Page 37 of Bid For Me
I shudder, my body already unravelling, and I know – he’s not letting me leave this room until I’m on my knees, until he’s marked me in every way possible. And right now, I don’t want to fight it. Not when he’s looking at me like that. Not when my whole body is aching, desperate for him to take me.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Seb
Elle’s eyesflash with something sharp, defiant, though there’s a slight crack in her gaze as I hold her close. Her hands grip my shirt, not to push me away, but to steady herself. She’s trembling, every inch of her pulsing with need, and I can feel it, sense it. But there’s more behind her defiance, a deeper, simmering anger.
It hits me in a slow, dawning realisation – she’s furious because of that story in the press. She thinks I’ve been out parading other women around, flaunting them for all the world to see. That’s what’s driving her actions tonight, pushing her to this jealous, dangerous edge. She wanted to punish me, wantedmeto seeherwith someone else.
This was revenge.
“Ah, I see,” I murmur, the realisation settling over me like a dark cloud. My voice drops, taking on an icy edge as I pull back just enough to look at her, seeing the flash of uncertainty beneath her anger. “Is this what this is all about, then? Little Elle getting herself all worked up over a story? A few lines in the papers, and you’re off on some sad little vendetta?”
Her cheeks flush, and she tries to look away, but I’m not letting her escape this time. My fingers tighten around her waist, keeping her anchored, my tone laced with a controlled, dangerous calm. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you, angel, that believing the tabloids is foolish?” I tilt my head, studying her with a cold, assessing gaze, watching as her defiance begins to falter. “Or did jealousy get the better of you?”
Her eyes flick back to mine, that fire still there but flickering now, wavering as she realises she’s been caught out. I can feel her pulse racing beneath my fingers, her anger blending with something raw and vulnerable. It would be so easy to let my own anger snap, to give her a taste of the fury simmering beneath my skin. But I hold myself back, watching her with that same icy calm, letting her stew in her own feelings.
“Of course I’m angry,” she snaps, but her voice wavers slightly. “How could I not be, when you’re out there?—”
“Out there?” I interrupt, my voice cutting through her words like a knife. “Let me guess: you think I’m just out there with any woman who crosses my path? Or perhaps you believe the press knows more about my life than you do?” My grip on her waist tightens, and I lean in closer, letting my breath ghost over her ear, my voice dropping to a whisper. “You thought you’d teach me a lesson, didn’t you? Show me exactly what I’d be missing? How verypettyof you.”
She stiffens, and I can feel the conflict raging within her, the push and pull between her anger and her embarrassment, her frustration and her…desire. She’s still holding onto her defiance, but it’s crumbling under my gaze, her hands trembling against my chest.
“You lied to me.”
“I didn’t lie.”
“You said you were going back to your hotel. In Edinburgh. Those pictures online say otherwise. You were clearly out. In London.”
I pull back slightly, just enough to meet her gaze, watching as she swallows hard, her breathing uneven. “I know what you think you saw, Elle,” I say, my voice softer now, though still cold, unrelenting. “But perhaps if you’d asked, you’d know the truth.” I hold her gaze, my eyes narrowing. “I didn’t lie. I went back to my hotel and crashed. I was going to call you but I was absolutely wiped after dealing with the board of arseholes all day.”
I pause, watching the flash of emotion in her eyes. “I got a call sometime after midnight. A friend was in trouble and needed my help, so I took a chopper and went to the club. Those girls you were so worried about? One of them was my cousin. She and her friends were in town for a night out, and I was called to help them when things got…out of hand. One of them was barely able to stand, and once we realised it was because her drink had been spiked, we spent the entire night in A&E watching her get her stomach pumped.”
Her lips part, a look of surprise flickering across her face, quickly replaced by something else – guilt, embarrassment, and a hint of regret.
“Then, I took her home, Elle. Mycousin. Because she was upset, exhausted, and in no state to be left alone.” I let the words sink in, watching as her expression shifts, the realisation dawning on her, cutting through her anger.
She looks away, her hands dropping from my chest, the bravado slipping. “I…I didn’t know,” she whispers, her voice small, vulnerable. She glances back up at me, her eyes full of regret. “I feel foolish, Seb. I…I should have asked you. I know better than to believe what I read in the press. I just—” She trails off, taking a deep breath, her fingers twisting together ina nervous gesture I rarely see from her. “I’m sorry. So sorry. I overreacted. I let my jealousy get the better of me.”
I watch her, letting the silence stretch between us, watching her squirm under my gaze. Her apology is sincere, the guilt in her voice palpable, but I’m not ready to let her off that easily. Not after what she put me through tonight, the way she paraded herself on that stage, letting someone else touch her. I exhale slowly, a cold, dangerous smile playing at my lips.
“Oh, I don’t think we’re done here, angel,” I murmur, my voice soft but laced with steel. I step closer, my fingers trailing up her arm, feeling the way she shivers under my touch. “You think a simple apology will erase what you did? The way you let someone else touch you, put their hands on what’s mine?”
She swallows, her breathing shallow, her pulse racing beneath my fingers as I brush them over the curve of her shoulder. Her eyes meet mine, a mixture of fear and anticipation flickering there, her lips parted, waiting, trembling.
“No, Elle,” I say, my voice low, dangerous. “You crossed a line tonight, and it’s time you understood the consequences. It’s time you learned who you belong to.” I let my fingers trail down her arm, my touch firm, possessive, feeling the way her body responds to me, the way she leans into my touch, even as she tries to hold onto her composure.
Her gaze flickers with something desperate, vulnerable, and she takes a shaky breath. “Seb, I…I’m sorry. I know I messed up, and I didn’t mean to hurt you, I just…I just thought…”
I place a finger to her lips, silencing her, my gaze dark and unrelenting. “It’s too late for apologies, angel.” My voice is a low murmur, my words a warning. “You wanted my attention? Congratulations. You’ve got it, along with everything that comes with it now.” I let my fingers slip down, tracing the line of her jaw, feeling the way she shivers under my touch, her eyes wide, pleading.
I can feel her pulse thrumming under my fingers as I trace her jawline, each tremble, each flicker in her gaze feeding something dark and possessive inside me. She’s got my attention and I’m not letting her off easily.
“Now,” I murmur, letting my voice drop even lower, my fingers grazing her collarbone, “we’re going to deal with your punishment. You think you can just play games with me, Elle?” I tilt her chin up, forcing her to meet my gaze. Her eyes are wide, conflicted, and I can see the spark of both defiance and desire simmering there. She’s mad at me, but she’s also desperate, and her need is almost tangible, clinging to the air between us.
“Seb…” she whispers, the word barely audible, her lips brushing against my finger as I hold her chin, and it sends a jolt of raw, electric desire straight through me. Her eyes are clouded with frustration, guilt, and a vulnerability I rarely see from her, and it only fuels the fire that’s raging inside me.
“Oh, you don’t get to play the wounded innocent now.” I brush my thumb over her lower lip, watching the way her breath hitches, the way her gaze drops, her cheeks flushing. “You wanted to push me tonight, Elle. You wanted to make me see you on that stage, let someone else touch what’s mine. Do you think that’s something I can just let go?”