Page 14 of Resist

Give him an inch, and he takes a mile. He’s lucky he’s cute.

His strength is alluring, his firm, broad chest against my back as his hands brace me against him. His moist, warm tongue darts out against the sensitive space where my neck meets my shoulder for a long second before he drags it all the way up to my jaw.

Fuck.

The fire in my core is out of control, running rife through every vein and muscle, demanding more. Needing more.

“How about that? Is that okay?” His voice is deeper, gruffer against my ear when he asks.

“Yes.” That time it fell out on a sigh.

Austin has moved between Mackenzie’s wide-spread legs and is kneeling on a stool he pulled from the side of the room.

“Are you sure you don’t want to share whatever’s bothering you?” He trails his finger along the same path he just dragged his tongue as though he doesn’t want to break contact between our bodies. Which is fine with me because I don’t want him to pull away either.

He presses a flat palm against my stomach, and lines his legs up behind mine like he’s holding me up, giving me silent strength to tell my truth.

“I’m sure.”

“Is there anything I can help you with to take your mind off things?” The suggestion is heavy in his tone as we both watch Austin making Mackenzie squirm with his tongue sliding through her slick pussy.

“As a matter of fact, there is.”

“Oh?” The question in his voice sounds as surprised as I am for saying it. But I’ve decided that for tonight I’m not Cora Blackwell, I don’t need to find a husband, I don’t need to think about work, or grief, or death, or whatever my future may hold if I don’t do the things I need to do.

For tonight, I’m simply Cecelia.

And the striking man with his arms around my waist has offered to help me forget. Just for tonight. It could be all I need to reset, to give me what I need to face the shit storm I’m in.

So, why the hell not?

I crane my neck so I can look him in the eye as my heart ricochets around my ribcage. “Get on your knees.”

CHAPTER 5

Sterling

“Get on your knees.”

When Cecelia says those words to me, there’s no fight inside my body. Only compliance.

Okay, maybe there’s a glimmering temptation to brat and demand she make me, but only to see what she’ll do. And even that dies before it reaches my lips. From the stress lines on her face and the way her shoulders curl, something’s making this woman hurt, maybe even something similar to what’s making me hurt.

Fuck. I sure hope not.

There’s a whirlpool of emotions swirling in my ribcage. I start a new job on Monday. At the time I applied to work at Blackwell, I simply wanted to work for a well reputed publisher. But now, now I need to put my plan for vengeance for Mom in action—and Iwillget fucking vengeance for her—but if I can take away Cecelia’s pain for even a second, then getting on my knees is worth it.

Maybe even for both of us.

She’s the risk I’m going to take. She’s a risk because I know once I taste her, I’m going to want more. And disappearinginto her for as long as she’ll let me may be a balm to soothe my inner ache.

I’m salivating as I drop to the floor in front of her, my back to Austin making Mackenzie scream so hard through her first orgasm that the pane of glass probably rattles.

I nuzzle my nose against the seam of her zipper. “You sure?” I look up at her with an arched brow.

She boops my nose with the tip of her index finger, a sly smile playing on those plump lips.

Boops my motherfucking nose.

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