CHAPTER NINETEEN
Sasha felt her head spin as Moriarty held her by the throat from behind.
Like going from hot to cold and back again, the adrenaline rush, then crash, then rush again was too much for her.
And she knew that had been the entire point of it all.
She could only gasp as he pulled her back against his chest, easily controlling her without even having to squeeze. His other hand splayed across her stomach, fingers wide, and pressed her firmly against him.
She felt his desire against her lower back, giving her no question of his intentions. Or the sincerity of it.
“Before we begin…” He bowed his head low to her ear, and ran his tongue slowly up along the edge of it before nipping at the lobe. “I feel as though we should set a few things into record.”
For all intents and purposes, she was putty in his hands. “You want to take this moment totalk?”She dug her fingernails into his thighs again, needing something to hold onto more than anything else. And bringing him a little pain had seemed to spur him on before.
His chuckle was darkened with a growl as he pulled her harderagainst him, grinding his hips against her. “Do notrushme, woman—” He pushed her forward, sending her staggering toward the windows that faced the street. “I want you to open the windows wide and pull the curtains.”
She was shivering. Positively shaking like a goddamnleaf.As she went to turn to face him, he stopped her with only his voice.
“No. Do not look at me. Donotturn. He can see you.”
“Wh—” She paused. Then she understood.Sherlock.Ofcourse,the bastard would follow her home. Ofcourse,he’d watch her flat in case they were having some sort of secret meeting. “You want to give him a show.”
“More than he bargained for.”
Which meant…Sidney was there, also.Fuck. Fuck!She shut her eyes. It was inevitable. All of this was inevitable.“Noneof this is about me, then.”
“That is what I wished to discuss before we…advanced the matter.”
Lifting her chin, she opened her eyes and waited. She would take this news with her head held high. She wouldn’t be some wilting wall flower. She wouldn’t be defined by if a man loved her or not. “I didn’t come inside expecting you to have feelings for me, James. I am not a naive child. I just expected the desire to be legitimate, if nothing else.”
“I promise I do not have this reaction to Sherlock.”
That made her laugh, if weakly. “Why put on such a display? He is hardly the type to become jealous.”
“Mm. Perhaps I wish for him to feel debased.Debauched.To feel dragged low by watching us together. That is what this grand experiment of yours is all about, is it not? Ruining the man’s soul?” He paused. “And perhaps it simply brings me a thrill to think ofhimas our audience for this particular performance.”
Could she go through with this? Knowing Sherlock—Virtue—was watching? But it…might serve her end goal.
In her hesitation, Moriarty spoke up again. “I do not believe inlove. I do, however, believe inrespect.”His hand tangled in her hair and yanked her head back, causing her to hiss in pain.
It did anything but deter how very badly she wanted him.
His lips hovered close to her ear again as he murmured to her. “And I want you to understand that what I will do to you tonight is a sign of how much respect I have for you, though it may appear the opposite.”
That made her feel as though she’d been thrown off a ledge. What he was promising to do—veiled through flowery language or not—made her blood run as cold as ice and as hot as lava at the same time.
“Now…if you agree? Do as I say. Open the windows and the blinds. Let them watch their fill. Let this night serve a purpose more than our mutual satisfaction.” He pushed her forward again, though that time she was expecting it.
Swallowing down the lump in her throat, she took a moment to consider what she was going to do.
And she knew she only had one choice.
She opened the windows.
Sidney watchedas Sherlock shifted nervously as he watched through the binoculars. His teeth were gritted, and his body was locked tight.
And that wasn’t the only thing that had grown tight about him.
