Page 68 of Devil’s Reign

“So that’s it? You’re giving up that easily?”

I almost laugh. “What do you want me to do? Fight you when you’ve clearly already made up your mind? I’m not going to exhaust myself arguing with a wall.”

His fingers twitch around my wrist, and before I realize what he’s about to do, he’s pulling me into him. Right into his bare chest. My body betrays me instantly—my breath hitching, my nipples hardening, my pussy clenching. I hate how easily he can undo me. Just one touch, one wrong moment, and I start melting for him. I hate it, but I also love it.

Ignoring the frantic pounding of my heart, I raise my free hand to slap at his chest, to shove him away—but my palm lands and stills. This might be one of the last chances we’ll have to be together. The thought makes my throat tighten and my chest ache.

Once the weekend rolls in, he’s going to go to that warehouse. And I’ll go too—whether he likes it or not. And when it’s done, I won’t be coming back here. I won’t come back to being his prisoner who also functions as a convenient body when he’s in the mood or bored. I’m more than that—I deserve more than that.

I’ll find Luciano, take my mom, and we’ll leave this city. Weeks from now, my time with Ivan will probably feel like nothing more than a strange blur in my memory. Something that happened in the past. If these are the last days I have with him… I might as well take advantage of them. Explore whatever this is while it lasts.

My eyes sting, and I blink rapidly to keep the tears from falling before dropping my head weakly into his neck.

34

IVAN

I tense, waiting for her to hit me with the fist she just dropped on my chest. But instead, that fist flattens and slides up, over my pec, to my shoulder, and suddenly she’s holding onto me, burying her face into my neck. The exact opposite reaction I expected. And somehow worse.

I wanted her to surrender, sure—but not like this. I sink my fingers into her hair and use my grip to tug her head back until I can see her face.

A fist clenches my heart so hard I lose my breath for a moment. Her eyes are red-rimmed and glossy with unshed tears, and it fucking shreds me. Is she really that upset because I listened to her conversation with her mother?

“If the information you got from your mother is about a meeting this weekend at some warehouse near the East River,” I say slowly, the words slipping out of my lips reluctantly, “then I already know about it.”

Aleksei would go nuts if he knew the information I’m giving her. But I don’t see how telling her would hurt anything. She’ll be here. Safe. And Aleksei will be none the wiser.

“A seven o’clock meeting? Where the kidnappers are meeting their boss?”

“The very one. I already know about it.”

Her eyes narrow at me, and I’m relieved to see the tears disappearing. “Were you listening in on my conversation with my mom tonight?”

“Of course not,” I huff, tightening my grip on her hair. “While you were having your little conversation with Linda, I was having one of my own with my investigator. He gave me the information.”

“Wh–why are you telling me this?”

So when she finds out I went to that meeting, she won’t think it’s because I listened to her conversation with her mother. Because I won’t. I don’t want her getting hurt from that if I can help it. “To avoid misunderstandings.”

Her lips twist sadly. “And because you know it doesn’t change anything. Whether you got the information from your investigator or from listening to my conversation with my mom, you still won’t take me with you.”

The fist around my heart tightens as I watch her. But I can’t take her. I just can’t.

“It’s too risky, Melani.” She doesn’t understand what she’s asking for. I’m not going to risk her getting hurt. I can’t lose her. The certainty of that thought only hardens my resolve.

She makes a low sound at the back of her throat, and I brace myself for another argument. But she only goes on her tiptoes, brushes her lips to my ear, and whispers, “Kiss me.”

The words go through me like a struck match—sudden, total.

My entire body locks up at once, every muscle straining as the blood drains from my head and floods straight to my cock, which jerks hard against the towel like it’s about to tear through the damn fabric. It’s like those two words flipped a fucking switch that has no off position.

I know—somewhere beneath the rush of heat—that this conversation is far from over. That the acceptance I saw in her eyes a moment ago is not what it looked like, that she is absolutely not the kind of woman who lets things go. I know all that. But right now, she’s offering me a reprieve—and I’ll take it. Gladly. I’ll take every single thing she offers me and more.

Without hesitation, I drop my head and slam my mouth down on hers, pulling her so close it feels like I’m trying to drag her under my skin. My fist tightens in her hair, holding her exactly where I want her while I take her mouth deep and rough.

Her lips part for me instantly, giving herself freely, and I take them greedily. The sweet taste of her makes me go crazy with want, makes me forget why we were fighting, makes me forget my own damn name. All I know is that I need more—I need every part of her.

I kiss her harder, my tongue pushing past her lips, my teeth grazing, making her gasp into me. She sounds breathless, like she can’t keep up, but she doesn’t pull away. I angle her head back with the grip in her hair and drive my tongue deeper into her mouth, swallowing the intoxicating sounds she makes. At the same time, I grind my cock against her stomach so she feels how hard I am for her. It's a miracle the goddamn towel doesn’t unravel and leave me exposed. Not that I’d hate that outcome.