Page 34 of Choke

That’s cute.

I tighten my grip enough that I know there’s no way she’s getting away from me. The area where we are connected feels like fire. I force a smile on my face and hold my large, rough hand out.

“Adrian Liberty. Thanks for keeping my girl company.” My smile is fake, and my tone is anything but warm.

Rich-fuckboy’s eyes shift from her to me and back to her again.

“Don’t look at her. I’m the one talking to you.”

The smile is gone from my face.

He rakes a hand through his perfectly styled hair, leaving it tousled and out of place. He hesitates, and I think he might try to fight me on this. A beat later, he takes a slow step back, never looking at Lex again.

He lifts his arm, ‘checks the time,’ and says, “Oh shit, sorry, I need to run.”

He turns on his heels and heads across the dance floor before she can utter a word.

Now that we are alone, I turn to her, step closer, and force her back to flush with the wall. The expression of shock on her face transforms into one of furious anger.

Good, now we’re on the same page.

“Are you—” She spits, taking a deep breath. “out of your fucking mind?”

Her tone is low enough that no one around us will hear her, but her face and body language are undeniable. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice another suit fix his attention on us. I reach out and run my hand gently down her cheek. She shudders, her mouth dropping into a scowl.

I lean in close, looking directly into her eyes, and grit out, “Do you want to get into this right here, or would you like to go somewhere more discreet? Your call - this isn’t my work event.”

Her eyes shift around the room, and her face shifts into a look of concern, followed by what I would call the worst fake smile I have ever seen, tight and flat. Her teeth are clenched tight, so tight that her jaw muscle ticks, and she grabs my hand and leads me down a back hallway.

She’s lucky she opted to go this route - had she tried to push me aside, I would have ruined her career instantly. Lucky, but foolish.

She walks quickly, her shoes loud on the tile floors as she moves. It’s such a big noise for such a little thing. At first glance, she walks with intent and confidence, but I notice her hands trembling at her side and her shallow breathing. She thinks I won’t see it, but she’s wrong. My lips tick up as I watch her walk. We pass by the service entrance and the kitchen, and before long, we are in a back hallway, utterly free from anyone else. I glance behind us; it’s empty. Ahead, the hall is dim, with light only emanating from the rear emergency sign.

She thinks she’s kicking me out.

I follow along, allowing her to think this will end how she says it will. My steps are nearly silent as I follow closely behind her. I’m so close that she has to be able to feel my body heat—I can feel hers. As we near the door, she slows. I can see she is breathing hard, but shekeeps her back to me. I will need to teach her how to behave around predators. Turning your back on one is a stupid move.

She speaks, “Of all the fucki—”

I grab her wrist and spin her around, cutting her off mid-word. Her eyes meet mine, wide with equal parts fear and rage. I shove her hard, her back colliding with the wall and the air pushing out of her lungs in a huffing sound. I step into her, blocking her with my hands on either side of her head.

Her wild eyes dart left and right, and I can see the moment she realizes how badly she’s fucked up. For a second, she stops breathing. She should be scared. Bad things happen when a girl like her walks into a dark hallway with someone like me. She led a 240-pound stranger down a dimly lit hallway, away from any other employee or event guest. Of all the stupid fucking decisions. I stare at her intently. Not breaking for even a minute. Eventually, she shifts her eyes back to mine, her hands coming up in a defensive move.

“Yeah,” I growl. “You really fucked up.”

Tears spring to her eyes, and I lean into her, moving her long dark hair aside, I run my nose up her neck. That fucking smell. Warm, sweet, vanilla, and now laced with what I assume is her fear. It’s intoxicating.

I feel her hands gently land on my chest, lightly pushing me. I don’t so much as budge. Her voice is barely a whisper, small, when she says, “Adrian, please let me go.”

I stand at my full height. She is tall—around 5’8”—but I am about half a foot taller and at least 100 pounds heavier. Her eyes shift to my arms. The adrenaline of the evening has left my forearms even more littered with thick veins than usual.

With my gaze upon her, my voice low and dangerous, “You should be careful, Lex. I thought you were smarter than this. Big city. Big girl job. Yet here we are. You walked straight into the dark with a man you don’t even know, and I could kill you so easily.” My hand drags up her arm, across her shoulder, and rests on her neck. My thumb flicks out, tracing the line of her jaw gently. Her pulse jumps beneath my hand.I feel its tiny erratic beats hammering so goddamn fast. It’s fucking adorable.

“You’re so small.” My voice is barely above a whisper, but the threat is unmistakable. My heart rate kicks up as she squirms underneath me. I tighten my grip enough to restrict her air, and she lets out the sexiest little whimper. A pretty little noise I plan to drag out of her again and again.

My dick swells, and I grind into her, letting her feel what this is doing to me.

Her eyes widen, and she stills her body, refusing to fight back.

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