Winner Takes All

Chapter Twenty Six ✘ Sinners

"They say I did something bad,
then why's it feel so good?"
I Did Something Bad — Taylor Swift

Jace's lips are feverish against mine as he kisses me, rough, hard, desperate.

My eyes flutter close, and I forget everything except his lips and how they're making me feel. An intense hum of pleasure rushes through me as Jace's teeth graze my lower lip lightly, nipping at it, and a soft moan forms in the back of my throat.

He tastes like mint and a hint of lemon, probably from the shots that he must have taken back at the party. The intense desire radiating off of him, hot and prominent, seeps into me, into my body, and it's like I'm feeding off of his need.

I can hear my heartbeat roaring in my ears, bursts of fireworks exploding all around my body. Jace's hands move over to my thighs, his big hands spreading out over my skin. The sharp, sudden coldness of his rings against my thighs snap me out of my daze, and I pull away, my breaths coming out in pants.

His eyes flutter open, the green in them darker than they usually are, his expression as hazy as I feel, and his eyebrows raise questioningly.

"What are you doing?" I gasp out, my voice coming out low and husky. I'm panting like a dog, and I can feel sweat slicking down my back.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Jace answers, staying rooted to the spot, making no move to step away from me.

My hand lifts to press against his chest. "Move."

Jace's jaw tightens. "Why?"

"Move."

"You can stop pretending that you don't feel anything towards me, Rivers," Jace mumbles, his hold on my thighs tightening, keeping me in place. "You think I don't notice the way your body reacts to me? The way you always take me in whenever I walk into a room, your eyes practically begging me to fuck you."

My lips part in surprise. I didn't think he noticed. And I absolutely hate that he's right.

"And you know why I notice?" He continues, eyes blazing down at me. "Because I do it too."

"You really expect me to believe that?" I harden my stare at him. "You're just looking for another measly fuck for tonight."

Jace chuckles, shaking his head lightly. "You and I both know I don't work like that."

I tighten my jaw, feeling the prominent, heavy desire and want swirling in my core, impossible to ignore. Every inch of my body wants him. There's no denying or dismissing that.

"You and I both also know that you want this as much as I do." He whispers, brushing his nose against mine, his hands grabbing my hips and pulling me closer to him.

Heat pools within me, my skin tingling from anticipation. I'm lost, teetering between the strong ache of need I have and remembering that I despise him. I keep my eyes on him, fighting and losing against the part of me that hates him.

My thoughts cut off when Jace's hand lifts to my chin, angling my head to the side so he can lean in and brush his lips along my jaw, my neck.

"Tell me to stop, tell me to leave, if you don't want to, Rivers. Tell me to leave and I will because if I stay and you keep looking at me like that, I'm gonna fuck you."