Page 90 of Choke

“Lex.” My voice is low, deadly.

There’s nothing but silence in response.

“You think you can hide from me?”

Nothing.

I take a step back, then another.

I like games too.

Lifting my foot, I slam it into the door, and it explodes inwards.

She sits on the edge of the tub, a towel wrapped around her body, and she jumps and screams. I move so quickly that she doesn’t have time to react before I grab her face, my fingers pressing into her cheeks, forcing her to meet my gaze. Another version of her flickers through my mind. A version where she’s soft, trusting, and looks at me with something other than the devastation she currently wears on her face. It has my stomach roiling. I don’t get to seethatversion of her.

For a moment, I consider telling her to run. Run far and fast, away from me. I think about warning her that I’ll ruin her, and she’s so perfect that I can’t bear the thought of it. But…

“You wanted to make me jealous?” My lips nearly touch hers as I speak. “Wanted to make me angry?” My grip tightens. “Well fucking done, baby. You win.”

“Let me go.” Her eyes look like the ocean during a storm.

Releasing her, I rise to my full height.

Then, I smile.

I see her surprise, her confusion, so I lean back in and run my thumb over her swollen lower lip. The movement is gentler. Deceptively so.

“Get dressed,” I say softly.

Her brows furrow. “What?”

Dropping my hand to her neck, I pull her up from the edge of the tub and into me, letting her feel how hard I still am.

“We’re going to show Greg and all of his buddies who the fuck you belong to.”

Her breath catches in her throat, but she doesn’t argue or pull away.

Leaning close to her ear, I pull the lobe into my mouth, biting it softly. When she releases a sound of pleasure, I say. “We’re going to a party.”

Have you?

Lex

He’s leaning against the wall in my bedroom, arms folded across his chest, looking like a fucking storm cloud, eyes trained on me as I struggle to get myself together. My head is full of fog, so unclear.

What does he expect from me?

“Your world, Lex. I’m just living in it.” He deadpans.

Fuck off, Adrian.

I shake my head and mutter under my breath as I open the top drawer of my dresser, pulling out clean undies. Even with my back to him, I feel the weight of his stare, making me feel insecure and small, suffocating me. Stepping into the closet, I scan the options, but I’m lost; I can’t pick something appropriate without knowing the plan. What kind of party? Where is it? I grab black dress pants and a silk button-down top. Generic and neutral.

I spin, clothes in hand, and slam into him—solid, commanding. My heart stutters. I didn’t even hear him move. For his size, he’s incredibly light on his feet. His narrowed gaze coils hot in my stomach, twisting me up. His hand wraps around the hangers in my hand and reaches around me to put them back.

“No.”

What the—

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