“You were too good for me back then.” My fingers brush against the tattoo one last time. “You still are.” I move my hand to her arms, gently pushing them down, away from her chest. She resists slightly before giving in, her arms falling to her sides. There’s nothing but raw vulnerability in her eyes when she looks up at me.
I glance down, taking my time, my fingers skimming the underside of her breasts. They’re fuller than I remember; her body is different from five years ago, softer, curvier, but her ribs still poke through far more than I’d like. All the times she “forgot” to eat—or skipped meals—hit me like a punch to the gut, and I clench my jaw, thinking of how she has her mother’s horrible voice in her head.
“You are perfect. Every. Single. Inch.” My eyes darken as they linger on hers, making certain that she’s listening. My fingers travel further south, down the lean muscles of her stomach, until they find the hem of her panties
“Briar Rose.” She shivers as I play along the fabric’s edge. “I pushed you away because I didn’t want my shadows to darken your light. You were too untouchable for hands like mine—cold, rough, and forever drenched in blood. I couldn’t let myself ruin you,so I let you ruin me instead.” I hold her gaze, letting her see past the walls in my eyes.
A tear breaks loose, running slowly down her cheek.
“But darkness came for my little rose anyway, and in it, you didn’t wither and die; you grew thorns in the shadows; you got stronger, sharper, and unforgiving. Now, you aren’t just beautiful, you’redangerous, but I would bleed a thousand times over just to touch you.”
Tears run down her cheeks as my hands grip her hips, walking her backwards until she’s up against the wall. I stare into her eyes for another second before I drop to my knees,sliding her panties down with me, carefully lifting each leg to slip them all the way off, leaving the sparkling heels on her feet.And fuck, if that’s not the most attractive thing I’ve ever seen.
Unlike the last time I touched her, I take my time. My fingers run up her inner thigh, and she shivers. “Beautiful. Now, hold still so I can show youexactlyhow you should be appreciated.”
I kiss her inner thigh, my mouth trailing north until my lips find her pretty, pink center. I get a taste of her with a single swipe of my tongue, and the sound of her little gasp is music to my ears. Of course, one taste is not enough, and soon I’m exploring every inch of her, finding her clit and circling it slowly with my tongue.
Briar’s head falls back, and the sounds escaping her only encourage me more, the way her body responds to me… going rigid and taut, to squirming and shaking when she gets close.
I grip her hips, holding her to me, grabbing her leg and throwing it over my uninjured shoulder to give me greater access.
She hooks her knee over my shoulder, and when my fingers join my tongue at her clit, her back arches off the wall and she cries out, her body trembling, but it’s when I start to suck that she really starts to writhe and scream.
I’m lost in her, utterly consumed by this beautiful, dark-haired girl that I’m on my knees for; my only goal to please her.
Briar comes hard, and I don’t relent until she’s a whimpering mess in my arms.
I pick her up. The tension I usually feel in her is gone. Her body is limp and trusting as I lay her down on the bed. She’s breathing hard, working to catch her breath while watching me slowly unbutton my shirt. Her cheeks, flushed a light pink.
“Truth or dare, Briar Rose?”
“I don’t think it’s my?—”
I give her a hard look, and she sighs in defeat. “Truth”
“How many men have you been with since me?”
Her eyes widen, her cheeks flaming a brighter shade of pink before she presses her lips together, not wanting to say.
I reach the last button and let the shirt drop to the floor, moving on to unbuckle my belt.
Her breath catches, and I watch her blatantly check me out. Her gaze lingering on the single drop of color, the little red rose tattooed just over my heart.
“There’s no wrong answer. I just need to know,” I tell her, sliding the belt off and making quick work of removing my pants.
She chews her lips nervously and, okay, right now, she’s makingmenervous, too.Just how many guys am I going to have to hunt down and kill for touching what’s mine?
“Do you want to switch to dare?” I ask, but after seeing the dark glint in my eye, she wisely shakes her head no.
“Then out with it.”
She stares at me for another second before releasing a sigh.
“None.”
I freeze, and my gaze turns molten.
“Lying is against the rules, little Rose.”
