Page 24 of The Temptation

I open my mouth, ready to give him a snarky reply, butthen I feel it. That monstrous salami stick in his pants is starting to harden.

My cheeks balloon as I puff out a breath. “All this sexual tension is going to kill me.”

“You’re being a tad dramatic now, Lucia.”

“No, I’m not. I’m starting to doubt if I’ll even make it to the ripe old age of twenty. I’m going to keel over and die from a tragic lack of Os before my next birthday rolls around.”

He rests his forehead against my shoulder blade with a groan as his hands slide to my hips. “Stand up.”

“Why? I’m comfortable here,” I state, raising my chin.

He chuckles, then effortlessly lifts me to my feet with that familiar brute strength. I’d been starting to warm to him again, but that move wiped it away.

He grabs my hand as I reach for my plate, stopping me. “Turn around,” Romeo orders, shifting my body.

“Why?”

“Because I said so.”

My natural instinct is to defy him, like I used to do with my father. It’s something that came naturally growing up, even though I knew deep down I’d eventually relent once Papa produced his gun, I still couldn’t resist that initial spark of rebellion. It flares up now too, warming my chest, but this time, it’s not fear that makes me obey; it’s curiosity, and something darker I don’t want to name.

Slowly, I turn around as my heart thumps in my chest. “What are you doing?”

“Something I’m sure I’ll regret. Now straddle my lap.”

My eyes widen. “Why?”

“Just do as I say, woman, and stop asking so many questions.”

A flicker of excitement rushes through me as I obey.This is the nearest I’ve ever been to him. Face-to-face with our breaths mingling.

From this vantage point, I can see the dark flecks in his silvery-coloured eyes, which are framed by thick, inky lashes.

His expression gives nothing away, but his eyes are like a window to his soul. They allude to something deeper … something more profound.

They’re intense, haunted, hungry, and laced with something else I can’t quite name. It terrifies me how much I want to understand this man. To crack him open, crawl inside and discover all his secrets.

It’s enough to make me ache for the little boy who had to grow up with the kind of mother he did. I want to wrap him in a hug and give him all the love he missed out on, but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t let me.

“What are we doing?” I ask in a whisper.

He doesn’t answer me at first, but his fingers curl around my sides, dragging me closer. My spread legs are flanking his hips, and his erection is pressing right against my clit.

His conflicted eyes lock on to mine, searching, like he’s battling something deep within, but after a tense pause, he finally says, “I’m giving you a free pass.”

I narrow my eyes. “A free pass for what, exactly?”

“To get yourself off, Lucia. Since I’m the reason you’re frustrated, it’s the least I can do. Call it my contribution to your preservation.”

“We’re going to have sex?”

He tilts his head back and groans before saying, “No, we are definitely not doing that.”

“Then what are we doing? I don’t understand.”

He lets go of his grip on my sides and places his hands behind his head, his elbows spread wide. “I’m not going todo anything. I’m going to sit here while you grind your pussy against me until you find the release you’re so desperately seeking. Then you will get off me, and we’ll eatourbreakfast, and pretend this never happened.”

“Can I kiss you?”