Page 163 of Villainous Rise

“There,” he said simply. “Much better.”

Slowly, his lips curved into a smile. The game was back on.

“Time to surrender, Annie.”

I twisted beneath him, bucking my hips. His grip loosened just enough for me to wrench my other hand free and shove hard against his chest.

“I’m not surrendering to anyone,” I hissed, rolling away and scrambling to my feet.

Cipher rose and the fog swirled around his tall frame, making him look like something otherworldly emerging from the blankness.

“Keep telling yourself that, Sparks.” His smile was all predator. “We both know how this ends.”

I backed away, my feet sinking into the damp sand. “Pretty confident for someone who just lost his grip.”

“I let you go.” He advanced, matching my retreat step for step. “Just like I’m letting you fight.”

“Bullshit.”

“You think I can’t take what I want? I could pin you down right now and you couldn’t stop me.”

“Try it.”

His eyes darkened at the challenge. “Don’t tempt me.”

I lunged at him suddenly, feinting left before running in the opposite direction. He caught my wrist this time, twisting until I was forced to my knees.

“I’m going to fuck you right here in the sand.”

“In your dreams,” I snarled, even as heat flooded between my thighs.

I swept my leg out, catching his ankle. He stumbled, deliberately I know, but it gave me the opening to tackle him. We crashed to the sand, my body straddling his.

For one triumphant moment, I thought he’d let me have the upper hand. Then his hips thrust upward, grinding his hardness against me, and I gasped.

“Feel that?” he growled. “That’s what fighting with you does to me.”

I leaned down until our faces were inches apart. “Then why are you still talking instead of using it?”

Something snapped in his expression. His hand tangled in my hair, yanking my head back to expose my throat. His other arm wrapped around my waist, flipping our positions.

Sand pressed against my back as his weight settled between my thighs.

“Surrender,” he whispered against my neck.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer. “Make me.”

“Keep fighting if you want,” he said. “It just makes this more fun.”

Before I could respond, he was binding my wrists with his tie, the silk sliding cool and tight against my skin.

The moment my bound wrists were free of his grip, I looped them over his head, pulling him down to me. His surprised laugh vibrated against my lips as I captured his mouth with mine.

“There she is,” he murmured against my lips. “My Annie.”

He found the hem of my gown and yanked it upward until the chilly air kissed my thighs. I wrapped my legs around his waist, drawing him closer, feeling the hard press of him against my center.

“Not yours,” I gasped, even as my body arched into his.