Page 577 of The Tempted

I cut her off, lifting my finger to my lips to silence her as I started for the bed.

For her.

I shut my mind off.

And motherfucked Boots all the way to his grave as my knees hit the edge of the bed and I watched her crawl toward me.

I wanted to do the right thing but everything in my being told me this…her and me, we were the right thing.

We were everything.

I reached for her, taking one hand and draped it around my neck before taking the other and doing the same. Then I let my hands travel down her sides, gripped her hips and tugged her body tightly against mine.

I hoped my actions conveyed my feelings because I couldn’t bring myself to say the words. Not when I’d have to take them back.

I dipped my head, shaking my hair away from my face pressing my cheek against hers, taking in the intoxicating scent of her perfume. My mouth moved along her jaw, teasing her chin before finding her lips.

It started off slow, just lips touching lips, until we both realized that didn’t even scratch the surface of what we needed from one another.

Bruised.

Swollen.

Her lips parted and invited me to taste everything I missed.

I slid my tongue inside of her mouth, my hands moved south, lifting the hem of the shirt and cupped her bare ass cheeks, digging my fingers into the mounds of flesh.

She fisted the hair at the nape of my neck and matched my rhythm, grinding against me as she angled her head and took what she wanted, using my mouth to quench her desire.

I dragged myself away from her mouth, torturing us both as we stared at one another.

I drew a breath, letting go of her and taking a step back.

“I need to take a shower,” I stated, reaching behind me and pulling my shirt over my head. Lacey gnawed on her lower lip as she nodded, reaching for me and unbuckling my belt.

“You do that,” she said finally.

“Don’t move,” I ordered, as she pulled my belt from my loops and twisted it around her wrist.

“Yes, sir,” she murmured, her lips curved revealing her perfect smile.

Goddamn.

I unbuttoned my jeans, drawing down the zipper half way before I found the will to turn around and walk into the bathroom.

I turned the water on, glanced in the mirror and pushed the hair away from my face to stare at the beast looking back at me—the weak monster who didn’t have the heart to break Lacey’s after breaking so many before her.

It used to be so easy.

Until I cared.

Until I found the heart I wanted to claim more than the body that housed it.

“You’re a motherfucker,” I said back to my reflection.

I finished stripping and stepped into the shower, letting the water rain down.

I needed to shower with holy water. Maybe that would cleanse my soul and ease my conscience because I wasn’t going to do it.

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