A thrill runs through me. Victory is in sight. “You trust me, little bird?”
“I shouldn’t. But I do.”
I touch her then, cupping the back of her neck and pulling her close. She lets me, sighing, and her eyelids droop. Her skin is silky perfection. I want to bite it, bruise it, and make the marks last.
Soon.It’s over. I’ve confessed my darkest sins. And she’s still here. “I will kill anyone who hurts you. I might kill St. James just for meeting with you.”
“He’s your business partner.”
“I don’t care. Nothing comes between me and you.” I knead the vulnerable nape of her neck. “You don’t fear me, do you?”
“No.”
“No. You fear yourself. Your attraction to me.”
Her breath catches. “I shouldn’t be here.”
“You’re right where you need to be. With me.”
“I shouldn’t be with you.” She rests her hands on my bare chest but doesn’t push me away. “This is wrong.”
“Tell me.” I’ll be her confessor if she needs one.
“I let you in.” Her face twists, showing her internal struggle. “I let you touch me. Of all the people in the world, why would I choose someone like you?”
“It had to be me.”
“I could’ve chosen anyone.”
“No.” I grip the back of her neck, holding her so she can’t escape. “It had to be me. I wouldn’t allow it to be anyone else.” If she’s so torn up over this, let me be the villain. “You’re it for me. I knew that the first time I laid eyes on you, and I know it now. There’s no one for you but me.” I dip my head so our foreheads touch. “You don’t have a choice. You never did.”
The tiniest bit of tension melts out of her shoulders.
“We belong together. I just have to prove it to you, little bird, and I will. Let me prove it to you.”
She shuts her eyes. Whispers, “Okay.”
“See? That wasn’t so hard.” I lower my head and let my lips brush hers. Under the water, my dick jumps. She tilts her head, ready to accept my kiss.
She’s clay in my hands, molded, ready for the fire.
“You’re my good girl, aren’t you?” I murmur against her mouth. “You want to please me.”
“Yes.”
My body aches like I’ve been beaten. I need to claim her. Plunder her depths and consume her. “Admitting it is the first step. Proving it won’t be so easy.” And I push her head under the water.
* * *
Inara
The water closesover my head. Rex’s hand is hard, locking around my throat. It’s huge and heavy, an anchor guiding me and holding me down.
He dunked me so quickly that I didn’t have time to draw breath. I strike his hard stomach and thighs, fighting as best I can. He stares down at me, still as a statue, his face distorted by ripples.
I realize two things: He’s not going to let me go. But he won’t let me drown.
I let the rest of my air flow out of my mouth in a stream of bubbles and force myself to relax.
