Page 129 of The Ruthless Note

She’s shaking so badly now that I have to pin her against the pool wall to keep the pace. Cadence claws my shoulders, back arching, mouth open. Sexy as hell.

“Look at me, Cadence,” I demand.

Her eyes burst open.

I keep savaging her and she doesn’t take her eyes off me this time.

My body protests, wanting so badly to invade her fully and take what I want, but the view of Cadence Cooper with her mouth open and her expression cratering with violent pleasure is freaking poetry. And it’ll have to do for now.

I continue teasing her even as she cries out, looking right into her face until those chocolate eyes open again and see me. Recognize me. Recognize the truth.

You belong to me.

Anger flares quickly in her expression, but she has no control over her pleasure. I do. That belongs to me too.

I kiss her when she opens her mouth as if she’ll talk back to me.

And then I hold her.

The entire world could fall away and I wouldn’t notice.

It’s her lesson and yet I’m the one who feels spent. A burning ache unfurls like a whip, demanding more of her, demanding I draw closer to whatever it is that’s making me feel so alive.

I kiss my way down her neck and then stare at her, watching her chest rise and fall as she catches her breath.

“Would you like to do it all again on camera?” I ask, my voice deep and low and edged with a crazed obsession that’s starting to escape from its cage.

She’s languid limbs, hair limp and in her face, eyes burning with desire and disgust. The kind of look that says she hates how much she enjoyed that. Or maybe she hates that I was the one who did it to her.

For a second, confusion crosses her face. And then she gets it.

Her anger rushes to the surface and she shoves me, dropping her legs further into the water and gripping the edge of the pool when I let her go.

“You bastard,” she hisses.

I watch her climb out, protesting the loss of her warmth even as I smirk in victory.

Cadence grits her teeth, jaw clenching. She bends down to grab her dress and shoves her feet into it, hauling it up and not bothering with the buttons at the back.

Her body is so wet, it leaves dark patches on the purple fabric of her costume.

“When did you know?” she asks, her face turned away from me.

I get out of the pool.

Her eyes drop to my pants and widen before climbing back to my face. She takes a step back. A frightened little deer in the presence of a python.

I need her to keep fearing me. Keep hating me. I can’t let her know how often she makes me lose control.

Instead of answering her question, I walk over to her phone, end the video and then delete it.

“Hey!” She launches for the phone.

I toss it back into the chair and glance over my shoulder at her. “Don’t contact Jinx. Don’t make any deals. Don’t even breathe unless I tell you,” I snarl, still wrestling with my need for her. “There are towels in that cabinet. Dry off and then meet me in the parking lot. I’m taking you home.”

CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE

DUTCH