The Wedding Debt (Underworld Kings)

I frown. “What happened?”

Instinctively, my hand inches closer to his face, to the bruise on his cheek. But the second the tip of my finger touches his skin, he grabs my wrist and pins it to the wall behind me, planting his other hand on the wall to trap me inside.

“You.”

The word comes out in a single breath, but its power doesn’t evade me. He’s so close I can almost feel his rage. He leans in closer, almost as if he’s smelling me, and the thought alone makes my breath hitch in my throat.

“I hate … you.”

My face contorts.

How could he say that?

“Is that what you came here to tell me?” I scoff, feeling tears well up in my eyes. “Get out.”

His lip curls up. “Make me.”

I shove him with one hand, but he doesn’t budge. Again. And again. But no matter how hard I push, I can’t even make him move an inch away from me.

“What do you want?” I say, my eyes still unable to look away from the droplets running down Luca’s chiseled chest visible through his shirt.

His dark eyes lower to my chest, almost piercing right through before peering back up into mine. “You.”

Anger swirls through my body. “I didn’t do anyth—”

I can’t finish my sentence.

Because his hot lips are on mine.

Consuming me whole.

And I can’t fucking breathe.

Luca De Vos … is kissing me? But why?

I don’t understand. He said he hated me. He’s continuously bullied me, pushed me, threatened me, laughed at me.

But now his lips are on mine, claiming me in a way I never thought anyone could. And for some reason, I can’t stop him. My whole body grows numb from the feel of his lips smashing onto mine, his tongue coaxing them to part, followed by a groan that sets my body on fire.

His hand moves from the wall to my waist, his body pressing against mine. The thin piece of towel fabric separating us almost falls off. And I can feel every ridge of his muscles, every inch of his delectable body, and even the bulge protruding from his pants.

Fuck.

What is happening?

When his tongue forces itself between my lips and licks the roof of my mouth, one of his hands slides down my arm while the other slithers between the towel.

In an instant, I bite.

He leans back, his finger moving to his face, touching his bloodied lip. His tongue darts out to lick up the blood while his eyes sparkle with curiosity. “You bit me.”

“No shit,” I retort. “First, you tell me you hate me, and then you kiss me?”

He bursts out into laughter.

“What’s so funny about that?” I quip.

“That you think that’s all I feel for you,” he says, and he plants both his hands beside my head, still trapping me inside. “That you think I’m going to let my brother win.”

My eyes widen. “Win wha—”

He grabs my chin, forcing me to look at him. “I hate you for making me want you so much it makes me hate myself.”

His words repeat over and over in my mind.

He hates himself … for wanting me.

Is this the reason he kept taunting me? Pushing me?

He releases me from his grip and lets his hand fall as his hair drapes over his eyes like a shadow hiding all his secrets.

“Do you have any idea what it’s like to know the one girl you want only wants your fucking brother?”

I shudder in place, goose bumps scattering on my skin.

All this time … he had a crush on me?

No, that can’t be true.

“You called that girl to come to your house while I was there, the one with the—”

“With the what, Jill?”

“Those …” My face turns red at the thought.

“Big tits?” He raises a brow like he’s amused he could read my mind, and I hate it.

“She was a distraction. From you.”

My body is pressed against the wall as any movement will bring me closer to him.

Closer to danger.

Closer to the devil himself.

But now that I’ve licked the flames of hell, I’m not sure I still want to escape.

These dark eyes of his bore into my soul, and I can’t stop looking right back into the depths of depravity. The moment seems to last an eternity.

“I … I …” Words fail me.

He tips up my chin with his index finger and turns my face so I look straight at him. “You can’t ever do anything that will not make me want you.”

I suck in a ragged breath.

He leans in to whisper. “Believe me, I’ve tried. Hard. Especially because you seem to fucking want the only one who doesn’t want you.”

Fuck. I can’t say that didn’t hurt.

Though I’ve always known Liam prefers my sister, it’s tough hearing it from Luca’s mouth.

He starts pacing around the room. “You know, I even got into a fight because of you. And not just one, two.” He points at the new bruise. “Courtesy of my father.”