Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 116597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
And when she looked at me, I surrendered to the tide.
Our eyes locked, and it was like someone yanked the air out of my lungs. My pulse spiked, heat shot down my spine, and the noise of the room dropped to a dull roar in my ears. Her lips tipped into that devastating smile that could stop me dead mid-stride — and I felt it, low and hard, right in my chest.
I was hers, even though she’d never be mine.
She excused herself from the group and crossed the room, heels clicking, gaze locked on me like I was the only person in the building, like we didn’t have anything to hide. And maybe that was because she was confident in the fact that she could hide it so effortlessly, that she could tease me the way she always did, and no one would be the wiser.
I, on the other hand, suddenly felt like I had all our secrets written on my face like a billboard.
“Hey there, Rook.”
“Hey, yourself,” I said, my grin automatic, and without thinking, I swept her into a hug.
I wanted to hold her there, to bury my nose in her hair and inhale everything that she was. But I kept it as short and friendly as I could manage before pulling back. “Enjoy the game?”
“Surprisingly, yes. Although, my favorite part was listening to Ava roast all the players on the Seattle team.”
“Spicy little thing, isn’t she?”
“Can’t imagine where she gets it from.”
We shared a knowing smile, but Livia’s was a bit forced at the edges.
“You were pretty good out there tonight,” she said, her voice warm but threaded with that teasing lilt that always knocked me off balance.
“Does that mean you’re giving me an A, Professor?”
“A solid B plus. But lucky for you, there’s a chance to earn extra credit tonight. If you’re up for it.”
My pulse skyrocketed.
“Fuck yeah, I’m up for it.”
Livia rewarded me with that smoky little laugh of hers, but it faded too quickly, that sadness in her eyes overtaking the expression.
I looked around, making sure everyone was preoccupied before I stepped into her space a little more. “Hey… you good?”
“I’m great.”
“You don’t look great.”
“Gee, thanks. Now I really want to let you see me naked.”
“No jokes right now,” I said, surprising both Livia and myself. But I didn’t appreciate the dodge when I could see something was wrong. “What’s going on, Liv?”
She swallowed, her voice quiet when she tried to lie again. “Nothing.”
I flattened my lips, and that earned me a frustrated sigh.
“I’m fine,” she reiterated with a huff. “Really. Just… some stupid family shit I’d rather not talk about.”
“Your sister’s wedding?”
She nodded, her lips tight.
The ache that hit me was sharp and immediate, like her admission had stepped on an already cracked rib. I wanted to close the distance, to take whatever was twisting her up and carry it myself.
But I knew even before I tried that she wouldn’t let me.
“It’s not a big deal,” she tried, but the lie was thinly veiled. “And if you really want to do something for me… I need a distraction tonight.” She pinned me with her gaze. “I need control.”
The word sparked against my nerves, lighting me up like I hadn’t just played three grueling periods.
“Can you give that to me?”
Her voice was just a whisper now, and the way she was staring up at me through her lashes, the way she was fidgeting, her fingers wrapping around each other… it was the most vulnerable I’d ever seen her.
“Haven’t you figured it out yet?” I leaned in, my voice low and steady. “I’ll give you anything you ask for.”
Her brows inched together, nostrils flaring a bit before she attempted a smile. “Meet me at mine in thirty.”
And then she was walking away, heels clicking back toward Maven and Chloe, leaving me in the middle of the room with the weight of her request lodged deep in my chest.
If this was all I could give her, I’d give it willingly.
If this was all she’d let me have, I’d take it like a greedy thief.
Whatever lesson she wanted to teach me, I was ready to learn.
And if all she needed was to use me tonight, I’d crawl to her, heart bound, begging for the privilege.
Drop the Armor
Livia
All was right in the world again when Carter was in my condo, naked and on his knees.
Power coursed through me as I circled him, wearing my favorite emerald green garter set, the decadent lace of the bodice combining with the high arch of my heels to make me feel invincible.
Some people needed to talk when they were feeling rundown by life. Some people needed to go for a run or take a long hot bath.
This was what I needed.
Control. Certainty. Release.
“Have you been using the plugs I gave you when you’ve played with yourself this week?” I asked, dragging one fingertip down the slope of his shoulder before continuing my slow orbit around him.