Page 87 of Beautiful Exile

“Not yet.” Linc’s fingers tightened in my hair again, that bite of pain helping me hold back my orgasm. “That’s my girl. Breathe. Take it all.”

In and out. Twist. Drag.

Sweat dotted my brow. My nipples tightened to the point of pain. It was too much.

Linc’s face hovered over mine, his lips a mere breath away. “When you’re ready. Let me see. Let me feel it. Let it all into me.”

Each thrust cracked a tiny piece of my resolve like a chisel strike to stone. Until Linc’s fingers twisted again. One last strike.

I shattered.

Glass fractured, and everything I’d been holding back flooded out. Waves of pleasure and pain coursed through me as my body bucked against Linc. My eyes closed, and my body bowed, moving in wild, nonsensical ways as I let it all free. The fear, the anger, the agony.

I let Linc have it all.

And as I slowly came back to myself and blinked against the light, Linc was there, still hovering over me.

His smile was gentle now, a little lazy. “How do you feel?”

My mouth curved. “Well, your fingers are still inside me. So, pretty damn good.”

Linc barked out a laugh, the vibrations of it coursing through me and setting off aftershocks of all he’d given me in all the ways. “My girl has a point.”

Hearing him call me that—my girl—told me I was more than in danger. I was in the red zone. And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.

31

ARDEN

I stoodat the threshold to my workshop. The bright yellow crime scene tape felt like a permanent stain in the form of a massive X across the door. Anger swirled, building on itself. Whoever had done this was probably pleased as punch about that.

My fingers curled around one piece of the tape. I tugged it free and balled it up before doing the same with the other piece, thinking I’d like to burn it. Steeling myself, I punched in the code to the door.

Then I stepped inside.

As I turned on the light, my gaze swept the studio space—a place that had felt more like a home than any other place had. It didn’t feel that way anymore. I couldn’t even let Brutus inside with all the damage and debris littering the floor. That only had my anger burning brighter, which was intensified by my stubbornness. Whoever this asshole was didn’t get to win.

I stormed back onto the stoop and picked up the stack of cleaning supplies. I’d need to refill them before long, but at least this would get me started. It wasn’t that people hadn’t offered to help. All mysiblings had, so had Nora and Lolli. And of course, Linc. Cope had even offered to hire a team to come in.

And it wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate the offers. It was that Ineededto do it myself.

Three days.

Three days since someone had infiltrated my safe space and smashed it all to hell. Three days since someone had tried to scare the hell out of me.

My gaze moved to the writing on the wall.YOU CAN’T HIDE.

I wanted to scream at the person who’d written it. Rage. I wasn’t hiding. That part of my life was over. I was living. And I wouldn’t let them stop me.

I’d erase them from every inch of this place and then go right on with my life. Moving around the room, I opened every window and propped the two doors open, as well. It wasn’t like I was at risk.

A patrol car was parked between my house and the studio—it or another was present since the day I’d discovered it all. I hadn’t slept in an empty house since then either. My siblings had offered to slumber party it, right up until Linc said he would stay. Lolli hadlovedthat idea.

“Woo-hoo. The broody billionaire bites the dust. I can’t decide, is he stoic in the sack or wild? Each would have their benefits.”

A few shouts, Rho’s laughter, and Shep gagging had stopped her from saying more. I’d wanted to crawl under a rock. Linc had just grinned at her and winked.“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

But Linc hadn’t made a move. I’d waited as he showered, my breath catching when he came out shirtless and in nothing but gray sweats—basically lingerie for men. Only, all he’d done was turn out the lights and hold me.

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