Page 32 of The Replay

"Put an end to this," I growl. "Make a sound. Say no. Push back— And I'll retreat."

"I should stop you."

"Do it."

"You're not only a wrong decision," she pants. "You're the obvious one."

"Fuck, Mari."

My hands land next to hers on wood. I cage her in my arms. My temple rests on her hair, and I take a deep, labored breath, longing for her smell to fill my lungs again.

She keeps pushing back, rubbing on my erection. I keep echoing her, dry humping right here in her office. We move together.

"Ask me," I whisper. "See where that leads us."

"I won't ask." Her words come out strained. "You may not be saying the words, but you're acting on them."

I scoff. It helps hide the moan building in my throat. Deep in my guts.

"This isn't me breaking." I bite on the shell of her ear. "This is me reminding you how good it would feel. In case you want to do something about it."

"I won't ask." She moans.

"But you won't stop me. Is that it?"

"If you keep going, then it's you who's breaking."

We heighten our pace. I groan, low and deep in my throat. She mutters a fuck that burrows into me until I have to claw at the wood under my fingers, to stop my hand from traveling over her body, following trails I mapped a long time ago.

"If you don't stop me, I'll stop." I breathe on her skin. "Even if you say yes, I'll stop."

"Unless I ask?"

"Try it and find out."

She whines. "I won't. You're too mean these days. At least with me you are."

"Have you wondered what would happen if I wasn't?"

I have. I'd get in my head, get confused, and could end up acting on the chemistry we so obviously still have. She's the only one I was forced to let go. She's my one regret. The one that got away. After her, I never felt like holding on. Now she's close again, and all those emotions I had with her are rushing back.

Only I don't want to live with more regret, and that's all I'd feel afterwards. I'd be failing myself, and I refuse to keep making mistakes where Mariana is involved.

"Cat got your tongue, Princesa? Or is that kitty crying too loud to think?"

She growls and pushes me away. I stumble back a few steps. I took it too far. Though the way she presses her legs together tells me she liked it as much as I did.

But she clears her throat. She faces me again, leaning back on the desk again like she needs the extra support. We stare at each other without moving, except for how hard our chests work. Her eyes are bright. I fist my hands to stay away.

"We're not doing this," she breathes.

Soft color blooms on her face and, dammit, I want to kiss her cheeks and tell her I'm sorry, I don't even know why.

I clench my jaw. "But you will grind against my cock for a few minutes."

"You started it."

"You didn't stop me."