Instead, she slowly caresses me from my chest to my neck, her soft hand stopping at the nape, her thumb gently strokes there before she pulls me back down to her and kisses me again—deeper this time, slower, like she’s trying to crawl inside me and make a home there. Her response is given in action alone,only the beautiful arch of her spine and a kiss that declares she’s claiming me as completely as I’ve claimed her.
23
BIANCA
The blaring horn cuts through the moment, jolting me from the haze of bliss that envelops us. Knox pulls away, his lips leaving a trail of warmth across my skin that makes my breath hitch.
“What was that?” I murmur, dizzy from our intimacy.
He grins, mischief sparking in his bright blue eyes. “That’s just the start of it all.”
I frown, confusion creeping in. “Start of what?”
Knox’s grin turns playful, then he winks at me. “The real fun begins now.” He leans back, almost reluctant to leave my side, but there’s an energy radiating off him that pulls him upright.
“Fun?” My heart races again. “What do you mean?”
“We need to head to the orgy room,” he says with a playful smirk.
“What the fuck is an orgy room?” The words spill out before I can catch them, disbelief obvious in my tone.
He chuckles softly, watching me with amusement as if he enjoys how rattled I am. “It’s where the Hunt really takes shape. It’s... well, exactly what it sounds like.”
My mouth falls open slightly as his words sink in. My heart hammers at the thought of what he’s implying—images flashingthrough my mind unbidden: bodies intertwined, laughter echoing through darkened spaces. I feel the color drain from my face as I reel at the implication that he is about to let me be used as a community whore for the rest of the men, and my heart plummets. I feel like I’m going to vomit.
Knox senses my hesitation and leans closer again, brushing his thumb along my cheek gently, the sensation entirely at odds with the expectation he has just set.) As I drown in the coming storm of emotions, all I can think is— Fucking whiplash—again.
“It’s not just about sex,” he adds seriously. “It’s about claiming your prey in front of everyone.”
The gravity of his statement hits me like a punch to the gut. I’m already reeling from our encounters in this art room; now there’s an entire room dedicated to… whatever it is he means by ‘claiming.’
“Claiming? You mean?—”
“Yeah.” He nods firmly. “When you’re caught during the Hunt, that’s where everything happens.” His voice drops to a low whisper. How he gives me whiplash so effortlessly, I will never understand. I don’t know if I want to slap the hell out of him or come on his cock again.
“So I’ll be… what? In front of everyone?” The idea both horrifies and excites me.
So again, I’m asking myself, what the hell is wrong with me?
“It’ll be wild,” Knox assures me with an infuriating confidence that leaves me breathless.
My mind teeters between terrified and intrigued as Knox stands tall beside me—that dangerous grin still dancing on his lips.
Knox’s eyes darken as he watches my expression. “Some hunters allow their girl to be shared,” he says, his voice dropping to a dangerous octave. “Would you like that, Bianca? To be passed around the room, handled by strangers while I watch?”
My breath catches in my throat. The logical part of my brain recoils at the suggestion—I’m not an object to be shared or passed around. Maybe he doesn’t care after all if someone else fucks me. It only takes a second for something wild to awaken in my core—a carnal) craving that slumbered deep until the Hunt shattered the chains that kept it buried.
“I—” The words stick in my throat. How can I admit that some twisted part of me finds the idea arousing? What kind of person does that make me? Just minutes ago, I was appalled at the thought.
Heat rises to my cheeks, shame washing over me in waves. I turn my face away, unable to meet his piercing gaze.
“No,” I finally whisper. “But...”
“But?” His finger traces my jawline, tilting my face back toward him.
“It shouldn’t... I shouldn’t be turned on by the idea.” The confession feels like it’s being torn from my chest. “What’s wrong with me?”
Knox’s smile grows predatory, a pleased expression. “Don’t be shy, baby. I don’t mind if you’re hungry for dick.” His hand slides possessively down my body, gripping my hip with bruising intensity. “As long as the only dick you’re coming home to is mine.”