Page 63 of The Fall

Saying it seemed to imbue Kerr with the confidence needed to make the fantasy real, even if none of it was true. She knew as well as Kerr this couldn’t last.

Before she could counter, Kerr’s tongue stole the objection from her throat. Lusa slackened like Kerr had found an off switch.

“It’s better if you don’t believe it.” Kerr bit, pulling her kiss-swollen lower lip before letting it snap back into a heavy pout. “It’s so much more fun if I can make you believe it.”

Certain she’d ruined her clothes and likely Kerr’s sheets as well, Lusa’s heart threatened to leap out of her chest.

Fisting her shirt, Kerr heaving her back to her mouth. Threads squealed in protest before snapping – first one at a time and then all at once. Kerr tore the shirt from her torso leaving only frayed strips hanging from her arms. Lusa attempted one last time to throw her off, but Kerr only laughed lowly. “Taming lions is so much more satisfying than taming cats.”

“Lionesses,” Lusa corrected, as if that mattered. “Lions only look impressive.” Lusa tensed as the words left her mouth. It had been a stupid thing to say and Kerr’s smirk said she would pay for it. Worse was the way her body responded. Whatever she might believe, her body kept insisting she wanted this. It kept agreeing with Kerr. Her heart kept thudding, loudly proclaiming yes in her ears.

With unnatural speed, Kerr jerked her hair. Lusa gasped embarrassingly. “Fine, lioness, for that, I’m going to make you tell me you’re mine.”

Lusa clamped her mouth shut. Kerr made a fist, pulling her hair tighter. Lusa whimpered, but she refused to break. She also refused to let go of her forearm.

Kerr released her and shrugged. “Lioness, indeed.”

But it was a short-lived reprieve. Teeth sunk into her neck. Lusa yelped, blood rose to the surface. Kerr sucked, leaving a dark crimson mark.

“I can leave as many as I want,” Kerr drew the tip of her tongue across Lusa’s throat. “You can refuse to say you’re mine, but everyone else will see it. Everyone else will know anyway.”

The thought of everyone knowing was infinitely worse than whatever might happen here. “I…” The rest vanished into air. Bringing herself to say the words was too much.

“It’s a start.” Kerr smiled against her skin, sinking lower. “Your arms stay there.” She released Lusa’s wrists and traced the collar of her sports bra.

Lusa didn’t dare move. Discovering that pride was her weak spot, Kerr proved she wasn’t above using it. Her breasts relaxed into gravity, the sound of elastic and cellulose rending apart. She briefly considered the problem of acquiring new clothes before a hot tongue around her nipple licked the thoughts from her mind.

Arching into Kerr’s mouth, knuckles skimmed the sides of her breasts. Kerr’s cruelty only made her kindness so much better. Lusa curled her fingers into the flex of cables and plasteel plating.

Kerr drew a line across her sternum. “You really have no external mods. All of this untouched skin is mine.” Kerr eyed her hungrily before devouring the nipple she had neglected. Lusa wasn’t able to stop the low moan this time.

“Such a beautiful noise.” Kerr’s words reverberated in the hollow of her chest. “Let’s see if we can make more of those.” She drew her palm across the gusset of Lusa’s TacPants, nearly sending her.

Resisting was too much. Lusa raised her hips to meet Kerr’s touch, but Kerr diverted to rest between her thighs instead. “Not until you tell me you’re mine.”

Lusa growled low in frustration.

Kerr laughed. “Growl away, lioness.” fingertips dug into her thigh.

Surging forward in one last attempt, Lusa fell back, Kerr’s hand on her throat, pinned to the mattress like she was nothing. Lusa couldn’t compete with Kerr’s strength amplifier. “You forgot, didn’t you?” Kerr drew a finger under her waistband with the other. “You’re mine.”

Hearing a clink of cheap metal, Lusa craned her neck to see, but Kerr wouldn’t allow it. Sliding free from her waist, Kerr fastened the synleather belt around her neck. “I won’t be able to reach otherwise,” she explained, prying Lusa’s fingers from her forearm. She kissed the pads lightly.

That meant stop, didn’t it? Her pulse ringing in her ears, Lusa panicked. That meant she’d won whatever game they were playing. That meant this was over.

Kerr placed her hand on top of her head. “Let go of my hair if you want me to stop.” The relief Lusa felt told her how screwed she was. Tomorrow, her heart would be in a million pieces. But the look she got from Kerr between her thighs, like a crocodile, erased any instinct for self-preservation.

Fastened around her neck, Kerr gave the makeshift collar a brisk tug. “You’re mine.”

Lusa still couldn’t force herself to form the words.

Kerr brushed her cheek against the inside of her thigh, lips tracing agonisingly close. “Admit you’re mine and I’ll give you what you want.”

Lusa clenched her fist, Kerr’s head angling toward the pull. Even Lusa couldn’t budge the most well-mortared bricks of her ego.

But Kerr was patient. A glint in her eye promised a wrecking ball if Lusa couldn’t relent. And she brought it. “Do you know what I saw?” Kerr gripped the belt tighter. “The night before last?”

Unable to fathom where this was going, Lusa quieted her breath so as not to miss a sound.