they were filled with such intensity it stole the warmth from me. I shivered as he dragged a thumb across my lips. “Count down,” he ordered. “What?” I breathed. “Count. Down.” He slipped two fingers through my wetness and pushed them inside of me. I arched my back, dug my nails into his shoulders, and groaned in pleasure and a little pain. This was rougher than anything I was used to, but it only seemed to spark a fuse inside me. “Fuck,” he muttered. “Count.” “Thirty ...” I breathed. “Twenty-nine . . .” Ecstasy unfurled in my veins like the hit of a drug—a mind-numbing, breathtaking drug—as he slid his thick fingers in and out. He rubbed a spot deep inside of me, hot pressure expanded, and my eyes rolled back. Ronan smacked my ass, reminding me to count. The unexpected slap stung my flesh, but it also sent a vibration to my clit that stole my ability to do anything else but moan against his neck. Judging by the rumble that vibrated in his chest, he liked my reaction, though the noise ended on a cynical note. “Use your words.” I didn’t know any words at the moment, so I shook my head. The next spank wasn’t as pleasurable. It was a lance of fire that brought a yelp up my throat and a tepid glare to my eyes. I thought he wanted to smile, but he didn’t; he only continued to slowly fuck me with his fingers until the annoyance in my gaze faded to half-lidded lust. When I managed to say, “Twenty-five,” he soothed the burn on my ass with a palm, liquefying every muscle in my body, and then he swallowed the sigh from my lips. The kiss lacked finesse while I grinded against his hand, panting numbers into his mouth. The impending release curled down my spine, and I wasn’t even at twenty. He’d never believe me if he got me off in less than ten seconds. A cold sweat started beneath my skin, and my nails dug into his biceps as I tried to hold off for as long as I could. He nipped my neck. “Malen’kaya Igunishka.” Little liar. “Twenty...” I trembled, the flush beneath the surface threatening to erupt. He wasn’t even putting much effort into this, like he knew he didn’t need to in order to