Page 50 of Cruel Dynasty

And that’s what made it so good that it almost felt right. Every inch of me was alive as if Holden had found a secret fuse inside me and lit it. I was on fire and every stolen touch pushed me towards detonation.

I tore my lips away and whispered, “Take me to bed.”

Holden’s eyes closed and he pressed his forehead to mine. The moment stretched out I brushed my lips against his, earning me a heavy sigh. A moment later, he placed me on my feet. My fingers caught his shirt and I stared at him, waiting for him to make a move—to explain why he’d stopped. But all he did was lean forward and kiss my head with a quiet “goodbye” before he turned and disappeared into the night.

20

I didn’t see Holden the following day. I waited for him to find me and explain, but the more time passed, the more relieved I was that he’d walked away. My life was complicated enough without adding one more mistake to my list. And that’s what sleeping with Holden would have been. At least, that’s what I told myself.

Hensley felt more like a prison than a refuge now. I’d had no word from Spencer and more than once I found myself staring at the keys to the McLaren, wondering if I should just drive back to London and leave this place behind.

“If Holden would even let me,” I grumbled to myself. He would be livid if he found out I took the car from Yorkshire to London, which actually made the idea more appealing. I groaned and threw the book I’d been trying to read for an hour across the bed. “Stop poking the bear!”

That’s exactly what I was doing after all. I’d been testing Holden to see how he would respond, and it had nearly cost me. How much was I willing to lose before I learned my lesson? There had to have been a reason that Kerrigan had ended things with him. Probably a dozen judging from his mercurial personality.

By the time the sun set, I was done trying to entertain myself. Crawling into bed, I burrowed under the linens and fell into a fitful sleep. But my problems followed me. In my dreams, both Spencer and Holden waited for me. I found myself in Spencer’s arms only to discover I’d actually been kissing Holden. I only understood in that way dreamers do that it wasn’t the same man but the brothers shifting into one another and then back again. But in my sleep, both could give me pleasure without consequence and I found my body pinned beneath their hands and tongues. I writhed under Holden’s mouth, feeling my body mounting toward release. Closer. Closer.

“Dirty girl.”

“Kerrigan.”

I was both here and I gave in to it as I climbed and climbed.

A kiss brushed my mouth and I startled awake. Holden’s face came into view, hovering over mine with a sly smile. “You were moaning in your sleep.”

I moaned again, hooking an arm around his neck and dragging him towards me. He hadn’t been able to resist. He wanted me as badly as I wanted him. “You came anyway.”

“I told you I would.” He nibbled my neck, his body moving between my welcoming legs. “I’m sorry it took so long.”

“You’re here,” I murmured as my hands slipped under his shirt.

“I wish I’d never left,.” He buried his face into my neck, nipping it between his teeth. “I’d much rather be here than bloody Parliament.”

My eyes snapped open, staring at the bed’s canopy as I awakened fully.

Spencer.

Spencer was back.

Spencer was in bed with me.

A pang of disappointment shot through me and I moved my head to find Spencer’s mouth. I kissed him to chase it away and remind myself that I’d chosen him.

A rough hand pushed between our bodies, slipping between my legs to push my knickers aside. Spencer groaned. “You’re so fucking wet. Christ, were you dreaming about me?”

I evaded the question with another kiss, which seemed to satisfy him.

Spencer pushed a finger inside me and began to pump leisurely. “I’ve been thinking.”

“Hmmm?” Conscious thoughts started to fade as I lost myself to the sensations building where he touched me. He was the one who made me feel this way. I’d forgotten. I’d been duped by Holden’s identical face and coy charm.

“I think…” He nuzzled my ear, his breath tickling its shell. “...that we should invite Holden to join us.”

I slammed a hand into his chest and pushed him off me. Pushing up, I grabbed a pillow and clutched it. “What? No!”

“Kerrigan,” he said calmly, giving me a reassuring smile. “I saw how you watched him the other night, and you got so excited that night that we—”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” I cut him off. “He flirts with me enough.”