There’s no escape for me now.
The idea of freedom from this man is an illusion.
I can only watch as he leans against the wall with his arms crossed, his lips twisted in anger.
“What did I tell you, Miss Green?”
I wince at the name, the one he only uses when he’s upset with me. “I’m not playing this game with you, Hayden. Leave me alone.”
“Did you really think I wouldn’t come after you?”
“The thought crossed my mind,” I deadpan.
He lifts a brow. “I can see the alcohol is still running through your system.”
“I’m pretty sure your statement to possess me sobered me up really fucking fast.”
“Language, Miss Green.”
“Fuck you, Mr. Bennett.”
Regret fills me, and I wilt under his glare. Maybe I am still drunk. If so, it’s not doing me any favors.
Hayden pushes away from the wall and slowly stalks toward me, closing the distance between us with measured and purposeful steps. His gaze holds mine captive, his blue eyes bright with anticipation.
What is he going to do to me?
I press my back into the wall as if I can disappear within it, my heart beating so fast that I worry I might be having a heart attack. He reaches out to cage me in, planting a hand on either side of my head before leaning in.
“You’re only delaying the inevitable,” he says, his voice a low rumble.
My chest heaves as my breathing becomes jagged, due to his nearness affecting me so deeply. “I have to try.”
The side of his mouth lifts in a smirk. “I admire your spirit, but you want this as much as I do. Your body knows it, even if your mind refuses to accept it.” He leans in closer, his breath fanning across my lips. “You belong to me, Callie. You have since the first time I saw you. I knew it then, and I’m telling you now, you’re mine.”
I shake my head. Or maybe that happens because I’m trembling so violently that it causes my head to move. Either way, Hayden’s eyes widen, glittering with emotion that causes my thighs to clench.
He grabs my wrists and pins them to the wall above my head, immobilizing me with his hands. And his body, as he presses it against mine. “Keep fighting me,” he says, his voice becoming guttural. “It only makes me want you more.”
“And if I give in? Will you throw me away like every other woman?”
“There’s no escaping this. I know. I’ve tried.” He inhales deep, pressing his body into me so forcefully that I can feel his heart beat. It’s racing just as much as mine, if not more. “Once you accept this thing between us, you’ll never leave.”
I inwardly shrink as defeat washes over me like a cold wind. He’s right. I knew this when I ran. If I ever take the chance and explore this attraction with Hayden, I know deep down that it’d be the death of me. I’d lose myself in him to the point that I’d no longer exist. That is what truly scares me.
Not Hayden, but my feelings for him.
He remains silent, his gaze boring into me, daring me to continue denying everything: this connection, this yearning I’ve tried so hard to fight while simultaneously embracing it during every moment I’m with him. I close my eyes and search for the remaining threads of my resolve.
Only to have them shredded at the feel of Hayden’s lips on mine.
He claims my mouth in a kiss that’s gentle. It’s completely opposite to the dark violence rolling off of him. It stuns me, and I stand there, eyes-closed and unmoving.
But not unwilling.
His lips move over mine with such tenderness that I melt into him within seconds. Despite his hold on my wrists, he uses his other hand to caress my face while his tongue moves over my lips, coaxing rather than demanding a response from me.
“Open for me, Callie. I’m dying to taste you again. I need to know if you’re as sweet as I remember, or if I imagined everything because I’m so obsessed with you.”
A moan gathers in my throat, and I force it down, unable to surrender just yet. Even so, Hayden’s kiss awakens my body and leaves me breathless. My inhibitions crumble with every sweep of his lips across mine.
“Please, baby,” he whispers, his voice dripping with raw desire.
The words hang in the air like a living entity, sending a surge of electricity through my veins, leaving my skin prickling. My lips part, a soft gasp escaping me as his plea wraps around me and causes my heart to expand. I understand now why Hayden likes to hear me beg. There’s something powerful in it.
Before I can process anything else, Hayden takes advantage of my acquiescence, flicking the tip of my tongue with his. The feel of him ignites a wildfire of desire that threatens to consume me. The same inferno that’s burning inside him.
His cock is hard against me, clear evidence of his arousal, yet his movements are slow and deliberate, his hand gripping my hip as if to keep me still. He claims dominion over my mouth, slowly seeking and tasting every part of me until I’m desperate for him.
His grip on me tightens, his fingers digging into my skin, a gentle urge for me to surrender completely. And with each stroke of his tongue, I feel myself losing control, willingly succumbing to the depths of desire he stirs within me. I finally give in to the hunger that we share and yield to the intoxicating power he holds over me.
I part my legs in invitation, wanting to feel every inch of him, to feel the length of him against the part of me that aches. He hooks my panties with his index finger and twists his arm to rip them from my body. The material flutters to the ground, immediately forgotten when he leans into me, filling the space between my thighs, his cock pressing into my clit. A whimper leaves my lips, the noise wanton and desperate.
The sound is the catalyst that causes Hayden to finally touch me.
He breaks the kiss to look at me. In response, I lean into his fingers as he trails them down my hip and then dips them between my thighs, stroking the soft skin there. I’m already wet, and his fingertips glide over the area, spreading the effects of my arousal all over. When I thrust my hips into his hand, he stops to grip my thigh, the tension in his fingers showing me he’s barely hanging on.
I want him to lose control. Just like I have.
“Please, baby,” I say with a voice I don’t recognize. It’s sultry yet aching. For him.
Hayden’s lips crash against mine with a ferocity that steals my breath. There’s no doubt or hesitation now. I kiss him back with everything that I have, telling him that I want him just as badly, giving him permission to lead me wherever he wants.
And he takes it.
His fingers find my clit, and he rubs me with finesse, an expert touch. Pleasure slams into me, and I choke on a breath, my lashes fluttering. He teases me mercilessly until I’m mewling against his lips, the sound gliding against this tongue. The noise morphs into a gasp when he eases his finger inside me. I rise to my tiptoes at the pressure, coming back down when he begins to stroke me. Then I’m grinding onto his hand with wild abandon.
He thrusts two fingers inside me, sucking in a breath, the hissing sound full of anguish. “You’re so fucking tight. I’m going to wreck this pretty pussy.”
I moan at the dark intent in his voice. The sensations he creates with his skilled fingers are almost too much as he drives them into me, hitting deeper each time until I’m so full I begin to imagine what it’d be like to take his cock. That only has me drenching his hand.
My entire body trembles with anticipation as my orgasm looms. He uses his thumb to circle my clit in time with his thrusting fingers, bringing me closer and closer to the edge of ecstasy. His lips are still on mine while his hand works me between my legs.
“Come for me,” he says against my mouth, nipping at my bottom lip.
I convulse around Hayden’s fingers as a sob leaves me. I strain against his grip on my wrists when I arch my back, but he keeps me upright as I lose control over my body. He continues to fuck me with his hand, drawing out my orgasm until I’m thrashing my head, unable to take it anymore.
“I can’t.”
“You can, but not right now.”
Even though he stops moving, he keeps his fingers inside me. As if trying to stay connected to me a little bit longer. To possess me a little more.
I open my eyes to find him watching me. His gaze is illuminated with triumph, but also with a gentler emotion… something dangerously close to affection. He releases my wrists to brush the backs of his fingers along my cheek, and I resist the urge to lean into his touch, to soak in the rare show of tenderness from him.
“Now that I’ve caught you, I intend to keep you, Callie.”
A shiver passes through me at the possessiveness in his voice. In his vow.
I can’t help but feel a mixture of excitement and uncertainty as his words sink in. The intensity of his gaze and the sincerity in his voice leave no room for doubt about his intentions. My heart races in my chest, and I find myself captivated by the depth of emotion swirling in his eyes. It’s dark and potent, like him.
His fingers continue their gentle exploration along my cheek, tracing a path that ignites a trail of warmth in its wake. While his other fingers remain deep inside me. I lean slightly into his touch on my face, unable to completely suppress the longing that blossoms within me. Even so, I fight it.
Too much is at stake. My heart, for one thing.
“You can’t keep me, Hayden.” My protest sounds weak to my own ears, but I keep my expression firm. “I don’t belong to anyone. Not even you.”
His hand leaves my cheek as he slides it into my hair, grasping the nape of my neck to tilt my head back. Unable to look anywhere else, my gaze collides with his. Icy blue meets a warm amber.
Determination meets rebellion.
“You belong with me. To me.” He brings his face so close to mine that the tips of our noses brush one another. “You can fight it all you want, but we both know it’s pointless. What’s happening between us is inevitable, and I’ll do everything within my power to get you to accept it.”
