Page 236 of House of Cards

He jerks away when I reach for him. “You wanted to know. Now you know.”

“Yeah, fuck, I get that, but?—”

“This is what you wanted, Zoey.” I’ve never heard him like this. So…broken. Like I just tore away the last shred of humanity he had inside him.

“What I wanted?” My laugh is brittle. “I wantyou.Again. Right fucking now.”

When he says nothing, I step up to him, grabbing the back of his neck as tight as I can, lowering my voice to an urgent, needy rasp.

“I want you to bend me over and fuck me until I can’t walk.”

I feel his cock twitch against my hip, hardening, but his face remains stone.

“That’s the endorphins talking. Tomorrow you’ll realize?—“

“What?” I cut in harshly. “That you made me come so hard I nearly blacked out? That I’ve never felt anything like that in my fucking life?”

Compared to my furious words, his are devoid of any trace of emotion.

“You’ll realize I’m nothing more than a monster who gets off on pain.”

“You forget, Smith. I don’t run from monsters unless I’m being paid to.” I move closer, my skin still stinging where he cut me. “I run toward them.”

Something cracks in his expression, but his eyes narrow. “You don’t understand?—“

“You’re not as mysterious as you like to think.” My voice drops to a whisper. “You’re terrified, Smith. You’ve never let anyone see you like this before.”

“Stop.” But his voice breaks on the word, and that means I hit a nerve, and so I keep going.

“You thought I’d run screaming. Well, guess what? This—“ I wave a hand at my bloody thigh, “—This doesn’t scare me.”

His eyes search mine, and I guess he doesn’t like what he sees there, because he puts a hand between us andshoves.

Not hard enough to send me sprawling, but hard enough to break my grip. He stabs a finger at the door, voice barely recognizable when he grates out, “Get out!”

I stare at him, dumbfounded.

Why is he fighting so fucking hard? I get that he can fuck anyone he wants. He just has to snap his fingers, and he could have a handful of Angels up here to use and abuse as he sees fit.

So why is the thought of me staying such a fucking thorn in this lion’s paw?

His nostrils flare, lips trembling like he’s holding back ugly words. And that’s when it hits me all at once, like someone switched on the lights.

“You love me.” The moment I say it, his whole body goes rigid.

I clap a hand over my mouth, slowly drag it away. “Holy shit, you actually love me.”

He shows me his teeth. “No.”

“You fucking do.” I step closer, almost stalking.

Who’s the predator now?

He looks away, jaw ticking. “Get out, Zoey. I won’t ask again.”

I tilt my head, batting my eyelashes at him. “Aw. The big bad monster is in love with his little kitten.”

“Zoey…”