Page 24 of Knight’s Dominion

He was hard.

The impressive length of him was hot, unyielding steel against her stomach. And he wasn’t trying to hide it.

“Is talking the only reason I'm here, Grace?” he said, voice like an earthquake rocking right through her.

He didn’t know she was his mate, but he felt the connection, the pull, it was there in his eyes. “Christ, you’re arrogant,” she said instead of answering him, afraid that maybe, just maybe, a small part of her had been looking forward to seeing him again.

His gaze searched hers, sliding down, moving over her face. No doubt taking in her hot cheeks that she knew were bright red and not just from exertion.

She couldn't escape that penetrating stare as it grazed her parted lips, watching each of her panted breaths explode from her.

His nostrils flared.

No, she couldn't hide it or fight it. Her body's reaction to the male above her was right there to see. "I hate you," she said, a last-ditch effort to muster her self-control.

Heat darkened his features, and her nipples tightened in response. "Good."

Then his mouth came down on hers, hot and hungry.

She gasped into his mouth, the contact hitting like an electric current sending heat pumping through her veins, warming her limbs and making the pulse between her thighs unbearable.

Chaos grunted against her mouth, and didn't wait for an invitation, no, his tongue pushed between her lips, taking what he wanted.

She groaned at the taste of him—dark, exotic, intoxicating. His massive arms came around her, one sliding under her, down to her ass, the other going up to cup the back of her head.

She was caged in, his hard body surrounded her, vibrating with unbelievable strength, with power. If he chose to, he could crush every one of her bones like they were toothpicks. He wouldn’t, though.

No, she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. He wanted inside her. He didn’t know why he wanted her so badly, but he did.

She knew all of this, because she felt it, too. She also knew it wasn’t really her holding him back just as tight. It was something much bigger than both of them. Which was why she couldn’t stop her hand from sliding under his shirt, seeking the heat and texture of his skin. It was like her body had a mind of its own, and right then, it wanted to get as close to Chaos as it could.

He ground against her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Chaos growled and did it again, the hard, unrelenting length of his cock pressing down on her clit through her workout pants making her whimper.

She needed to tell him to stop. She needed to stop, but instead she lifted her hips and rocked against him. The big hand on her ass shoved down the waistband of her pants and his long, thick calloused fingers gripped her bare ass cheek. She needed to shove him off before it was too late. Before she let him yank down his shorts, tear down her pants, and slide inside her.

There would be no hiding who she was if that happened.

Grace gritted her teeth as he kissed and sucked his way up her throat, his beard tickling her skin, her nipples getting incredibly tight, aching so deeply she was on the verge of begging him to suck them.

The words were on the tip of her tongue to demand he take her. And they shamed her. With the way she wanted him, the confusing thoughts and feelings bombarding her the tighter he held her, the deeper he kissed her, she knew she was in serious trouble. Giving her body to him would be bad enough, but she couldn’t live with herself if she developed actual feelings for him as well.

And with how strong the mating bond felt in that moment, she knew she was in real danger.

There was no way in hell she would ever be this male’s mate.

“I can smell you, Grace. How much you want me.”

She shook her head even as she nuzzled his jaw, sucking on his strong throat, grinding against him.

“Christ,” he bit out. “I want to fuck you, angel. Let me fuck you.”

Angel.

Grace squeezed her eyes shut. The hunger and grit in his voice only increased her own need. It throbbed through her body, making her shake, making her want to cry with how much she wanted him.

But she had to say no, she had to end this now. This was a huge mistake. If they had sex, he’d know, he’d know who she was, and then she’d be stuck. She’d be his, because that’s the way it worked, that’s the way he’d see it and he’d never let her go. He’d claim her, use her to increase his power, and she would rather let a demon slice her to pieces than belong to the male on top of her.