Page 51 of Thorns of Silence

Images flashed through my mind. The two of us in every position imaginable. His mouth on my most sensitive parts. His skin on mine. The feel of his flesh slapping against mine.

Goosebumps erupted over my skin.“No.”

“Your lips say no, but your body says yes.” I glared at him, shaking my head, and he smiled. “The way your pulse races each time I’m near you. The way you wet your lips when you look at me. You want me, and there’s nothing I want more than to spread your legs and taste your cunt.”

My eyes fell to his groin and, at the sight of his dick twitching, the throbbing between my legs intensified. Something pounded in my chest. An unfulfilled need that felt close to bursting. My palms grew clammy.

I swallowed, forcing my eyes back up.“Why?”I needed to know why he wanted me again. After all this time.

“My dick wants you, and that’s unusual.” It was an odd and inappropriate response.

“Sounds like a personal problem.”

He smiled, throwing all his charm at me. “Help me solve it.”

I gritted my teeth.“You’re a jerk.”

He grinned. “I’m a jerk who’ll make you scream my name.”

His arrogance—cold and insensitive—was exactly the dose of reality that I needed.

“No.”He ruined everything good. It was obvious we were never going to be on the same page.“Just leave me alone.”

He wanted a whore? Well, I refused to be one for him. The thorns of silence dug into every inch of my flesh, leaving me exposed and bleeding.

His hand came toward my face and I flinched, a breath escaping me when his thumb brushed across my lip and down my chin.

“When you’re ready—and you will be—come find me.”

He tore away from me, leaving me alone. Just like two years ago. So I did the only thing I could. I made my way to the side of the boat, and I jumped into the cold sea.

TWENTY

PHOENIX

My eyes shot open and I blew out a ragged breath.

It was almost midnight, and yet another night without my sister under our roof. We left the yacht two days ago and Reina was still with Amon. I didn’t like it.

I got up from my bed and began to pace my room. Every time I closed my eyes, Dante’s words played in my mind and his scent invaded my psyche.

I’d woken up only to find the room empty. His stalking was starting to wear on me, stretching my body thin with restless energy. The glow of the moon that came through the open curtain—because it made no sense to raise them if the man kept finding a way into my room—was working its magic on my fragile will.

I wished I were stronger, that I didn’t want him, but my fantasies and carnal desires were wreaking havoc, demanding I take Dante up on his word. The persistent ache between my thighs was unbearable. My mind whispered warnings, listing all the reasons why Dante’s suggestion was a bad idea.

But my body bargained. This time, I wouldn’t love him. This time, I’d be the one to leave him.

My frustrated heart sent a burst of energy through me. I paced to the window and slid it open, then stepped out into the night.

A dark shadow flashed behind me and I flinched, whirling around. I nearly lost my footing, but a strong hand gripped my wrist and held me up. My chest pressed against his, and his heat seeped into me along with his overwhelming scent, stealing the breath out of me.

“Caught you,” he mouthed, his expression dark and frightening. I tried to yank my wrist out of his firm grip, but it was impossible.

A familiar sensation flared through me.Want.

So naturally, I attempted to knee him in the groin. Anticipating the move, he caught my leg and brought it up higher, hooking it around his hip. My chest rose and fell as I panted, mouth gaping open. Despite me being cornered, his fingers were surprisingly gentle as he stroked the skin on the back of my knee.

His hard length pushed against my entrance, so close yet not close enough. He kneeled between my legs and produced a knife out of nowhere. Without warning, he sliced through the silky material of both my shorts and panties. I shuddered when the air hit my entrance. He slid a finger along my pussy, and I shuddered when he then lifted it under the moonlight. I watched, entranced, as he brought his glistening finger to his mouth.