Page 136 of Rescuing Ally: Part 1

And then?—

Silence.

A pause.

My breathing is ragged, my body burning, and I wait.

Wait for a touch that doesn’t come.

Wait for something.

And it’s in that moment—the thick, aching space between pleasure and denial—that I realize… this isthegame.

The Game They Play.

The moment the realization hits, it’s like a live wire snapping through my system.

The game isn’t restraint.

It’s not pain.

It’s not some display of dominance.

They’re going totormentme.

Tease me.

Keep me right at the edge, make me suffer for it, knowing I’ll break before they do.

I bite my lip, my breath shaky as understanding settles deep in my bones.

I am helpless.

Not because I’m restrained—because I want this.

Hank’s hands never rush, never give me what I need, only what he wants me to have. A slow drag of his thumb over my hipbone. A brush of his knuckles down the inside of my thigh. Just enough to make my breath hitch, to make my body reach for more.

But the worst part?

The truly maddening part?

Is Gabe.

He’s moving again, circling me, a dark presence in my periphery. He’s there but untouchable, his heat licking at my skin, his gaze everywhere, owning me with his restraint alone.

Not touching.

Not helping.

Not giving.

And it’s making me crazy.

A low chuckle rumbles from him, smooth, smug, satisfied. “She gets it now.”

Hank hums in agreement. “Took her long enough.”

“Please.” I make a small, desperate noise in the back of my throat, and Hank grins, brushing his lips over my shoulder.

---