Page 32

CONAN

Song, Dangerous, Sleep Token.

I want it to be perfect for her. Rifling through the shelves in my garage, I find the right oil for her beast just as I hear the rumble of the Mclaren come to a stop.

As I turn, there’s a knock on the metal.

My eyes lock with hers. The wind teases her shiny caramel hair, the soft waves catching the late light like it’s trying to show her off. My gaze drops to that tight little blue sundress, clinging to her like a fucking secret.

Stop it.

I don’t do girlfriends. I fight and I fuck. That’s it. No room for softness in a world like mine. She doesn’t belong tangled up in my bullshit.

“Hi,” she whispers, wearing that sweet little grin. My chest fucking stirs as she holds onto the doorframe, crossing her legs like she’s not aware she’s been living in my head rent-free. She seems nervous. Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking.

“Hi, trouble.”

She steps inside, fingertips brushing the new shimmering paint job on her Shelby.

“She looks perfect.”

I nod. “Like her owner.”

The words slip before I can pull them back.

The tension between us tightens, electric. She’s too close. She always is.

I clench the bottle of oil tighter.

“She needs more oil?” she asks, tilting her head.

“Just a top-up. I wanted her in top shape for you. You know, for your naughty nighttime activities.” I wink.

Damn. I exploded in my hand last night, jerking off to the thought of her racing my McLaren with that wicked smirk on her lips.

Hallie grins and takes a step back, giving me space, except all I can breathe in is her sweet scent. It’s wrecking me. Tempting me.

“Don’t let me get in your way. And about the street racing…” She trails off.

I bite back a grin. “Secret is safe with me, baby,” I tell her, twisting off the cap and checking the stick.

“You look hot when you’re concentrating,” she blurts out.

I steal a glance in her direction as I pour the liquid in.

“Is that right?”

She nods as I twist on the lid to the bottle; I catch her watching me. Not just looking. Watching. Like she’s studying a creature she doesn’t quite trust not to bite.

I toss the oil back onto the shelf and slam the hood shut, the sound cracking through the air.

“What are you thinking, trouble?” I ask, raising a brow.

“You’ve got huge hands. Must be hard to get into all the tight spaces.”

I chuckle, holding them up. Tattooed, calloused, capable.

“They fit right where they need to, trouble.”

She flushes a brilliant red. I take a step closer.

“They even make the perfect necklace,” I murmur, dragging my own hand across my throat to demonstrate.

Her plump lips part. Fuck. How far do I want to push her?

“They’d look much prettier wrapped around your throat, Hallie.”

She flutters her lashes. That grin? All teeth and sin. “Show me, beastie,” she breathes.

I’m a fucking goner.

I lunge forward, grip her throat, and spin her, pressing her back against the side of her car. Her pulse pounds under my palm. I squeeze. Not enough to hurt. Just enough to claim.

“Fucking perfect, baby.” Her eyes go wide as I slide my phone from my pocket.

“Wanna see how beautiful you look?”

“Y-yes.”

I snap the photo. My cock is throbbing as I sneak a look. Mine.

I turn the screen to her. Her eyes glisten. She’s hungry for it.

“What do you think about your new accessory, Hallie?” I ask, brushing my nose along her cheek.

“It looks hot. It feels even better.”

She parts her legs. I step between them, pressing tight.

“Is this what friends do, baby?”

She shakes her head. I drag my face back to hers.

“You gonna tell me to stop?” I would. I’d stop. But God, I don’t want to.

“Stop what?”

I tighten my grip.

“Me bending you over the hood and finally taking what’s mine.”

She gasps, and I chuckle.

Darkness flickers in her gaze as she slides her hands under my shirt, dragging her nails across my abs. It sets me on fire, but I don’t flip my switch. Not yet.

“I don’t have any panties on.”

“Fuck, Hallie.”

She bites her lip. My gaze zeroes in.

“Yes. That’s the idea. Conan fucks Hallie senseless. Can you do that for me, beastie?”

I blink. That challenge in her voice knocks the wind out of me. I’m used to control. No talking. No feeling. Just a fuck.

This? This is something else. Hotter. Deadlier.

“I wouldn’t test me, trouble. I don’t know how much you can handle of me yet.”

I grab her hand and press it to my cock. She wraps her fingers around it, rising on her tiptoes, nose brushing against my stubble.

I slip my hand beneath her dress, dragging my fingers through her slick heat.

“Is this what I do to you? Hmm? I turn you into a good little whore for me?”

Her breath hitches. She spreads her legs wider. Her little breathy pants by my ear makes my skin crawl in the best way.

“Be a good boy and show me what I’ve been missing. Show me how you really like it.”

Holy. Fuckin’. Shit. I’ve met my match.

“There’s nothing good about me, darlin’,” I growl.

She pulls back, sliding her hands up under my shirt, tracing each line of my abs.

“Yeah, there is. Deep down, you’re a softie, really.”

I laugh low and dark, shaking my head. Wrong. So fucking wrong.

I grab her throat again, lifting her and settling her ass on the hood. I step between her thighs, boxing her in.

“Wrong. And you’re about to find out just how fuckin’ dark I am, Hallie.”

She swallows hard. I smirk, feeling her heart hammer against my palm.

“Yes. You seem to bring out another side of me. But that ain’t the man I am deep down. You really want to see him?”

“I do,” she says, confident. Steady.

I release her and take a step back, running a hand down my face. Testing her. Watching her.

“Fine. If you want me to fuck you, you gotta earn it, darlin’.”

“How do you suggest I do that then?”

I grab her cheeks and stare into those wide eyes. “Run.”

She blinks. Then looks toward the door.

“What do you mean ‘run’? You think I’m going out in those scary-ass woods in the pitch black? A leisurely jog isn’t what I’m after from you, beastie.”

I laugh, digging my fingers into her thighs.

“Nothing leisurely about what I’m going to do to you once I catch you.”

She studies me now. Eyes flicking between curiosity and something darker.

“What is this? Some sort of chase kink?”

I shake my head, keeping my face hard.

“No, trouble. This isn’t me chasing you… this is me hunting you.”

I lean in, tongue sliding along her jaw. She sucks in a breath, head tipping back, so damn responsive. Too perfect to just be my friend.

But if I let her in, I might never let her go.

“Now fucking run,” I whisper, stepping back.

She slides off the hood. Staring between me and the door. Her chest rises and falls fast.

There’s a hesitation in her. The kind that tastes like adrenaline. Like she’s balancing on the line between fear and arousal. That mix drives me wild. I want her to feel it. I want her to see me.

“What will you do if you catch me?” she asks, voice barely audible as she smooths her dress.

“It’s not if. It’s when. It’s up to you to decide if you want to find out.”

She chews the inside of her cheek.

“Do I need a safe word?”

A slow, dangerous smile spreads across my face.

“You think a safe word will save you? Sure. Go ahead.”

Her brows knit, and I shrug.

All she has to do is say stop. And I would. For her, I would. But this game? It’s mine.

“You know what? I don’t want one.”

I lean back against the hood of her Shelby, arms crossed, waiting.

“Good girl.”