Page 144 of Betrayal (Corrupt Empire 1)

“You are?”

He turned to me, cupping my face.

“I’m glad you made me promise not to look until it was done. I can’t begin to tell you how fucking incredible you are. Shit. Avery… I really don’t fucking deserve you at all.”

I didn’t get a chance to respond. He kissed me. A kiss so deep and heartfelt I could barely breathe. He pressed me down on the floor, covering my body with his own. His fingers curled into my hair, holding me still. My heart thudded in my chest. The relief I felt at him loving my gift overwhelmed me. I needed Aiden. I needed him like air. I couldn’t live without him.

“I don’t want to hurt you, but I will,” he said to me between kisses. “I’ve never been good at this. Fuck. I wish we could stay like this forever. Just you and me.”

He kept telling me he was going to hurt me.

“We can.”

“No, we can’t.”

His words tore at my soul. What the hell was he going to ask me to do? The need to know threatened to consume me. Why couldn’t he just let go of all of this shit and be in this with me?

“Why not? I’m yours.”

He pressed kisses to my cheeks, my jaw and down my neck.

“I’ve lied to you. I said I’d protect you. Keep you safe. I can’t do any of those things if you do what I’m going to ask of you.”

I froze. The room suddenly felt very cold. I couldn’t catch my breath. Having him on me was suffocating.

He’s admitted he’s lied to me. How the fuck can I be okay with that?

“Aiden…”

“Shh, let me have this last moment with you before it all goes to shit.”

“No.”

He stilled. His lips left my neck.

“No?”

“No. You can’t just tell me you’ve lied to me and then expect me to sleep with you. I’m not letting you kiss or fuck it away, Aiden.”

He raised his head from my neck. His eyes were dark.

“Yes, you are.”

He took my hands and pinned them to the floor. I struggled in his grip. What the hell was he doing?

“You’re going to let me fuck you because you’re mine and you will obey me.”

There was no way we were having sex now. Not after what he’d just said. I couldn’t.

“Get off me. I thought we were supposed to have a nice day without any bullshit. Why did you have to ruin it?”

Tears pricked at my eyes. I wanted so much for him to take those words back. To tell me it was okay. After everything, our promises to each other, this felt like a slap in the face.

“Is everything you’ve told me a lie? Do you even care, Aiden? Or is this just some kind of game to you? Because I care about you. So tell me if I’ve been stupid to believe you could ever feel anything for me.”

My heart shattered. Aiden’s eyes flashed with pain. He let go of my wrists, sitting up on top of my legs.

“You think I don’t care?”

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