Page 299 of The First Taste

She begins to blink, gradually coming to consciousness. When she opens her eyes, it takes her about three seconds to realize that I am leaning down over the bed, fully nude. She jumps back, her eyes widening, her expression one of shock and a note of fear.

"Dare, what the hell are you doing?"

"What I should’ve done the first time I met you. I know that you have already slept with Burn, but you’re my goddamn fiancée. And I’m attracted to you. There are sparks between us every time we touch. Why are we resisting so hard?"

She looks at me, her eyes never wavering from my face. "Dare, you are the one who said that I can’t fall in love with you."

"Who is talking about falling in love? I’m talking about two people fulfilling each other’s needs. It’s as simple as that."

She shakes her head and starts to turn away, but I grab her hand and reach to cup her chin with my other hand, forcing her to look at me.

"Tell me that you don’t lust after me.” I scan her face. “Tell me that you don’t dream about me and wake up with wet panties."

Her throat works as she swallows. Her eyes peer through me, spearing me, making me feel insubstantial. "You wanted it clean and free of mess. To keep things transactional."

"And they can be. But there's no reason we can't fuck and keep the rest of our deal."

She shakes her head. "Dare, that’s a terrible idea."

I see her gaze drop down to my cock, and I tense.

For a second, she licks her lips and then drags her eyes back up to my face. But I move like lightning, catching her lips with mine. She struggles against me, pushing me away. But I don’t let her go that easily. I sink my hand into her hair and knot my fingers in it. I kiss her hard and with a burning passion, my whole body throbbing with need.

Talia shifts, rising slightly, and the blankets fall away from her body. I see that she is wearing a lacy pink teddy that the glam squad left for her. I want to rip that teddy from her body and expose her naked skin to my lips, my tongue, my teeth, and my cock.

She keeps struggling, her hand clawing at my chest, leaving a series of long, shallow scratches. I am only encouraged by that, though. Dragging her over to the edge of the bed, I kneel over her, my lips twitching.

"Are you going to be a good girl, darling?"

"Never," she hisses. In the next moment, she slaps me, her palm across my cheek. But I am not even fazed. I grab her hands and force her back onto the bed, snarling at her.

"You want me. I can see it in your eyes. And you’re going to beg for me to fuck you by the end of the night."

Her expression contorts, and she shakes her head, her chin jutting out stubbornly. "I would never beg you. Not you, Dare."

My cock throbs. I take her lips, pressing mine against them almost violently, my tongue snaking against hers. She kisses me back, her tongue writhing with mine, but I am not looking for her compliance.

I like her fighting me, I like being the victor in our little games. It makes it all the sweeter when she eventually gives in.

"You need to make your peace with it. Once we sign the marriage certificate, that’s it. We are together forever. Consider that for the next time that we share a bed. We might as well fuck and get it over with."

Talia raises her chin, throwing her hair back. She sweeps the sheet up to her chest, holding it there. I hate to be the one to tell her that I can clearly make out the outline of her hard nipples through the sheet.

She still wants me, whether she is able to admit it out loud or not.

"I’ll marry you, Dare. I’ll have your child. But I will never give up any of my virtues."

I can’t help the full-throated laugh that leaves my chest. "What? What virtues? I’m pretty sure that I just showed you exactly who is in charge. Besides, it’s not like you’re a virgin anymore."

Her cheeks stain with blood. "I hate you."

"As we have discussed previously, you don’t have to like me to fuck me. And you definitely don’t have to love me to marry me. As long as you act like you’re my one and only in front of other people, I couldn’t care less what you think of me."

Her lips twist. "I’m still my own person, you know. I’ll raise my child knowing that there are other people in the world, people who suffer hardships, people who can’t afford million-dollar mansions or helicopters, or any of the other things that have been so important to your life."

"You know what you are? You are stubborn, and that’s not a compliment. I still hate all the things that you stand for."

"That’s perfect, because I will never be a Morgan at heart. We can tell everyone else a fairytale story, but we will both know that it’s a lie."