Page 189 of By His Vow

“It’s really fucking not. You’re crying.”

“I’m drunk and emotional. I just need to go back to bed,” I ramble, embarrassed that I’ve reacted so strongly to all of this.

It shouldn’t matter.

It’s just a business deal.

“You think that because I shared the photos, I don’t care. That that moment out on the deck, or what followed, didn’t matter,” he guesses.

“They don’t matter. I’m just stupid. I’m going back to bed.”

He lets me turn away, giving me the impression that he’s going to allow me to escape, but it’s all an illusion.

I shriek when my back is suddenly pressed against the cool wall and the warmth of his big body burns the front of mine.

“Just let me go,” I beg, refusing to meet his eyes.

“No fucking chance, baby,” he says before ducking down and brushing his lips over mine.

“King,” I mumble against his lips.

“Let me make it up to you, baby.”

“Sex isn’t going to fix this,” I argue as he presses his hard length against my stomach. Tempting me.

“Didn’t say it would. It’ll make it sweeter though.”

“I knew we shouldn’t have slept together,” I state, turning my head away, but it doesn’t deter him.

“You’re wrong,” he groans as his lips graze down my throat, making my skin erupt with goosebumps. “It was the best thing we ever did.”

“You need to stop,” I say, twisting my fingers in his hair to pull him back, but as I do, he sucks that sweet spot beneath my ear and I find him doing the exact opposite.

“They might have the photos, baby. But they’ll never know what it felt like.”

Oh god.

“I’ll never forget what it felt like when you said yes.”

“I didn’t have a choice,” I argue, my voice raspy with need.

“You always have a choice, Tatum. Always.”

He’s right. I know he is.

I could have said no in Dad’s office and walked away from everything.

I could have said no on that deck and turned my back on this arrangement, on Kingston.

I could still do it now.

But I already know I’m not going to.

Despite all the reasons I should be doing the very opposite of what I am right now, I can’t find it in myself to do it.

There is something here. Something I can’t help but want to explore.

It’s going to hurt. I know it will. But still, something tells me that the high will be worth the pain.