Page 73 of The Obvious Check

It’s in her eyes—the wreckage left behind by whatever Luke said to her before she stepped through that door.Did she even know it was me in here?Or did she walk in thinking she’d have to fake her way through another nightmare?

“Sav, you—”

BANG!

The door slams open, hitting the wall with a force that makes Savannah jump, and my entire body goes rigid.

“Everything okay in here?” Luke’s voice slithers into the room, his eyes flicking between me and Savannah with that smug, snake-like grin.

My fingers curl into fists, and I don’t look away from him.

Savannah keeps her focus locked on me, but it’s not reassuring. If anything, it makes my stomach fucking twist because I can see it—her lip trembling, her eyes too wide, too glassy. She’s scared.

Fuck.

“Everything is great, Luke. Would appreciate a little privacy, please,” I say evenly, keeping my voice calm. I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing how much he’s getting to her.

Luke doesn’t leave right away. He lingers in the doorway like a fucking vulture. “Scarlett,” he warns, his voice laced with a threat. “I’m expecting you to entertain our guest.”

Her body jolts at his words, the slight tremor running through her.

“Okay,” she squeaks out, her fingers tightening in my shirt. But she’s not looking at him. Only at me.

The door shuts, and she immediately starts moving.

Her hands wind around my neck, her body pressing against mine as she straddles my lap. She doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t give me a second to react before she starts rolling her hips over my thighs, dangerously close to my dick.

I can feel her trembling, but her face shows no emotion as her body works on autopilot. Has she been forced to do this before?

Something inside me snaps.

“Sav,” I whisper, gripping the tops of her thighs—not to pull her closer, but to stop her. I can’t keep my hands on her for long, though, otherwise I risk Luke coming back in here.

She still doesn’t look at me. Just keeps moving with all the emotions of a doll.

I fucking hate it. This isn’t how I wanted her to feel me for the first time.

Not like this.

Not when she’sforcingherself.

Her breath shudders against my neck, and I grip her hips, encouraging her to still.

“Savannah,” I murmur, low and firm, tilting my head so our foreheads almost touch. “Look at me.”

She shakes her head, and then I see it. The single tear rolling down her cheek.

Fuck me. I’m angry. What the fuck did Luke say to her before she walked in here?

“Sav.” I keep my voice low, steady, even though my pulse is hammering. “I don’t want to do this in here.”

Nothing. No reaction.

She’s completely out of it, sitting fully on my dick now, her hips starting to move in slow, forced rolls. And damn, I want her, but not like this. Not when her body is tense. Not when she’s doing this because she thinks she has to.

For the first time since she stepped inside this room, something shifts in her expression. Her deep, dark eyes clear just a little. Her head tilts into my touch, and I see the moment it clicks for her. I’m touching her, and that’s against Luke’s rules.

Panic washes over her face, and in an instant, she shoves my hands off her, her breathing coming out in quick, shaky bursts.

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