Page 37 of Brutal Reign

“Maybe,” I smirk.

She winds up to shove me again, but I snatch her wrists before she gets a chance, knocking her off balance and sending her tumbling into me. She jerks her chin up as our chests collide, meeting my eyes, and fuck, I must actually have a death wish, because what I do next is suicide.

I dive down, closing the distance between our mouths and slamming my lips against hers. Sparks explode between us on impact, the taste of her strawberry chapstick gliding over my tongue as I tease the seam of those sinfully pouty lips, groaning at the sensation of pure ecstasy coursing through my veins. It’s a stolen kiss, but for a second, I swear she lets me play the thief. Her head tilts, her lips part, and then she’s twisting her wrists out of my grip, shoving me away with a feral snarl.

“What the fuck?” she chokes, dark lashes fluttering as she blinks at me in bewilderment.

I’m not thinking straight– not thinking atall– but one taste isn’t enough. I retake the distance she put between us in a single stride, sweeping an arm around her waist, pulling her in, and kissing her again.

This time, Iknowshe lets me. Her fingers curl into the fabric of my shirt, not pushing me away, but pulling me closer. Her lips part in invitation, and I plunge my tongue into her mouth, tasting every corner of it. Her head tilts to allow me to deepen the kiss, and I take full advantage, my entire body thrumming with carnal excitement that I feel all the way down to the tips of my toes.

RiverfuckingJacobsen.

The girl I always,alwayswanted, but could never have.

She’s not gentle or demure or anything like I fucking expected. She meets my blaze with an inferno of her own, so much heat burning between us that it’s a wonder we both don’t catch fire. Then, as quickly as it started, she shoves me off again,blinking in bewilderment as she wipes saliva from the corner of her mouth with a thumb.

“What the fuck is your problem?” she pants, her lips swollen and cheeks flushed.

Reality comes crashing down on me with the force of a tidal wave.

What the fuck have I done?

“Myproblem?” I scoff, lifting my chin arrogantly. “You’re the one who came at me.”

Her mouth falls open at my audacity. “Not so you could shove your tongue down my throat!” she shouts, practically vibrating with anger.

I roll my eyes, making a scoffing sound in my throat. “What’s wrong, Riv?” I ask, wetting my lips with my tongue as I arch a brow. “I thought you weren’t a prude anymore?”

She snaps her mouth shut, something painfully familiar flashing in her eyes. I wish I could say I’ve never seen that look before, but the fact that I have is just proof that I never learn my fucking lesson; that I’m the worst kind of asshole there is.

Goddamnit.

River sucks in a sharp breath, whipping around and stomping over to where her helmet’s resting on the ground. She stoops to scoop it up, and she doesn’t say a word as she yanks it down over her head and returns to her bike, mounting it. I don’t say anything either. Ishould, but I don’t.

Because my mouth always moves faster than my brain, and I’ve already fucked up epically enough.

Because I have no idea how I’m gonna come back from this.

But mostly, because there’s nothing left to say.

13

“I’m just sayin’, if Chandler came at me like she does Seb, I wouldn’t turn her down,” Beau drawls, his hungry gaze pinned to the leggy blonde across the barracks. She’s been strutting around in nothing but her bra and panties for the past twenty minutes, no doubt waiting for Seb to make an appearance. Nobody takes that long to get dressed after a shower.

“Is there any girl here youwouldn’tfuck?” Eli snorts.

Beau considers for a moment, eyes skimming over the she-wolves in the immediate vicinity. “Bella,” he concludes.

“Only because she wouldn’t let you,” Eli points out.

“Again, you mean,” Beau smirks, knocking his shoulder into Eli’s.

Eli barks a laugh. “Exactly. You’ve already disappointed her once.”

“Shut up, bro,” Beau grumbles, twisting at the waist to deliver a sharp jab to Eli’s bicep.

Eli shoves him back, rubbing his arm with a wince, while I go right back to tuning the two of them out, staring down at the floor while my knee bounces anxiously. Even getting stonedcan’t take the edge off this sick, unsettled feeling that’s been twisting in my gut from the moment Seb and River sped away on their motorcycles.