Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 74581 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74581 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 373(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
“Who was that guy?” I growl.
“We went to school together. And he’s gay, so there was no need to threaten to rip out his tongue. He’s not interested in me.”
“I really don’t give a shit,” I tell her. “The only hands that touch this waist are mine.”
“Are you serious?” Clare scoffs. “You drugged me and dumped me off at my house! We’re not exactly exclusive.”
My hands tighten around her, reminding her of my strength. Reminding her to yield to me.
“You’re mine, little bird. Don’t make me take this belt off and remind you of that fact.”
“Unbelievable!” Clare cries.
She’s seriously annoyed with me. I don’t care—being this close to her again, holding her in my arms, seeing the fire in those brilliant dark eyes, smelling the warm, sweet scent of her perfume… it’s an irresistible combination.
I want to kidnap her all over again. I want to throw her over my shoulder and carry her out of this place, right under the noses of Valencia and Parsons and every other person who knows her.
I came here to get the flash drive from Clare, but now that I see her in the flesh, I can’t bring myself to give a shit about the evidence. I want her a thousand times more than I want those emails.
“Come on,” I growl, seizing her by the arm and pulling her off the dance floor.
“Where are we going?” she hisses.
I’m pulling her out the side doors of the ballroom, into the botanical gardens adjacent to the hotel.
The gardens are enclosed inside a vast glass greenhouse, the air humid and redolent with chlorophyll and freesia blossoms. Fairy lights sparkle in the greenery, illuminating the leaf-choked paths through the trees.
“Constantine, I’m not going to—” Clare begins.
I silence her with my mouth on hers, kissing her wildly like I haven’t seen her in years instead of a matter of days. I press her up against the trunk of an ornamental cherry, the drooping branches shielding us from view. Groping her body through the diaphanous dress, I feel her warm, firm flesh. I bite the side of her neck so I can taste the light salt of her skin.
She only resists for a moment before sinking against me helplessly, letting out a moan as I run my tongue along her jaw, before plunging it into her mouth.
I’m addicted to this woman.
I went into withdrawal without her.
I’m beginning to realize that nothing matters to me next to Clare—not my business, not the Maguires, not even clearing my name. I want her more than any other goal. Any achievement seems pointless without her.
“I’m taking you,” I tell her, “and this time I’m not giving you back.”
She pulls back, looking up into my eyes.
“What about what I want?” she says.
I seize her by the throat. Lifting the skirt of her dress, I shove my hand underneath, feeling her velvet soft pussy lips, warm and wet and ready for me.
“I already know what you want,” I say, thrusting two fingers inside her. “You want this.”
Clare moans, head tilted back, throat exposed.
I suck on the side of her throat while I fuck her with my fingers, feeling her warm, soft grip, feeling her clench and squeeze with every thrust.
“Oh my God. Oh my God…” she pants.
“Tell me you’re mine,” I growl.
“I’m yours…”
“Tell me you’re coming with me, wherever I go…”
Her eyes lock with mine.
“I will,” she says. “Anywhere.”
I kiss her again, unzipping the trousers of my black tux. Then I take my fingers out of her and shove my cock in instead. I fuck her up against the tree, cherry blossoms raining down around us with every thrust. The air is sweet with the scent of crushed petals. Clare’s mouth is even sweeter as I kiss her again and again and again.
The party continues behind us, all my enemies assembled in one place.
I’m not thinking about any of them.
All I care about in this moment is the perfect fit of Clare’s pussy clenching around my cock, the feel of her tight waist gripped between my hands, and her tongue lapping against my lips.
This is what falling in love feels like.
It’s delirium.
Stripping your cares away from everything that mattered to you before and wrapping them around one person instead.
Nothing has ever felt as good as my cock sliding in and out of her. I’m high on her taste and smell, my head floating, my body soaked in bliss.
She’s mine, and no one is going to take her away from me.
With that thought, I explode inside of her.
Clare is coming too, crying out so loud that I have to smother her mouth under my hand.
Even while I’m coming, I keep fucking her, because I never want to stop.
Chapter 22
Clare
I know it isn’t safe here, not with every Desolation officer only paces away. Not with my father nearby. But I still can’t help but take a minute to rest my head against Constantine.