Page 55 of Enemy of the Heart

I spin to find him leaning against the pillar near the basement steps, his arms crossed over his well-muscled chest. Lost in the red haze of fury, I didn’t hear him enter my space.

Sean approaches the sparring mat on the other side of the gym. He crooks a finger, beckoning me. Just like that, the irritation returns with a vengeance. I glower at him, my anger enshrouding me in a thick fog.

“I’m cross with you,” I snap. But if that wasn’t abundantly clear, he’s denser than a diamond.

He ignores my statement. “Fight me.”

Not a bad plan. I’d give my left pinky finger to set this man on his arse.

We begin to circle each other like two alphas in a battle dance for dominance. I study him for a moment before kicking out, attempting to unbalance him, but he dodges the move. I lunge. He blocks my attack before unsuccessfully aiming to knock my feet out from beneath me.

For a man of his size, he’s surprisingly agile. I wouldn’t have guessed that hand-to-hand combat would be his specialty, but he’s meeting each of my maneuvers better than I anticipated. When I swing, he skirts it, then strikes. I duck it easily.

“I don’t like being questioned,” I utter when I make a move that lands him on the mat. Unfortunately, it’s not half as satisfying as I’d hoped it’d be. My fist connects with the wall of his stacked abs and I grunt softly.

I pin him to the ground, meeting his piercing grey gaze as he replies, “You’re mine. Mine to protect. Mine to hurt and mine to heal. Mine to love.”

Peering into his eyes is like glimpsing into his soul. His truthfulness swirls there like a cyclone. My heart tap dances in my chest, and my breaths become shallow.

“You know I mean those words, Louhi. I trust you, but I can’t afford your brother the same goodwill yet. Although, I’ll try to give him the benefit of the doubt for you—only for you.”

The ice encasing my heart thaws further as I scrutinize him. I’ve never done this—a relationship—and it’s harder than I anticipated. I’ve never depended on anyone other than Mercer before.

He takes advantage of the lapsed moment, flipping me onto my back, nailing me to the mat with one hand collared around my neck. My pulse quickens as my nipples tighten.

As my body begins to hum for an entirely new reason, Sean’s smug smirk threatens to overtake his entire face. He skates his free hand down my sternum to cup my sex pulsing beneath the layers of clothing. I wink at him and lift my hips, hungry for more friction, more attention.

His cock is hard, and he grits his teeth, continuing to stroke me through my trousers. When I roll my hips, desperate, he tightens his grip on my neck. “Are you going to come for me like this?”

“I don’t know, are you?” I croak. Deep lines form between his eyebrows.

Half a second later, he’s on his back, and I straddle his hips, my hand around his neck. I squeeze his gorgeous, smooth throat gently, his pulse pounding beneath the pads of my fingers as I swivel my hips. It only lasts a moment before he’s gripping my waist, halting me.

“I don’t think so, baby. We’ve already played this game, so if you want to take control, you’re going to have to earn that privilege. I’m not just going to give it to you.”

He swiftly flips me onto my stomach and jams his knee between my legs. My palms slam against the mat to catch myself from falling forward. I smirk as I lift my hips a little, grinding up and down over his thigh shamelessly.

“Needy fucking girl,” he rumbles in my ear, and I rub my cunt over his thigh again. “Are you so desperate that you’ll settle for humping my leg?”

He moves so that his shins fasten my calves to the mat, and I can feel his hard, clothing-covered cock digging into my backside. He grips me by the hair and yanks my head back until my scalp is burning and I’m staring at our reflection in the mirrors. Pulling me up until I’m kneeling with my back flush with his front, his knee stays wedged between my thighs.

When he laves kisses up the column of my neck, my head lolls back, resting on his shoulder. My skin tingles in the wake of his lips, my pussy clenching.

My patience with being unfilled is waning.

“Are you still mad at me?” he queries among the kisses he’s peppering.

I roll us both like a ball made of muscle. And when I’m above him again, I lick him from belly button to the hollow of his throat. He tastes like salty masculinity. I swallow it down, then repeat the action. He grunts and flips us once more, his fingers immediately finding the button on my trousers and dragging the zipper down agonizingly slowly, torturing us both.

A whiny whimper leaves my parted lips, and he answers his own inquiry. “I didn’t think so.”

I don’t bother putting up a fight because I have no interest in taking the lead with Sean now, and my vexation has nearly disappeared. He roughly shoves me forward, my palms catching me again when they collide with the mat. Then he’s jerking my pants and knickers down to my knees in a quick, fluid movement.

“Look at you with your beautiful, fuckable ass in the air, presenting yourself,” he commends, and I clench my pussy.

He squeezes the globes of my arse before I feel his teeth sink into the meaty flesh, making me squeak. My noise of protest does nothing to stop him, only serving to spur him on. He slides a hand over the skin and runs two fingers between my cheeks.

I tense, my breath catching in my mouth when he reaches my tight, forbidden hole, but he doesn’t penetrate me. He lazily circles my back entrance as he thrusts three fingers into my slick, throbbing cunt.