Page 16 of King of Pride

Something dark.

Something primal.

The familiar shadows she had always sensed whenever his eyes landed on her suddenly deepened, turning his expression into something far more dangerous. The intensity of it sent a strange shiver through her, and her entire body went taut as though an electric current had suddenly surged through her.

Then Maverick's hand shot up and caught the back of her head.

His mouth crashed over hers.

The kiss was so sudden and intense that Rose barely had time to breathe. His lips moved against hers with a demanding certainty that left her mind completely blank, drowning out every thought except the sensation of him.

She was still sitting in his lap, her hands instinctively gripping his broad shoulders. Her fingers curled tighter into his shirt as the kiss deepened, and she struggled to catch her breath.

His mouth moved from hers to her throat and then along her neck, leaving a trail of heated kisses against her skin.

Rose went completely still, her hands tightening even more around his shoulders.

She had never felt such overwhelming pleasure before. Every kiss sent an electric shiver through her, leaving her breathless and unable to think clearly.

And yet, somehow, she couldn't pull away.

The man sitting beneath her had always been the one who scared the living daylights out of her, yet at the same time, he was the one who could make her feel such a thrill with nothing more than a glance.

As his lips moved over her skin, it felt as though a dark fantasy she had secretly carried for far too long was suddenly coming to life.

The dark dreams she had once imagined about him seemed to blur with reality until she could no longer tell where one ended and the other began.

Then he parted from her.

He grabbed the top she was wearing by the hem and lifted it over her head, tossing it aside. As his mouth moved lower, his fingers worked at the fastening of her clothes, the quiet snap of the buckle breaking through the darkness.

The room seemed to grow even darker as Rose’s eyes fluttered closed. She forgot everything except the overwhelming pleasure rushing through her as his mouth moved lower and engulfed her nipple.

Chapter 3 Have You Lost All Shame?

Rose came awake when a sharp pain shot through her lower back and traveled down her legs. She shifted beneath the covers, wincing slightly as she turned onto her side, only to feel the ache spreading through her body. Even the soft bed beneath her felt strangely uncomfortable against her sore body, despite being one of the softest beds she had ever lain on.

Thankfully, the pain didn't last long. It was only a brief flash before slowly fading, leaving behind a dull soreness that made her move more carefully.

She slowly lifted her head and blinked, her eyes adjusting as she looked around the unfamiliar room. A fluffy white cover was pulled up to her waist, its softness wrapped around her as she tried to make sense of where she was. Her gaze moved across the room, confusion gradually tightening in her chest until the realization struck her.

This wasn't her room.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She looked around again, more carefully this time, and that was when her gaze landed on the figure standing beside one of the windows. Morning sunlight streamed through the glass, spilling across the room and illuminating the tall silhouette standing with his back toward her. Rose recognized him immediately. She could have recognized that silhouette anywhere because it always made something inside her shiver, and this time was no different.

If anything, the reaction was even more intense because when she looked at him, she realized he was wearing nothing but his pants, his broad upper body completely bare.

Then he turned around.

Rose's heart seemed to stop.

"Maverick..." A faint whisper escaped her lips as her gaze remained fixed on him.

Those familiar dark eyes settled on her, and Rose couldn't look away. Maverick Bishop was one of the men she had always felt intimidated by, one of the men who had always made her feel an instinctive sense of fear.

Yet at the same time, there was another emotion that moved through her whenever she was around him, one she had never been able to understand. It made her want to stay as far away from him as possible, yet somehow, at the same time, it made her want to step closer and feel that strange thrill again and again. It was confusing, unfamiliar, and impossible for her to explain, but she had felt it every time his eyes had fallen on her.