The Outliers: (The Outskirts Duet Book 2) Read online

  My life.

  “This won’t change anything. I mean it.” he repeated. There is no trace of humor in his tone.

  I don’t answer. Smoke could tell me he didn’t want me all night long but his dilated pupils and his darkening eyes told another story. One of lust. I had to do this. I had no choice and I was running out of time.

  All he needed was a little push.

  I unhooked my bra, dropping it to the floor. He watched intently. His nostrils flared. He ran his tongue over his lower lip as he drank me in.

  He’s quiet for a moment. Fear spikes through me at the thought that I’ve lost my only chance. He glances back up to meet my eyes like he has come to some sort of conclusion. “Alright, Princess.” Smoke’s wicked smirk is back. I broke with the scar raises when he says, “You think you can handle a man like me?”

  The way he says it drips with the challenge. With promise.

  With a warning.

  I take another step toward him and make no move to cover my naked breasts. I’m calling his bluff, just like he’s calling mine. A thrill shimmies its way to my very core, no doubt a result of both the thrill and terrifying fear warring within me.

  “Then come on, Princess.” Smoke unzips his jeans and lifts his hips slightly off the couch. He pushes them down far enough to reveal the defined V underneath. The fabric of his tight black boxers is stretched so thin over his straining erection I can see the color I’ll his flesh beneath.

  He extends one last warning. “A fuck won’t buy your freedom. I’m a lot of things, but a liar isn’t one of them. You wanna fuck me?” The way he says the word fuck sends shivers up my spine. My nipples harden further and I pretend it’s because of the air skating across my naked flash. “You want me to bend you across this couch and show you how real man fucks?” He nods like he’s agreeing to something in his head. “Then let’s go. But you’re going to regret it, because as I’ve said it changes nothing.”

  I smile like his words didn’t send spasms of fear pulsating in my chest. Whether they were true or not didn’t matter. It was my last chance.

  My only chance.

  I approach the couch and kneel before him, spreading my fingers over his jean covered thighs like I’d done this a million times before.

  I hope you can’t feel me shaking.

  Smoke grabbed my wrist roughly, lifting it off his leg. He snarled. “This isn’t a fucking joke, little girl. I know you think you’re smart, and I know there are a lot of motherfuckers out there that will fall for your bullshit, but in case you haven’t noticed, I ain’t like other guys. I see right through this act of yours. I ain’t buying it.” He leaned forward his face inches from mine. He smells like a leather and fresh soap. “You can’t buy your freedom with pussy, because your freedom ain’t for sale.”

  “It’s not an act,” I lie, defensively with my teeth gnashed together. I try to yank my wrist from his grip, but he squeezes tighter, his fingernails biting into my flesh.

  I gasp when a bolt of heat passes between us. We both lower our eyes and stare at where his hand has my wrist trapped and I wonder if he fell it too. The electric like current still running across our skin and deeper.

  Smoke growls, releasing me so suddenly I fall back onto the floor. “Have it your way, Princess.” He says. His eyes are dangerously dark. His eyes are heavily lidded. There’s a crackle in the air that wasn’t there a moment ago. “Take off my pants and ride me,” he orders, leaning back on the couch he glances from me to his open jeans then back again.

  Shit.

  I swallowed hard and raised to my knees again, I pushed down my panties and stepped out, kicking them off to the side. I was now completely naked. Exposed to my enemy. The nakedness wouldn’t have bothered me before because my intentions were still hidden. Now I felt more vulnerable than ever, because Smoke knew of my intentions and was find out all there was to know about my body.

  I hook my fingers into the waistband of his jeans and start to snake them down over his hips. Smoke may be able to see through me in some ways, but I still have secrets he doesn’t know. Secrets he will never know. It’s my turn to look up at him and smile, knowingly. My turn to look smug as he watches my every movement with laser like interest.

  Smoke doesn’t know that everything I’ve told him since the day we met has been a lie.

  The day he abducted me.

  Up in Smoke is available for preorder and coming soon

  Acknowledgments

  Becca, we did it!!! Thank you so much.

  Thank you to Ellie from Love-N-Books.

  Thank you to Kimberly Brower, my agent.

  Thank you so much to all my amazing readers and the fab people in Frazierland.

  Thank you to Wander Photography for this amazing cover picture and for being an all around amazing person.