Instead of answering, I kiss him harder, pouring all my rage, frustration, and desperate need into the contact. His grip tightens, and I know there will be bruises tomorrow—physical proof of this moment when control finally shattered.
Chapter 20:
I grab her waist, pulling her against me as our lips crash together. The kiss is violent, desperate—everything I’ve been holding back exploding between us. Her hands fist in my hair, nails scraping my scalp as she yanks me closer. I growl into her mouth, tightening my grip.
“I won’t lie to you,” I rasp between kisses. “I’m done with the games.”
Liv tears her mouth away, eyes blazing. “Bullshit. You’re still manipulating me, still trying to control everything.”
I capture her face between my palms, forcing her to meet my gaze. “Listen to me. I may be a bastard. I may hide things. But I will never lie to you about this.”
“About what?” she demands, her breath coming in sharp pants.
“About loving you.” The words tear from my throat, raw and honest. “About being willing to burn everything down to keep you safe.”
“Don’t.” She tries to pull away, but I hold firm. “Don’t say that if you don’t mean it.”
Fury and desperation war inside me. “You think I’d risk everything—my reputation, my business, my life—for a lie? You think I’d betray your father, knowing what he’s capable of, if I didn’t mean it?”
Her eyes narrow, searching mine. “You’re a master manipulator, Remy. How can I trust anything you say?”
I slam my lips back to hers, pouring every ounce of my frustration and need into the kiss. She responds just as fiercely, biting my lower lip hard enough to draw blood. The metallic taste only fuels the fire between us.
“Because,” I growl against her mouth, “I’ve never lost control like this. Never needed anyone the way I need you.”
She shudders in my arms, fingers digging into my shoulders. “Prove it.”
I lift her off her feet, pressing her against the wall as our mouths meet again in a clash of teeth and tongues. Her legs wrap around my waist, drawing me closer as I feel her heat even through our clothes.
As we broke apart for air, my gaze locked onto Eve’s, my eyes burning with an unspoken promise. Turmoil is raging inside her, the battle between her desire for me and her conviction that I’m manipulating her. I revel in that turmoil, knowing it is the key to unlocking her completely.
With deliberate slowness, I begin to unbutton Eve’s shirt, my fingers brushing against her skin like brands. The touch sparks a shiver down her spine, and her eyes flash with a mix of anger and desire. Her body responds to my touch despite her mind’s protests. I can see the tension in her shoulders and the way her nipples hardened beneath her bra.
“You don’t believe me, do you?” I whisper, my breath dancing across her skin as I work on the last button. “You don’t think I’d risk everything for you.”
Eve’s hands shoot up, shoving at my chest in a token resistance. I merely smile, my lips curving upward in a cruel, sensual smile. “You want this, Eve,” I whisper, my eyes never leaving hers. “You want me.”
“Shut up,” she spits, her voice trembling with emotion. “You don’t know what I want.”
I chuckle, the sound low and husky. “Oh, I think I do.” My fingers slip inside her shirt, tracing the curve of her covered breast. “I think you want me to prove it to you. To show you that I’m not just saying the words.”
Eve’s eyes narrow, her jaw clenched in defiance. But I can see the faintest glimmer of doubt in her eyes, the slightest hint that she is wavering. I lean in, brushing my lips against her ear.
“Let me show you, Eve. Let me prove that I’d do anything to keep you safe. To keep you mine.”
My words are met with a shuddering breath, and for a moment, I think I’ve gone too far. But then, in a movement that was almost imperceptible, Eve’s head tilts to the side, exposing the delicate curve of her neck. It is a surrender, a subtle invitation for me to take more.
My heart is racing with anticipation. I accept the invitation, my lips tracing the length of her neck as my fingers delve deeper into her shirt. Eve’s gasp is music to my ears, a symphony of desire that echoed through my very being.
“I’m on the edge, Eve,” I whisper, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart. “I’m on the edge of completely losing control. And it’s all because of you. You don’t believe I love you?” The words taste like acid. “Let me show you just how much I’m willing to lose.”
Power, influence, control—all of it meaningless compared to having her here, alive and burning under my touch.
“Stop pretending,” Liv snarls, shoving at my chest. But I catch the tremor in her voice, the way her body arches into my hands. “You’re incapable of love.”
I laugh, dark and cruel. “You have no idea what I’m capable of.” My fingers trace down her exposed collarbone, drawing a shiver from her. “I killed men tonight. I’ll do it again. And again.”
“Remy—”
