Chapter 6

What the hellam I thinking, touching her, holding her this close? But it was like I couldn't help myself, needing my fix.

I rationalized it in my head. Told myself I was only making sure she didn't end up hurting herself. That's what I'm here for, aren't I?

But that's not what this is. I wanted her. I wanted to feel her skin on mine, no matter how we got there.

Her arms stay wrapped around my neck, and I'm this close to kissing her. What would she do if I did? Would she tell me to stop, or would she let me taste her?

Too bad I'll never know.

We make it back to her dorm room and I realize she's more inebriated than she even thought.

Gently, I drop her to her feet as we enter her room, and I lock up behind us. She plays with the hem of her dress, appearing uncomfortable to be this close to me. And if I'm honest, I'm damn uncomfortable too.

She's dressed in such a way that should have me lookin' the other way, but I can't help but rake her body while she doesn't see me. Makes me feel like a dirty feckin' man. But nothing about my true feelings for her is dirty.

I saw the way those guys at the party were staring at her body, and I hated it. Wanted to take off my shirt and wrap it around her.

She flings her shoes off and tosses them to the side while shrugging off my jacket and handing it back to me. I lay it over the back of her chair.

"My God, these are the worst things I've ever worn." She sighs.

"Why did you, then?" I glance at the long, thin heels. God knows why women do that to themselves.

"Because…" She clears her throat. "Never mind. Ugh, I have a headache."

"Shouldn't have been drinking, then." My brows bow.

"Okay, Daddy. Promise to be good next time."

A low, savage growl emanates from deep in my chest. Why did that spunk just make my dick hard?

Her lips thin, head slanting all innocently, and I swear there is a deviant little devil inside that girl dying to come out. Sure as hell won't be comin' out when I'm around. Lots of trouble could happen if she pushed me hard enough.

I may be strong enough to resist her for now, but day by day, it gets harder not to pin her to the wall and rip her clothes off until I'm balls-deep inside her.

I bet she's submissive. I bet she'd like it rough.

My God, what the hell am I doin', thinking these thoughts?

I back off a bit at a time. "Let me get you some meds and put you to bed before I go."

My feet are moving to her bathroom to grab some pills and a bottle of water from the mini fridge. I open it for her as I return, handing her both.

She swallows the meds before placing the water down on the desk.

I stalk to her dresser and retrieve a pair of leggings and a t-shirt that can cover that breathtaking body of hers.

Staying at that party, seeing those guys looking at her… It was hard not to lose it. Too much I wanted to do to those boys. None of which would be a good thing for the Quinns or me. Can't be headin' back to prison. She needs me.

When I hand her the clothes, she eyes me curiously and her gaze thins.

"How did you know which drawer those clothes were in?"

"Lucky guess."

She scoffs. "Right. I bet you've been in this room, looking through all my things when I've been in class. Is that it?"

"No."

Yes. Know where everything is, love. Would've preferred cameras, but didn't think that'd be the right thing to do.

"You and my father—my whole family, for God's sake—you all hover and manage my life like I'm a child. I can't wait to move somewhere far away from everyone so I can live without the constant eyes on me!" Her voice simmers, and I can't help but laugh. "What's so funny?"

"I think it's cute that you think you can get away from your family—or me, for that matter. I thought you were a smart girl."

"Screw you."

Now don't go putting those thoughts in my head.

"When do you talk like that?" I remark instead.

"You underestimate me." She prowls closer, her eyes gleaming with her irritation. "I say a lot of things when I'm not around my family. It's why I was glad to be away, but of course you…" She digs a finger into my chest. "…had to follow me and report everything to your daddy."

She sneers in a mocking demeanor, and my jaw pulses with the desire to flip her against the wall and erase that smugness with my mouth.

"If I was reporting everything to your father, I would've already been callin' and telling him what a brat you're being."

"Brat, huh?" she snickers. "Not your type, I'm guessing?"

She runs her fingers up and down the top of my abdomen, and every muscle in my body contracts from her mere touch. Wonder what it'd feel like to have that hand wrapped around my cock instead. This wee little thing would probably get all shy and not know what to do.

A smirk teases my lips.

"Do you even have a type, Devlin?" she mocks, and I'm close to pinning this woman to her bed and showing her just who my type truly is. "Or are you cold as stone? Unaffected by the female population?"

"Eriu…you need to stop." My tone is an icy threat.

She giggles. Even her being drunk is adorable.

"You're always so serious."

Her pout is damn right sexy and irritating as hell. She shouldn't be sexy, not to me. She's Eriu. Once an innocent teenager…who has blossomed into a gorgeous woman.

Feck! My mind is corrupted.

'Bout to kiss the hell out of you just to show you how serious I really am.

"Go into the bathroom and change so I can put you to bed and leave."

"Why not join me and keep me warm all night? Promise I don't snore."

"Lord…" I grip the back of my neck.

Her laughter rings in my head, making me want to hear her moaning my name instead.

She starts to back off, and I release a silent prayer to the gods for her finally listening. But instead of heading to the restroom, she drops the clothes I gave her. I have no idea what she's doing until her hands reach behind her and that dress starts to come undone.

"Bloody hell! What are you tryin' to do?" I turn away in a snap, unable to comprehend that she's removing her dress in my presence.

"Making you see me…"

I see you, love. I see you so damn much, it hurts to be near you.

When I don't say anything back, she laughs.

"You told me to change, so I am." She sounds all throaty and sensual as hell.

A rumbling groan emerges from my lungs. "Go in the bathroom, Eriu, I swear. This is inappropriate."

I continue to face the other way.

"Why? Afraid you'll get hard? Maybe if you don't, I'll finally realize I'm not your type."

Not my type…

I chuckle to myself. If she only knew.

"Anyone with eyes would be attracted to you."

She inhales sharply, and I realize maybe I shouldn't have said that, but I didn't want her thinkin' low of herself. She's stunning.

"But I'm not the one you're gonna be with." I throw that in so she realizes I have not changed my mind.

"Why?" Her voice goes small and sad, and I want to reach for her and hold her close.

"Because I'm way older, and my life will only lead you to further danger. I've no plans to marry anyone either way, and when your father finds you a husband, it'll be because it will create a strong alliance for the family. Marrying me wouldn't do that for ya."

She snickers. "The family. Right. What happened to people falling in love and marrying for those reasons? My sister did."

"She may have, but she got lucky. Doesn't happen that way for many of the people in your position, and you know this."

"I wish I wasn't a Quinn…" She sniffles. "I wish…ouch!"

"Eriu?" I flip around immediately and find her on the floor, her foot twisted.

And she's still very much naked.

Lord have mercy on my soul.

"Tripped on the chair."

She winces as she tries to cover her breasts with her arms, but my God, I've seen the whole lot of her. I can't ever forget it.

"Can you stand?" I reach a hand to help her up, looping my arm through hers.

"I don't know," she mutters, rising to her feet while trying to cover herself, and I do my best to close my eyes while assisting her.

I look back just to find the clothes she dropped on the floor.

She continues to cover her breasts, keeping her knees locked.

"Think we're past bein' shy now, love. Seen everything there was to see." My lips jerk, and her cheeks grow in color. "You did take off your clothes for me." I grasp her jaw and near my lips to hers, so close I can taste her scattered breaths. "Didn't think things through, did ya?"

Her inhales grow shallower as my thumb inadvertently runs across her full mouth. I should teach her a lesson so she never does this again.

There I go, rationalizing it again…

My blood's laced with desire as I take in her doe-eyed expression. Her father would kill me for this, but he won't know.

"Raise your arms in the air. I'll help you get dressed."

She shakes her head.

"Wasn't asking."

I drop my hand from her, wishing it could stay there. When she still doesn't do what I said, I tilt a brow.

"I'm waiting. You wanted me to see you, so here I am, looking. Arms up."

My cock throbs at the shy way she peers at me, no longer the courageous woman who stripped, hoping to get me to give in to those wild curves.

But I'm doing this for her. She needs to learn that she can't be doing things like that. And knowing she no longer wants me to see her this way is exactly why it needs to happen.

Her chest rattles, a nervous glint in her eyes, and slowly, she backs off, her arms trembling down her body until I find a rosy nipple peeking through, hard and small.

Wanna tug it into my mouth and watch her face grow with pleasure.

I fight those feelings as she lifts her arms all the way, making me grow and ache in my slacks.

Her eyes lower there, and her mouth parts when she catches the thick outline of my hard-on. Bet she's wondering if it'd fit inside her.

With a finger, I beckon her closer, and she comes standing a few inches away.

"Good girl."

Her lips tremble as her eyes lock with mine

It's a shame I have to cover her up. The shirt slips over her, and when I pull it past her chest, my finger accidentally rubs over her nipple.

She gasps.

"Sorry," I mutter, almost coming in my pants. This is damn inappropriate. "Sit on the bed, and I'll help you with your pants."

Her breathing grows raspier and so damn hot. I wanna bury myself deep between her warm thighs.

"I can do that myself," she whispers.

"I told you what's gonna happen, didn't I? Now sit down and do what I said."

"But…but you're gonna see me. There…" Her face just about turns red.

"Where?" I tug her jaw to me. "Say it."

She pinches her eyes closed and grimaces.

"Say it, Eriu. Tell me where I'm gonna see you."

Her pretty mouth parts, yet she still doesn't look at me.

"Look at me and say it." I stroke her lips with my thumb.

"Jesus," she breathes, but those eyes lock with mine for a moment before she glances at her lap. "My pussy. You're gonna see it."

I knowingly smirk and incline her chin with the back of my hand. "That's right, I will. But you only have yourself to blame. I warned you not to start trouble. This is your punishment. After tonight, you'll never attempt anything like that again. You'll never try to seduce me. Nod if you agree."

Tears brim in her lower lashes, and I hate that I made her cry, but I need her to stop with this fantasy of us. It's never going to happen.

"I hate you," she pants softly as she lowers onto the bed.

"That's exactly what I've been waiting for."

I kneel before her and take her right foot, gently massaging her toes, not wanting to stop touching her. As I slip her foot into her leggings, it"s hard to avoid her bare core, warm and wet. My body turns rigid with desire, my blood pumping, needing a taste of her.

This is too much to bear.

One kiss and I'd be done for. That's all it'd take. And I've never been a man who cared much for kissing. But Eriu? I'd kiss her until my soul gave out. She owns me.

She closes her eyes and practically trembles as I put her left foot in.

"You're beautiful," I whisper, my heart racing so quickly, I didn't know it was capable of such things.

Her lashes flutter, and she peers at me with a quivering jaw.

My hands still, fingertips warm against her silky skin.

My heart beats out of my throat as her eyes no longer hold tears, but passion and sin. She's going to bring me to hell for what I wanna do to her.

"You think I'm beautiful?" Her question rings incredulously.

How could she ever doubt herself?

I nod once. "Too beautiful. So please, Eriu…please stop this." There's pleading in my voice that's never been there before, not like this.

"You're never gonna want to try, will you?"

That pain in her eyes returns, and I wish I had a different answer.

"Go." She sniffles. "Get out of here!"

Her hollerin' rises until she's hopping on one foot, yanking her pants all the way up, then pushing me with two palms on my chest.

But it does nothing but keep me rooted in place. A small thing like her doesn't stand a chance against me.

"Sit down before you hurt yourself." My hand snaps around her wrist.

"I don't want to look at you right now. Please…" Her voice drops. "Just go."

My pulse gallops in my ears. I hate seeing her upset. It wasn't my intention, but I can't make her think there is a chance for us when that's impossible.

She has to learn that her life doesn't include me.

"I'll go. But I'll be here tomorrow, as always."

"Wonderful." She puts pressure on her foot that she may have twisted.

"You wanna go see a doctor for that?" I glance down at it.

"No." She sits on the edge of the bed. "I'll be fine."

I don't like this. She's probably just saying that to get rid of me.

I start for the door.

"I'm sorry." The words echo as my back faces her, unable to look into her eyes any longer.

She doesn't say a word even as I walk out. But I remain on the other side long after, hearing her soft sobs undoing me one tear at a time.