Page 110 of Brutal Vows

He settles his naked body on top of mine and kisses me ravenously.

“Ow.”

He pulls away, panting. “Fuck. I’m sorry.”

With my tongue, I test the raw spot on my lip where he bit me. “Am I bleeding?”

“A little.” Looking pained, he licks the spot gently, then murmurs another apology. He’s about to withdraw from the bed, but I squeeze his shoulders and shake my head.

He says gruffly, “I didn’t mean to hurt you, lass.”

“I know,” I say softly, gazing up into his eyes. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not. It’s never okay. I—”

“You’re not him,” I interrupt. “You’ll never be him. That was an accident, which is very different. Okay?”

I know I was right about what he was thinking when he hangs his head and hides his face in my neck. He whispers, “I’ll kill anyone who ever hurts you. Including myself.”

“I’ll remember that the next time your ego flattens me. Also, that’s disturbing.”

“It’s true.”

I say crossly, “I don’t ever want to hear you talk about hurting yourself. I don’t like it. The only person who’s allowed to hurt you around here is me.”

He lifts his head and peers at me.

I warn, “Don’t you dare say another word, Quinn.”

“I have to. Because that almost sounded like you care.”

I close my eyes and growl in frustration.

He kisses my neck and whispers into my ear, “Tell me you care if I live or die, viper.”

Pressed between my legs, his erection is hard, hot, and eager.

I realize with a sudden start that maybe I’m not the only one with a newly discovered praise kink.

My heart begins to pound. My breath hitches. I say tentatively, “I… um… of course I care if you die.”

“Why?” he challenges. “Because you won’t have anyone to insult anymore?”

Do I do this? Do I go ahead and try it and see what happens?

What’s the worst that can happen, you embarrass yourself a little more? Give the poor man a break, Reyna. He’s not asking you to donate a kidney!

I take a breath to steady my nerves. Then I reach up, thread my fingers into his hair, and say softly, “No. Because I won’t have this gorgeous face to look at anymore.”

He licks his lips. His breathing goes ragged. And I swear to God, that monster dick between us just twitched.

Encouraged, I continue. My hands drift down to his thick shoulders, then to his bulging biceps, which I squeeze. “Or these big strong muscles to touch.”

His pupils dilate until his eyes look black.

With a weird thrill running through my body, I move my hands to his back, stroking my palms over his smooth, warm skin. When my fingers graze the hard, rounded swell of his ass, he shivers.

Looking deep into his eyes, I whisper, “Or this beautiful hard body to make me feel so safe and protected.”