Page 37 of Betrayal (Corrupt Empire 1)

“I can be partial to something sweet… on occasion.”

The mischievous glint in his eye and his suggestive tone told me he wasn’t talking about puddings. It sent heat right down to my core. I squeezed my legs together.

Holy fucking hell.Not helping, Aiden, not one fucking bit.

This wasn’t going anywhere good. I couldn’t. I just fucking couldn’t do this shit with him.

“If you were going to have a pudding, what would it be?”

“Cheesecake, but it can’t be some fancy one.”

“So, like a baked one?”

He nodded, taking another bite from his fajita.

“I can make that, maybe… if you wanted.”

He eyed me but didn’t respond. The rest of the meal was silent. I didn’t really mind because at least he hadn’t made any more suggestive statements towards me. Still, it didn’t help me get to know him. Know the man who’d trapped me but who I didn’t know if I wanted to actually leave if I could.

I’d washed up as I went, so there wasn’t much to do other than put the plates in the dishwasher when we were done. He sent me to bed, telling me he’d be along soon.

I lay there in the dark after I’d gotten ready for bed, staring up at the ceiling. Knowing he would be here any moment made it impossible for me to sleep. I’d tidied up my drawings and left them on the bedside table, but I noted the drawing of him was missing. It didn’t much matter because I could recreate it easily, but knowing Aiden had my drawing of him made me nervous. What did he even want with it?

He didn’t turn on the lights when he came in. After listening to him move around the room, I felt the bed dip slightly beside me. I could feel him. And I wanted him.

How the fuck was I ever meant to keep my resolve not to do anything else with him when my body ached for his touch? Ached so much, I couldn’t stop myself from shuffling over to him. He let me curl up against his side and wrapped his arm around me.

“Can’t sleep again?” he murmured.

“No.”

His fingers traced a line down my arm. I trembled.

“You pleased me today. I think I want to reward you for that.”

Wait, what? Reward me?

I didn’t really do anything other than make him dinner and try not to piss him off any further like I had done this morning.

He turned, facing me, grey eyes glinting. His fingers ran down my throat and lower, brushing over the side of my breast. I froze.

“Do you think you deserve a reward?”

Fuck knows how I was supposed to answer that. I could hardly breathe as his fingers traced a line around the bottom of my breast.

“Do you want me to touch you?”

All the air felt like it’d been sucked out the room.

“Because I think you do.”

He edged closer, leaning down towards me so our eyes were level.

“Tell me I’m wrong.”

If I could unstick my tongue from the roof of my mouth, I might have answered him.

“Tell me you don’t want me, Avery.”

I couldn’t. I’d be lying and lying to him would never end well for me. His face came ever closer until our breath mingled together.

“Tell me to stop.”

“Aiden, please…” I whispered.

“Tell me.”

His lips brushed against mine with the barest of touches and I was utterly fucking lost. A wave of desire shot down my stomach, ending up right in my core where it pulsated with need.

And that’s when Aiden’s phone rang, the noise cutting through the air, startling both of us.

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