Page 56 of Shameless Royalty

But he doesn’t. Instead, he leans in and brushes his lips against my ear. “I’ve been yours longer than you’ve realized,mo stóirín.”

His words send a shiver through me, my stomach twisting at the way he says it—like it’s something he’s known for a long time, something he’s been waiting for me to figure out. Like I’m the slow one here.

I don’t know what to do with the way he’s looking at me, breathing heavily, his hands tight on my hips like he’s letting me have control right now. I don’t know why he’s giving me the choice—he’s always been the one calling the shots.

I let my fingers drift lower again, dragging along the ridges of his abs, feeling the flex of muscle beneath my touch. He’s warm,solid, real—and for some fucking reason, that makes something tighten in my chest.

My fingers skim back up, tracing along his ribs, and then, finally, I press my hands flat against his chest. His heart is racing.

I glance up at him, searching his face, and I don’t know what I expect to see—his usual smug grin, maybe, some teasing comment lined up and ready to go. But he’s just looking at me. Watching me.

Like I matter.

My breath shudders; I don’t want to think about why. I don’t want to think about the way this feels—how it’s not just desperate or heated or something I’ll hate myself for later. I want him. Not just to touch, not just to make him lose control.

I wanthim.

So Itakehim.

I grab him by the back of his neck and drag him down, and this time it’s me making the demand.

Connor groans into the kiss, his hands tightening on my waist before sliding down to grip my thighs. He grinds his body against me, and I swear I feel my head fucking spin when his cock rubs against mine.

He deepens the kiss, his tongue sweeping into my mouth, and I let him, my fingers tangling in his hair as I arch up into him. The heat between us is unbearable, my skin burning everywhere he touches me, and I know—I fucking know—that I’m too far gone.

His lips break from mine, trailing down my jaw, my throat, his teeth scraping along my pulse point, and I gasp, my grip on him tightening.

“There he is,” he says, his voice rough with satisfaction. “Knew you had it in you, baby.”

I want to snap something back, but then his tongue flicks over me again, and I arch off the bed, my body betraying me completely. He moves lower, his lips trailing over my stomach, my hips, his fingers digging into my skin like he’s holding himself back from doing something even worse.

But then his fingers press against my cock through the fabric, and a soft, broken whimper escapes before I can stop it. Connor freezes for half a second, and then something flickers in his expression. His smirk disappears, replaced by something almost predatory.

“Fuck,” he mutters, his voice guttural. “Do that again.”

I shake my head, trying to twist away, but he doesn’t let me. His hand presses harder, and the noise that escapes my throat isn’t even human. It’s soft, desperate and humiliating.

“That’s it,” Connor groans as he drags the sounds out of me. “That’s what I fuckin’ thought.”

“You’re insane,” I whimper.

“No, Babyface,” he says, his tone dripping with smugness as his hand moves, slow and torturous over my cock. “I’m just obsessed with those fuckin’ blue eyes.”

I shiver as his mouth moves to my jaw, then to my neck, his teeth grazing my skin in a way that sends a jolt straight through me. His lips trail over my chest, down to my stomach, leaving a path of heat in their wake. His hands grip my hips, holding me steady as he kneels before me, his eyes flicking up to meet mine, pinning me in place.

“You’re shakin’,” he says, smoothing his hands over my thighs. “Relax, Babyface. I’ve got you.”

I bite my lip, my heart pounding as I watch him, frozen in place as his hands move to the waistband of my sweats. He doesn’t rush, almost as if giving me every chance to stop him, to say no.

But I don’t.I can’t.His mouth is on me through the fabric at first, teasing, making me squirm, my cock already hard as he presses his tongue against me, his teeth just barely scraping.

“Fuck,” I choke out, my head falling back against the pillow.

He hums like he’s amused by my reaction. “Thought you hated me,mo stóirín,” he chuckles, his lips brushing against my hip. “Thought you wanted nothin’ to do with me.”

“Fuck you,” I snap, but it’s weak—breathless.

“That right?” he chuckles. “Seems to me like you want this just as bad as I do.”

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