Empire of Desire (Empire, #1)

by Rina Kent

The thing about ambition is that it can’t be stopped, measured, or contained.

“You told me once that reason is subjective. That means what you see as reason is entirely different from what I do.”

“Are you going to let it rule you or are you going to bring it to its knees in front of you? Because those are your only two options, Gwyneth. It’s up to you what you decide to fill it with. Strength or weakness.” I chose neither. I chose to fill it up with him.

Fuck the way she looks at me. As if I'm a god with all the answers and solutions. As if I’m the only one who can make everything right.

“If you don’t stop flaunting yourself around, if you keep provoking me and don’t stay in your lane, I’ll be inclined to take action. I’ll swallow you down so fast, there’ll be nothing left of you, let alone your sarcasm and naïveté. You’ll stare in the mirror and not recognize yourself anymore. This is my last warning and the only courtesy I will give you. Stop, Gwyneth. You don’t know what the fuck you’re dealing with. So go back to college, to your safe boys and vanilla milkshakes and boring little life.”

“But I don’t want safe and boring.” I want you. I almost say that. Almost, but I don’t get to, because his next words knock the living breath out of my lungs. “You’re well and truly fucked, baby girl.”

“From now on, if you have any sexual urges, I’ll be the only one who satisfies them.”

I’m taking away your little angel, King, and she won’t be pure and innocent anymore, because I’m taking that away, too. I should say I’m sorry, but I’m not. I won’t apologize for what I’m about to do. I don’t know what exactly she is to me or where we’ll go from here. But I know one thing for sure. Gwyneth is now mine.

With each roll of his hips, he not only fills up the emptiness, but he also engraves himself into that large space in my heart that he’s been occupying for years. The space that kept growing without my permission and wouldn’t stop.

“You’re so fucking beautiful. So fucking addictive. So fucking mine.”