Page 50 of Beautiful Defiance

I glance from his thick thighs holding me down to his face. “I could put in a good guess.”

“Wrong answer.” He leans forward, and holding his weight off me with his arms alongside my head, he stretches his body over mine and nuzzles my neck.

His warm breath on my skin, his nose dragging along my flesh . . . Heat licks up my spine. I wrap my legs around his waist and tip up my hips, cocooning the erection under his jeans in my hot spot.

“Leigh, fuck.”

I hold him tighter to me with my arms and my legs. His groan reverberates against my skin.

“Why are you here, Seven?”

“You know the answer.”

His breath is minty, and he smells clean, like clothes fresh out of the dryer. He must’ve showered and brushed his teeth. I turn into him, smush my face into his damp hair, and inhale his scent.

“Mmm, you smell good.” Did I say that out loud?

“That so?” Smile in his voice.

“So. I could eat you up.” Oh, God, I gotta stop thinking out loud.

“Leigh. Fuck.”

He rolls off me and pulls me into his arms. Not sure what to do with my hands, I shift onto my side and stretch my arm across his chest.

“How was your day? Do anything fun?”

“That’s all you have to say after your boner-inducing comment?”

“The one about eating you up?”

Groaning, he adjusts the front of his pants. “You’re a little shit, you know that?”

He reaches for the remote and hits the “on” button. The panel on the ceiling opens. Raindrops pelt the windowpane. He takes off his shoes and his hoodie, and we crawl under the covers. I scoot close to the wall. He has other ideas. Seven grabs me around the waist and tugs me on top of him.

I look down into the sad eyes of an angel while rain falls from the heavens.

“That bad, huh?” My chest constricting, I cup his jaw and stroke my thumb over his warm skin.

His jaw tightens beneath my touch.

“Want to talk about it?” I fold my arms on his chest and rest my chin on my arms.

He shakes his head.

“What would you rather do?”

“You.” His voice is low, husky.

“We’re not friends, so a friends-with-benefits thing can’t start between us.”

“How about an enemies-with-benefits arrangement instead?” He runs his knuckle over my bottom lip.

His touch is gentle, but the way he’s looking at me promises something on the rougher side. Like teeth raking over skin, tongue sucking on tongue, nails digging into flesh.

My breaths come out in spurts. The place between my legs throbs. I have this urge to touch myself. To take his hand and have him touch me too. Embarrassed at how easily he undoes me with one simple touch on my lip, I look away. He grasps my chin between his fingers and brings my face back to his.

“Well?”

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