Page 65 of Ruined (The Knights of Ruin)

I knew I was making things worse, but I couldn’t seem to stop. All I could feel was that distance opening up and I didn’t know how to close it.

‘But is that what you want?’

I slid my hands over the curve of her butt, digging my fingers into her softness through her skirt, flexing my hips so my cock pressed harder against her groin.

‘You want me to tell you I love you?’

Her mouth compressed, as if she didn’t want to say it. But I knew anyway. That was exactly what she wanted.

Love. What the fuck did it even mean? Not a goddamn thing. Love was a woman dying in a hospital bed from the injuries her husband had given her. Love was a backhand across the face and a cigarette ground out against bare skin. It was years of pain, years of abuse.

‘Love is shit, Cat,’ I went on roughly. ‘And you of all people should know that. But this...?’ I flexed my hips again, grinding against her, making her gasp. ‘This is fucking real. This means something. Everything I give you, everything I do for you, means something. But, Christ, if you want the words so you can feel safe, I’ll give them to you. And if you want to walk up the aisle in a fucking white dress, with bridesmaids and all that other crap, then you can. And if you want to stay in this shitty apartment then, sure, we’ll stay in this shitty apartment. Anything and everything, kitten. Just say the word.’

The flush in her cheeks deepened, the flame in her eyes getting hotter. Her fingers had curled in the cotton of my T-shirt and the tension had gone from her muscles. She was moving with me now, her body softening against mine, because even if her mind was having problems accepting me that greedy pussy of hers had no such issues.

‘What if I want to go back to being friends?’ Her voice had got husky. ‘What about that?’

‘No.’ I pulled her up on her toes, the length of my aching dick pushing against her clit, making her inhale sharply. ‘No fucking way.’

Her gaze had gone even darker, the way it did when she wanted me badly.

‘Then...you h-have to give me time.’

Jesus. Even when she was turned on and ready to fuck she wouldn’t give one goddamn inch. I loved that about her, but it was driving me crazy right now. All I wanted was for her to say yes. To be mine, to choose me. Was that really too much to ask?

I knew how to convince her, though. Use our chemistry. Pull up her skirt and play with her pussy until she was sobbing and ready to give me anything I wanted. But I’d been hoping she’d say yes without that.

The battery-acid feeling was fire in my gut, with anger and disappointment and frustration all joining the party. Making me want to punch something. Or preferably fuck something.

Fine, if this was the way she wanted to play it, I’d play.

And I’d fucking win.

I was already hauling her skirt up, my hands sliding over the silky skin at the backs of her thighs, when my phone started buzzing in my back pocket. I knew the ringtone. It was Keep—which meant I couldn’t ignore it.

Cursing, I let Cat go, but kept my gazed locked with hers as I dragged my phone out and answered it. I wanted her to know that this shit wasn’t done—not by any stretch.

‘What?’

I made no effort to be polite, because what was happening between me and Cat was important, and I’d already had one meeting with Keep today.

‘I need you to come to the clubhouse for a chat,’ Keep said shortly. ‘Got a complaint from the cops about you.’

I scowled. That didn’t make any sense. I stayed out of the cops’ way and they stayed out of mine.

‘What the fuck? I don’t know what—’

‘Just get here, Smoke,’ Keep interrupted and disconnected the call.

Anger and thwarted lust simmered inside me. I could still feel Cat’s heat against me, and the last thing I wanted to do was go back to the clubhouse and have a ‘chat’ with my president. But ignoring an order from Keep wasn’t a good move, so I stuffed my phone back in my pocket.

‘I got to go.’

Cat was already smoothing her skirt down, her hands shaking as she did so. It made a part of me savagely glad that even after two weeks of being in her bed I still had the power to affect her like that.

‘Oh?’ she said huskily. ‘What’s happening?’

‘Club shit.’

I took a step towards her, hooked an arm around her neck and brought her in for a deep, hard kiss.

I lifted my head. ‘This isn’t over, kitten.’

Then I left.

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