Page 20 of Royal Deception
His eyes darken. “Is that right?” he asks, taking another step forward. I don’t realize that I’ve backed up into the door until I feel the cool metal handle press against my back.
His gaze lowers, sharpening as he realizes that he’s got me literally back-to-the-wall, but he doesn’t move again. “I’m always in control, Little Mouse,” he says, placing his hands behind his back. It’s a deliberate move and it draws myattention, the gesture reminding me that no, Rory Brannagan never loses control.
He clears his throat, bringing my eyes back to his face. “If you want to test me, Miss Woodcrest,” he murmurs, his voice deadly soft, “you’ll soon come to regret it.”
A shiver runs down my spine, but I tilt my chin up, ignoring it as I pretend my breath isn’t coming faster, that my skin isn’t burning under the heat of his gaze.
“Doubtful,” I whisper, my smirk growing wider. “You’re all talk, no action. You have your men do all the dirty work. Rory Brannagan never gets his hands dirty, does he?” I ask, knowing that I’m treading dangerous waters here. It’s as though I’m poking at a slumbering beast, daring it to wake.
Rory’s nostrils flare. For a moment, I think he might close the distance, might do something to break this unbearable tension.
But then he steps back.
And somehow, that restraint is more terrifying than anything else.
I suck in a breath, doubt creeping up as my mind scrambles to make sense of the situation. He’s retreating. Does that mean I won? Do I even want to win? What do I get for winning this argument?
Suddenly, something inside me snaps. All the careful control I’ve always had vanishes in an instant. I’m tired of pushing away, of retreating when things get too real. I’m tired of always letting Rory dictate the terms of our relationship—whether it’s the few nights we’ve spent together or the way he treats me as an employee.
I don’t care anymore. Let him fire me for this, but I’m not going down without a fight.
I let my hands fall to my sides, steadying myself as courage breaks through. Taking a step forward, I close the gap between us.
“Then make me,” I whisper, my voice sounding steadier than I feel. “You want to make me regret pushing you? I’m ready. No more playing games, Rory. Punish me for being a bad, bad girl.”
The tic in his jaw returns as Rory’s eyes darken, and for a moment, he stands there, weighing every word I’ve spoken.
Finally, he speaks, his voice low and deliberate. “If we do this, Clary, if you let me punish you, there’s no going back. This isn’t a game. I’m not a man to toy with.”
Without hesitation, I meet his gaze, the fire inside me burning hotter than ever before. “I know,” I say, determination coursing through my veins.
Rory’s icy blue eyes stay locked on mine. “You’ll accept the consequences? You’ll agree to my terms?”
I nod. I’ve made my choice, and there’s no going back now. I won’t let Rory make me cower away anymore. Not like I used to. If he wants to put me in my place, it’s going to be with my permission. My agreement.
The thought sends a shiver through me, a trickle of fear racing down my spine at the same time.
He takes a step forward, and I suck in a breath, eyes fluttering closed as I wait to find out what he’s going to do to me.
9
RORY
Her words hang in the air between us, the tension blanketing us like a heavy weight. She wants this. She wants me. Something dark and primal shifts inside me, like a slumbering beast waking up for the first time. I haven’t done anything like this with another person in several years.
It’s titillating, the thought of doing this to Clary. Her wide, gray eyes bore into mine as I search for any sign that she’s afraid, that she might not want this. Any sign that she’s bitten off more than she can chew. But as her chest rises and falls with each breath, her gaze never wavers. She’s given me a challenge, and she’s waiting for me to respond.
Good. I like that she’s not backing down.
“Bad girls don’t get rewards with me,” I say, my voice so low it’s practically a growl. “You’ve been defiant and rude, coarse and uncouth toward me, and I’ve had enough. You’ve earned yourself a punishment. You’re going to learn what it means to disrespect me, why you aren’t allowed to talk back to me like that.”
Her breath catches, but something flickers in her eyes at my words, a hungry look that tells me everything I need toknow. Clary wants this just as much as I do. Excitement courses through my veins as I take in the sight of her flushed cheeks, her slightly parted lips.
I can’t wait to take control, show her exactly where her place is.
“I’m going to wash your naughty little mouth out with soap until you’ve learned to speak respectfully to me.”
Her eyes widen a fraction, but she swallows and nods, shifting from foot to foot as if trying to steady herself.
