Page 41 of Devious Corruption

This is infuriating. Where the hell is my spine? My next sidestep takes me to the corner of the room. I havenowhere else to go; he has me caged. Completely stuck in this corner.

Slowly, to emphasize how trapped I am, he presses one palm against the wall on my right, then again on my left. He lowers himself until his nose is nearly touching mine.

“I told myself I would leave you alone. A friend of Nicolette’s is out of bounds. Last night after I saw how upset I made you; I promised to leave you be. I’d handle your brothers and leave the whole mess behind.” He moves his right hand from the wall, running the back of his knuckles across my jawline, touching the scrape on my cheek.

He inhales, closes his eyes, and tilts his head back like he’s waiting for God himself to come down and intervene. To give him the patience he’s clearly lacking.

When he opens his eyes, there’s something different about him. Something more sinister, more controlled. And it makes him even hotter.

“Fuck it,” he growls, smashing his mouth against mine.

My knees nearly buckle beneath the heat of his kiss. There’s no gentleness, no coaxing or prodding. Nothing like I’ve read in the romance novels of my youth, where the lord of the manor eases his lips onto hers.

No. This is searing. Absolute possession.

“Open for me.” He growls against my mouth before his tongue pushes past my lips, deepening the kiss and stealing the last bit of thought I possess.

His hand sinks into my hair, fisting at my scalp and sending a fire through my veins.

My heartbeat throbs through my veins. Electricity courses through my body.

God help me, I’m alive beneath his kiss.

As I melt into him, giving way to the heat of the moment, he breaks the kiss, his hand still holding me harshly at the base of my scalp.

“Fuck, woman.” His glares at me a moment, his eyes faltering to my mouth. Are my lips swollen, or do they only feel that way?

“Your choice, living room or bedroom.”

I swallow, lick at my lips.

“For…for what?” I breathe my question. It’s been over a year since a man has been in my bedroom.

“Your punishment.”

“What?” Pulling back does no good, he has a firm grip on me. “You can’t.”

“I can.” He gives me a confident nod. “Now decide, bedroom or living room.”

“I’ll scream.” We both know it won’t matter. The neighbors aren’t coming to my rescue.

They’ll assume my brothers have come over and are once again arguing in my apartment. Or banging on my door trying to get inside. They won’t be sending anyone to see if I’m all right. They’ve been trained to ignore the noise coming from my apartment.

“Of that I’m sure. It’s going to hurt.” He steps back, dragging mewith him. “A lot.”

“Wait.” I grab at his hand, thinking to pull myself free.

There’s no hope for that; the man has a vise grip on me.

“Bedroom it is,” he decides.

I kick at him, but all that happens is I lose my balance and tumble. Fire erupts across my scalp as his hand hasn’t loosened.

“You’re a danger to yourself more than anyone else is.” He releases my hair, only to bend and throw his shoulder into my stomach.

My next view is his ass as I dangle over his shoulder. No man should have an ass that looks this good in a pair of slacks.

“No! Wait!” I throw my fists into his back, wiggling as best I can.