Page 133 of Bonded Chaos

“What kind of reward?” I blurted, before I could think better of it.

I stifled the groan that fought to break free in admonishment of my stupidity.

“The kind that will have you screaming my name.”

My breath hitched as his words sent a shiver racing down my spine. I tried to maintain my composure, but my body betrayed me, arching into his and begging him for more.

“And if I refuse to answer?” I challenged, my voice just above a whisper.

Ryker’s eyes darkened, and a predatory gleam flickered in their stormy depths.

“Then, Temptress, I’ll be forced to punish you.”

“That’s not the deterrent you think it is.”

Ryker threw his head back and laughed raucously. It was then that I realized I’d voiced that thought aloud. My cheeks heated, and I looked away.

Rough fingers pinched my chin as Ryker angled my face toward him.

“Do not hide from me, Temptress,” he murmured, his free hand trailing down my side.

His fingertips ghosted over my ribcage, igniting a trail of fire in their wake. I swallowed hard as my mind raced. Part of me wanted to give in, to surrender to the desire that had been building between us.

It was torture, denying yourself the one thing you craved.

But another part of me, the part that was stubborn and defiant, refused to yield so easily. Ryker had violated me in wayshe could never understand, and I wasn’t sure I could ever forgive him for that.

“Your first question,” Ryker whispered. “Why are you so determined to deny fate?”

“Because you’re an insufferable fool who takes what he wants despite the cost to anyone else,” I deadpanned.

Ryker shifted above me, and his hard length pressed against my center. He rolled his hips, and I bit my lip to stifle a moan.

“See? That wasn’t so difficult now, was it, Cadence?”

I watched, transfixed, as he slid further down my body and bunched my skirt around my hips. His fingers gripped the waistband of my panties, and he slowly drew them down my legs. His touch ignited a fire in my core, and I was ablaze with need.

“Are you afraid of me, Cadence?”

“Afraid of you?” I scoffed.

“I see how you struggle. The way you’re constantly fighting this pull between us. Even after everything I have done to you, you’re terrified that I could be exactly what you need.”

I opened my mouth to retort, but quickly shut it.

I wanted to deny it, to deny him. But there was a part of me, buried deep inside, that knew he was right.

I was afraid.

I was afraid that all the pain and suffering I had clung to over the years wasn’t enough to overcome the visceral need I felt toward Ryker. Every part of him called to me, and the longer I stayed with him, the closer I came to giving in.

After all this time, what did that mean for me? That I could fall so easily into the arms of my enemy.

Ryker pressed his tongue flat against my entrance, and my hips bucked, begging for more.

“You may not always agree with my methods, Cadence. So fight me, scream at me, hate me if you must. But I won’t let you push me away again. Not now, not ever. Do you understand?”

The conviction in his voice terrified me as much as it excited me.

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