Page 102 of Beyond the Cottage

“You should go,” he said, voice gravelly.

“Is that what you really want?”

He didn’t say anything, so she brushed her knuckles over his lower stomach. It flexed as he inhaled, and his hips subtly arched toward her. She hooked a single finger through his belt loop and tugged.

His hand clenched testily. His expression grew suspicious. The fabric between his legs, however, shifted.

She looked up at him. “I just realized I forgot to tell you something.”

“What?”

“I think we should be friends.”

“You want to befriends?”

Gretta nodded, and a war raged in his eyes. She had no idea what he battled with, but she didn’t mind putting her finger on the scale.

She gave his belt loop another tug.

His eyes cleared. He pulled back, plucking her hand off his trousers. “We’ve been down this road before, Gret. As you might recall, neither time ended well. If you want to be friends, then youreallyshould go.”

Careful not to run him off, she drifted closer. “I need to check something first.”

He put a hand on his hip. Drawing on her replenishing dust, Gretta floated until their faces were level. A loose strand of dark hair clung to his lashes, and she tucked it behind his ear. His eyes fluttered shut. Encouraged, she circled her arms around his neck, leaning in until their noses nearly touched.

A flicker of nerves came like overwrought moths in Gretta’s belly. They didn’t stop her from cupping his chin. His breath hitched. She counted off three heartbeats…

Then kissed him.

He jolted, and they both inhaled through their noses. His firm, warm mouth sent a current through her body, and she needed more. Her lips tugged harder, asking him to give it to her.

I know you want this too, Anse…

He yanked his mouth away. His wild eyes roamed her face like she’d written some impossible equation there. Then they narrowed with…

Pity?

Panic?

Horror?

The moths in Gretta’s belly turned to fire-breathing dragons.

Had she misread the situationcompletely? He’d been trying to let her down gently, and she’d—

Chapter 36

Ansel slammed his mouth on hers. Her lips spread on a gasp, and he invaded. His tongue attacked hers, swirling and stabbing, taking what she offered and returning it threefold.

Fuck control, fuck reason. He could only take so much.

With a little whimper, she raked her nails along his scalp. He roughly grabbed her ass and drove her against the wall, helping himself to the space between her legs. Depraved piece of shit he was, he ground his erection there.

“You know what this means, right?” He thrust hard to show her.

“Yeah,” she breathed.

“Tell me.”

---