Page 69 of Unlocking Ruin

My mind conjures up a vivid image of him consuming me.

Think of a huge cartoon, Rylan, right now! Anything to stop the sexual movie in your head. Hurry!

Oh, no; my thighs tighten with the desire to have him caught between them. A milk droplet clings to his lip; he meets my gaze and sensually licks it away, nearly causing me to drop my cereal and pounce on him.

“Because you like it,” he replies as he chews, then swallows. Hard. I imagine he’d thrust into me with that same force. “And I want to know what makes you prefer certain things.”

“That’s not normal,” I protest, shoveling cereal into my mouth.

“Our families are not normal.” He shrugs indifferently.

“We are not normal. This, us, what we did.”

“Whose definition of normal are you trying to force your life to fit, Rylan? Why do the opinions of strangers matter? We like each other; we want each other. So be it. The only opinion that matters to me is yours. Do you want this?” He lifts the spoon and chews as I try to form answers that won’t have me committed.

“This?” I peer around his ridiculous kitchen. “No, Steffen, I don’t want to be thrust into an odd life.”

“Let me rephrase that.” He swallows. “So we only talk about the things we can control. Me. Do you want me as badly as I want you?”

He places the bowl of cereal down, but the spoon remains in his hand. Lifting it to his mouth, he licks the sweet milk off it before dropping it onto the countertop.

“Because I think if I asked you to lie down and spread those lovely legs again, I’d get my answer.” He grabs his bowl and lifts it to his mouth. He starts consuming the contents with slurping noises, echoing the sounds he made while his head was between my legs.

“You play dirty.” A half hiss, half moan escapes me as I recall the memory.

Why is it so hot all of a sudden?

I look at the oven. Did he turn it on?

Damn, I’m burning up, but he’s calm, cool, and seductive.

“The dirtiest of all, Rylan.” He chuckles as he licks his lips clean.

With a flutter of his lashes, he approaches, stopping directly in my path. He looks at the open counter, expecting me to give him permission to consume me. “You should eat. You’re gonna need your energy,” he playfully taunts me.

I look at his abs, then my bowl. Raising my spoon, I shove a mouthful inside, forcing myself to chew and swallow the cereal.

Welcome to your new life, Rylan.

Can you hack your way out of it?

Do you want to?

CHAPTER 16

Rylan

My body felt like I’d barely survived a Pilates class. I was sore in places I didn’t know muscles existed, like the side of my hip, and that odd spot that’s not quite your lower or upper back.

The problem was I didn’t do anything. I sat in the armchair in my room, and it became my cage and refuge. I lingered unmoving as I stared out the window, watching the sun rise and set, even curling up in it to sleep.

Now I understand why cats like those cat tree houses rather than the space of a wide open house. There’s security in tight spaces—and with strange handsome men.

Torben came and brought me food. Stefan checked on me, but I just wanted to be alone and surprisingly, they let me. I was trying to digest an all you could eat buffet of my past and forced-upon future.

My life had been ripped apart and sewn back up with Steffen’s wanting lips.

What should I do? Why do I wish Steffen would come in here and throw me on the bed?