Page 31 of Beyond Enemy Vows

I finally get it off and drop it, and as I start on the other, he catches the strip and starts unwrapping it himself.

When he finishes, he holds it for a moment, still keeping his eyes on me. Then he takes the long strip of fabric and begins winding it around my neck. It's not tight, just a gentle pressure, a presence I can't ignore.

His eyes never leave mine as he wraps it. The look in them is pure desire, almost worshipful.

"This means you don't run anymore," he says, his voice rough with emotion.

I touch my neck where the wrap is, and surprisingly it doesn't feel confining. With him holding the other end, it feels like a connection, a tether between us that can't be broken.

"Are you putting a collar on me?" My voice trembles as I ask.

He doesn't answer.

He just pulls me forward against him by the end he's holding, and I fall against his chest. He then leans down and claims my lips in another searing kiss.

I feel his hand slide up and massage my breasts. I arch, wanting his hands on me more.

He steps back and tugs the wrap gently, tightening the connection between us.

"Be my good girl and take your shirt off."

9

CALLI

Ishould stop.

I've never done something like this. I've never let a man wrap anything around my neck before.

My fingers tremble as they close around the edge of the cloth, but I stop.

I don't pull it off.

Instead, I allow his words to sink into me like hot coals, burning away any hesitation. I reach for the hem of my tank top and lift it upward, revealing my bra underneath. He takes my shirt and maneuvers it through the long piece of fabric he's holding and throws it aside.

The air hits my skin, raising goosebumps across my stomach and back.

Niko's eyes darken as they rake over my newly exposed flesh.

He tugs on the wrap around my neck, pulling me closer.

I don't know if it's the wine, the heat in his eyes, or the way he's looking at me like I'm the only thing that's ever mattered, but something in me breaks wide open the moment his hands slide around my waist and pull me flush against him.

He traces a finger along my collarbone, barely touching me. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?" he asks.

I shake my head, unable to speak as his finger trails down between my breasts, stopping at the edge of my bra.

"You consume me. You make me lose control," he says. "And I never lose control."

I reach for him, running my hands up his bare chest, feeling the contrast between smooth skin and hard muscle.

I feel myself getting wet, my body overtaking my mind, my desire starting to drive me.

His mouth finds mine again, hungrier this time. There's nothing gentle about this kiss. It's demanding, stealing the very breath from my lungs.

I grab him now, finally enjoying his skin beneath my fingertips.

His hands are all over me, claiming, and before I know it, he's got the hook of my bra in his hands, and with a twist, it loosens and hangs on my shoulders.