Page 66 of The Commons

Just as my lips open to inhale a much needed breath, his right hand slides across my waist, pulling me up. I feel like I’m being pulled up a building. He continues until I am smushed inside his body, my feet dangling in the air.

And now, I am close enough to see every detail on his chiseled face. Close enough to taste his fiery breath. And it tastes way too addicting. His gaze is way too entrancing. Every part of him is so striking. He is effortlessly beautiful.

I try to focus, to slide my feet to kick him, but he crashes my butt tighter to the wall.

“Do you yield?” His breath sinks into my neck, tempting me.

“No!” I maintain my agency.

“I thought you might say that.” His golden eyes flash with an iridescent smile, reflecting against the heavenly sunset. Oh, he looks heavenly.

My eyes can barely see anything else but his towering muscles. And I realize, a war could begin and end and no one would see me in this corner where he has me pinned.

I try to adjust my hands behind my back, but he only cuffs it tighter. How could it get tighter? A gasp escapes me. I feel like I am barely breathing, yet I am panting, causing my chest to rise, but it just rises into him.

I can feel his every heartbeat wrapping itself around my breasts, utterly consuming and enveloping me. His chest is basically swallowing my breasts like it’s nothing.

I wonder if he feels anything.

So I probe, to challenge him, exhaling gently to keep breathing. “If I don’t yield, I doubt you’ll keep me in this position for long.”

“You have no idea how long I’ll keep you in this exact position. Matter of fact, I’ll teach you a couple of positions.” His whisper sinks into my neck like a flush of heat, consuming every part of my body, making me stupidly long for him.

Just as I flex my wrists, his right hand pulls me even tighter and I can feel every line of his muscles. “Pesh!” I don’t realize when I beg.

“Patron. Pesh,” he clarifies.

Mmm. That’s a power move. Not that he needed any more power over me.

“At least that’s what you seemed to like calling me these days.” Great. He’s still pissed about my last words to him the last time we met. Makes two of us.

I look away, but he doesn’t permit me to feel annoyed. He pulls my chin to meet his gaze, but as my eyes snap back to his, I realize he’s not even looking at me. Urgh! My gaze drifts over his alluring lips. I remember what those taste like. Way too good. Way too powerful. Way too domineering. Way too indulging. For someone I don’t trust. For someone who could kill me. Who in fact, almost did. And might be thinking of doing so still.

I keep staring at his eyes until he turns his gaze toward me. For a moment, all is still. The wind blows, but we do not hear it. Our hearts pound, but we do not focus on it.

“What other positions were you thinking?” That actually wasn’t bad.

“Flirting is not a good way to win any fight.”

“What makes you think that I’m flirting with you? Or that I would want you?”

“What makes you think that you don’t?”

“I don’t!” I gulp.

He smiles. “Closer,” he commands.

Dang it. I obey, drawing closer to his lips, too allured to resist.

All I see is gold, and the gold in his eyes flickers, examining my open lips, breathing on my tongue, drawing closer to grab it. And just as we are breaths apart… I come back to my bloody senses. Shantavia! Don’t be stupid!

Pain suddenly shoots through my thighs, and I hold in a groan, not wanting to embarrass myself anymore than I already have today. But the pain intensifies, and I shut my eyes to deal with the sudden sensation. Gosh, my thighs… “My thighs are burning!” I don’t realize when I confess out loud, and in the same instant, I feel Pesh’s hand slide across my thighs, cupping it softly, while somehow still keeping my wrists pinned to the wall from the force of his body on mine.

“You need to work on your quad strength.”

My eyes flick open. “I need to work on a lot of things.”

“No.” His right hand tugs my right thigh forward, sending a sudden relief through my leg. “It’ll help your stability and balance.”