Page 36 of Dance of Madness

Instead…because I’m apparently deranged… It sends a throb of raw need clawing and snarling through my body, sucking the air from my lungs.

“I—” I swallow the lump in my throat, acutely aware of the tingling sensation bordering on pain as he tightens his grip on my ponytail.

“I’m waiting…”

“I wastricked,” I blurt, my eyes finding his in the mirror again. “I…I didn’t know you were there. I didn’t know anything about whatever you and Alicia?—”

“I already told you: I don’t give a shit about Alicia. We’re not talking about her. We’re talking aboutyou.”

“AndI’mtrying to tellyou,” I hiss through clenched teeth, “that I?—”

I cry out and gasp sharply as he yanks my hair tighter, and then pulls his other hand from my hip, winds up, and sends his palm smackinghardagainst my ass.

A mortifying sound, somewhere between a yelp and a fuckingmoan, escapes my throat before I can stop it.

A low, dark chuckle rumbles against my jugular.

“Let’s try that again, shall we?” he growls. “And let's lose the snippy tone while you're at it…princess.”

Heat floods my face—a mix of fury, shame, and something much worse.

“I was tricked into going as part of dumb dare at a party,” I mutter quietly. “I didn’t go there to…to…you know…”

“Idon'tknow. Say it.”

I swallow. “To…dothat.”

He chuckles against my neck again, then takes a slow, leisurely breath.

“You’re not selling it, you know.”

My brow furrows. “Not…selling…?”

“Your aversion to what happened the other night.”

“Excuse me?”

He gives my ponytail another firm tug, sending lightning and fresh need coursing through my body.

“Uh uh uh,” he admonishes in a low, sultry deep voice. “What did I just say about the tiara-wearing princess attitude? Try again.”

I remain silent, my body shivering against the hard muscles of his body.

“You want me tothinkthat you’re some tourist who wandered into a world in which she doesn’t belong?—”

“Idon’t,” I blurt.

A growl rumbles in his chest.

“For a tourist, you played the roleverywell.”

I frown. Before I can reply and probably get spanked again, he continues.

“Atouristdoesn’t run like you did.”

I shiver again as his body presses harder to me.

He could crush me. Kill me. Fuck me however he wants against this counter.

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