Assumption (Underground Kings #1) by Aurora Rose Reynolds Page B

I narrow my eyes. “You need to ask me if I would like to go out with you.” No way am I going to let him boss me around.
    He rolls until I’m on my back and one of his legs is between mine. His hands capture mine, bringing them above my head. Then he bends his head and whispers into my ear, “Autumn, will you have dinner with me?”
    “Maybe.” I smile when he growls against the skin of my neck.
    “Please?” he asks, his tongue snaking out to touch my sensitive flesh.
    My body arches back. Having him cover me is doing crazy things to my body. I don’t know if I want to pull him closer or push him away only to climb on top of him. My hands run down his back, feeling his smooth skin under my fingers.
    “So, what do you say?” he asks, his hand running down my bare thigh.
    “What?”
    I feel the vibration of his laughter before he pulls away so I can see his face. “What’s your answer? Am I taking you willingly, or do I need to force you?”
    My eyes drop to his mouth and he smiles. “I guess I could suffer through a date with you. Who am I to pass up free food?” I ask with a straight face.
    His hands go to my sides and he starts to tickle me. I have never been tickled before and it catches me off guard, making me scream in horror.
    When he realizes that I’m not shrieking playfully, his body stills and he looks down at me in question. Tears fill my eyes again and I don’t even know what to say.
    “It’s okay,” he says gently, removing his hands from my sides and sliding them into my hair. “We can talk about what just happened another time.”
    No way am I going to tell him about my childhood. Instead of saying that, I just nod. His eyes search my face, and I know he doesn’t like what he sees when his jaw starts ticking.
    “I gotta go or I would make you talk to me.”
    “Go. It’s not a big deal.” I push his chest and he shakes his head.
    “Fuck me.” He drops his head before lifting it again, his eyes looking me over. “Just like that, you replace those fucking barriers.”
    “You need to go,” I say, really wanting to be away from him and how exposed I feel.
    “Swear to Christ, if I didn’t know that the reward would be worth it, I wouldn’t waste my fucking time with this bullshit.”
    His words are like a slap in the face and I flinch, closing my eyes for a second before opening them back up. “Get off me,” I say softly, and he presses me harder into the bed.
    “Shit, I di—”
    I cut him off, shoving at his chest and yelling at the top of my lungs, “Get the fuck off me right now!” I wiggle around, trying to break free. Not being strong enough to get him off me has tears of frustration forming in my eyes. “Please get off me,” I whisper, closing my eyes. My body loses its fight, knowing that it’s pointless; he has all the power.
    “This isn’t over,” he says quietly, kissing my forehead.
    I don’t say anything; I just wait until I feel him get up. As soon as his weight is off me, I jump out of bed and look around for my stuff from the night before. I quickly grab it and open his bedroom door. Then I shut it behind me and run down the hall to my room, slamming and locking my door behind me.
    I drop the clothes in my hands to the floor before I go to the closet, pull out a bag, and start to pack. I need to get out of here. My heart is wide open with him. Somehow, he has maneuvered through my defenses and now has the power to hurt me, and he isn’t someone I trust with that power.
    He has proven on more than one occasion that he can be an ass. How can I possibly put myself out there to be hurt by him again? I hear him coming down the hall and brace myself. When his fist pounds on the door, I close my eyes before yelling, “Go away!”
    “You even think about leaving me, Autumn, and I will hunt your ass down and spank the shit out of you.” He pauses and his voice gentles. “I don’t have time to talk to you right now, but we will be talking about what