Page 236 of Money Reigns
I take the stairs, heart hammering harder with every step. The hall is spotless, walls painted in soft cream, brass sconces glowing warm. It’s beautiful. It’s his mark on everything.
I’m happy.
I let out a breath, I’m so damn happy.
But nerves coil sharp in my stomach. What do I even say?
I don’t want free. I love you. Let’s go home.
Ugh. Too much. Too little. Nothing feels right.
Room ten waits at the end of the hall. My pulse thrums in my ears. I lift my fist.
Knock once.
Nothing.He’s not here?
No. I saw him come in at eight.
I knock again, softer this time.
Shuffling.
The door swings open, and there he is, hair damp, towel slung low on his hips, chest gleaming warm and bare. Droplets slide from his hairline, trailing down the hard lines of his shoulders. His eyes lock on me, sharp as always, but softer too, like he doesn’t quite believe what he’s seeing. His brow furrows.
“Olivia?” My name rumbles out of him, rough and husky, like gravel dragged over velvet. It curls low in my stomach, makes my knees wobble. “Are you okay?”
God.His voice. I forgot how much it undoes me, like every syllable has weight, pulling me closer. Like he owns my name, not just me.
Now or never.
I shake my head, “No, I’m not okay.”
I press both hands flat to his chest, heat sliding under my palms, damp skin giving way to solid muscle. He’s warm—scalding,and my fingers twitch, wanting to cling. I push him back, firm enough to shock him into motion. He stumbles a step, eyes flaring, and I slip inside, breath catching as I kick the door shut.
I kick off my boots, the soft thud of leather hitting the floor barely audible over the thundering of my pulse. My feet are cold on the polished wood, toes numb from the walk, but I don’t care. I need to feel the ground. I need to feel him.
My arms loop around his neck, desperate, greedy. I drag him down before I can lose my nerve, before reason can drag me back into the girl who hides instead of takes.
I crush my lips to his.
He groans into my mouth; deep, low, feral. The sound vibrates through me, breaks me wide open. My chest caves, my knees buckle, every wall I built between us melting like wax in fire. His taste floods me, clean soap and pure War, and I drink him in like oxygen.
I whimper, pressing closer, clutching the back of his damp neck as if I could crawl inside his skin. His towel brushes my thigh, a reminder of just how bare he is, how close I am to losing everything if he pushes me away.
But he doesn’t. He groans again, hungrier this time, and I know—I know,he’s seconds from taking over.
And I want him to.
I break the kiss, breathless. His lips chase mine, unwilling to let go, his eyes molten as I take one shaky step back. Unzip my coat and let it drop. My fingers grip the hem of my dress. I pull it up and over my head.
Green silk clings to my skin, sheer and daring. His eyes flash, dark and hot, as he takes me in.
I meet his gaze.
“I don’t want to be free.”
Chapter fifty-two
