Page 72 of Through the Flames
I told myself this was for Dom. For the truth. But the moment my hand touched his door, I knew it was a lie.
Nineteen
Hunter
The knock was soft, and there was a half-second delay before the door creaked open.
I didn’t move from the chair, just tilted my head slightly, watching her enter my domain out of the corner of my eye. Her footsteps were quiet, but my heart wasn’t. It was hammering, tightly caged.
Suppressing a groan, I took in her crop top — no fucking bra, again — and those skin-tight yoga pants. Her lip was caught between her teeth, like she was trying not to fall apart.
She didn’t know how much she was ruining me at this very moment.
I didn’t smile when she spoke, just watched her cross the room like it was hers already.
Her voice was soft. “I … might need your help again.”
“I figured,” I said flatly.
“You already knew about this, didn’t you?”
“I know a lot of things. This one wasn’t hard to predict.” I deadpanned.
Ella took a deep breath. “Dom’s freaking out. This could wreck everything for him.”
“It will. Unless someone rewrites the narrative.”
Her fingers twitched at her side, as if they were dying to twist her hair around them — a habit she would never quite be able to break — but she resisted.
“I don’t care what it takes. Just tell me what to do.”
The plea wasn’t really about logistics, it was surrender dressed up as control. I could feel it, taste it, and fuck, if it didn’t make my dick throb.
She thought she was bartering. But it wasn’t about the cost. It was aboutwhowould collect.
I sure as hell wouldn’t bring it to her attention.
“The NCAA won’t touch him. His name will disappear, and all the tests will vanish. I can do that.” My voice was quiet and controlled, everything I wasn’t on the inside.
“What do you want?” The question was nonchalant. She expected a price she could easily pay, something I’d led her to believe.
Surprise, baby.
“You.”
Ella stiffened, her lips parting in shock, making me crave nothing more than shoving my cock in this perfect little O she formed with them.
“Is this a joke?” She scoffed, trying to play it off, like she must’ve misheard or misunderstood. Adorable.
“No.”
Finally, I turned around to face her head on, pinning her in place with my gaze.
“There will be no more you in the other bedroom, pretending you don’t hear me at night.”
She raised her brows, her eyes sparkling with something like defiance … and lust.
Huh.
