Page 54 of Ly to Me

It’s the lack of oxygen, Lyra.Get your shit together.

“Feel that?” The firelight illuminated the sharp lines of his face as he rolled his hips again.

“Get. O—” An unsolicited moan left my lips, cutting off my demand.

“That’s not your safeword.” He shifted lower and repeated the action, this time pressing right up against my center. I squirmed as much as I could beneath him. “You used to take me so fucking well. I bet you still would.”

“Car—”

Anger flared briefly in his lust-filled eyes with the use of his nickname. “I think it’s time you find out what some of thosefucked up tastesI’ve developed are,wife.”

“Please.” His elbow notched back more, the force whipping my head up. He captured my mouth with his, then bit down on my lip. Hard. A metallic taste filled my tongue as he let me fall back down, grinding his stiff length methodically, nudging right against my clit. The moan that escaped me this time was less concealable.

He chuckled darkly. “You’re going to need to save your breath.” The leash, reins—fucking tether—slackened in his hold as he rolled off me. “Stay still. If you try to escape or run, I will fuck you, and I will make it hurt. Got it?”

With his body warmth over my thighs gone, I could feel just how wet I was. I thought I knew what being turned on to this degree had been like. I’d been so wrong. So, I kept my mouth shut and nodded.

He started wrapping the reins around his knuckles, then jerked me to a sitting position. “You know what to say to make me stop.” His gaze darted between my neck and the porch railing, and I whimpered. Then he gathered me into his arms and carried me up the steps.

20

Lyra

The Knife

Atalas were once believed to be extinct. Their host plant—the thing their larva fed off of—had been overused. Without the plant, the butterflies had nowhere to lay their eggs. Nowherefor the next generation to eat. When the plant was rediscovered, so was the larva. All they needed was that plant to thrive again.

That’s what I thought about as Carver settled me on my knees on the porch and started wrapping the reins still looped around my neck to the railing. The blue wings on his arm almost seemed to mock me and my decisions—all of them. Running from this town was supposed to keep me as good as extinct in the eyes of everyone I’d left. But, get that host plant—the thing that made you thrive, gave you a fucking purpose tolive—reintegrated, and—

“Ly.” I blinked, bringing my attention from his arm to my bound ones. He leaned in, and I turned my head to the side. “Keep those pretty brown eyes on me.” His fingers gripped my chin and pulled me back.

I scowled. “Why?” My skin rubbed against the reins keeping my body to the railing even as I tried to wriggle free. “So I can watch you leave me out here? No, thanks. I’ll pass.”

“Whether or not you stay out here all night is up to you.” His hold tightened, keeping me from jerking away. “But you will keep your eyes on me until I tell you otherwise.”

I pinched my eyes closed, refusing to let him see those eyes he might actually not hate as much as I did. He groaned and then my neck jerked back, the breath wringing out from my throat.

“Keep. Your. Eyes. On. Me.” I gasped for air, but allowed my eyes to flutter open. He reached behind my neck and loosened the reins, then rested on his haunches, arms draped over his knees, looking as unbothered as ever. “Better.”

“So you like restraints now. Got it.” I tried to rub my neck with my bound shoulder. It was a no-go.

He chuckled. “This was just to keep you from runnin’.”

“Then chasin’ ain’t your thing,” I quipped.

“I wouldn’t say that.” His eyes lit up as he thought for a moment. “With you, it seems to be. But I’d prefer to test your limits tonight—not mine.”

“I ruined your truck, trashed your furniture.” My eyes trailed over his tattoos, dodging the butterfly. “And you want totest my limits?”

“Well, wife,” he purred. “I hate to tell you this, but you destroyin’ shit only makes me think you care.”

“I don’t—”

He held up a hand, stopping my words as his voice lowered. “Don’t lie to me.”

“That’s your limit? Me lying to you? Or just lies, in general?”

His fingers twitched like he was agitated at the thought alone. “You’re not flipping this on me again, little Ly.”