Page 49 of Girl Violence

They stay like that for a while, silently staring at each other. The only sound is their breathing, growing heavier as the seconds tick by and the tension builds.

How did he know where to find her? Had he listened hard enough to hear if she took the stairs or not? He’s here with her. Not with Rosie.

He sighs, looking down, fingers squeezing the edges of the table, clearly holding himself back from giving in to what he truly wants. Even now, he doesn’t want to kiss her. Hewon’t.

“What makes me so different from all those girls you hook up with?” Josette breaks the silence. “Than what you want with Rosie?”

Christ, she sounds hurt and a little bit desperate. Her tone is dripping with need. He glances back at her, a frown drawing his eyebrows together. What does he want? He came to her. He stalked in here after her. He could be upstairs using Rosie as his distraction.

When he doesn’t say anything, Josette loses her patience and pushes his chest to get him away, but he catches her wrists and stops her. His heartbeat thumps against her hand, fast like hers.

“What makes you so different?” he finally says. “Fucking hell, Josette.Lookat you. Even I don’t deserve you—you’re perfect.”

She gapes at him. “I’m not perfect—”

“I got mixed up in bad shit in London. I did horrible things to people. I don’t deserve anything, especially not you.” He glances away, his jaw clenching like he’s said too much. He pauses for a few moments before finally saying, “Since I’ve moved back here, all I’ve seen and heard is how much guys want you. If Lewis touched you tonight, I would have smashed his face. I’d break anyone who touched you. And that’s the problem here.”

Josette closes her eyes briefly and looks away. He doesn’t want her but won’t let anybody else have her either. He’s right—it is a problem, and it isn’t fair. “But it’s still not enough, right? I’m still not good enough for you.”

He suddenly reaches up and grabs her face in his hands. “You’re good enough. You always were.I’mthe one who isn’t good for you.”

It’s not you. It’s me.

Letting go, he goes to move away from her, but Josette grabs his T-shirt and pulls him back, smashing her lips against his like she’s wanted to since the night he kissed her. When he gave her a taste of what it would be like to have him.

With her lips on his, he tenses for a second. Josette worries he will push her away—tell her no again. But when his body falls into hers and deepens the kiss, relief sweeps through her. Shivers skip down her spine as he wraps his arms around her and pulls her hard against him. Her lips tingle, body getting hotter as he kisses her jaw and down her neck. She clings to him, arching her head back and closing her eyes, getting lost in the feeling. It’s too much. It’s not enough. She wants more. She never wants to stop.

He will leave you.

She kisses him harder, slipping her tongue into his mouth.

“Fuck.” He pulls away. “We can’t. You know we can’t.”

“Give me a real reason why?”

“I’ll hurt you.”

“That’s not good enough,” she whispers.

“But it’s the truth,” he says, his tone bitter. “Do you want me to hurt you?”

She presses her lips to his neck, and he groans. “Do your worst.”

He breathes out heavily, glancing around the room. Picking her up, he carries Josette over to a long chair that looks like it shouldn’t be there. It’s tatty and falling apart, but he sits down, pulling her on top of him, forcing their bodies closer.

She can feel him hard beneath her, his cock straining against his jeans and pressing against her. He looks at her, eyes searching her face. Josette’s eyelids flutter when he brushes her hair away, moving his hand to the back of her neck. He pulls her down and kisses her hard, his tongue touching her lips. She moans lightly against his mouth, wrapping her arms around his neck, her body bursting into flames.

His hands move down her body, touching her like no one else has touched her. He grabs hold of her ass and squeezes, grinding her into him. Josette groans, moving her hips against his erection.

“Keep doing that.” He gasps out, pulling away and leaning his head back to look at her, his lips red and swollen as Josette rocks against him, feeling her body dampen with sweat.

“What are we...what are we doing?”

“You’re dry fucking me.” He runs his hands along the hem of her top, his fingers brushing against her skin. Josette keeps rubbing against his cock and feels him shudder beneath her. “Oh,fuck.”

“We should...” She shudders when pleasure ripples through her core as she rubs against him. “We should go back before the others—”

He cuts her off by yanking her top upwards, bunching it at her throat. He expresses an appreciative moan as he looks at her black lace bra. “You’re killing me.”

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