Page 30 of Vicious Kingdom (Dynasty of Queens #3)

“Because I wanted to.” His voice was low, almost dangerous. “Because despite everything, I can’t seem to stop wanting to.”

The admission hung between us, heavy and electric. I fought to keep my expression neutral even as my pulse hammered in my throat.

“Your turn,” he said, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Dare.” The word left my lips before I could reconsider.

A slow smile spread across his face. “I dare you to tell me what you're really doing here.”

“That’s cheating,” I protested.

The corner of his mouth tipped in a sexy, half smile. A sight so rare, I could barely believe my eyes.

My panties melted.

I traced the rim of the bottle with my finger before putting it to my lips, not taking my eyes off his.

“Go,” I hissed, savoring the whiskey’s burn.

“Truth.”

“Do you want to kiss me now?”

The answer was instantaneous. “Yes.”

The muscles in my core clenched, and my blood buzzed with anticipation.

“Are you going to?” I breathed.

“You are exceptionally bad at this game,” he muttered. “Truth or dare, Anna.”

Feeling bold, I said, “Truth.”

“Did you love that idiot you were engaged to?”

There was only one way to answer that. “Not even a little.”

Not technically a whole truth. I simply omitted the part where I used another human as a means to my ends, and it resulted in his death.

“Truth or dare,” I cajoled, forcing myself to sound happier than I was.

“Dare.”

“I dare you to kiss me…”

Leo’s eyes sparked. He leaned forward, but I held up a finger.

“…to kiss me here .”

I crooked my leg and ran the tip of my finger along my inner thigh.

He took the whiskey, and my heart fell.

After a long pull, he set it down with a clap, loosened his tie, and knelt on the floor.

Holy shit. Holy shit! Anticipation sizzled over my skin.

Slowly, Leo drew his hands over my thighs until his fingers skated over the fastening.

A quick pop, the zing of the zipper, and then he lifted his gaze to mine.

He didn’t break it as he pulled the jeans down.

I waited, heart skipping every other beat.

Leo pressed his lips against my cool skin, searing me.

The kisses didn’t stop. They trailed from the top of my thigh, down to my knee, skimming to my ankle.

That last one was more reverent than anything.

“How are you feeling?” He traced his thumb gently over the sore flesh.

“It’s healing.”

He murmured deep in his throat, before bending again. His lips pressed against the bone and tendon.

“Truth or dare, Anna,” he murmured against my flesh.

“Dare.” I was wild, reckless! I wanted to see how far this thing would go.

“Take your shirt off.”

My fingers fumbled at the hem, struggling to do the simple task of gripping the damn fabric. I tugged it viciously over my head. His eyes darkened as they swept over my exposed skin. The intensity of his gaze made me feel like I was wearing nothing at all.

“Truth or dare,” I breathed, chest falling and rising rapidly.

“Truth,” Leo said, his mouth cut a delicious smirk that I wanted nothing more than to taste.

Fine. If he was going to tease me, I could play dirty too. I licked my lips, gathering courage. “Do you really hate me for what happened five years ago?”

He stiffened, his jaw clenching. For a moment, I thought he’d reach for the bottle. Instead, he exhaled slowly through his nose.

“No,” he finally admitted. “I wanted to. I tried to. But hate requires destruction, and I’ve never had the urge to destroy you.”

The confession hung between us, raw and honest. My heart hammered against my ribs.

“Your turn,” he said, voice rough. He slid his fingers against the cotton center of my panties. With a low, lazy circle, the digit moved.

It was like a trip wire. My mind went blank. “Truth.”

His eyes locked with mine. “Are you afraid of me?”

I shook my head immediately. “Never. Not even when you’re at your angriest.”

But I’m afraid if I offer you my heart, you’ll only break it again. My body? Fine. It wouldn’t be much of a marriage without physical intimacy. But even though I was obsessed with this man, I knew better than to trust him with something as valuable as my heart.

“Now why does that feel like the first lie you’ve told this whole time?” he mused, leaning forward, pulling the panties to the side, and blowing over my pussy.

The whispered sensation had me moaning.

The sight of him between my legs, hair disheveled and lips still warm from where they’d touched my thigh, made my brain short-circuit. It was all I could do not to tell him he was technically right.

“It’s the truth, I swear it.”

“You’ve lied to me before…little authoress.”

That old, familiar nickname made my heart shudder.

“I’m not scared of you; I’m scared of what you might do,” I clarified.

“Ah, the sin of omission,” he murmured before blowing another breath.

I let out a strangled cry. “Why won’t you just touch me?”

“It’s not part of the game. But it is my turn so…dare.”

“I dare you to make me come.” I never said anything so quickly in my life.

A wicked grin spread across Leo’s face. His eyes darkened to obsidian as he hooked his fingers in the waistband of my panties and slowly dragged them down my legs. The air felt cool against my exposed flesh, making me shiver with anticipation.

His voice was gravel and sin. “I thought you would never ask.”

His mouth descended on me without warning, his tongue making one long, deliberate stroke through my folds. The sensation was so intense, so perfect that my head fell back against the couch, a gasp tearing from my throat.

“Oh, yes!” I breathed, fingers instinctively tangling in his hair.

Leo hummed against my sensitive flesh, the vibration sending shockwaves of pleasure through my core.

His hands gripped my thighs, spreading them wider as he settled more comfortably between them.

The heat of his breath mingled with the coolness of the air, creating a delicious contrast that made me shiver.

His tongue circled my clit with expert precision, applying just enough pressure to build the tension without pushing me over too quickly. When he closed his lips around the sensitive bud, I swore stars exploded.

A finger slid inside me. The feel of his sudden presence in my most intimate place was…

right. Another joined it, stretching and filling me with a perfect and exquisite pressure.

The rhythm was torturously slow at first, teasing me, sending heated tremors through every fiber of my being.

His mouth stayed relentless on my clit, keeping me just on the edge of sanity, licking and sucking in turn.

I pressed against him, inviting him, encouraging him!

Fingertips pressing up against that delicious spot deep inside, pushing me higher.

I writhed beneath him, my breath coming fast and shallow.

My body screamed for release, every muscle taut and straining.

Leo increased his pace, mouth and fingers working in devastating tandem until my entire world narrowed to the overwhelming onslaught of sensation.

I was so close. Heat coiled tight in my belly, ready to spring.

From down below, Tony’s garbled greeting and Penelope’s squeal had me sitting up straight.

“Don’t you dare fucking lose it,” Leo snarled. He pushed me down and increased his pace. “You are going to fucking come on my face, Anna.”

I whimpered.

I was right there!

“Come on, baby, show me what a dirty little girl you are,” he growled, his tongue sliding against my clit.

It was that.

It worked.

I came so hard, biting down on my hand to keep back the scream of release.

Leo launched to his feet a moment later, jogging down the steps and blocking Mancini’s arrival. I scrambled for my clothes, body still alive from the intensity of the orgasm.