“Need me to prove it to you?”
“Make it count.”
Silence fell like a held breath. We stood in the middle of the cabin, neither of us moving, the space between us burning hotter by the second. My heart slammed against my ribs, echoing in my ears. Outside, the night was thick and endless, and the only light came from the fire Shayde had built in the hearth—its flickering glow casting shadows across his face.
I’d been freezing moments ago. Now my skin burned beneath the weight of my dress—too tight, too warm, too aware of him.
I swallowed hard. “I hate you.”
Shayde’s voice was rough velvet, laced with lust as he closed the distance between us. “Prove it.”
His tall frame leaned over mine, and I tilted my chin up instinctively to meet his gaze. The scent of citrusy bergamot hit me. I breathed it in like oxygen.
“I willalwayshate you,” I whispered.
“Then make hate to me.”
I threw my arms around his neck, crashing my lips against his as he lifted me effortlessly by the backs of my knees. I wrapped my legs around his waist—and Shayde pressed me into the paneled cabin wall, hard enough to rattle the sconces in their frames. One hand gripped my waist while the other cradled my jaw as he kissed me like he meant to ruin us both.
His tongue found mine, and I bit his bottom lip—just enough to make him groan. The sound vibrated through his chest and sent butterflies spiraling between my thighs, heightening when he ground his hips.
I let out an audible sigh, the sound escaping before I could stop it, and tilted my head back against the wall. Shayde’s mouthfollowed mine, and I felt his cynical smile curl against my lips—like herelishedthe sound of me unraveling beneath him.
I tugged at the hem of his shirt, and in one fluid motion, he pulled it over his head and tossed it aside. My fingers traced the hard lines of his shoulders, down the plane of his chest, as he kissed me like I was the last breath he’d ever take.
His hands slid beneath my dress, but the fabric resisted as he tried to reach higher along my thighs—until I heard the unmistakable rip of cloth.
I broke the kiss and looked down. He’d torn the slit in my formal dress all the way to my ribs. Without hesitation, I grasped the frayed edges and yanked, shredding the rest up to the neckline. With Shayde’s help, I slipped my arms free and let it fall away, baring my chest to his heated gaze.
His eyes darkened, taking in the sight of me pressed against the wall—nearly naked, panting, clinging to his bare shoulders like gravity had vanished.
He dipped his mouth toward mine, but stopped just shy of touching, hovering close enough for his breath to tease my lips before pulling back. Then his fingers slid between us, pressing against the thin barrier of my underwear, finding the proof of what I felt.
“You hate me that much, huh?” he murmured, wicked and entirely too satisfied.
My skin flushed as Shayde dropped to his knees, his eyes locked on mine with a hunger that stole my breath. He lifted my leg over his shoulder, one strong arm bracing me against the wall, the other slipping between my thighs to draw my underwear aside.
Then his mouth was on me.
My head fell back with a gasp, and my world fractured.
His lips and tongue moved with devastating precision, worshipping the most sensitive part of me. And when he slid two fingers inside, curling them just right, the combination sent fire shooting through my veins.
I watched him devour me. I couldn’t look away. My fingers tangled in his hair, tightening each time he found that perfect spot, and he responded with a low groan that reverberated against me.
Shayde tore me apart, piece by piece, until I shattered in his hands.
My cry echoed through the cabin as my body clenched around his fingers, and the pleasure crested with such ferocity it left me gasping. It was the first time I’d ever come like that—completely undone, before we’d even made it to the bed.
And the look in Shayde’s eyes as he rose to his feet, then gently lowered my trembling leg to the floor—
Made me absolutely feral.
I shoved him backward, breathless with need, until his knees hit the edge of the bed. He dropped onto the mattress. I sank to my knees in front of him, fingers hooking into the waistband of his pants, discarding them with the rest of our clothing.
He was already hard, and the sight of him sent my pulse spiking. I wrapped my hand around him, watching his jaw tighten as I gave a slow stroke. His hips jerked, and when I took him into my mouth, his groan vibrated all the way through me.
His eyes hooded, but they never left mine.
