Page 32 of Fallen Starboy

“I’m sorry I was so difficult this week,” I shot out, grabbing her wrist as she moved to leave the room. “You shouldn’t have to work extra hard to fix my mistakes.”

Her eyes searched for anything to look at that wasn’t me, and failed as they lifted to trap mine in an intimate gaze. “I’m used to fixing things. It’s what I’m good at.” Tears formed in the corner of her eyes, and she blinked furiously, trying desperately to hide this weakness. “Most of the time.”

It stunned me that she felt comfortable enough around me still, after all the bullshit I put her through, to show emotion of any sort. The sudden urge to chase away her tears overtook me, but laced within it was the thread of resentment still that I couldn’t quite let go of.

I stood, dragging her around to face me fully as I caged her in against the counter. “You can fix everything but your own problems, huh?” My left hand settled on the counter at her side, and she cringed away from it like touching me might burn her alive.

Her hackles rose at my sudden intrusion. “I don’t have problems that need fixed,” she said defensively, trying to edge away from me. “But you do. So if you’ll excuse me?—”

I pressed in against her, letting her feel just whatproblemsI was dealing with right then and there. “The only problem I have right now is the fact that I want to fight with you andfuckyou at the same time, and I can’t decide which option is more appealing.”

It was like I was possessed, but I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want to see her cry, but I was incapable of offering her support like a decent human would. All I could do was goad her into more flammable territory, hoping like hell we didn’t burst into flames when I lit the match between us to distract her.

She held her breath as I leaned in, our noses practically touching, but she didn’t speak. It was like words had failed her as surely as they were about to fail me. But the second my nose grazed her cheek, the second my breath fanned across her throat, I felt her body finally react to mine—and when her hand trailed up my chest, I didn’t care if it was to stop me from going further or something else.

I trapped that hand there between my pecs with my right hand, and my lips grazed her ear as I admitted what I’d deny to the end of my life if asked.

“You’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted this bad.”And I hated myself for that weakness.“You’re in my head and I can’t shake you.”Some days, I still touch myself to the memory of the last time we made love.“I hate it.”

“If you hate me so much, why are you forcing yourself on me?”

I reared back like I’d been shot. “Forcing?” I glanced down at her hand on my chest, and dragged it lower, slipping it under my shirt with a little groan. “Ari, babe, I’ve never had to force you a day in your life.”

I crushed my lips against hers, hungry to prove to her that she was as weak to resisting this as I was. I wanted her to drown in this hatred with me, proving to her that she couldn’t forget, either. I wanted to relish her defeat as she admitted to herself she still wanted me, still regretted leaving. But victory wasn’t as sweet when you had to hurt someone to win.

Especially when you still cared about that someone.

I could taste it as her salty tears finally fell, mingling on our lips as we devoured each other, her hands creeping up the inside of my shirt, teasing the skin there like I’d imagined so many times over the years. I heard a giggle from down the hall and was suddenly very aware that our daughter could walk in on us at any moment.

“Hold on tight, Ari,” I whispered against her throat as I lifted her by the hips and guided her legs to wind around my waist. Carrying her up the stairs was easy—she weighed next to nothing, and I’d been spending more time in the gym lately to kill time. In seconds, we were in my room, the door locked behind us, and I had her against the wall, pinned there with my hips as we groaned into each others’ mouths, savoring the taste of a flavor we’d denied each other for far too long.

“Fuck,” she muttered, her hands tearing at my shirt buttons with a little unsteadiness. “Jun, we?—”

“I don’t want to hear about what we shouldn’t be doing,” I snarled, my hands yanking the shirt apart, buttons falling to the ground around me. “When have you ever known me to do what I’m supposed to?”

“A tiger can’t change its stripes,” she muttered, her nails raking lightly over my shoulders.

“You’d know better than anyone, I suppose,” I snapped back, turning us around so I could toss her on her back in the center of my bed.Exactly where she belonged.“And I’m about to prove to you there’s no point in denying it.”

With a growl, I yanked her to the edge of the bed by her ankles, and stared down at her as those tears dried up and a mixture of arousal and anger filled the depths of those gorgeous blue orbs.

Perfect. Hate me all you want. But I bet you’ll hate yourself more when you look in the mirror later.

The sentiment that had excited me not that long ago tasted like ash on my tongue.

Chapter

Thirteen

ARISTA

I was losingmy damn mind. “Jun,” I pleaded, trying to rationalize with this feral man who looked like he might unhinge his jaw and eat me at any moment. “What about Yejin?—”

“She’s fine.” His long fingers wrapped effortlessly around my ankles and held me tight as he knelt on the floor at the end of the bed, those dangerous hands moving up my legs to rest on my knees. “You never worried about her before. Don’t start now.”

A wave of fresh regret slammed into me with his words. Here I was, about to let the man who hated me most in this world take my clothes off for a midday romp in the sheets. I searched around for my pride, but found none.

Oh, how the mighty had fallen.

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