“You will,” I insist, tightening my grip on her. “Sleep now.”
To my surprise, her breathing returns to normal almost immediately. The adrenaline crash, combined with multiple orgasms, has overwhelmed her stubborn resistance. I feel a strange sensation in my chest as I wrap my arm more securely around her stomach, pulling her flush against me.
This wasn’t part of the plan—this tenderness I feel as I nuzzle into her hair, breathing in her scent. I’ve never wanted to hold a woman after sex. Never felt this inexplicable need to keep her close, protected.
I adjust our position, making sure she’s comfortable while keeping us connected. The intimacy of the moment catches me off guard—her soft body cradled against mine, my cock still buried inside her, her gentle breaths matching mine.
21
SADIE
I’m not sure how long I’ve been asleep when strong hands grip my arms, yanking me to my feet. My mind struggles to catch up as Landon drags me across the room, his fingers digging into my flesh. His mask is back in place, giving him that devilish look.
“What—” I start, but he cuts me off by slamming me against a cold marble pillar. The impact forces the air from my lungs.
His eyes glitter dangerously in the dim light. “I’m going to fuck you right here,” he growls, pinning my wrists above my head with one hand.
I twist against his grip. “No, Landon, stop?—”
I recognize the challenge lighting his eyes, the way his pupils dilate when I resist. This is the game we’ve fallen into, the dance we both crave. He wants me to fight, to say no, so he can take me anyway.
“I said stop,” I repeat, kicking at his shin.
“And I said I’m going to fuck you. Right here, against this pillar, while you struggle.” His voice drops lower. “While you pretend you don’t want it.”
I buck against him, trying to twist free. “Let me go!”
“No.” The word is final. His hand slides between my legs, finding the wetness there that betrays my desire.
I can’t help the moan that escapes me when his fingers circle my clit. The contradiction is intoxicating—saying no while my body screams yes. This is what I need, what we both need. The illusion of force, the pretense of taking, when we both know it’s freely given.
“Please,” I whisper, but even I’m not sure if I’m begging him to stop or continue.
Landon’s grip tightens on my wrists as he holds me against the pillar. The cold marble presses against my back, a stark contrast to the heat radiating from his body. His mask remains firmly in place, hiding half his face, giving him an impersonal, dangerous quality that makes my pulse race faster.
“Stop fighting,” he growls, but we both know he doesn’t want me to.
“Get off me,” I spit back, my voice laced with false venom. I buck against him, the friction only intensifying the ache building between my thighs.
He tears at my remaining clothing, fabric giving way under his strong hands. The cool air hits my exposed skin, raising goosebumps across my flesh. Through it all, his mask remains in place, making him seem more predator than man.
“You’re mine to take,” he says, voice like gravel.
I struggle harder, slapping at his chest. “I said no!”
With a single brutal thrust, he’s inside me. Pain and pleasure collide, tearing a cry from my throat. He gives me no time to adjust, hammering into a rhythm that grinds my back against the pillar with every stroke.
“Tell me to stop,” he challenges.
“Stop,” I gasp, even as my body clenches around him, welcoming each savage thrust.
His laugh is dark and knowing. “I’ll rewire your nervous system untilnotranslates tomorein your vocabulary.”
I claw at his shoulders, maintaining my performance of resistance while I’m overcome with shudders of pleasure. The mask makes him anonymous, inhuman—a force of nature I’m helpless against. Not Landon, but an untamed beast.
“I hate you,” I pant, my legs wrapping around his waist of their own accord.
“Hate me all you want,” he grunts. “Your cunt fucking loves me.”
