Page 24 of Cold Hard Truth

There aren’t many places I’m not allowed to go at the Twisted Kings compound, but the horse stalls in the back of the property and the upstairs of the clubhouse are two of them. The bedrooms are up here, and if Kane caught me with Sage, he’d castrate him.

“We can’t.”

Sage turns to place his finger over my lips, telling me to be quiet.

Voices follow us, and I know there’s no turning back now, so I stay as quiet as I can while I move behind him down the hallway.

It’s longer than I expected with doors on each side, and he stops at one at the end, unlocking it.

Pulling me inside, I finally take a breath again.

The room is small, with not much more space than the unmade bed. And it’s mostly undecorated. But I graze my fingers over the sketches on his desk, and even if there’s only hints of Sage, it immediately feels like him.

“Your room?” I turn to face him, and he nods. “I thought prospects all stayed in the bunkhouse.”

“Perks of being the kid of the VP.” He shrugs.

I walk over to him, gripping his cut and pulling him close. “The rest of them must really hate you then.”

He leans down, smiling before kissing me. “They do.”

Sage grabs me by the hips and spins us around until he’s sweeping me onto his bed. His body pins me down.

Wrapping my legs around his waist, his hard length turns to steel against my core as he deepens his kiss.

“Sage.” I moan into his mouth as he rolls his hips again. “What are we doing?”

We might have been toying with the idea ofusfor months now, but it’s been a tease, a dance we’ve done. It was easy to avoid the reality of what we could be when it never led anywhere. But ever since we kissed in front of the clubhouse, there’s no denying what I’ve been scared to face.

We’re becoming more.

We’re stealing time we don’t have—moments we shouldn’t want. And as Sage’s warmth seals me to his mattress, I don’t care because I need him.

He grips my jaw and tilts my head back, toying with my lower lip. He might as well be turning us into one as he presses his body to mine and deepens the kiss.

His fingers drift under my T-shirt, and his fingertips brush over my ribs. Skating around my sides, he sends goosebumps skittering over my skin.

“I need you.” I moan as his mouth moves down my neck.

Sage pauses to kiss the center of my throat, humming. The gentle vibration sends a warm current directly to my heart. He plants a kiss in the center of my chest, before pulling back to look down at me.

“You sure?”

I glance over at the door. “Is it locked?”

“Yes.”

Lifting my hips, I grind against him, and his eyes roll back as his teeth grit. I’ve always had this ability to break him, and that’s what I want right now. For him to show me what I know he’s always wanted as much as I have.

“Fuck, Lyla.” He grips my hips and watches me roll my core against him again. “You’re going to get me killed, you know that?”

“Then die happy.” I reach for the button on his pants and pop it open.

And I swear that click makes his patience snap. He grabs my wrists and pins my hands over my head, taking me in a kiss again. But there’s no more restraint. He’s no gentleman. His cock presses against me, and he’s everything I’ve ever wanted.

When he releases my wrists, we’re both frantic, scratching and searching. Stripping each other free of our clothing. It’s like we’ve waited too long and even if I want to savor this, I want him more.

Sage peels off my last pieces of clothing, stripping me and laying me out on his sheets. They smell like his cologne and leather, and I could live with that smell wrapped around me forever. Relaxing on my back, I’m completely bare for him, and even if I’m never insecure, I hope he’s not disappointed.

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