yet the vibrations dancing down my spine were full of as much self-confidence as longing.

The word ‘devour’ reverberated in my mind, the singsong reverie pulsing in my ears. The way he was looking at me was like a wild beast who’d just captured his prey. A part of me wanted to race away from him, but most of me was filled with a longing that baffled me. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He didn’t just exude power. He created it with every action he took, including at this moment.

The man had torn away a part of my defenses, forcing me to face not only my darkest fear, but my deepest desire. What little romance I’d experienced in my life had been cold, a practiced response to several dates and nothing more. What I hungered for I’d given up on finding, focusing on work and little else. Now a man who knew very little about me had unearthed the kind of sensations that had obviously been lurking under the surface.

Yet he’d also tried to terrify me, keeping me on edge. That’s what predators did, stalking their victims then breaking them down both mentally as well as emotionally. He had no idea just how strong I’d become. My demeanor had been programmed to act professional at all times, but on the inside, I was a tiger longing to be freed from her cage.

But every question, albeit limited in number that he asked required a thoughtful answer, a delving into a portion of my psyche that I’d never been required to face.

Until now.

I was almost drunk off his scent alone, every nerve standing on end. As the seconds passed, I knew his patience was all but gone, a man prepared to take what he wanted. Beckett’s nostrils were flared, his breath skipping as he stared at me. Every muscle in his body was tense, just like they’d been when he was kissing me.

And disciplining me with the cane. Although I’d sensed he could have been more forceful, making the moment extremely painful if he’d wanted. The act had been about taking full control as much as punishment. That was something he required in his life with everyone. Not just me.

I could still taste my own sweetness on my lips mixed with the hint of bourbon, his drink of choice for the long winter’s night. There was something entirely different about the look in his eyes, as if the man wanted to consume me.

He chuckled in such a dark manner that for a few seconds I was paralyzed, my heart racing.

A part of me continued to find it difficult to believe that I was inside his home, toying with him as if this moment in time was anything but what it was. An unlawful experience. He’d all but kidnapped me. At least that’s what I was trying to tell myself.

“Come to me, Doc. I won’t ask you again.”

“I don’t think so.” I was playing with fire, both in tempting him with whatever game I’d suddenly started to play and with allowing him to learn anything about me. I knew that. I backed into the shadows and attempted to run. Where?

There was no use in what I was doing, even if for a few seconds I felt like a kid again. With Jax barking from the couch, eager to see who won, Beckett didn’t waste any time obtaining his prize.

He drove me against the front door, laughing as he allowed his gaze to fall. I was crushed by his weight, going nowhere. Not that there would have been anywhere to go. “You’re right. I underestimated you.”

“Most men do.”

“You’re safe with me, to be free if that’s what you want.”

To be free. He had no idea what he was asking of me. The hurt was still there, so often rubbing me raw that I was numb inside. But here I was tingling all over, feeling sensations that I hadn’t believed existed.

He took a deep breath, holding it as he brushed his knuckles across my cheek and down the side of my neck.

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