Page 84 of Protect Thy Enemy

I smirk against her skin, the sound low and dark. “Beg me.”

“Not a chance,” she snaps, but her hips shift against mine, betraying her need.

I chuckle softly, my hand sliding higher, brushing the edge of her bra. “You don’t get to make the rules here.”

She glares at me, but it’s weak, her body already giving in. “You’re impossible,” she mutters, her nails dragging down my back.

“And you’re mine,” I growl, pulling her tighter against me. “Say it.”

Her lips part, but she doesn’t speak. Her breath trembles as her gaze locks onto mine.

The silence stretches, heavy and charged, until finally, she whispers, “Yours.”

That single word is all it takes.

I lift her, carrying her toward the couch, her legs wrapped tight around me, her lips never leaving mine. Her hands areeverywhere—my shoulders, my back, my hair—and I can feel her unraveling beneath me, piece by piece.

Her legs wrap tighter around me as I carry her to the couch, every soft gasp she makes fueling the fire burning through me. I lower her onto the edge, my hands gripping her thighs to keep her in place.

Her chest heaves, her lips swollen and parted as she stares up at me. Her eyes are dark and hazy, daring me to keep going, daring me to stop.

I don’t.

My fingers move to the button of her jeans, flicking it open with a precision born of need. The sound of the zipper sliding down is drowned out by the rasp of her breath, sharp and quick.

“Holden…” Her voice is a mix of hesitation and want.

I meet her gaze, my hands gripping the waistband of her jeans. “Say no,” I murmur, giving her one last chance. “Say it, and I’ll stop."

Her lips part, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths, but the word never comes.

Instead, she lifts her hips, helping me slide her jeans down her legs.

“Good girl,” I growl, the words slipping out unbidden as I toss the denim aside.

Her cheeks flush, her hands moving instinctively to cover herself, but I catch her wrists, pinning them above her head in one fluid motion.

“Don’t,” I say, my voice dark and commanding. “Don’t hide from me.”

Her breath catches, her eyes wide and searching mine, and for a moment, it feels like the world has narrowed to just us.

I release her wrists, my hands trailing her arms and sides until they settle at the hem of her tank top.

“Off,” I say simply, tugging the fabric up.

She hesitates, just for a second, before pulling it over her head and tossing it aside.

The sight of her steals the breath from my lungs. Her skin is flushed, her light brown nipples taut against the lace of her bra, begging for attention.

I lean in, my lips brushing her ear. “You’re perfect,” I murmur, my voice rough with need.

Her hands move to my shoulders, her nails digging into my skin as I trail kisses down her neck and over her collarbone. I don’t stop until my mouth finds the edge of her bra, my teeth grazing the delicate fabric.

She shivers, her breath hitching when I pull the strap down, baring her to me.

“Holden…” she whispers, her voice trembling.

I don’t answer. I lower my head, taking her nipple into my mouth, my tongue teasing the sensitive peak.

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