Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 25205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 126(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 25205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 126(@200wpm)___ 101(@250wpm)___ 84(@300wpm)
Lust could turn into more.
I could grow to love him, and that scares me more than anything he could do to me on a physical level.
He yanks the sheer cups of the negligee down, and his thumbs brush over my nipples. “Touch yourself like you did in the tub yesterday.”
“You’re giving me permission?”
“To touch, yes.” He veers back and holds me captive in his stare. “Not to come.” He pushes my hand between us, urging me to dip my fingers beneath the barrier of scant panties.
A moan slips free, and our eyes lock as I grip his shoulder. His are beautiful, sensual and deep, surrounded by thick lashes. The way he watches me makes my breath stall.
“Are you wet for me?” His hand covers mine, adding pressure to that magical spot I found yesterday, alone in the tub.
“Yes.”
Our hands move in tandem, creating an exquisite fire-inducing friction. The kind of friction that has me breathless and unable to stop.
“Liam.” His name fights its way through the vice around my throat.
“Say it again,” he whispers.
I groan his name as I graze the pinnacle, and that’s when he yanks my hand out of my panties, leaving me throbbing as blood rushes toward the dam.
“Please,” I beg, delirious and floating in a foreign headspace. I try returning my hand back to the center of all that pressure and heat, but he won’t let me. I’m breathing too hard as he brings each of my fingers into his mouth.
He’s tasting me.
Making me whimper with each dart of his tongue.
Shooting pulsating need to every nerve ending in my body.
“Please,” I say again, voice a quivering sigh.
“Begging won’t get you what you want.”
“Then what will?”
“Patience.” His answer splashes ice on my flushed skin.
“Do you enjoy torturing me?”
“If it makes you ache for my cock, then yes. I enjoy torturing you.” He steps back, and I slide to my feet. “Hurry and eat your cold breakfast. We can’t be late for your medical examination.”
Chapter Six
The room is large yet claustrophobic, made up of four windowless walls. Several paintings of the sea are on display, and the cabinetry is made from distressed wood—a sandy tone that complements the ocean theme. The decor is designed to evoke an informal vibe, to soothe and calm, but that’s impossible because twelve chairs form a circle around the examination bench.
Liam urges me forward. “We don’t have much time before everyone arrives.” We stall in front of the bench, and he slides his palm along my cheek. “I wish this was just a medical exam, but it’s much more than that. My brothers will touch you, Novalee.”
“Please don’t let this happen.” Not like this, in front of him with the memory of his kiss fresh in my mind.
“I need you to cooperate. Things will go quicker and smoother if you do.” His thumb inches toward the corner of my mouth. “That also holds true for the months after you leave me.”
An entire year of this, followed by a lifetime of servitude to the man who wins my hand in marriage. If the man is someone like Liam—kind and just no matter the punishment he unleashes—the marriage might not be too horrible.
But if someone like Sebastian wins the auction…
I shiver at the thought.
Liam takes a step back and gestures at the ankle-length skirt I chose to wear. “Undress from the waist down.”
A ball of sickness lands in my gut. Losing my modesty in front of him was hard enough; undressing for twelve sets of eyes is unfathomable. I pull the waistband down my legs and step out of the material. I’m not wearing panties since he told me not to.
He picks up my skirt and hangs it on a hook on the wall. “Hop up.”
Bracing my hands on the bench, I lift my ass onto the leather, legs dangling over the edge. “Do all twelve of you share dinner every night?”
“No. Last night’s dinner was in your honor. We’ll hold a dinner at the start of each new month for you.”
Another tradition.
But I’m glad I won’t have to face them every day.
The door opens behind me, sending a wave of dread down my backside. It chills me from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, and my skin pebbles with gooseflesh. Liam takes a seat on my left. I bow my head, and from the corner of my eye, I spy the members of the Brotherhood filing in and settling into the chairs surrounding me.
When I raise my eyes, I find Sebastian staring back. His eyes are the most alarming shade of blue I’ve ever seen—a brilliant azure. He’s brazen in the way he’s watching me.
I press my naked thighs together, clinging to my last thread of modesty. Because there’s no escaping his scrutiny. My skin flushes, chasing away the chill in my bones.