Page 3 of Deceit & Desire

In true-to-form Roman fashion, he chose to ignore my orders in favor of doing whatever the hell he pleased.

“Shut up and kiss me.” Roman slid his arms around my waist and backed me up against the elevator wall.

“What?” I stared up at him, shaking my head.

Roman shrugged. “Maybe he’ll think twice about hopping in the elevator with us if we’re making out.”

“Don’t you dare?—”

His lips crashed down on mine in a punishing kiss, cutting off my protest with brutal efficiency. Every bit of good sense I had always seemed to go right out of the window every time I got near Roman York, and this situation was no exception.

Searing, blinding heat flooded my core as Roman’s hands stroked down my spine and settled at the small of my back, pressing me closer to him until I couldn’t tell where I ended and Roman began. I trembled, my control quickly unraveling as I arched against him.

His tongue licked along the seam of my lips, and despite knowing precisely how stupid it was, I opened for him. Just when I thought I couldn’t get any hotter, his tongue stroked against mine, the rhythm coaxing and demanding and hypnotic all at once. My blood threatened to boil in my veins, and I was certain I was going to spontaneously combust at any second.

I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything but yield to Roman’s demanding mouth and caressing hands as the deputy stepped into the elevator with us and the doors slid closed, leaving us well and truly trapped.

Trapped in this stupid charade, pretending to be lovers when — in reality — we’re more likely to rip each other’s throats out than both make it to my father’s ranch in one piece.

Trapped in a web of secrets and lies, tangled in the threads of old wounds and fresh problems.

Trapped in a claustrophobic metal box with the enemy.

Chapter2

The Second Fight

PLAYLIST: ”LOSE CONTROL” BY TEDDY SWIMS

ROMAN

I knewit was a mistake the second our lips met, but hell if I could resist her. Zoe’s fingers raking through my hair, that breathy little sound escaping her lips—it damn near shattered what little control I had left.

Lucky for me, the off-duty deputy who followed us into the elevator let out a loud cough, snapping me out of the lust-fueled haze that clouded my mind the moment I touched her.

I broke the kiss, resting my forehead against hers and trying to calm my ragged breathing.

“Why’d you stop?” Zoe’s furrowed brow and pouty frown made my heart skip a few beats.

Is she just putting on a show for the deputy, or did our kiss really affect her as much as it affected me?

I cut a sideways glance at the deputy and fought to stifle a chuckle. He stared straight ahead, watching the floor numbers change on the readout, but he was beet red and sweating hard enough that I knew he had watched our every move.

I raked my gaze over her, from her now-disheveled chestnut brown hair all the way down to her black stilettos and back up again, letting her see just how badly I wanted to devour her before I cleared my throat and spoke. “As bad as I want you, baby, I have no intention of fucking you with an audience. I want you all to myself.”

“Jesus H. Christ.” The deputy scrubbed a hand down his sweaty face, shaking his head.

Zoe’s cheeks flushed bright scarlet, and she pinched the living hell out of me, right on the ribs on the side that was facing away from the deputy.

Grinning like a fiend, I leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Worth it.”

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at me, but was smart enough to bite her tongue, at least while we remained stuck in the elevator with the deputy. I was sure I’d catch an earful once we were safely in the truck.

She’d make me pay for pushing her buttons, I had no doubt.

I should know better than to push my luck with Zoe, especially with the way she crushed my heart under her boots on her way out of Blackwell a decade ago, but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to taste her one more time. I might not get another chance, especially if she reacts as badly as I expect to what I have planned. So, I went for it. I’ll take whatever consequences she dishes out.

Finally, the elevator reached the top floor of the parking garage and the doors slid open. The off-duty deputy bolted out of the elevator like he couldn’t get away from us fast enough.

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