Page 166 of Villainous Rise

I swallowed hard, nodding. Fair enough.

“I don’t want him,” I said, needing him to understand. “I never have.”

“I know.” His hand slid up to cup my face, thumb brushing my cheekbone. “But every time he touches you, I want to break every one of his fingers. I want to...” Cipher took a deep breath like he was reigning himself in.

“I’m not his,” I whispered.

“No,” he agreed. “You’re mine. And I’m yours, Annie,” he said, no question in his voice.

I was quiet for a moment, letting his words settle over me.

“I know,” I finally said. And I did.

I understood why he had lashed out earlier tonight, dancing with that woman, touching her while making sure I was watching. He’d been hurt and angry, wanting me to feel the same knife-twist of jealousy that Valor’s possessive hands on me had caused him.

I didn’t even have to ask myself if I would have done the same. Deep down, I knew I would have wanted to hurt him too. Hell, I’d spent the last three months thinking I’d wanted to hurt him.

“What exactly did you plan to do?” I asked, lifting my head to look at him. “To ‘excise’ Valor from me?”

“Nothing you wouldn’t like. Nothing you wouldn’t beg for more of.”

Heat rolled through me at his words. “Do you still want to do it?”

Cipher shifted beneath me, one hand sliding up to cup the back of my neck as he pulled me down for a kiss. It was slower than before, but no less intense.

“I want to,” he murmured against my lips. “But not as the punishment I intended.” His eyes locked with mine, dark and serious. “And I sure as fuck won’t walk away from you afterward like I threatened to do.”

I nodded. The thought of him walking away after touching me, after being inside me, made my chest ache. I was glad he’d reconsidered that part of his plan.

I grimaced as a particularly uncomfortable grain of sand made itself known in an intimate location. I scowled down at him. “I’m game, but I want to shower first.” I shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not doing anything with sand everywhere.”

Cipher chuckled. “Fair enough.”

He sat up, bringing me with him. His arms stayed locked around me as he rose to his feet, lifting me.

“I could fly us back,” he offered.

“I need to walk for a bit. I need a minute to recalibrate.”

He nodded, setting me gently on my feet.

I looked down at myself and laughed. My gown was hiked up around my waist, the silk creased beyond salvation and coated with damp sand. My underwear was gone, probably somewhere in the fog behind us or fallen into the ocean. Cipher’s tie still bound my wrists, the silk now wrinkled and stretched.

“I’m a disaster,” I muttered, trying to smooth down my dress with my bound hands.

Cipher’s eyes raked over me. “You’re fucking perfect.”

I flushed at the raw appreciation in his voice. He reached for my wrists, gently untying the knotted silk. The tie fell away, leaving red marks that he immediately soothed with his thumbs.

I hesitated, chewing on my lip as Cipher started to lead me away from our impromptu lovemaking spot.

“Wait,” I said, tugging on his hand. “The ring. I need the stupid thing back.”

Cipher stopped, his expression darkening. “Why the hell would you want that monstrosity?”

“Because I have to return it to PR.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair and attempting to work some of the tangles out. “It’s Alliance property. Part of the engagement package they put together.”

“Let it rot in the sand.”