Page 45 of Pretend
She parts her lips after a second or two…and I see the wetness of her tongue as she sucks in a breath.
I will not fuck the admiral’s stepdaughter in the passenger seat of my car.
I will not gag and choke her with my fingers and dick.
I.
Will.
Not.
Then she throws her arms around me, hugging me tight like she’s begging someone to tell her it’s going to be okay. Not knowing what’s wrong is killing me.
I stiffen for a split second, enjoying her touch, not caring if she’s getting me all wet. Her hard nipples graze against my chest…
Goddamn.
I hold her back, caressing her in small circles with my fingers.
She sniffles and hiccups into my neck so softly I can feel her nose graze my skin.
She smells so sweet,as always.
And for about three minutes that feel like seconds, I hold her until she’s ready to make her next move.
“I caught my boyfriend cheating on me tonight,” she sobs into my shoulder. Heavy, warm breaths follow from her mouth.
I don’t know what to say because a sick part of me is happy she finally found out.
“With my best friend. How cliche is that, Mr. Hannibal?” She doesn’t let me go. She continues to hold me tight as her body heaves up and down from her cries.
There’s something about the way she says ‘Mr. Hannibal’ that enlightens the obsession to claim her even more.
Fuck.
“The ones closest to you are the ones who hold the most power to hurt you.” I sigh. “The ones closest do the most damage. Please remember that the next time you decide to let someone in,” I tell her.
I keep my circle small, and even then, I think it’s not small enough.
“Why does this always happen to me? I try to take care of everyone. I always try to do what’s right. I care deeply, and it’s like it always bites me in the ass to be kind? Why does the world work like that? Why does the world bite your arm off when you give it a helping hand?”
And that’s why I hate people. I’ve been watching her for a while. This girl gives and gives; when she thinks she has nothing left to give, she’ll find it.
I want to rip any being’s heart from their fucking chest that has made her feel any less than worthy. All I need is a fucking name. Or a face.
“My car has no gas. I’m sorry for bothering you…and then…” she whispers, fear evident in every syllable. She pauses like she’s trying to choose her words carefully. “I keep getting these weird text messages. Someone is…watching me. I didn’t want to tell Ravenmore. It would only justify the assignment, taking you away from your time on the team and missions to watch over me. I didn’t want to tell him he was right for having me under personal security. But I’m scared now. I don’t have anywhere to go right now. Can you take me to a hotel?”
“No,” I growl, low and husky. She stops holding me, slowly retracting her hands from my body and sitting back in her seat. She wipes the tears off her cheeks, fidgeting with her fingers.
“I’ll be okay. I promise.” She reassures me, but her words are not convincing enough.
“I can’t take that risk. I can take you to your mother’s place. Ravenmore wouldn’t have it any other way, he-”
“Do not take me to their place!” She insists. “The relationship between my mother and I is complicated.” She mumbles, protesting, waving her hands in front of her.
“Fine. Then where? And don’t say a hotel,” I snarl.
She ponders, looking out the window again.
