His chest rises and falls, and so does mine. I lean against the vanity—lightheaded, dizzy, and hot—so fucking hot.
“Well, that was…” I trail off, looking away. I cross my legs to suppress the throbbing pressure, the need for him to fill me.
Benedict watches me, looking as startled as I feel. His hair is wild, his lips more red than normal, and he’s looking at me like he’s sizing me up—like he intends to feast on me later, and he’s not sure which body part to start with.
“I’m just—”
In one swift movement, he pulls me into him, except this time he doesn’t automatically kiss me. Instead, he lifts my chin with his finger, and looks at me like he’s in awe.
Like he can’t believe his luck.
A small smile plays at his lips, and slowly, he places his soft lips against mine for the second time. My hands move to either side of his face automatically, and he pulls away after a second, his breathing labored. I place my hand on his chest, and he reaches up to hold it, gripping firmly.
“Benedict—”
“Don’t say it,” he murmurs, looking pained. “Because I already know. I’ve known since the first day I saw you. I was just waiting for you to catch up.”
His words cause my stomach to flip, and I instinctively take a step forward. I want him.
I. Want. Him.
Desire.
Something I wasn’t sure I’d ever feel again.But for him…
I reach up to touch the side of his face. When my hand meets his cheek, he closes his eyes.
Power.
I have so much power over him, and that’s the very best gift he could ever give me. Perhaps someone else, someone without my past, might find that reckless and manipulative. But for me? I needed to own that power, to know I had it—even if I never used it.
The Offering
Evelyn Snow
London,Present
Hayes comes bursting through the door a second later, and Benedict and I spring apart.
“All in all, a good start to my evening,” he mutters, moving over to the bar across the room. Pouring himself a large drink, he turns to look at us. “Sorry. If you guys want to fuck, I’ll go.”
Benedict narrows his eyes and crosses his arms. “The moment is gone now.”
Hayes shrugs and gives us a wicked smile. “I’m sure you’ll find other opportunities.” He leans forward, pinning me with a cold stare. “So, is she one of us now?”
Benedict turns to me, his gaze assessing. “She’s always been one of us.”
I give him a small smile, and as I’m about to announce my departure, Hayes slinks over to where I’m standing. His boots grind against the dirty, aged wood, and it sort of sounds like he’s grinding bones.
“Since she’s one of us now, does that mean you’ve told her the plan for next weekend?” His hair hangs in front of his face, and he smirks as he sips his whiskey.
“I was about to get to that,” Benedict answers, sounding slightly annoyed.
I glance between them. “What plan?”
“Well, we’re going to take turns fucking you,” Hayes says slowly, and before I can react, Benedict shoves him against the wall, his hand at Hayes’s throat. Though Hayes is an inch or two taller, Benedict is stronger, more menacing—I can see the shock on Hayes’s face. He holds his hands out in surrender. “Fuck man, it was a joke.”
“Don’t ever joke about that again. Not with her. Do you understand?”
