Page 20 of Faith Among Monsters

“Take off your pants,” I say, my voice surprisingly steady despite the fire roaring inside me. “Slowly.”

His lips curve into the barest hint of a smile, a dangerous promise in his eyes. He bites his bottom lip, drawing my attention, and then his fingers move to the button of his jeans.

He unfastens it with deliberate slowness, his gaze never leaving mine. The sound of the zipper sliding down fills the room, achingly slow and torturous, and my breath catches as his jeans hang low on his hips.

For a moment, I forget my own task, completely frozen as I watch him.

Then, as his jeans slide down his thighs, my fingers remember their purpose. I work at the button of my pants, tugging them down as his jeans hit the floor.

He stands before me, bare and ready, the hunger in his eyes matched by the strength of his body. My breath stutters. I maynot be ready forhim,but there’s no part of me that’s willing to stop now.

I let my pants fall, pooling at my feet, and roll my panties down my legs without even looking at them. The heat in his gaze doesn’t falter for a second.

He steps into my space, and my heart pounds as his scent wraps around me. He smells like leather, skin, and something darker, something dangerous in the best possible way.

“You want me?” he asks, his voice a deep growl.

This is it. My last chance to be reasonable.

“Get in the bed, Dax.”

His lips twitch into a small, satisfied smile, but he obeys, moving to the bed. He lowers himself onto the mattress, laying back on the sheet, his muscles flexing as he rests against it. Even like this, stretched out beneath me, he looks like a predator waiting for the right moment to strike.

I climb onto the bed, crawling over him, bracketing him between my thighs. The tension in his jaw is visible, his restraint fraying at the edges, and the knowledge thatIam the one unraveling him sends a thrill through me.

His hands stay at his sides, his fists clenched, his control nothing short of impressive.

I take his hands, placing one at my hip and the other on my breast. His fingers twitch against my skin, and I lean into him, letting my body fit against his. “Touch me,” I whisper, my voice low and breathless.

Something snaps in him.

His hands grip me hard, rough and possessive, his control breaking as he pulls me against him. The heat of his palms on my skin sets me on fire, and I gasp as his mouth finds my neck, his stubble scraping along my jaw before his lips cover my throat.

My hands splay across his chest, tracing the tattoos and the hard lines of muscle beneath them as I move against him. Hegrowls low in his throat, the sound vibrating through both of us, and his fingers tighten on my hips, guiding me as I find my rhythm.

Every movement, every touch, is electric, the tension between us snapping like a live wire.

“Faith,” he murmurs, his voice raw, guttural, and when I look into his eyes, I see nothing but possession.

I am his now.

Chapter Nine

Dax

When she throws her head back and my name falls from her lips, there’s nothing left. No past. No prison. No sins. Just her.

I feel her tighten, her whole body trembling beneath me, and fuck, I need more. I grip her hips, my hands firm, holding her in place as I drive deeper, chasing the way she shudders and falls apart in my hands.

Her cry is sharp, breathless, mine.

I lean in, capturing her lips, stealing the last of her breath as she melts into me. She’s soft and warm and so fucking perfect it makes my chest ache.

But I don’t slow down. Not yet.

I roll, pressing her beneath me, pinning her to the mattress as I kiss along her throat, down to the delicate curve of her collarbone. She’s so damn fragile under my mouth. For a second, I almost lose it.

I don’t make love to her. Not this time. This is something else. This is possession.

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