Page 171 of Cruel Steps
“Fine. But you can’t keep it to yourself forever. That shit will eat you up.”
He had no clue how right his words were.
The timer chirped when it hit zero, and we both took off, our bare feet loud on the hardwood floor. Once we reached the hallway, we slowed, listening for any sound. A door shut to the left, so we jogged that way. At the end, the hallway broke off in three directions. Emerson’s dress peeked out from around the corner, and Colter nodded he’d follow it. I scanned the other two, but I had a feeling I knew where she’d go.
Quietly, I crept down the stairs, taking them slowly. I waited on each one until my weight settled before stepping onto the next one. It took longer to make it all the way down, but I wanted her to have a false sense of security, especially because I could hear Colter’s footsteps above. If she was down here, she’d think she’d won.
The hallway was dark, so I followed the wall until I came to the door I wanted. Emerson’s room required a key, so I’d hidden one above the sauna after copying it from hers after I’d discovered her down here. I’d hoped to find something I could use to my advantage against her. But once I’d discovered what was behind the door, I couldn’t leverage it.
It was her haven—her sanctuary. And no matter how much I might have believed I hated her, I would never steal that from her.
Taking the key from the top of the door frame, I retraced my steps back to her studio. Slowly, I turned the key in the lock. It turned silently, the lock disengaging effortlessly. The door swung open, the air shifting, the only tell it made. I waited, letting my eyes adjust to the room. Tiny windows along the wall let in the barest of moonlight. But it was enough.
Standing in the middle of the room, her chest heaving, was my wildcat.
Smiling like a predator, I flicked on the light and leaned against the doorframe, blocking her escape.
“How did you...” she trailed off, shaking her head to dislodge the thought. “Nevermind. It’s you. I don’t know why I keep being surprised by your actions.”
My smile widened. I loved that she got me. That she understood my possessiveness. It wasn’t something I could change, nor would I want to.
Having her. Tasting her. Needing her.
They were as much a part of me as breathing. I wouldn’t let anything keep me from her.
Not my career. Not my deadbeat father. Not some delusional stalker.
No one and nothing would stop me from claiming Emerson.
“I love how well you know me, baby.” I stalked forward, loving her retreat. I was the predator, and she was my prey. When her back hit the barre, Emerson lifted her chin, not backing down despite having nowhere to run. I braced my hands around her and caged her in. “Time for your punishment, Wildcat.”
Her pulse jumped on her neck, and I licked my lips at the sight. It wasn’t fear running through her. No, it was pure, unadulterated desire. Her eyes were so green they practically glowed in the room.
Dropping my head to the crook of her neck, I licked up the column. Her pulse fluttered beneath my tongue, and my cock jerked. Letting go of the bar, I spun her around and unzipped her body hugging dress. It gaped at the front, giving me a tease of her perfect breasts. I shoved it down, watching as they revealed themselves to me. I ground my cock into her ass and wrenched her dress the rest of the way off.
Emerson stood topless, her shapewear on her lower half, and I debated if I wanted to deal with taking them off. Ultimately, the need to see all of her won, and I gripped the top band and tugged. When they didn’t budge, I dropped to the floor and used my weight to drag them down. They still didn’t come off easily, and I huffed in irritation at the damn things as they rolled up, making it harder to pull them off.
“These are the devil.”
“Beauty is pain.”
“No. That’s a fucking lie. You’re effortlessly beautiful, baby. You don’t need these to make you sexier. I don’t care what fashion says. These aren’t worth this torture.”
She took in a big breath and then let it out slowly as I rolled them off her. “You’re right. It’s just hard to remember that when it’s expected. Women aren’t supposed to show their non-perfect parts.”
I stood, caging her in against the barre, and stared at her in the mirror. I grabbed her breast, rolling my thumb over her nipple.
“These breasts are perfect.” I squeezed them, loving her reaction to my touch. I moved down, caressing her belly. “This is also perfect.” I dropped back to my knees and spun her around to face me. I kissed her stretch marks, squeezing her hips and thighs. I glanced up at her. “And these are perfect, too. The things they do to me. Fuck, Wildcat. Your whole body drives me wild. There’s nothing I would change. Colter feels the same way.”
I spread her thighs and nestled my face between them. I breathed her in, loving the smell of her arousal. Her body trembled, goosebumps spreading across her. Lifting her thighs, I perched her ass on the barre. She scrambled to hold on, her hands gripping the barre as her back pressed into the mirror.
“What are you doing?” she gasped.
I didn’t answer, just shoved my face into her pussy and licked her. Her knees draped over my shoulders, and she moved her hands from the barre to me. She clung to me, her fingers digging in. I held her firmly in my hands, licked her up and down, and sucked on her clit. It didn’t take long for her muscles to tense, her body on the verge of erupting when I pulled back. My face was covered in her cum, and I licked my lips, cherishing it.
“Wait, come back! I’m so close.”
“You touched yourself when I told you not to, baby. This is your punishment.”