Page 27

“Nothing, but I’m not even getting a clever comeback from you to stab me in the dick as Eliot would say?”

“I will,” she replies. “Give me a minute,” she mumbles with a cute pout.

“Try me,” I warn, thinking about the way I would stare at her during those meetings. I don’t know why her adoptive father decided to let her sit in. Maybe to get on my nerves because he thinks I hate the thought of having to marry her. But I also didn’t want her to spend the rest of her life with one of my brothers. The moment Moon and I decided on the steps ahead, it’s been a done deal. Maybe this is the reason why her father is pushing me to close the deal, not to merge our families but to make sure the two main families stay united. Little do they really know what Moon and I are planning and have set in motion behind the scenes. I huff out a breath. Maybe the faction that’s getting more traction in Europe has something to do with it. The old folks think they’re defying us, but Moon and I set up everything to make it look like that. The mainland is different. That’s ours. We own all the ports in Europe, while acquiring more routes means expanding our reach and opening up more avenues for our operations. We’re slowly taking over different branches and other families aren’t happy. I get it, but in the end, they’ll yield to me and Moon. We’re going global, and nothing is stopping us. That’s why I need her vote too. It has to be unanimous, and her marriage to me gives me the one I need.

“When is Eliot coming?” I ask, trying to sound nonchalant by changing the subject.

She shrugs. “Soon, so get out so we can celebrate.”

Glaring at her, she takes another pack of cigarettes from her back pocket, and I confiscate that one too. I don’t like that she’s been smoking. Or that she’s been drinking with Eliot. And that he’s her best friend too. Fuck, I grab the railing again, my knuckles turning white. I don’t recognize the feeling I get whenever I’m around her. A part of me always tries to find a way out, but I know I need to protect her. Be near her. I won’t let anyone touch or look at what’s mine. No one is getting her but me. I can’t have one of my brothers getting to her first; I fight against the urge to slap myself out of it. I’ve been jerking off to the image of her innocent doe eyes too many times; I truly despise her for it. I know I shouldn’t let a part of me like her, I can’t afford to let light in. Liking someone will get you stabbed, like El is going to do to Moon one day. I know she doesn’t care for me either; I need to keep it that way.

I grab her by the arm, drawing her into my body. I tower over her at six foot two. I like the way she feels, all tiny. Her body quivers against me. She places her trembling hands on my chest trying to push me away, but I keep her locked in place. My cock is already so hard; I lean down wanting to get a taste. Dash probably thinks there have been many before her, but ever since I knew at fourteen years old she was promised to me, I’ve never kissed someone. Maybe Eliot on his cheek to piss Moon off, but he doesn’t count. I smirk, remembering when Moon punched my lights out when he found El lying on my chest while we slept off our hangover in my room when he was still living on the compound.

“I know you don’t want this, don’t you?” I ask.

“Let me go,” she whispers, her voice trembling like her body. But she doesn’t push me away like I expected her to do. Just the tone of her voice alone makes me so hard I’m about to explode. I think I would if I’d press my lips against hers to get a taste.

“No,” I state, as the soft moan slips from those plump lips, going straight to my cock.

“Fuck the family and my obligation. I’m nothing in this equation. Aren’t I just a means to an end?”

“Yes,” I tell her. Fuck, the way my voice sounds like a confession has me pausing. A part of me doesn’t want to hurt her. And the other wants to make her bleed. Pushing her against the railing, I press my body against hers. Overpowering her to show her when the time comes there’s no place left to run. I’m the end of the line, although she doesn’t know it yet. I press my hardness against her stomach, and she freezes staring up at me.

“Stop it, Tian. I don’t belong to you,” she says, biting out every single word.

“You will,” I promise her, hating how needy my voice sounds.

Leaning back against the railing, she pushes at my chest. I can see the fight in her eyes, and I can’t wait to experience it firsthand. Will she slap me when I throw her on the bed and tear her clothes from her body? Will she kick me in the stomach? Will she cry when I slide deep inside her? Will she beg me to stop? Will I beg her to stop? I can’t wait to find out. The wind blows my hair in front of my eyes while hers narrow in response. I study her, getting to know all her tells. The way her tongue darts out to moisten her bottom lip. The way her chest moves up and down. The soft red flush moving up her neck, all the way to those cute apple cheeks. I lean forward and she pushes harder at my chest, but gasps when I press my hardness between her legs.

“Are you going to fight me?” I ask, trying to keep my desire in check. I shouldn’t scare her like this, but when I look into her eyes there’s something else there too. Like she’s intrigued by what might happen when she lets go of control. I can’t wait to see the change in her when she gives it up for me. Leaning down I grin against her mouth. “I can’t wait to see you give up control to me.”

“I’m never going to, I’d rather die,” she says defiantly; I like it even more. I like the chase, the underlying hurt, anger, and rage I see boiling inside those blue eyes. Without warning I run my lips over hers, breathing in her vanilla and lavender scent. I grab her neck, pushing her face up. Her eyes widen, and I can already see the change in her. Her breathing is more erratic while she’s pushing herself against me without knowing she’s doing it.

“Just a taste,” I murmur. “After that you can continue despising me,” I say, before biting down on her bottom lip, to lick at the blood from the cut I inflicted. Closing her eyes for a second, I think I got her, but she slaps me hard across the face.

My head whips back on a moan.

“Don’t ever do that again,” she seethes, trying to hit me again but I take her wrist, placing her hand against my cheek instead. Her palm feels cold against my heated skin, my chest heaves, and my cock is ready to burst out of my pants from what she did.

“Why?” I question, truly intrigued. My lips curl into a smirk, one she doesn’t return. We keep staring at each other not saying anything but catching our breath.

She closes her eyes for a second, damn I can’t tear my eyes away. She’s beautiful, and she’s going to belong to me. I don’t have a heart, but standing on this rooftop with her is as close to feeling it come alive. I know I shouldn’t have taken it this far. She doesn’t know what me and Moon have planned. I’ve been ignoring her for years because I wanted to postpone the inevitable of her hating me when I take everything from her.

“You can bully me all you want, but I’ll never belong to you, or your brothers. Like I said, I’d rather die.”

“Good, because you will.” I push away from her. Fuming, she falls back against the railing, clutching at her chest.

I watch his whole demeanor change. His eyes getting that dead gleam to them again. What the hell happened? One moment he looked like he was ready to devour me, the other he seemed repulsed by being close to me. Well fuck him. I don’t belong to him.

His eyes narrow and they almost look hungry before they’re cold again. He straightens his shoulders, showing off his height and I swallow when he pushes his sleeves up revealing those toned arms and the line of a snake tattoo showing. I knew it.

Casting my eyes down, I let out a deep sigh. I can see his cock hardening against the zipper of his dress pants. Holy fuck, he’s big; I could feel it pulse when he pushed himself against my stomach. I press my legs together and he tugs at his collar towering over me with his damn height.

My pulse starts to beat erratically as I look up. Reaching out, he pushes a lock behind my ear, his fingers lingering near my cheek for a second before pulling back. I find him staring down at me, the dead look never falters. Tian must see the fear in my eyes judging by the small smirk lighting up his otherwise stoic face, like he’s channeling Moon.

He grabs my neck, softly running the pad of his thumb over the mosquito bite there.

“Let go,” I order, and he does so reluctantly.