Page 100 of Cruel Abandon (Fallen Royals 5)

He kneels between my legs, sitting back on his heels. I hate the raw feeling of being stretched out like this, my foot in his hand. He tied me up before—two years ago.

“But I need you to let me go,” I continue. “Or else I’ll never trust you again. This… this is going too far.” My damn voice is wobbling, and my body is tense.

He says to breathe, but that’s bullshit.

“I think you just need to accept that I don’t like to be restricted. I hate Halloween and masks and fucking clowns. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to avoid the scary shit in life.” All the while, I yank my arms. “You know what? Fuck you.”

He smiles. “Is that what you want, angel? To fuck me?”

I glare at him.

He runs his hand up my leg, cupping my calf and dragging me farther down the bed. I let out a squeak.

“Is this another ploy to get the truth out of me?” I say on an exhale.

He shakes his head slowly and leans forward, looping his fingers in the waistband of my leggings. He pulls them off me in one motion, carefully maneuvering them off my feet. My panties go with it.

“And the purpose of this?” I ask.

He rolls his eyes. “If you don’t know the purpose of me taking your pants off, we’ve got some serious educating to do.”

I pull on my arms again. At least he’d have to untie me to get my shirt off. Then I can just… punch him and run.

Right.

“What do you feel?” He hovers over me.

The bastard is still fully dressed, but I don’t think this is about sex. As much as he might be trying to steer my mind in that direction. It’s fucking subterfuge.

But for what?

“Skylar,” he prods.

He’s not even looking at my lower half. His gaze stays fixed on my face.

“Uncomfortable,” I mutter. “Stressed out.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m pretty sure you’re a psychopath.”

He chuckles. “Because your wrists are bound? Because you’re naked?”

“Nearly naked,” I correct.

“Ah, yes.” He grabs the bottom of my tank top and rips it off.

My mouth drops open.

“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” he says lightly.

I try to kick him again. “Asshole. You haven’t seen me naked.”

He contemplates me for a moment, then hops off the bed. He walks right out of the room, leaving me to squirm on my own for a good thirty seconds. When he reappears, he holds something else: a photo.

Everything in me locks up as he climbs over me, straddling my stomach.

“Have you seen this girl?” he asks me, holding it out for me.