Page 195 of Devious Lies (Cruel Crown)
Off-limits. Off-limits. Off-fucking-limits.
If she expected me to cave, she wasn’t getting it. But I could imagine it, and I did. In my bed, in my shower, in my office. A fucking teenager, jerking off because he couldn’t get the girl. Except I had her, close enough to touch her, and I chose to preserve the lie over her. For her.
Fuck you, Gideon. Putting me in this position is Grade-A revenge. Now, I know where your daughter gets her fixation for silent revenge from.
Emery quirked a brow. “Are you coming in, or what?”
Loosening my tie, I discarded it with my suit jacket on the deck. I yanked my shirt off, popping every button. Her lips separated at the sight of my scars. It occurred to me that she hadn’t seen me fully naked in almost five years, so I removed my boxer briefs, too.
I locked my jaw, Adam’s apple bobbing with the movement of her eyes. She took her time sweeping the length of me. My dick saluted her for every second of it.
Rainwater blurred my vision. I dove into the warmed water and emerged in front of Emery. Her ankle trailed my legs. It traced something indecipherable and stopped at my abs. She used them to push off into a backstroke.
The pool extended into the ocean with a negative edge. If I looked hard enough, I could see where the pool ended and the ocean began. In the rain, all I saw was Emery, arms spread, kicking lazy circles with the backdrop of crashing ocean waves.
So fucking wild, I had no idea how Virginia ever intended on taming her.
She startled when I swam beside her. My fingertips teased the edge of her tee. Her arm wrapped around my neck and clung to me.
“Tiger?”
“Yes?”
“What do you want for your birthday?”
“You.”
No hesitation.
Just pure need.
I was definitely going to hell, because looking at her in the rain, determination painted on her face, I couldn’t say no.
She skated her lips along my neck, not kissing me. Just feeling me. Breathing me. Consuming me. I dragged her shirt up her body, devouring her nipples.
My fingers gripped her hair.
I brought my lips to the curve of her ear and licked the skin. “What are you asking from me?”
What’s eating you, Emery Winthrop?
“Break me.” She stared at me like she wasn’t completely whole and didn’t entirely care. “Then put me back together, mismatched, scarred, and chaotic as this storm.”
My mouth slammed on those soft lips, body stapling her to the rim of the pool. Behind her, the waves drowned her moans. I tore her panties off. They fell to the porcelain tiles.
Her body quivered, bare and pressed against mine.
“Beautiful,” I said, knowing she wouldn’t understand the compliment.
“I know.” She threw her head back and stared at the moon. “I love starless skies.”
“I'm not talking about the fucking sky. I'm talking about you.”
If she heard me, she didn’t show it. Simply granted me access to her neck, attention above us. My teeth grazed her skin, tongue lapping at the goosebumps.
“Give me a word, Emery.”
“Redamancy.”
