Page 74 of His Deadly Lies

Her words are a knife through my system, and it’s all I can do not to flinch.

“There is something about you... Your presence. Your charisma. And that fucking awful mouth of yours where you think you can say whatever you want.” A grin breaks out across her face. “I say damn those consequences and let’s see what happens. But I’m not leaving here until you fuck me.”

My cock jerks again. “I’m powerless against you,” I admit. The last of my resolve crumbles away into dust. “You know that, don’t you?”

Her smile fills me with light, and then she’s in my arms, forced to wrap her legs around my waist and hold on tight when I grab her.

She tastes of life and sin and all manner of things I hadn’t hoped for myself. Yes, damn the consequences straight back to Hell. They are worries for another day when I wake up from this dream and realize exactly what happened and the meaning of her words.

The heat of her burns straight through me as I maneuver us to the bed. Unsure how to take this and knowing I have to fight against the urge to rip her clothes off.

A virgin.

Damn the consequences, sure. Damn anything that keeps me away from Mia. My heart thumps painfully against my ribs, the same thing that happens every time I look at her. Her lips part in a smile. Almost as though she knows what’s happening to me, and every part of me wants to keep her at my side for fucking ever. I’ll never get myself under control again. Not where she is concerned.

I drop down to the side of the bed with her in my arms so that her legs fall on either side of my hips.

I’ve never felt this way for a woman before, but I know. I know what it means.

I’ve fallen hard for the heir to the Balestra empire.

And I don’t want to save myself.

There is no backing out now, and nothing else matters when it comes to her. There’s no stopping.

My heart thuds again, harder this time, when she smooths her hand through my hair.

“How about you show me your moves, Carter?” she murmurs, my dark-haired siren. “Unless you think you’re too tired to have what it takes to please me.”

Like she’s giving me a chance.

A chance that no one else has given me, for one reason or another. My age. My position. The coldness when I look at someone. Until Mia.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” I rest my hand on her waist. Respecting her position as an innocent in this matter. “Last chance to back out now and then I’m not going to stop myself again.”

I release a long deep exhale.

She tenses on top of me. “Maybe you’re the one trying to back out.” She laughs, but the sound holds no joy. “Do you not want me, Carter?”

“I’ll go to Hell for you, Princess. If that’s what you want.”

“As long as I’m there with you, and you’re inside me, then Hell will be just fine.”

21

MIA

“I’m on birth control.” It’s embarrassing to admit that to him, but important. “It makes my periods lighter. And it goes without saying that I’m clean.”

So embarrassing.

For a moment, Carter stares at me in shock, and I shift my palms to his shoulders, resting them there. I shouldn’t be the dominant one in this situation, and it’s not like I want to be because I have no damn clue what I’m doing. I’ve had no past partners to show me the ropes.

I only know that in life, I am dominant, and I like having others submit to me. But I’m tired. I’m so fucking tired of always having to have control of myself. I want someone I trust to be able to take the reins and handle things.

Handle me.

“I haven’t been with anyone for months,” Carter admits. He rubs the side of his face along my cheeks, and his stubble grazes my skin in the most delicious way. I tense at the idea of him being with another woman. It makes me physically sick to my stomach. “But I was tested after the last partner, and I’m clean as well.” He swipes a hand through my hair. “Which is pretty fucking great because I don’t have a condom with me. I wasn’t planning on—”

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