Page 18 of The Secrets That Kill

Mercer moves closer. His heat radiates down beneath my dress, along the bare flesh of my legs and arm. He’s not touching me, but he might as well be. I can feel him like he’s branding me, slowly, deliberately.

One I want against my rational will.

I’m so in over my head that the light above grows dimmer and dimmer with each second that ticks past.

“These men know the difference between real and pretend. They can smell it. Like I can. For instance, I know you’re aroused right now. Your scent has darkened. It pulls me into you, it’s calling to me. Tell me, Ivy. Is your cunt hungry?”

The crude word slaps me hard but makes my pulse jump into my throat. I stare at him, my mouth agape.

“I can make it feel good for you, the most intense pleasure you can imagine.”

“I doubt that,” I say, pushing out the words.

His mouth is so close to my cheek. His lips don’t touch my skin, only his breath does. My pussy throbs, liquid heat soaking my panties. I’ve never felt this turned on in my entire life. Never been forced to want something so badly. And he’s not even touching me.

If he can do this to me, here in public, to someone who hates him, who claims she doesn’t want this even as she craves it…

What in the hell would it be like if he put his hands on me with intent? If he kissed me? If he?—

“Tell you what, Pollyanna. Let’s make it interesting. How about a bet?”

It’s a trap, I know it, and yet I’m drifting down a rabbit hole to the murky bottom, and I can’t claw my way out. “What kind of bet?”

“If I can make you come here and now, you help me. You’ll do it for Jaxson, Ruby, and Elise. If you don’t, I’ll walk. Find another way.”

My lungs hurt from the sharp gasp of breath that slices at them like tiny razor blades. “You’re a bastard. You know that I have to help, or you’ll take this away from Elise.”

“Not at all.” His voice winds around me. “If I can’t make you come right now, I walk away, Elise gets her treatment, and I’ll still pick up the bill.”

I stare at him. “That’s some bet. You’ll fail. I don’t like you and I don’t want you touching me.”

“But you do, Pollyanna. You want my hands on you, up your skirt, beneath your panties, and in your hot cunt. You want my mouth on yours. My tongue down your throat.”

Has anyone ever spoken to me like this? It’s almost on par with things that horrible man Anton growled at me. But yet…I’m completely turned on by his filthy promises.

Mercer is crude. I want to say he’s bragging about what he can do to me, but I don’t think he is. I think he knows exactly what he can get from me or any woman.

Still—it’ll never work. I’ve had sex, but it wasn’t something I cared about. There was a man…someone who made me come and want, and?—

I grit my teeth and push that hated tangle of memories away. Bottom line? I’ve found that a vibrator works better than any guy.

I should get up, say no. I should slap him, walk away.

But he’s not going to allow that.

He has a hold I can’t shake, like something snapped into place earlier and it’s keeping me there, rooted to the spot.

“I don’t. And youcan’t.”

“A challenge, Ivy? I accept. Because you’re wrong. You do, you can, and you will.”

He slips his hand under my dress. His fingers graze my thigh and my whole body aches with anticipation.

“Part your thighs like a good little girl, Ivy.”

I start to say no, but instead, my legs are like the Red Sea. He strokes up along my inner thigh and when he rubs mypanties, a hiss of air slips from my mouth. He’s like a soothing balm and the fire that licks at me.

“Pollyanna, your panties are fucking soaked.” He moves my panties aside, caressing my wet slit. “Do you want me to touch you? Put my fingers inside of you?”

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