Empire of Hate (Empire #3) by Rina Kent

“This whole thing?” I try to pretend she didn’t metaphorically stab me with her favorite kitchen knife.

Yes, the plan—that’s currently searching for therapy—is to kick her out once the custody battle is over, but that doesn’t mean she gets to think that as well.

Nicole releases a frustrated breath. “Whatever vendetta you have against me.”

“There’s no fine print that says this will be over anytime soon. Might want to rest that busy brain from thinking about unnecessary things.”

“How long do you intend to keep this going?”

“Bored already?” I grab her by a handful of her hair, my fingers digging into her nape. “Didn’t sound like it when you were screaming the room down last night.”

Her delicate hands land on my chest as she peeks behind me. “Stop it. Jay’s awake.”

“So is my cock.”

I nudge my erection against the soft flesh of her stomach to prove a point. It’s been in this state ever since I walked in and saw her dancing and laughing like a fucking goddess.

Her thighs tremble against mine and then it happens, the slight shudder, the closing of her eyes, and the whole body stiffness.

When she opens them, she relaxes a little and stares at me like a nymph. Either she is one or I really need some therapy for being a sex addict.

I even did my own diagnosis and can spare the psychotherapist the trouble of naming it. I’m sexually addicted to Nicole.

Have been ever since I found out what fucking means, and the fact that I couldn’t have her, then shouldn’t have had her, turned me into a bitter fucking dick.

My emotions have always been mild, controlled, absolutely regular. Except for when it comes to this woman.

With her, they’re a tsunami of toxic shit and bring an immeasurable need to inflict pain.

I rub my cock against her stomach and she shudders.

“Oh my God, here?” she whisper-yells.

“Good a place as any.”

“You’re insane.”

“Heard worse. Now make that mouth useful and wrap it around my cock, Ms. Adler.”

“Don’t call me that.” She scrunches her nose.

“The inferiority pisses you off?”

“Feeling like a stranger does.” Her hand wraps around my cock through my trousers and I nearly come like a pubescent amateur.

“We are strangers, Nicole. Eleven years would testify to such. Oh, and the ten years before that weren’t exactly a splash of color.”

“Still doesn’t make us strangers.” She wanks me slowly, taking obvious pleasure in how my cock twitches in her hold. “See? Junior recognizes me.”

“Why the fuck do you remember that name?”

“I have a strong memory. Besides, he’s telling me something, Junior.”

“Didn’t know you were a dick whisperer.”

“Junior only whispers to me,” she says with a bright smile that makes me as hard as the Statue of Liberty.

“Let’s go with your crazy shit. What is he telling you?”

“That you dipped him in too many holes and he’s tired.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, he thinks he should take some downtime.”

“You must have hearing problems, because downtime doesn’t exist in his limited vocabulary. Shagging is his way of survival as a healthy twenty-nine-year-old male.”

She squeezes me until I grunt. “He doesn’t mean downtime from sex, just downtime from the other girls.”

My lips tilt in a smirk. “That’s too many words and a tacky tactic to tell me you want us to be exclusive.”

She reaches into my trousers and gives me a real hand job, up and down until all my blood rushes to my groin. “I want us to be exclusive.”

“And I want to be the Queen’s solicitor. We don’t always get what we want.”

Nicole pulls her hand out of my trousers just when I’m about to decorate it with my cum.

The lust slowly vanishes and her haughty expression returns. “Then I’ll go fuck other men.”

“You do that. Don’t forget to not use your teeth when giving head.” I want to kick the fucking arsehole in me who even uttered those words when the prominent feeling is to stab whoever comes near her.

Or whoever she goes to.

“You’ll really sleep with other women?” There’s hurt in her tone, a brokenness that fucking guts me.

“We’re not in a relationship, Nicole. This is called fucking. No strings attached. Google it.”

“I won’t let you touch me then. Go to your side pieces for your erection problems.”

“Why the fuck are you being dramatic?”

“So asking for basic human decency is called dramatic now? Fine, I’m a drama queen then. You might want to rub one out, because my mouth won’t be touching that dick.”

And then she storms to Jayden’s room, leaving me there, hard with both rage and the need to strangle the fuck out of her.

Now, I have to reacquaint my dick with my hand and hope their love-hate affair will hold up for some time.

For the rest of the day, Nicole ignores me. Flat out. Like she’s the queen and I’m a pageboy at her disposal.

It’s one of her loathsome traits that I’ve hated since we were young. She has this tendency of making those surrounding her feel like less than fucking dirt.