Read Online Stepbrother Romance 2 - Consumed: A New Adult Alpha Billionaire Romance by Tawny Taylor - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tawny Taylor
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big lump of emotion was blocking my throat. “Yes. Thank you. For…for protecting me. From Zack.”
“I shouldn’t have taken it as far as it did. I was angry.”
Something in his voice made me turn to face him. Regret, maybe? Our eyes met and a rush of emotion swept through me. He confused and confounded me, and I hated it. After everything that had happened today, I didn’t know how I felt about him. Hate. Love. Respect. Lust. Distrust. All of the above? All I knew was that I felt something , and that something was very powerful. Just like the wind earlier, thrashing at the trees.
The tree broke.
I was afraid I would too.
I said, “I admit I was shocked when you came out of nowhere and beat him practically to death. I mean, he was an old friend of yours and he hadn’t done anything to me--”
“That little prick was never a friend of mine. And he hadn’t hurt you yet, but he was about to.”
That lump, the one in my throat, doubled in size. I swallowed. Hard. “I believe you.”
He stepped closer, his gaze traveling up and down my body, making me feel exposed and vulnerable. I set the glass down and crossed my arms over my chest. The deck railing dug into my back, letting me know I couldn’t step backward, couldn’t put any space between us. The air thinned, forcing me to breathe faster, deeper.
“I know I shouldn’t have beaten him the way I did. But the thought of that asshole touching you made me crazy.” He cupped my cheek, and I shivered. Instead of pulling away, I leaned into the touch.
This was bad. I couldn’t do this again, couldn’t let him use my body to conquer my mind. I knew what was right and wrong. This was wrong. For a lot of reasons.
His thumb grazed my lower lip and I trembled. “Kent, please stop.” Before it’s too late.
“If he’d hurt you I would’ve killed him. I would’ve ripped out his throat with my bare hands.”
Slightly intimidated and shocked by his threat, but also warm, breathless, and dizzy because of his touch, I placed my hand over his, weaving our fingers together. I’d intended to pull his hand away from my face but instead I pushed it flatter against it.
Why? Why was I so weak?
This guy is married. Married! He’s unpredictable. And capable of doing major damage with just his hands.
I pulled that hand away, studying it. His knuckles and fingers were bruised, cut and bloodied. Some of that blood had been spilled because of me. And my mom. Nobody had ever shed blood for us. We’d only ever had each other…until now.
I ran my thumb over his knuckle. “It’s okay,” I told him. “Zack didn’t hurt me. He won’t hurt me. No man will.” Except for you.
Kent’s gaze was razor sharp, piercing, and invasive, as he looked at me. What did he see when he looked into my eyes? What was he searching for? “Are you afraid of me, Shayne?”
I shook my head even as a little quiver of unease quaked through me. “No. Of course not.” He was still staring into my eyes, digging, delving, deep, deeper. I wanted to look away. I felt too vulnerable.
“You are, aren’t you, Shayne. You’re scared of me. But also…what?” When I couldn’t hold his gaze any longer, he pushed my chin up, not allowing me to hide my eyes from him. “Does my unpredictability excite you?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” I lied.
It was absolutely terrifying how easily he read me. It was as if he knew me better than I knew myself. It did excite me, I realized. His powerful, overbearing ways made him not only forbidden but also dangerous. And yes, that did make my blood pump faster. But how did he know?
His eyes flicked down, to chest level.
Oh, so maybe it wasn’t so hard for him to figure it out.
My breasts. I’d forgotten. I’d taken off my bra before going to bed. I didn’t have to look down to know my nipples were hard. For him. Because of him. His touch. His heat. His power.
“No?” he asked, mouth curling into that semi-smile that made me melt.
My
“I shouldn’t have taken it as far as it did. I was angry.”
Something in his voice made me turn to face him. Regret, maybe? Our eyes met and a rush of emotion swept through me. He confused and confounded me, and I hated it. After everything that had happened today, I didn’t know how I felt about him. Hate. Love. Respect. Lust. Distrust. All of the above? All I knew was that I felt something , and that something was very powerful. Just like the wind earlier, thrashing at the trees.
The tree broke.
I was afraid I would too.
I said, “I admit I was shocked when you came out of nowhere and beat him practically to death. I mean, he was an old friend of yours and he hadn’t done anything to me--”
“That little prick was never a friend of mine. And he hadn’t hurt you yet, but he was about to.”
That lump, the one in my throat, doubled in size. I swallowed. Hard. “I believe you.”
He stepped closer, his gaze traveling up and down my body, making me feel exposed and vulnerable. I set the glass down and crossed my arms over my chest. The deck railing dug into my back, letting me know I couldn’t step backward, couldn’t put any space between us. The air thinned, forcing me to breathe faster, deeper.
“I know I shouldn’t have beaten him the way I did. But the thought of that asshole touching you made me crazy.” He cupped my cheek, and I shivered. Instead of pulling away, I leaned into the touch.
This was bad. I couldn’t do this again, couldn’t let him use my body to conquer my mind. I knew what was right and wrong. This was wrong. For a lot of reasons.
His thumb grazed my lower lip and I trembled. “Kent, please stop.” Before it’s too late.
“If he’d hurt you I would’ve killed him. I would’ve ripped out his throat with my bare hands.”
Slightly intimidated and shocked by his threat, but also warm, breathless, and dizzy because of his touch, I placed my hand over his, weaving our fingers together. I’d intended to pull his hand away from my face but instead I pushed it flatter against it.
Why? Why was I so weak?
This guy is married. Married! He’s unpredictable. And capable of doing major damage with just his hands.
I pulled that hand away, studying it. His knuckles and fingers were bruised, cut and bloodied. Some of that blood had been spilled because of me. And my mom. Nobody had ever shed blood for us. We’d only ever had each other…until now.
I ran my thumb over his knuckle. “It’s okay,” I told him. “Zack didn’t hurt me. He won’t hurt me. No man will.” Except for you.
Kent’s gaze was razor sharp, piercing, and invasive, as he looked at me. What did he see when he looked into my eyes? What was he searching for? “Are you afraid of me, Shayne?”
I shook my head even as a little quiver of unease quaked through me. “No. Of course not.” He was still staring into my eyes, digging, delving, deep, deeper. I wanted to look away. I felt too vulnerable.
“You are, aren’t you, Shayne. You’re scared of me. But also…what?” When I couldn’t hold his gaze any longer, he pushed my chin up, not allowing me to hide my eyes from him. “Does my unpredictability excite you?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” I lied.
It was absolutely terrifying how easily he read me. It was as if he knew me better than I knew myself. It did excite me, I realized. His powerful, overbearing ways made him not only forbidden but also dangerous. And yes, that did make my blood pump faster. But how did he know?
His eyes flicked down, to chest level.
Oh, so maybe it wasn’t so hard for him to figure it out.
My breasts. I’d forgotten. I’d taken off my bra before going to bed. I didn’t have to look down to know my nipples were hard. For him. Because of him. His touch. His heat. His power.
“No?” he asked, mouth curling into that semi-smile that made me melt.
My
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