Page 54 of Marks of Rebellion

I've never had a man stare at me so intensely or make me feel so alive.

My lips brush his, and he kisses my jawline to my ear and murmurs, "I'm yours, Flower. If you want me, I belong to you. Tell me you want me to be yours."

It's the opposite of everything I've heard before. He's a possessive man. I already know this about him. But he's not claiming me as his. He's making me claim him.

He's giving me the power to choose.

No matter how much I fight it, or how much is out of control in my life, Hunter is the only thing that makes me feel alive.

All I want is him.

I whisper back, "Be mine."

His hand palms the back of my head and our lips and tongues merge as one, sealing our fate, throwing any doubt about being together away.

Our thrusts become shorter and faster. The curling of my toes becomes tighter. And any adrenaline in my body zings so fast, it becomes harder to hold in my cries.

But he muffles me, deepening our kiss.

When he pushes me further during his climax, I lose all ability to breathe.

In the wake of our actions, he presses his forehead to mine as we try to catch our breath.

A new reggae song plays, and the Jeep hits a bumpier terrain.

Hunter spins me in his arms and repositions my thighs over his lap. Once again, he creates a perfect utopia with the power of his lips.

For hours we ride in the back, the stars shining in the night sky, the blanket covering our bodies, and listening to the music while lip-locked.

When the Jeep stops, Hunter and I both are startled. "Where are we?" he asks.

There's an outline of several plain-looking buildings, but everything is dark.

Julieta quietly replies, "Somewhere forgotten."

10

Hunter

It's dark,and the buildings look lifeless. There's not one light shining anywhere inside.

Where the heck did Julieta bring us?

I already pulled some wipes out of my bag and cleaned Vanessa and myself up. I shove the wipes in my pocket and give her one last kiss.

She's mine. I'm hers. I'm not letting her tell me to stay away anymore. The only way I'm ever staying away again is if she tells me she doesn't want me. And not that she just doesn't want me to change.

"This looks a bit..."

"Asylumish?" I mutter.

Vanessa bites back a laugh.

"Julieta, what is this place?" Ryker asks.

"Safety for the night," she mumbles and gets out of the Jeep, as if in a trance.

Vanessa slides off my lap. "Julieta."