He was still pulsing as the movement of his hips slowed.

“Swallow,” he said breathlessly, still recovering.

I did, and as I sat back, I wiped a finger over my damp lips. Did he notice my hand was trembling? I was sure he did. It felt like he saw everything. Yet he said nothing as he bent and tugged his pants and boxers up. He did the zipper, but not the button, and didn’t reach for the belt or his shirt. Instead he reached for me.

I stared at his offered hand, spinning. Given what I’d just done, this was nothing. So why did it feel like it was everything? As if I were crossing a threshold with him? Taking his hand was another huge step as we tried to forge trust. I slipped my hand into his, and although he didn’t smile, I knew he was pleased.

He didn’t speak as he helped me to my feet. When I was beside him, his hand on mine shifted. His long fingers curled around my wrist so he could lead me along toward the bathroom. He could have easily held my hand with our fingers linked together, but no. This wasn’t a partnership, and we weren’t equal. This was just another way for Luka to exert his control.

He scooped up the duffel bag, and once we were in the bathroom with the door shut, he set it on the counter and unloaded the contents. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but it was surreal to see my things in his hands. My makeup bag. My shower caddy. My birth control pills.

I gripped the edges of my shirt and wrapped them around myself, crossing my arms over my chest. I was still shaky from the intense scene that had played out, and now I was cold and awkward. He turned the dial on my birth control pack and punched out the pill for today, then handed it to me. My fingers trembled as I took it from him, popped it in my mouth, and dry-swallowed.

Satisfied, he put a hand on my arm and guided me deeper into the room, herding me to the glass door of the shower.

He opened it, turned on the water, and then set his dark gaze on me. It was clear what he wanted. I let out a shuddering breath and peeled the shirt down my arms, dropping it to the tile. The silence from him was stifling, and I ached for him to say something.

But he said nothing.

Instead he turned me and pressed my back to the cold glass, which made me inhale sharply. He leaned over, setting his forearm on the glass over my head, and his other hand slipped down the front of my panties.

My lips parted so I could pull in air. His touch had purpose. His fingers closed around the vibrator still lodged in me, and slowly pulled it out. It was tossed into the nearby sink.

The glass at my back was beginning to warm with the heat of the shower, and I felt feverish as Luka set a hand delicately on my cheek. At first I thought he was going to kiss me, but his gaze wasn’t on mine, or on my mouth. His thumb brushed my cheekbone. It took me a second to place what he was doing. He was evaluating me for injury from the belt. Broken capillaries, or bloodshot eyes, or signs of ligature.

My voice was quiet. “Did you leave any marks?”

“No.” His gaze clicked with mine and my knees wanted to buckle under the weight of it. “Did you want me to?”

I pressed my lips together and shook my head.

Stubble darkened Luka’s jaw and I studied it up close. He looked sculpted. Flawless skin covering high cheekbones and a strong jawline. And, God, his mouth was sexy with its cruel, wicked lips. He must have noticed what I was looking at, because he gave me a hint of a closed mouth smile.

His fingers dipped below the waistband of my panties again, and his kiss swallowed my gasp. My skin seared from his touch, and burned as his hard body pressed against mine. I didn’t know if I was allowed to touch him without permission. He’d always had me pinned down, or had ordered me to put my hands behind my back. So I risked it. I set my palm flat on his chest, over his heart, and noticed its steady beat. Even his heartbeat was controlled.

But his skin was on fire like mine. Luka’s tongue filled my mouth as the pads of his fingers swept and stirred, and I moaned softly.

Had I cracked an invisible whip? Luka sank to his knees and tugged my underwear down my legs, pulling one foot free and then the other.

“Wider,” he ordered, pushing on my knee and getting me to stand with my feet wide on the bathmat.

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