Page 90 of The Road to Ruined

"What?" he asks. "Not the answer you expected?"

"No, it's not."

"You shouldn't be so surprised," he says. "I told you that you're my favorite song—mine.Remember?"

"You said you wanted to put me on a shelf."

"Exactly. I don't play well with others, Teagan. I don't like sharing. You belong to me now, whether you like it or not. I told you I wouldn't hurt you, but I can't say the same about anyone else. I hope you enjoyed your night because the next time you let someone else touch your body, just know you've signed their death warrant."

I swallow hard. "Got it."

"Do you?" he asks. "Because what part has your nipples hard and your pupils dilating? Knowing that I am your master now, or the idea of me ripping some poor, innocent man or woman to shreds for making you come? You don't want to test me, Teagan."

Both. As long as it's not Declan or Luca.

"I won't test you. I have enough innocent blood on my hands."

"Good," he says. "But just to be clear, anyone who touches what's mine isn't innocent."

"I need to get ready. You can have the rest of these if you want."

I get up from the bed and begin rifling through my suitcase.

"That's not what I'm hungry for, Teagan."

"I can't be late." I pull a pair of shorts and a cropped baby tee from the bag. "Turn around."

"You're joking, right? No."

"Casually dressing in front of someone else is boyfriend territory," I tell him. "You're not my boyfriend, right? You don't love me."

He shakes his head, standing and crossing the room until he's right in front of me. "Why are you so hung up on thosemeaningless words? Why do you still think that's something that you need? Hmm? Arms up."

I sigh, slowly lifting my arms, and he pulls Luca's t-shirt over my head before tossing it aside. Hungry eyes settle on my bare chest.

"She did this to you?" Sebastian asks. His fingers trace the still-open cuts on my chest, and it stings.

"Yes," I tell him.

"It's cute," he says. "I hate it."

I slip my arms into my bra straps, and he places a hand on my shoulder. My heart jumps before he turns me around, pushing my hair over my shoulder and running his knuckles down my back before fastening it for me.

"See? You've seen the way I take care of the things on my shelves, Teagan. I can take care of you, too."

He leans in, pressing his lips to my neck, and I close my eyes, holding my breath and fighting the urge to melt into him.

Things are different now. I'd never be no one with him when I could be loved by them. And I'm already too close to Sebastian. He does things like this and makes it hard for me to remember I can't trust him.

That he doesn't even consider himself human.

"Turn," he says.

I do as he asks, and he holds out my shorts for me to step into before pulling my shirt over my head. "You asked me what my plan was," he says. "I said I would give you space, and I will. But I'm going to be watching you the entire time." He presses his body into mine, ensuring I feel the hard ridge of his dick straining against his jeans as he runs his hands over my ass. "And I'm going to be hard like this the entire time. When I do finally get ahold of you, I'm going to fuck you until you can't walk."

"I thought you said you take care of your things."

"I do," he says. "This is how I take care of you."

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