Page 21 of Monster's Naughty List
I was pathetic. No, that wasn’t true. I was scared of rejection. I was busy trying to convince myself there was no possible way this could work in my favor so I could avoid the possibility of being hurt. But that was a truth I wasn’t ready to change.
I wanted her so fiercely it blinded me from everything else. Then, in the next breath, reality slapped me in the face and I was left with a jumble of tumultuous emotions and questions.
She must have seen the resignation on my face. I don’t know why else she would have reached out her small hand tentatively. Her eyes searched mine, as if she was asking if it was okay before lying it against my cheek when I didn’t object.
My eyes closed of their own accord as I hyper focused on the warmth of her palm on my skin in such an intimate gesture. I wanted to soak up this moment and remember the way she made my cold heart thump in excitement and hope.
“Del?” she whispered, the question clear as day. She wanted to know what was going on with me. Could I let her in on the racing thoughts warring with each other in my mind?
It was the perfect moment to be vulnerable with her. So, of course, I did the opposite. I resorted to the reason we were here because maybe what I needed—possibly what we all needed—was to be done with this charge and put space between the tempting vixen and us.
Was she a temptation that would destroy us? I wasn’t sure if I was brave enough to take the risk to find out.
Jerking my face from her hand, I gently dropped her to the floor, not missing the look of hurt she quickly covered with a mask of indifference.
It was better that way, for both of us. She had three monsters who were inexplicably drawn to her, despite never having felt a pull on our hearts before. It was a dangerous situation because this feeling was fucking addicting, and I wanted to lose myself in its depths.
There was no telling what I’d do for her to be mine, and I couldn’t allow myself to go down that path. There was no way this obsession was healthy.
My heart tore open in that second, knowing my actions had willingly led to her pain. But fuck, I didn’t know how to navigate this, and she deserved someone who was sure of what they wanted. She deserved the goddamn world at her feet.
It was as if my heart was bleeding on the inside, and– tears of anguish for what could have been stung my eyes. Despair and remorse pressed on the emotional wound, but nothing could repair it.
“Sit,” I commanded harshly, wincing at the ice that even I heard in my tone.
I wanted to apologize, but I didn’t. Maybe this was for the best anyways. I felt that I needed to rile her pent up anger. She was a master at sweeping her frustration and rage under the rug. But the bad thing about coping like that? One day, it would all come hurtling to the surface, and it would decimate not only the source, but everyone around that person.
My job was to have her face those issues now, in the safety of her room and with only myself bearing the brunt of her emotion. I could handle it. I could handle being the bad guy in her eyes, if it meant she came out the other side stronger.
Chapter Eleven
TINSLEY
Ididn’t move, instead choosing to cross my arms under my breasts, which were covered by my long-sleeved black shirt once more. After Oz had followed through on his promise to make me come many more times, I'd felt bold compared to the woman I had been when I'd first entered my bedroom with him—but not bold enough to walk around naked. So, I’d put my pajamas back on before coming out of the bubble of lust we’d been locked in.
Even after his powers had worn off, I'd found that the intensity and confidence I had felt under his spell had remained. I was owning up to my needs and wants now, with not an ounce of shame left in me over these new experiences.
Much to my disappointment, Oz hadn’t fucked me with that massive cock, though. With my newfound curiosity, the fear of taking that had melted away, and I'd trusted him implicitly to make sure the experience was pleasurable. I'd begged for it mercilessly, but he'd had other plans.
Dez scowled at my clear defiance and growled, “Are your ears broken? Sit the fuck down.”
Oz’s promise rang in my head.“If you’re a good girl and get through with my brothers quickly, I’ll give you the last thing you want, baby girl.”
My legs shifted together as I pictured the nip he had delivered to the shell of my ear at the end of that statement. I was completely addicted to his touch. My body had come alive under his control, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to go back to a vanilla sex life.
I was still slick with my own arousal, and the sexual hunger in me hadn’t been fully sated yet. It was a beast Oz had awoken in me, and it wouldn’t be deterred from getting what it wanted in the end. I’d do what he'd asked.
One of my eyebrows tugged up in defiance at Del's command, but I quickly swallowed the desire to fight against him, wanting to get through this quickly. I crossed from the door to the end of my bed and sat down with a huff. Placing my hands in my lap, I smiled at him mockingly. “Happy?”
Fuck, why couldn’t I just revert to the old Tinsley, who didn’t talk back and flew under the radar? I needed that badly right now. The truth was, I didn’t want to fight with Del. I was attracted to each of the Algeah for different reasons, and the broken pieces of him I saw in his gaze called to my own emptiness.
Falling into the shadows of that side of myself that I pretended didn’t exist held a dark allure. The shadows were there, whispering to me like a devil on my shoulder, quietly demanding my attention.
My breathing became rapid as his emerald eyes began to pulsate with black shadows, pulling me swiftly under his trance. He crossed the distance between us and fell to his knees in front of me, bringing us eye to eye now.
The tension between us was palpable, and it made my hackles rise as I readied myself to face whatever he was about to throw at me.
“Bring it,” I snarled quietly, seeing the menace his eyes promised.
