Page 52 of A Reckless Indulgence

Her nails dig into her palm, but the wild urge remains. She wants to do this. She wants the satisfaction, the retribution, the emotions that have plagued her to form into a handprint across his face.

Cav watches her hungrily. “You know the word to use if you want to stop? If I want to stop?”

Parley. Lyx nods once.

He releases his grip on the bed. “Then slap me.”

Her skin flares hot. Foolish pirate, trusting a siren to obey his rules. It’s so careless, so confusing, made worse by his fingers trailing up the back of her calf. She pushes to her feet to keep from shivering, her fist still clamped tight. Cav waits on the floor for a long moment before he carefully reaches for her hand.

Every instinct in her screams to jerk away…but she doesn’t. Her throat bobs, eyes burning into his as he caresses the inside of her wrist. Slowly, his fingers drag against hers, unfurling them fully so that he can set her palm against his face.

It glows beneath her touch. A raindrop falls from his hair, sizzling when it slips between his cheek and her palm. He fits perfectly in her hand, his head tilting until she’s cradling his jaw.

The sight of it is too much. She has to pull away, to put some space between them, but she doesn’t go far. Her hand hovers next to his cheek, still soaking in the warmth.

A dreamy smirk drifts across his face. “Would it help if I mouthed off a little? Give you an excuse?”

Her mind is as splattered as the raindrops on the window, a mix of awe and unbridled appetite. She recognizes something in him, but she can’t think past the craving buzzing through her. “What is wrong with you?” she whispers.

Cav shrugs. “I don’t know. Why’d you let me bury my mouth in your pussy?”

Her hand meets his cheek.

“Better.” He grins. “Now, can you come just from chaos, or do you need me to get you there?”

Another lackluster slap. Depths, why doesn’t she just hit him? She wants to. She knows she does, but she fears how much she’ll enjoy it. How much more she’ll want.

Cav flexes his jaw. “Come on, I tail-fucked you harder than that.”

Her hand lands with a satisfying sound, and she can finally see the outline on his skin.

With a laugh, Cav stretches out his jaw. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

She’s practically vibrating. “The more your mouth moves, the easier it gets.”

“Yeah?” He settles back on his heels. “Maybe I should move it on your clit again.”

This time, the sound is as sharp and sudden as lightning.

It’s like a dream. She wonders if she’s gone too far, but Cav’s eyes are bright and vibrant, looking up at her like she’s feeding him from her hand. “There you go.”

Her palm tingles. She should stop this. She should deny him the pleasure…but she wants it just as badly. This is more than a game. This is more than revenge.

It’s like he can see the hot hook tugging on her stomach. “Chaos feeds you, right?” He licks his lips. “This feeds me. Do it again.”

Impossibly, it’s true. With every slap, the tension melts from his body, leaving him open and easy. Her hand trembles to touch him again.

His pupils blow wide. “Now shut me up before I have you coming on my face again.”

Her hand connects. Hard. The boat rocks beneath them, and slowly, he turns back to her. The outline of her palm is embedded in his skin.

“Fucking perfect,” he rasps.

Her toes curl. He looks alive, the same way he did on the Silver Spoon. The same way he did when she first kissed him. Was this the way he looked before the grotto, too, disheveled hair and wild eyes begging for adventure?

Fucking perfect.

Her legs lock as desire tunnels through her. Cav eases his knees further apart, sinking lower until his ass meets the ground. His pants sit so low on his hips, exposing the V of muscle there. He taunts her like a drunk in a barfight, begging for one last swing. “I think you’ve got one more in you.”