Page 111 of What Comes Around

Then instinct kicked in, and I turned and sprinted down the hallway toward the bedroom, my pulse thundering in my ears. My heart raced, adrenaline flooding my veins, every nerve alive with anticipation. I barely made it through the bedroom doorway before I heard him behind me. I veered toward the en suite bathroom, my fingers reaching for the doorframe, thinking I could make it, slam the door shut, put something between us.

I didn’t make it.

His arm wrapped around my waist and yanked me back just as I crossed the threshold.

“No!” I gasped, the word breaking from me as he lifted me off my feet like I weighed nothing.

The world tilted.

“Let me go,” I said, my hands pushing at his arm. “Stop.”

He didn’t stop. He carried me the last few steps and threw me onto the bed. The mattress dipped hard beneath me, the air rushing from my lungs in a sharp cry.

I scrambled immediately, crawling across the sheets, trying to get away.

“No. I don’t want to.”

His hand closed around my ankle.

I cried out as he dragged me back across the mattress, the sheets tangling around my legs. I kicked, twisting, trying to pull free, breathless sounds falling from my lips.

“Stop.”

He caught my other leg, hauling me back fully beneath him.

The mattress shifted with his weight as he climbed over me, pinning me down.

I writhed beneath him, my wrists pushing at his chest, my breathing uneven.

“No,” I gasped. “I don’t want this.”

His hand closed around my wrist, pinning it above my head. His other hand pressed my hip firmly into the mattress, holding me exactly where he wanted me.

I couldn’t move.

My chest rose and fell rapidly, my pulse racing, my body trembling beneath his.

He leaned down slowly, his mouth hovering beside my ear, his breath hot against my skin.

His voice was rough now. Strained. Barely controlled.

“Is it still green?”

I turned my head, forcing myself to meet his eyes.

They were dark. Focused. Watching me. Waiting.

Waiting for me. For my answer.

My throat felt tight, but I held his gaze, letting him see everything there. The fear. The anticipation. The trust.

“Yes,” I whispered.

Chapter 35: You Undo Me

With one hand holding my wrists pinned above me, he reached down with the other, tugging at my leggings. I twisted beneath him, bucking against his grip, making it as difficult as possible.

“No,” I said breathlessly. “Get off me.”