Page 73 of Princess of Hawthorne Prep

He’s staying put.

“Nope. Not gonna happen.” With a shake of his head, he lowers his face until I can feel the warmth of his breath drift across my lips. “I told you before that you belong to me, to do with whatever I choose. And what I want right now is to be inside that sweet little cunt of yours.”

Just as I’m about to tell him to go to hell, his lips crash onto mine and his tongue plunges inside my mouth. There’s a strange mix of coaxing and forcefulness in the caress. As if he wants me to capitulate but will take what he wants—needs—by any means necessary. His fingers tighten around my wrists, holding me captive until I’m completely at his mercy.

My resistance can only last so long against his relentless onslaught. He knows precisely how to touch me and what will make my walls crumble. Even though I try to keep a firm grasp on my anger, it’s a losing battle. I’m swept away by the taste and feel of him.

It’s only when I reluctantly give myself over to him, returning the kiss, that he draws away, leaving me to pant with the need he stoked to life. When my eyelids feather open, I find him staring with a sober expression. Gone is the smugness of minutes ago.

“If you want me to blindly believe what you tell me, then maybe you need to return the favor and have a little bit more faith. It goes both ways.”

Air gets wedged in my lungs as his words plunge me into uncertainty. More than anything, I want to trust Austin. Trust that he won’t hurt or betray me. But it’s difficult. Nothing about our relationship has been easy. At every turn, there have been complications and roadblocks. We inch forward two steps only to get knocked back three or four and land on our asses. There are times when it seems like all we’re destined to do is inflict damage.

Even when we’re not the ones responsible for it.

If I were thinking clearly, I’d cut my losses and move on.

But how can I do that when there’s this invisible string binding us, relentlessly tugging me in his direction?

It’s not something I’ve ever felt before, and I have the sneaking suspicion I never will again.

The indisputable truth is that I can come up with a lengthy list as to why a relationship will never work. And yet, none of it matters when he’s stretched out on top of me, pinning me to the mattress, his tongue licking at my mouth.

“I want to,” I admit.

This time, when his lips settle over mine, there’s a gentleness to the caress. Just like always, he knows what I need and gives it to me without question. That’s all the prompting it takes to open and allow him in. What I want most is for him to wipe away the past few hours.

All the uncertainty, anger, and jealousy.

Our mouths stay fused as our tongues tangle before he peppers tender kisses along the curve of my jaw and chin. When he drifts along the column of my neck, I can’t help but bare it, hungry for more of his attention.

A growl reverberates deep in his chest when he reaches the collar of the T-shirt I’m wearing. His fingers grip the hem before dragging it up my body and over my head in one swift motion. He sits up and stares at my chest as if committing every dip and curve to memory. When I shift, he reaches out and cups my breasts, pinching the nipples that ache with need. Lowering himself, he draws one stiff peak into the warmth of his mouth before sucking greedily. My back bows off the mattress as arousal shoots from the tip of my breast, straight to my core before throbbing to life.

It doesn’t matter if he played with my body for hours earlier, teasing two orgasms from me—I’m starved for his attention. When it comes to Austin, I’m insatiable. It’s not something I’m used to. In all honesty, I didn’t think it was possible to feel this kind of intense arousal crash through my body.

Jasper inspired the opposite.

Just when it feels like I’m on the verge of self-combusting, he releases me with a soft pop before latching onto the other stiff bud and giving it the same fervent attention. My fingers tunnel through his short, thick hair, tugging at the strands.

Another growl rumbles up from his chest as he lifts his head to meet my gaze.

“I don’t know how I’ll ever get enough of you.”

His words echo my own private thoughts.

The energy we generate is combustible. Any moment it’ll explode, blowing us both to smithereens.

Not waiting for a response, he slides down my body and kisses my exposed flesh. Sensation ricochets throughout me before settling deep in my core. I shift restlessly as his fingertips slip beneath the elastic band of my panties, drawing them down my hips and thighs. Once the cotton has been removed, he presses a kiss against the top of my slit before burying his face against me and inhaling.

“I’ve never craved anyone the way I do you,” he admits in a low voice that drips with need. “You’re like a drug careening through my system. There’s no way to get enough.”

My teeth scrape across my lower lip as my gaze stays fastened on his. I couldn’t look away even if I tried. The sight of his dark head nestled between my thighs is so damn sexy. It only intensifies the rabid hunger growing within me as if it has a life of its own.

His hand settles on the inside of my knee before drifting upward and pushing my legs farther apart. As he hovers above me, the warmth of his breath ghosts over my sensitive flesh.

“So fucking pretty.” There’s a pause as his gaze skewers mine in place. “This pussy belongs to me.” When I remain silent, his voice deepens, sounding as if it’s been roughed up. “Say it, Delilah. Tell me that your pussy is mine.”

“It belongs to you,” I groan. “Ibelong to you.”

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