A mix of shock and anger crossed his face, but I didn’t give him a chance to respond. I rushed up to him, taking his wrists in both of my hands and planting them against the wall at his sides as I shot up to my tip toes and buried my face in his neck.

And I ran my lips over his skin.

Slowly up and then down, over the bump of the vein in his neck and down the hot curve toward his collarbone.

He shuddered.

God, he was so smooth and warm, and a tingle hit my lips, spreading across my face and down my whole body. I opened my mouth, dragging my lips everywhere. Dipping under his chin to the other side, I explored him with my mouth, so tempted to kiss him. Just once. To sink my lips into his skin and taste what smelled so good. I ran my nose under his ear, inhaling his scent and then breathing out my warm breath. He melted into the wall, tipping his head back and closing his eyes, inviting me in further.

He started to push against my grasp, wanting his hands free, but I squeezed as hard as I could, sending him a warning.

Coming back to stand flat on my feet, I released his wrists. “Keep them there.”

Pulling his shirt and jacket open wide, I moved my hands and mouth to his chest. My fingers scaled down his skin, humming at the feel of the ridges and dips and my mouth followed the path set by my hands. I circled his nipple with my middle finger and then followed it with my lips, my thighs clenching at the skin there and the hard nub.

I closed my eyes. I didn’t want this to end. I wanted him to wrap his arms around me, locking me into his heat and intoxicating scent.

But if I let him, that would be my first mistake.

I raised my head, watching him watch me as his chest rose and fell with heavy breaths.

“I’m not your little one.” I dropped my hands, backing up. “But you’re right about control. It’s an illusion. Look at yourself. You never had it.”

I let a smirk slip and dipped down to pick up my hat.

But the next thing I knew, Kai grabbed me and pulled me back into him. “And neither did you,” he whispered in my ear. “You only have as much control as I allow you to have.”

“Oh, yeah, you win. Brawn over brains every time, right? But you forget one thing.” I turned my head, speaking to him. “I can say no whenever I want, and it ends. Unless you want to go to prison again.”

He stilled, not saying anything.

He knew I was right. Of course, he could say no, too, but it wasn’t likely.

His breath fell on my hair, and he released my arms, lowering his head next to mine.

“You’re right,” he said quietly. “You can say no anytime.” And he began running his lips across my neck just like I’d done to him. “Anytime you want.”

My eyelids fluttered, and his hand took the side of my face, turning my head toward him. Our noses nudged, our lips a hair away from each other, so close I could taste him, and we weren’t kissing.

I was throbbing between my legs, and I thought about that piece of crap house and that lone bed in the room upstairs, and how there was nowhere else I wanted to be right now.

Who was really in control of whom? We were both fucked.

His hand grazed over my stomach, going lower, and I grabbed hold of it just as he took hold of me between my thighs. I whimpered. “Oh, God.” I meant to pull him away, but it felt so good.

Fuck. I couldn’t get air, and I gasped. These goddamn bindings.

I couldn’t breathe.

“Stop,” I cried, shoving his hands away. “Stop, stop, stop. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe.”

I sucked in air, resting my palm on the wall to support myself. Jesus. What the hell? My ribs and lungs ached, and I winced, desperate to get this shit off.

I needed to get out of here.

“Hey, Kai,” I heard a woman say.

I turned my head to see two girls walking down the hallway, neither of whom I recognized. Not that I should know them.

They glanced at me, their eyes dropping down my body and taking in my appearance. They turned their eyes away again, but I didn’t miss the look they shot each other as they passed me, barely waiting to make it into the bathroom before breaking out in quiet laughs.

I looked down at the floor. “Can I get the hell out of here now?”

Kai stared at me, his jacket and shirt partially open, revealing the olive skin of his chest. “Don’t worry about them. They’re just drunk.”

I pulled my hat on, not bothering to stuff my hair back up into it. I couldn’t muster the patience. “Like you give a shit,” I spat out. “You wanted me to be uncomfortable. That’s why you had me come here, around these people, so you could remind me of my place.”

“I didn’t—”

“I don’t care about your bullshit.” I glared at him, familiar anger heating my blood now. “You think I’m not used to the way people like that look at me? Men thinking if they prettied me up they’d be doing me some kind of favor, and women laughing behind their hands. It’s been that way my whole life. I don’t give a shit what they see when they look at me. Your world is empty, and it can teach me nothing.”

I’d let myself down. I’d gotten carried away with him. Again. But thankfully, it hadn’t gone too far. Blame it on stress or the attraction toward him I always felt, but I’d stopped it. I could at least feel good about that.

I tilted my chin up. “I have Damon. He’s all I want.”

Kai’s eyes thinned on me, and I could hear his slow but hard breathing from here. Yeah, think what you want, but it was true. My brother was the only man who wanted me strong. The only man who would never hurt me.

I turned on my heel and walked back down the hallway, toward the stairs.

Rounding the bannister, I quickly descended the steps, seeing Kai following me out of the corner of my eye. He trailed slowly, though, so I knew he wasn’t trying to catch me.

In two minutes I’d be outside and away from here. Just go.

But reaching the bottom, I looked up, seeing a scuffle starting in the middle of the living room. What the—?

Lev stood with his hands locked behind his head, grinning at David and Michael standing toe to toe. Ilia stood back with his arms crossed over his black suit coat, while Rika, Will, and several bystanders stood near, watching what was boiling.

“What’s happening?” Kai called behind me, brushing past me.

The desk clerk from downstairs, still in his three-piece suit, turned and spoke up. “I’m sorry, sir,” he said, looking rattled. “Mr. Crist said anyone could come up, but they looked out of the ordinary, and when I called to check in, they just took the elevator. I’m sorry.”

He looked between Michael and Kai, his eyes worried. I wasn’t sure why he was apologizing to Kai. It wasn’t his apartment.

“It’s fine,” Michael assured him and then looked to my guys. “Who are you?”

“They work for Gabriel,” I called out, pushing through the people. “David, what are you guys doing here?

I saw them in Thunder Bay a couple hours ago when I was picking up the contract, but they were supposed to be in for the night. I wasn’t expecting them in the city this late.

David turned his head, looking down at me. “Do you want to go home?”

“I was just leaving.”

But Kai stepped in, glancing at me. “Sit,” he told me.

I steeled my jaw, glaring up at him. What?

Hell, no. Screw him and this power trip. I’d had enough for one night.

“You’re not prepared to start something with these guys,” I said, getting cocky.

Real easy to do when I had back-up. Yeah, I was a little shit.

But Kai spoke to David instead. “Gabriel agreed to this. She works for me now. Leave.”

“Gabriel didn’t send us.” He stepped forward, approaching Kai. “And we leave on her command. Not yours.”

Kai turned to me, bowing his head to stare me down. “Go with him. I dare you.”

My heart skipped a beat. How much he reminded me of Damon now.

But the contract still wasn’t signed. Once it was, I could bolt, and it would be up to him if he wanted to chase me down. If I broke the agreement now, though, Gabriel would blame me.