Page 50 of Worship

Rriiippp. He tears the dress from the slit all the way up to the neck, until it’s nothing but rags floating to the ground around me.

“What the fuck?” He smiles, and it’s oh, so fucking crazy and hot at the same time. Slamming my hands into his chest, he laughs when I push him back just a little. So feeble and pathetic. “You’ve made your point! I don’t want any part in this…thisfreakshow.”

“Oh no, you don’t.” Grabbing me when I try to walk away, he cages me in with his arms. “You don’t get to back out now.” Reaching around my back, the clasp on my bra loosens as he unclips it. “You wanted to know what it’s like to be my girl, and now you will.”

“No—” He rips it down my arms and tosses it to the ground before I can grapple to catch it. I can’t breathe or think as he does the same to my panties, breaking it at the side and letting it fall down to join the rest of the destroyed pieces of material.

My hands jerk to cover myself, the beginnings of cold panic wrapping around my throat. “Milton—”

“You wanted to play this game, so don’t youdaremove.” He shrugs his jacket off. It drops to my feet in a heap, and soon his waistcoat and tie join them. My mouth is bone dry as he reaches for his pants and undoes the button, pulls down the zip, and slowly, almost on purpose, removes them.

My hand trembles as I lift it to move hair from my face, anxious to know how far he’s going to take this. The obvious thing that happens in this room is what is taking place behind me, and the thought of Milton doing that to me…now there’s a scary thought altogether.

Leaving his shirt and boxers on, he reaches for me. Gripping my ass hard enough to make me cry out, he lifts me until I have no choice but to grab his shoulders and wrap my legs around his torso, so I don’t fall.

His skin is fire beneath me as he strides further into the room, my heart skipping a beat when he lifts one of his hands to grab my chin. Pulling me close, his head tilts, and for one gut-turning second, with eyes focused solely on my lips, I think he’s going to kiss me.

He doesn’t.

Fingers close around my neck, and he’s suddenly pushing me back. Terror all but consumes me as water makes contact with my skin. Before I can even see where it’s come from, I am completely submerged underwater.

It takes me a moment to realize that Milton is forcing me down in a tub of some sort I didn’t see when I first entered this room. Water pours down my ears and up my nose. My lungs burn for the breath I didn’t get to take. The fucker stole it before I even hit the water when I thought he was going to kiss me. Like he knew it would.

I thrash out, slapping and hitting him to let go, but he holds me down. That’s when real panic kicks in, and I slam my hands into him harder. What I’m hitting, I don’t know. What I do know is that he isn’t letting go.Oh, God.

A frenzy of bubbles spurts from my mouth as I scream. Bad idea. More water rushes in. I’m running out of time. My body is going to be forced to give in. I can feel it.

Maybe I should give in. Finally, die. I can think of worse ways to go. I can be with my baby. I wouldn’t have to deal with this exhausting fight any longer. Just let go. Right now.

But then, they win. All the people who set out to ruin me—they all win.

Stop being a victim.

In a last futile attempt, I let my body sag until my back hits the bottom of the tub. Like this, Milton’s arm is fully extended down into the water. Dropping my chin and pushing my face forward, I bite down into his arm. Hard.

Blood pools in my mouth as he yanks his arm away, the momentum working in my favor as it drags me up to the surface. Finally, finding purchase with my feet, I break through, coughing and gulping for air.

Blinking water from my eyes, Milton goes to grab me again when something in me takes over. Lashing out with a scream, my hand swipes across his face, leaving red scratches on his cheek. Enough to stun him. I’m knee-deep in a stone bath of water, belonging to what I can only describe as an altar.

“No!” I yell when hands capture my arms.

“No?” he demands, grabbing my face and forcing me to look at him. Blood trickles from the claw marks I left on his skin and the bite on his arm.

“Why did you do that?” I choke on my tears. “Why the fuck are you trying to kill me?”

“Because now you know what it feels like to have someone you care about, someone you would do anything for, try to fucking kill you.” His words paralyze me, like I’ve just been slapped. “Nowwe’re even.”

My hand connects with the side of his face, and he growls out. Pulling me into him, his lips crash against mine. He kisses me so hard, sobruising,it hurts.

But God, am I instantly consumed by him. The feel of his lips. The taste of him. I’m so dizzy from lack of oxygen my limbs are too exhausted to fight him off. And with the way he’s kissing me…I’m not sure I even want to.

I can’t help but moan into his mouth as he wraps his arms around my waist and draws me out of the tub. Slamming me up against one of the columns nearby, he cups my breasts, thumbs stroking against my hardened nipples.Oh shit.The sensation has me groaning louder into his mouth and shuddering from his touch.

Lifting me again, he kisses me harder, grinding his cock between my legs, the fabric of his boxers the only thing between us. He breaks the kiss then, breath shaky as the air hits my lips. I’m in shock, and I think for a moment, he is too. He wasn’t meant to kiss me.

Lifting my hand, he catches my wrist before I can touch him, eyes warily searching my face. “Let me touch you,” I whisper.

“No.” His voice is hoarse. “We’re not doing this—”

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