This position was terribly dangerous.
First, because my naked body was positioned over his significant erection and I could feel every inch of him through his pants. Second, escape was virtually impossible, from both his grasp and his bottomless eyes. And third, because while he’d kissed his way down my body, he’d undone the buttons of his shirt. It hung open at his sides, exposing his toned chest and taut stomach.
His hands were splayed on my back, and he urged me forward before I could stop him. His kiss landed on my lips at the same moment my bare skin pressed to his, and between my legs, there was the subtle jerk of his cock. He liked the way I felt against him, my breasts flattened to the faint dusting of hair on his warm chest.
“No. Stop.” I jerked away and struggled to get out of his lap, but his arms tightened around me. It didn’t seem to be to restrain me so much as it was to try to get me to calm down.
“You promised me,” I reminded. “I’m saying ‘stop.’ Let me go.”
There was a long, scary second where I believed he considered ignoring me, but then his mouth brushed over the shell of my ear. “All right. I’ll release you as soon as you kiss me.”
What? No. I shook my head.
“Then we’ll stay as we are until I have what I want.” He shifted me in his arms, reminding me of all the indecent places we were connected. “It’s a simple kiss.”
“Nothing with you is simple,” I hissed.
He drew back so I could see him. He liked hearing what I’d said, judging by his expression. It was pure arrogance. I wanted out, to be free from under his command and away from the Minotaur’s ravenous eyes. I had to be practical. This wasn’t nearly as bad as the alternative and the fastest way. I shut off my brain, leaned forward, and flattened my mouth to his before he could react.
I hated him.
He pushed, and pushed, and as his kiss seared across my lips, I wondered how much longer it would be before he wore me down. Before he broke me. He’d already turned my body against me. His tongue swept into my mouth and coaxed me to join him, and although I refused, the sensation of it wasn’t . . . unpleasant.
He clearly enjoyed it, and like a true Olympian, Macalister didn’t give a fuck about how wrong it was.
Finally, he released me from his thorough kiss, lifted my arms over his head, and set about undoing the tie.
“We can take as much time as you’d like,” he said softly, “but be aware you’re putting off the inevitable.” His eyes darkened as they filled with power. “I’ve negotiated billion-dollar mergers and destroyed every company that tried to take what’s mine, Marist. People far more powerful than you have surrendered to me.” He lifted an eyebrow in a soft taunt. “Do you believe you can refuse me forever?”
No, I didn’t.
But I sure as hell was going to try.
Macalister tried to help me get dressed, but I scooped up his suit coat, shoved it at him, and ordered him to go. He didn’t like being told what to do, but he must have sensed I was on the edge of a total breakdown, and emotions made him uncomfortable. It was better for both of us if he disappeared.
I clutched my dress over my body and stood stock-still as he went, waiting until I couldn’t hear his footfalls anymore before returning to life. Perhaps ‘life’ wasn’t the right word. I didn’t feel alive. I was numb, an empty vessel as I pulled on my clothes and trudged through the maze, avoiding using the dishonest door I now knew existed.
When I neared the house, I looked up at Royce’s window and saw the light on. Was he in there? Oh, my God. He had a view of the maze from above. Had he seen what his father had done? My dinner roiled in my stomach and threatened to come up. The shame was overwhelming. It made my joints hurt, my bones ache.
The house was quiet as I came inside. Only a step on the back staircase creaked as I made my way up them. It was the longer route to get to my room, but I wanted to avoid running into Macalister.
And I didn’t run into him. It was the youngest of the Hale men who I encountered in the dark hallway as he slipped out of Alice’s room. Vance’s startled expression was guilty for a moment, before it filtered out and he returned to normal. We gave each other a hard, evaluating stare.
“Hey, Marist.” He forced casualness into his voice. “I was helping Alice with something. You okay?”
I couldn’t get the chill of his father off me. Maybe I’d never be warm again. But I fed Vance the lie automatically. “I’m fine.”