“I don’t lose, Kennedy,” he said quietly.
And just like that, he sank down onto one knee before me.
The world around us blurred; all I could focus on was the weight of what he had just implied and the heat radiating from our shared space. My heart thundered as a wave of confusion washed over me—a reckless thrill battling against the creeping fear of losing control entirely.
What had I gotten myself into?
Chapter 4
Nick
I wasn’t the type to play games. Not with feelings. Not with people.
But her?
She lit a fire in me I didn’t know how to put out.
Every breath she took near me made me want to ruin her. Break past that perfect little exterior and drag out the wild, needy thing I knew was buried under her skin.
So I dropped to my knees.
Not out of worship.
Out of control.
Because I wanted to taste what she tried so damn hard to hide.
I grabbed her thighs and dragged her forward until her knees were flush against my shoulders. The air shifted—thick, electric, volatile.
She sucked in a breath as I slipped my hands beneath her skirt of her dress, pushing the fabric up slowly, deliberately. The soft brush of my fingers on her bare skin made her flinch—not in fear. In anticipation.
Good.
“Nick…” she gasped, voice shaking like she didn’t know whether to stop me or beg me to keep going.
I looked up at her from between her legs, and my voice came out low—gravel and heat.
“Let me have this, princess.” Then I pressed my mouth to the inside of her thigh—not a kiss. A claim.
Her pulse jumped. I could feel it beneath my tongue.
“I’m not gonna take you,” I growled, dragging my teeth just barely along her skin, “unless you beg me to fucking ruin you.”
She froze—eyes wide, lips parted, trembling like I’d just shattered every wall she thought could protect her.
“I…” she whispered, voice cracking. “I haven’t…”
That stopped me.
White-hot clarity slammed into my skull.
She hadn’t done a damn thing with Delgado. No sex. No fumbling. Not even a moment.
She was untouched.
Mine.
Something inside me went feral.
