Shit. I didn’t think about it that way. Besides, how would I know Aiden would be watching? Now, he’ll think I did it to spite him which was absolutely not the case.

“I didn’t take him there,” I soften my tone. “He’s the one —”

“How would it feel if I took Queens there, hmm?” He’s still talking in the frightening calm voice.

My temper flares at the mere mention “Don’t threaten me with Silver.”

“Do you realise what a fucking double standard that is?”

“It’s not a double standard because Knox is just a friend. Silver is your ex or fuck buddy or whatever. It’s different.”

“Nothing is different.” His free hand reaches to my throat and he strokes the pulse point. “You know I hate feeling threatened, but you went ahead and did it. You went ahead and fucking pushed me.”

I try to get off him, but he grips my thigh sitting me back down. “I warned you. I’m fucking crazy when it comes to you.”

He’s mad. I can see it in his metallic gaze. The busted knuckles aren’t helping either.

This is the volatile side of Aiden that I should be wary of.

The monstrous side that grandmothers warn their grandkids about.

Still, I keep my chin high. “You took Silver to our pool, too, remember? To spite me.”

“I didn’t take her. She went there herself.”

“Oh, yeah. You just sat with her then. I saw the picture on her IG.”

“That wasn’t me.”

“Then who was it?”

“No one you should worry about, and don’t change the subject. This is about you, sweetheart.”

He flips me around and I cry out as my knees hit the floor. I end up half-lying against the sofa.

“I guess I have to remind who you belong to, huh?” He yanks down my jeans and cold air hits my backside. “I’ll fuck you until you can’t move let alone think about anyone else.”

A tendril of excitement and fear shoot through me. As much as I crave Aiden’s intensity, he’s volatile right now.

Besides, I told him he won’t touch me without telling me a tidbit of his story.

He’s off guard and blinded by anger, so it might be my perfect chance to get something out of him.

You’re playing with fire, Elsa. You’ll burn.

I would rather burn than lose to him all the time.

He yanks the tank top over my head leaving me in only my underwear.

“You’ll pay for every second you spent with him.” He grabs my arse cheeks harshly. “A friend? Fuck that and fuck him for making you think that.”

“What are you talking about?”

“He doesn’t look at you as if you’re a friend. He looks at you like he wants to threaten what’s fucking mine.” The sound of a zipper comes from behind me. “We’ll fix that. You’ll let me fuck you until you can’t move, and then you’ll beg for more, hmm, sweetheart?”

I suppress a moan trying to claw its way out. If I show that I like this, Aiden will take full advantage and consume me until there’ll be nothing left.

“Tell me something.” I grip the sofa’s edge.

He tsks. “You lost the right to negotiate when you fucked up and broke my rules, sweetheart.”

“You don’t have rules.”

He yanks my bra open, letting it fall to the ground. My breasts bounce free and my fully erect nipples throb as they brush against the sofa’s edge.

“I do now.” He reaches a hand and pinches my nipple so hard, I gasp. “You don’t go out with other guys. You don’t look at them. You don’t fucking breathe near them. Is that clear?”

I purse my lips shut, refusing to let him have the satisfaction of seeing me agree.

He rips my underwear down and I jolt at the friction. My eyes flutter closed for the briefest bit.

Oh, God.

If he keeps touching me this unapologetically, there’s no way I’ll be able to resist him even if he tells me nothing.

His hard cock nuzzles between my thighs, threatening at my entrance. “I didn’t hear your answer. Is that fucking clear?”

When I say nothing, he pulls my arse cheeks apart with rough hands and glides his cock to my other hole.

My eyes widen and I fist the sofa harder. “A-Aiden? What the hell are you doing?”

“Waiting for your answer,” he sounds casual, but I recognise the darkness in his tone. “And contemplating fucking you here. Hmm. It’s the only hole I haven’t claimed yet.”

His cock pushes more into me, slightly stretching from behind.

My shoulder blades tighten with fear. He wouldn’t do it, right? I heard anal takes a lot of preparation and shit.

“Just so you know.” He leans in to whisper in hot sultry words. “It’ll fucking hurt.”

I gulp, but that doesn’t stop the tiny bursts of pleasure clenching my core.

There’s really something wrong with me.

He’s threatening to fuck my arse for the first time and I’m freaking turned on.

It takes me a second to get my bearings together.

“Tell me something, Aiden. Anything.”

“Why should I? I can just take from you. Hmm.” He trails a finger from my pussy to my arse, smearing my wetness around his cock that’s still at my back entrance. “You’re so fucking wet already.”

“A deal is a deal, Aiden.” I clamp my lips around the moan trying to clamp its way out. “You’re breaking it right now.”

“And I’m supposed to care about that?”

“Yes, you are! Because it’s hurting me inside.”

He stops for a beat. I think he’ll withdraw or something but he only slides his cock to my entrance, the tip settling there.

“Not like you did.”

“Stop saying vague things like that.” My eyes rim with tears. I don’t know if it’s because what I overhead from Aunt and Uncle or the way Aiden is mad at me or my nightmares.

Or all the above.

But right now, I want him to hold me. I want him to lower himself once.

Just once.

I want him to be there for me.

I try to turn around, but he grips my head and slams my face down against the sofa.

“I want to look at you,” I murmur.

“And I don’t.”

“Aiden, please.”

“I might not seem like it but I’m so fucking mad at you right now.”

“I might not seem like it, but I need you so fucking bad right now.”

A beat of silence goes. Two.

Three —

Aiden slowly peels his hand from my hair and pulls back enough to turn me around.

I glance up at him through blurry eyes. I feel like a mess.

All of it is a freaking mess.

He pulls me in his arms and lies me on the sofa and then he’s hovering over me, pulling himself on his elbows to not crush me.

The look in his eyes is like nothing I’ve seen before. It’s full of hate, but at the same time, there’s that thing.

Something I’ve seen before. Something like… affection?

But Aiden doesn’t do affection, right?

I reach a hand and run my fingertips over the side of his eye and that mole I fell in love with the first time I met him.