Page 14 of Ranger's Secret

Up close, it's so much worse.

Or maybe it's better.

I can’t tell anymore.

My breath goes shallow. Any protest I might’ve had falters the second he cages me in, one hand braced on the headboard, the other gripping the base of his cock as he angles it toward my face.

“Hands on the mattress,” he growls. “Don’t move unless I tell you to.”

The command sends another spike of heat through me, but I fight it down. I'm not his toy. Not his plaything to order around whenever the mood strikes him.

"Good girl," he groans when I don't immediately move. "Now rub your lips against it. Show me how much you want my cock."

For a moment, I consider it. Consider giving him what he wants. The thought of submitting completely, of letting him use my mouth however he wants, sends a dark thrill through me that I don't want to examine too closely.

But then I remember his threat. The casual way he implied he could sabotage my career if I don't play along. The assumption that I'm so desperate for his approval that I'll debase myself for it.

Jagger Maddox. My best friend’s brother. Doing this to me.

Fuck that.

I lean forward slowly, letting my lips brush against the piercing with butterfly softness. He exhales sharply, his whole body going taut.

I open my mouth like I'm about to take him in, like I'm finally ready to give him what he wants.

Then I bite.

Not hard enough to hurt, but firm enough to get his attention. Just enough pressure to remind him that I have teeth.

He jerks back with a sharp intake of breath, his eyes going wide with shock. For a moment we just stare at each other, the power dynamic shifting so fast it makes my head spin.

"What the fuck…"

I don't let him finish. Taking advantage of his momentary confusion, I push up, plant my hands on his chest, and shove hard, knocking him off balance. He rocks backward, giving me the space I need to scramble out from under him.

"You want a kitten, Jagger?" I shift upright on the bed, settling on my knees. "Careful. Even kittens have claws."

Before he can recover, I reach down and wrap my fingers around his still-hard cock, not gentle but not cruel either. Just tight enough to show him that I'm not afraid of him. That I'm not going to be intimidated by threats or manipulated by desire.

"This little power trip? It’s over. If this is about revenge for walking away after that kiss, get over it. You don’t get to control me, Jagger."

His mouth falls open slightly, like he can't quite process what's happening. The great Jagger Maddox, reduced to speechless by his little sister's best friend.

I climb off the bed, tugging my t-shirt back down. "I'm going for a walk," I announce, grabbing a pair of sweatpants from the drawer and pulling them on. "And when I get back, you're going to be gone."

I shrug into my jacket, taking my time with the zipper just to prove I'm not running. Not this time.

I don't wait for his response. I step out into the cool night air and close the door firmly behind me, my pulse finally starting to slow.

The forest is quiet around me, peaceful in a way that helps settle my frayed nerves. I start walking, not caring about direction, just needing to move. To process what just happened.

He thought he could control me. Thought he could use my ambitions to manipulate me into submission. The arrogance of it still makes my blood boil.

But underneath the anger is something else. Something that feels like triumph.

Because for the first time since I arrived here, I was the one in control. I was the one who set the terms.

And judging by the look on his face, Jagger Maddox has no idea what to do with that.

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