Page 69 of Forbidden Bond

He grins before consuming the contents of his glass in one gulp. “I promise it’s not that bad,” he says after.

I’m not inclined to believe him, but he continues to stare at me expectantly so I take a sip. When I realize it really isn’t too bad, I drink some more before setting it down on the counter. “Yeah, I’m done.”

He shakes his head before grabbing both cups and rinsing them out and putting them back into the cupboard. He’s neat and tidy, which is at odds with his personality. Right when I think I have him all figured out, he surprises me.

Topher moves forward and grabs me by the hips to set me on the island. I let out a squeal of surprise. He steps in between my spread legs and slides his hands up the sides of my thighs. The warmth makes me shiver, and I recognize the hungry look in his eyes. I’m sure it’s mirrored in mine, but I also refuse to be distracted.

“I told you my truth. Now it’s time to tell me yours,” I tell him.

He sighs, his head dropping against mine. “Do I have to?”

“Yes,” I say on a laugh.

“What if it changes how you see me? What if you don’t want me anymore?”

The question is raw and vulnerable. It doesn’t surprise me that he knows how much I want him. I’ve wanted him from the first moment I met him. I place my hands on his jaw, lifting his head so he’s looking me in the eye.

“Nothing would ever change how I see you,” I promise. “Just tell me.”

He offers me a small, distracted smile. His hand is still on my hip, I can feel him drawing little circles over and over again.

“I was in my second year of college, and there was this girl I was hanging out with at the time. We weren’t dating or anything like that. We were merely friendly since she was in most of my classes. Anyway, she got assaulted at a party, and when I found out who did it, I just lost it, I guess. I got my hands on a hockey stick and beat him so badly that he lost consciousness. I probably wouldn’t have stopped, but some people pulled me off him.”

He doesn’t look at me as he speaks, but I can see in his eyes that he’s ashamed. He hates that he did it.

“Everyone makes mistakes, Toph,” I tell him softly.

“That wasn’t a mistake. I almost lost myself that day. My dad always used to say that the first kill is the hardest. After that first kill, everyone else becomes blurred. You lose yourself and it becomes so much easier to take a life. It scared me after I beat the kid up because I realized I would be toeing an edge for the rest of my life. One small slip-up and it would all be over. You were right when you told me I was just like the rest of my family. I guess I’ve just always been scared to see that.”

“There’s no clear edge, Topher. Life isn’t just black and white. There aren’t any good or bad people. My dad has killed before, and that hasn’t changed him. It doesn’t make him a bad person.”

“No, it just makes him a controlling narcissist,” Topher mutters.

I glare at him and he offers an apologetic smile. “Okay, fine. Look at your brothers, I don’t think they’re inherently bad people.”

Topher snorts. “Trust me, princess, they’re bad people. Just not to the people they care about.”

“Exactly. That’s my point, there’s no clear edge. Even if one day you find yourself in an impossible situation where you have no choice but to pull the trigger, it wouldn’t change you.”

“You can’t know that for sure, cuore mio,” he says softly.

“I can and I do,” I say confidently. “I see you, Topher. All of you.”

“Yeah. I know you do.”

He pulls me even closer to his body, and I shiver when he leans down to suck a sensitive spot behind my ear. My entire body melts at his touch. His erect cock presses against my clit, making me gasp softly.

“If you don’t want me to kiss you, you’d better tell me now,” Topher murmurs against my skin.

I remember what he told me a while ago so I shift away to look him in the eye.

“I want you. I want to kiss you and have sex with you and it has nothing to do with my family. There’s no hesitation, no hidden agenda, I just want you, Topher.”

He smiles. “That sounds perfect, princess.”

He makes a rough noise before picking me up. I wrap my legs around his waist and rest my face on his neck as he carries me into the bedroom. I slide down to the floor and remain still in front of him, my breathing erratic.

He still hasn’t kissed me yet, and my heart is literally pounding in expectation. His hands slide down to my waist, my hips, skimming the outsides of my thighs. The caress is slow, reverent, like he’s trying to memorize the curves of my body. Heat blooms beneath my skin, tightening in my breasts and burning lower.

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