Page 97 of Ruthless Game

“Didn’t get that far,” I said. “I don’t want to talk about that night. Anyway, turns out one of us is a virgin, after all.”

Her eyes flashed.

“Pull out,” she ordered.

Shit. I’d really hurt her.

I withdrew, staring at my cock⁠—

—which was spotted in her blood.

My heart dropped right out of my chest, landing splat on the shower floor.

“Did you just get your period?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

“No,” she said, and even though her voice was soft, her eyes were hard as she smashed my whole world with her next words. “I didn’t get my period. Turns out both of us were virgins.”

36

Lawson

Something roared in my ears. It couldn’t be my heart—because that was in smashed bits all over the shower floor, wasn’t it?

The evidence was there.

She’d told me, and told me, and told me, over and over.

And I’d refused to fucking listen to her or believe her. To trust her.

Once again, I lowered her to her feet before falling to my knees, hitting the tile so hard my cock smacking against my thigh. I buried my head against her stomach, like I could hide from all of my sins.

“Angel,” I murmured against her skin. “Starburst. Emma. I am so goddamn sorry. You have—you have no idea how sorry I am. How do I make this up to you?”

She grabbed my hair, wrenching my head back from her belly so I could look at her. I relished the pain. I deserved it. Deserved worse.

One single tear slid down her face, and that tiny droplet alone broke me into pieces that would never be put back together.

“God, don’t cry. Please don’t cry. I’m not worth a single one of your tears. Please,” I begged. “Stop crying.”

“Finish what you started,” she ordered.

“What? Emma—no.”

“Finish. What. You. Started.”

“Not if it hurts you.”

She shook her head, her smile sad. “Then promise you’ll take the pain away.”

That I could do. How, I didn’t know, but I would.

37

Emma

Iwas in pain, but I’d never felt more powerful.

Here was this man, this hulking giant of an athlete, kneeling at my feet, promising he’d fix everything. Years of wanting him right where he was, and I finally had it. Once, I’d wanted it for revenge. Once, I’d wanted to make him feel horrible for everything he’d done to me. Even a few hours ago, I was so angry that he wouldn’t listen, I chose the most effective and devastating way to prove to him I was telling the truth. Let him burn in guilt for it, I didn’t fucking care.