Page 53

Cadence

As soon as Ryker crossed the threshold of his chambers, I sprang from his arms, my body trembling with rage and the need to destroy him.

“What the hell was that?”

Ryker stalked toward me, and I backed away, all too familiar with the game he was playing.

“That, sweet Cadence,” he purred as he moved closer, “was me putting an end to this godsforsaken impasse we have been dancing around for days.”

“And you think simply declaring it will make me obey,” I scoffed.

Without warning, Ryker lunged for me, his muscular arms wrapped around my body as he tossed me over his shoulder and strode toward the bed.

“Put me down!”

Ryker’s hand came down on my ass with a punishing force and I jolted forward.

“What… what the hell was that for?”

“This has gone on for too long, Cadence, and we’re going to thrash this out right now.”

Ryker dropped me onto the mattress before he climbed on top of me, straddling my waist. He gathered my hands in his larger ones and pinned them above my head. I struggled against his grip, but quickly realized I wasn’t going anywhere.

Huffing out a breath, I returned my gaze to his. Steel-grey eyes stared down at me, and a smirk twisted his lips.

“Are you ready to behave?” he rumbled, the sound vibrating up his chest and settling in my core.

“Say whatever it is you have to say, Ryker.”

I pressed my thighs together to alleviate the mounting tension, and Ryker’s nostrils flared.

“Is there something you need, Cadence?”

“For you to get off me,” I snapped.

Ryker chuckled, letting me know that my attempt to distract him had failed miserably.

“How about this?” he mused.

He leaned in close as he pressed his lips to the pulse point at the base of my throat. His tongue darted out, and he made his way to the shell of my ear before biting down.

“For every answer you give me, I’ll reward you.”

“What kind of reward?” I blurted, before I could think better of it.

I stifled the groan that fought to break free in admonishment of my stupidity.

“The kind that will have you screaming my name.”

My breath hitched as his words sent a shiver racing down my spine. I tried to maintain my composure, but my body betrayed me, arching into his and begging him for more.

“And if I refuse to answer?” I challenged, my voice just above a whisper.

Ryker’s eyes darkened, and a predatory gleam flickered in their stormy depths.

“Then, Temptress, I’ll be forced to punish you.”

“That’s not the deterrent you think it is.”

Ryker threw his head back and laughed raucously. It was then that I realized I’d voiced that thought aloud. My cheeks heated, and I looked away.

Rough fingers pinched my chin as Ryker angled my face toward him.

“Do not hide from me, Temptress,” he murmured, his free hand trailing down my side.

His fingertips ghosted over my ribcage, igniting a trail of fire in their wake. I swallowed hard as my mind raced. Part of me wanted to give in, to surrender to the desire that had been building between us.

It was torture, denying yourself the one thing you craved.

But another part of me, the part that was stubborn and defiant, refused to yield so easily. Ryker had violated me in ways he could never understand, and I wasn’t sure I could ever forgive him for that.

“Your first question,” Ryker whispered. “Why are you so determined to deny fate?”

“Because you’re an insufferable fool who takes what he wants despite the cost to anyone else,” I deadpanned.

Ryker shifted above me, and his hard length pressed against my center. He rolled his hips, and I bit my lip to stifle a moan.

“See? That wasn’t so difficult now, was it, Cadence?”

I watched, transfixed, as he slid further down my body and bunched my skirt around my hips. His fingers gripped the waistband of my panties, and he slowly drew them down my legs. His touch ignited a fire in my core, and I was ablaze with need.

“Are you afraid of me, Cadence?”

“Afraid of you?” I scoffed.

“I see how you struggle. The way you’re constantly fighting this pull between us. Even after everything I have done to you, you’re terrified that I could be exactly what you need.”

I opened my mouth to retort, but quickly shut it.

I wanted to deny it, to deny him. But there was a part of me, buried deep inside, that knew he was right.

I was afraid.

I was afraid that all the pain and suffering I had clung to over the years wasn’t enough to overcome the visceral need I felt toward Ryker. Every part of him called to me, and the longer I stayed with him, the closer I came to giving in.

After all this time, what did that mean for me? That I could fall so easily into the arms of my enemy.

Ryker pressed his tongue flat against my entrance, and my hips bucked, begging for more.

“You may not always agree with my methods, Cadence. So fight me, scream at me, hate me if you must. But I won’t let you push me away again. Not now, not ever. Do you understand?”

The conviction in his voice terrified me as much as it excited me.

“You drive me mad, woman,” he snarled before he thrust his tongue inside me, setting an unrelenting rhythm.

“Gods, Ryker,” I cried as he brought me to oblivion.

My thighs trembled under the intensity of my orgasm, and I didn’t have time to catch my breath before Ryker crashed his lips against mine, forcing me to taste myself.

When he broke the kiss, he was panting heavily, his chest heaving with emotion as he stared down at me.

“I can’t live without your fire, your defiance, your voice,” he murmured. “I can’t live without you.”

His words struck me like a boulder to the chest, and I felt my armor crack under the weight of his declaration.

“If I have to drag you to the edge of reason to get you to speak to me, then so be it.”

“You’re infuriating,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

“And you’re intoxicating.”

“I still can’t forgive you, Ryker.”

“I can wait.”

The outline of Ryker’s erect cock pressed against my entrance, and I rubbed myself against him, inviting him closer.

“Cadence,” he groaned. “Stop trying to distract me.”

“Is it working?”

“You know it is.”

The air grew heavy around us, and I didn’t dare breathe in case it shattered the fragile peace we’d achieved as we teetered on the edge of something I couldn’t quite name.

Ryker pulled back, his eyes searching mine.

“I am going to fix what I broke between us, Cadence,” he promised.

“How can you fix it when I don’t trust you, Ryker?”

“Do you trust me enough to let me try?”

I hesitated, feeling the weight of my answer bearing down on me.

“Maybe,” I whispered, unsure if that was the truth.

A wide grin split Ryker’s handsome face as he said, “That’s good enough for now.”

Reaching into his trousers, Ryker freed his thick cock as he groaned, “I need to be inside you.”

I spread my legs wider and purred, “Then what are you waiting for?”

“There will be no more secrets, Cadence,” he rumbled as he lined himself up with my center. “From here on out, I’ll tell you everything.”

Ryker thrust his hips forward, and the sensation of him filling me felt like coming home.

As much as I wished it were different, Ryker’s vow changed nothing. Because his vow was built upon deception. There were things he didn’t know about me, and I had no intention of changing that.