Page 118 of An Inevitable Marriage

The night he’d ruthlessly taken her from me.

The beatings he’d given me after to ensure my silence.

One by one, memories of the past snuck up on me. With a curse, I shoved my hands through my hair and sank into my chair. I’d done nothing to stop him then, and now, so many years later, I’d done nothing yet again.

I dropped my head in my hands. The rubber band around my chest pulled tighter and tighter. I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. Low, harsh curses spilled over my lips. I cursed the universe—the powers that be, anything and everything—for allowing this to happen.

I cursed myself, too.

Shane and my grandfather had no place in my company or my life. I should’ve fought harder to get rid of them. I should have…

“Please don’t do this to yourself.”

Snow’s soft voice filtered through my thoughts.

I looked up. She stood right before me, bottom lip trapped between her teeth and those gorgeous eyes filled with concern.

“You’re not to blame for what happened.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. I wanted to believe her; I really did. But the guilt fiercely bubbling through my veins told an entirely different story.

“Liam, look at me.”

When I didn’t—because how the fuck was I supposed to face her and not see how miserably I failed to protect her?—she cupped my cheeks and forced my gaze to hers. My gaze snapped to the fingermarks on the right side of her face.

How fucking hard had the bastard squeezed to leave marks? My chest constricted painfully. Absentmindedly, I lifted my hand and trailed my fingers over the faint bruises on her skin.

Snow immediately smoothed her palm over my hand and curled her delicate fingers around mine.

“It’s not your fault,” she said again.

Her voice held so much conviction, I almost believed her. Almost. But I knew the truth. The ugly fucking truth. Before I could say that, she slipped her arms around my neck and slid onto my lap.

Her mouth crashed to mine a moment later. And because I was a selfish bastard, I took the kiss she offered. I took and took and fucking took until I wasn’t even sure whose air I breathed in.

Then I took even more.

Scraping my palms up the soft skin of her thighs, I hooked the hem of her sleepshirt between my fingers and shoved it up to her waist. Snow wiggled on my lap, scooting even closer than she was.

She made a small rocking motion with her hips, and my damn brain short-circuited. I had visions of stripping her bare and lifting her onto my desk. I saw my hands push her thighs apart as I stepped between her legs and fucked her until we were both spent.

I wanted to do that. So damn desperately.

But I couldn’t.

I respected and cared for her way too much to use her body as my escape. When we finally crossed that line, it wouldn’t be likethis.

Snow was still rocking on my lap. Her movements were faster, her breath choppier. I tore my mouth from hers, kissing my way to the shell of her ear. “I want to taste you, sweet girl. Want to spread you open on that desk, lick and suck until you come on my tongue.” I nipped at her skin. “Will you let me do that?”

I’d never spoken to her like that, and for a moment, I feared I’d overstepped.

But then the woman in my arms breathed out a slow, drawn-out, “Yessss.”

The desk was cleared with her pretty ass perched on the edge before she had time to blink. I gripped her knees and slowly worked my hands up her thighs, prying her legs apart.

Snow held my gaze as I brushed my thumbs along her inner thighs. The movement was slow, steady torture that made both of us breathe a little heavier. Up, up, and up I went, getting closer to that sweet spot inch by inch.

But instead of slipping my fingers beneath her underwear, I veered sideways and skated my touch over her hips.