Page 150 of Dance of Defiance
“Stop thinking, and justshut up.”
His mouth crashes to mine, and I swear, I fucking melt. I groan when his hand grabs my hip, the other one sliding over my jawto cup my face. Our tongues dance and I whimper as he tugs me against his body, kissing me harder and deeper as I moan into his lips. Wanting to justlet go.
But I can’t.
“No.”
With a groan, I plant my hands on his firm chest and shove him violently back from me, my eyes narrowing.
“NO,” I growl again, my teeth flashing as I jab a shaky finger at him. “Stay thefuckaway from me.”
Val stares at me, his face grim.
“No promises,” he mutters under his breath, still glaring at me.
“I have to go.”
I shove past him to walk toward the door to my building.
“Yeah, walk away,” Val spits at my back. “Somuch easier than actually having a conversation, or thinking about your own sexuality!”
“Go to hell,” I snap over my shoulder. “This is me walking the fuck away.”
“Yeah, I'm sure there’s a closet somewhere screaming your name!”
“Fuck you!”
“Not even if you begged me, motherfucker,” Val spits. I whirl just in time to see him turn and start storming away. “And you’re right!” he yells over his shoulder as he jams a cigarette between his lips. “We’re fuckingdone.”
26
VAL
“I thought we had an arrangement.”
I turn to face my brother as he steps into his home study, where his people escorted me earlier.
Yes,thisis the current state of coming to see my only flesh and blood: his “people” having me wait in a secure room of his home to await The Marquis “when he becomes available”.
When he becomes available.
“I’m his BROTHER, motherfuckers,” I want to scream into their fucking faces. “Who the fuck are YOU?”
To say nothing of the fact thathesummonedmehere. It’s not like I just showed up on his doorstep looking to shoot the shit while he’s working.
“Oh, wow,Val,” I say sarcastically. “Shit, I amsosorry that I kept you waiting—andlocked up—in my office for half an hour, even though it was me who gave you a specific time to drop by. I know your time is valuable, and I apologize for wasting that time. How can I make it up to you?”
Vaughn says nothing as he stands in the doorway to the opulent office, wearing a three-piece suit like he’s just come back from meeting the King of fucking England.
“That’s your line,” I mutter. “That’s whatyou’resupposed to say now.”
His brow furrows slightly as his nostrils flare.
“You smoked in here.”
It’s an observation, not a question. I really don’t care.
“Sure did.”
