"There's no water, Aria."
I see the flicker of desperation in her eyes as she scrambles for a follow-up. Before she can speak, I slam my hand flat against the wall next to her head. The crack of the impact echoes through the loft. She flinches, a small, satisfying gasp escaping her lips.
"Don't. Lie. To me." The words are a low, guttural growl torn from deep in my chest. A white-hot rage, pure and absolute, floods my veins. The rage isn't just that she defied me. It's that she's hiding something. It's that a piece of her is still beyond my reach.
I don’t give her a chance to answer. I crush my mouth to hers. It’s not a kiss. It’s an assault. An invasion. I’m trying to devour the lie, to force the truth out with sheer, brutal pressure. She’s stiff, unresponsive for a second, and then a broken little sound vibrates against my lips. I angle my head, forcing her mouth open, my tongue plunging inside to claim every inch of her.
I back her against the cold wall, my body pinning hers. My blood is roaring in my ears, a storm of fury and a darker, more possessive need. She lied. After I brought her into my home, my world, she defied me. My hand tangles in her hair, yanking her head to the side, exposing the long, pale column of her throat. I bite down on the sensitive skin where her neck meets her shoulder, hard enough to leave a mark. She cries out, her hands coming up to push against my chest.
It’s useless. I’m stronger, bigger, and right now, I’m fucking furious. "Tell me," I breathe against her skin, my lips moving against the mark I just made. "Tell me what you were doing."
She shakes her head, a sob catching in her throat. "Nothing. I swear."
Another lie. The defiance fuels the fire. My hand moves from her hair, sliding down her body to the button of her jeans. She stiffens, her breath hitching. "Cassian, don't—"
I don't let her finish. I rip the button open, the sound of the zipper tearing down a final, sharp violation. My hand slides beneath the denim, cupping her, feeling the heat and moisture there. She gasps, her back arching against the wall. Even in her terror, her body betrays her and that, more than anything, is what I want. I want her to know that even when she defies me, she still belongs to me.
I press two fingers inside her, her slick heat coating me instantly. She cries out, a raw, broken sound. I move my thumb, finding the hard nub of her clit and pressing down, circling. Her eyes squeeze shut.
"Look at me," I command, my voice rough.
Her eyes flutter open, swimming with tears and a confusing mix of fear and arousal.
"Tell me the truth, Aria," I grind out, my hips pressing her into the wall, letting her feel how hard I am. "What did you find?"
"Please," she begs, and it’s the wrong answer.
I pull my fingers out of her and in one swift motion I lift her, wrapping her legs around my waist. She clings to me out of sheer instinct. I position myself at her entrance. Hot, slick, and ready. "Last chance," I whisper, my lips brushing hers.
She just shakes her head, tears finally spilling down her cheeks.
"Fine," I hiss. "We'll do this the hard way."
I drive into her, hard and deep, burying myself to the hilt in one powerful, punishing thrust. Her scream is swallowed by my mouth as I kiss her again savagely. There's no tenderness here. Every thrust is a question. Every angle is an accusation. I’m trying to fuck the truth out of her, to shatter her composure until there’s nothing left but raw honesty. Her nails dig into my back,her head thrashes from side to side. Her body is mine, moving with me, taking me, but her mind… her mind is a fortress. I can feel her holding something back, a core of defiance that I can’t seem to break.
"You're lying," I snarl against her ear, my rhythm becoming more punishing, more erratic. "You're still fucking lying to me."
I feel her tighten around me, a telltale sign that she's close. She's trying to use her own pleasure as a shield, to get lost in the sensation and escape the interrogation. I'm not having it. Just as she teeters on the brink, I pull out. She sobs, a raw, frustrated sound.
"On your knees," I command, my voice flat, devoid of emotion.
I set her down, and she stumbles, her legs shaking. She looks up at me, her eyes wide and pleading. I grab a handful of her hair and force her down. She falls to her knees on the hard floor with a thud. Her jeans are still around her ankles, trapping her, making her vulnerable.
"Open your mouth," I growl.
She hesitates for a second, and I tighten my grip in her hair. She gasps, and I take the opportunity to thrust myself between her lips. I waste no time, setting a brutal pace, fucking her face, my hips moving with a relentless, punishing rhythm. I can feel her throat constricting around me, hear her gagging, but I don't stop. I want to see her lose control, to see her composure shatter.
"Yeah, that's it," I grit out, my head falling back as the pleasure courses through me. "Take it all. Fucking take it."
I can feel my own release building, a tidal wave of pleasure that's about to crest, but I'm not done with her yet. With a herculean effort, I pull back leaving her gasping for breath, spit and pre-cum dripping from her swollen lips. I haul her to her feet and drag her over to the bed, shoving her down onto the mattress.
"Get on your hands and knees," I order. "Now."
She scrambles to obey, her movements clumsy, her body trembling. I'm behind her in an instant, my hands gripping her hips, pulling her back onto me. I thrust into her, hard and deep, burying myself to the hilt in one brutal, possessive stroke.
"Tell me," I snarl, my hips snapping against hers, the sound of flesh on flesh filling the room. "Tell me what you're hiding."
She just shakes her head, her face buried in the blankets. I reach around, my fingers finding her clit, rubbing it in tight, punishing circles. She cries out, her body arching, her back bowing. I can feel her walls fluttering around me, a telltale sign that she's on the verge.
