Hidden In Brutal Devotion (The Brutal Duet Book 1) (The Brutal Series)
Hidden In Brutal Devotion: Prologue

Age Sixteen

Thalia

Martin’s hand grazes my hip, and my body stiffens under his touch. My eyes snap up to him as he opens the kitchen cupboard above my head, only to replace him staring down at me with hunger in his eyes. He licks his lips, the motion sending a sickening tremble through my body. I take a step back, desperate to break any connection, his lecherous stare filling me with trepidation. My skin crawls when his eyes latch on to my T-shirt, as though he was seeing through the baggy gray material straight at my boobs. I even put a camisole on beneath the T-shirt, hoping to hide my generous bust.

Just as he steps closer toward me, the kitchen door swings open, and Jace steps into the room, instantly spotting Martin. The swelling around the shiner he has looks worse today, and the undercurrent of tension between them heightens even further. I grab my glass of water and step around the counter so I’m nowhere near Martin, the tension between the two of them still at boiling point. I register Jace’s fists clench and unclench beside him, his jaw tics, and his muscular body tightens with anger.

I swallow past the lump in my throat, knowing I need to dispel the atmosphere and quickly. The last thing we need is Jace to screw up his future‍—‍not when he has so much riding on it and when he’s so close to leaving. I ignore the flutter of nervousness in my stomach at the thought of him leaving‍—‍without me. He needs to do this. For us. It’s our only hope.

I take a step toward him, but he doesn’t even register me. No, his eyes are set firmly on the asshole behind me, our foster father.

My gaze roams over Jace’s body. His basketball shorts hang low, showing a defined V, he’s shirtless as usual, and I want nothing more than to trail my fingertips over each and every firm ridge. His dark hair is a ruffled mess, and his olive skin is still damp from the shower.

Jace glances down toward me. “Go to your room, Thalia.” Then, he darts his attention back toward Martin. There’s no way I’m leaving him here, not with the tension in the room, not with Martin antagonizing him like this in a silent stare-off.

“I need your help with my math homework,” I lie, trailing a finger down his arm. A trail of goose bumps follows my finger, and he shuffles from side to side, his shoulders easing at my touch.

He exhales. “Come on.” Jace places his hand on the lower part of my back and guides me toward my room.

Slamming the door shut behind us, we’re finally in our safe haven. I can finally relax.

“I hate him,” he spits out.

“I know, me too.” I drag the T-shirt over my head and throw it to the floor.

Jace’s eyes linger on my exposed chest before he glances away, and he flops down onto my bed with an arm tucked behind his head. “So, what do you need my help with?”

How about you? I bite my lip on my snarky comeback and lie down beside him. “I lied.” I stare into his black eyes, his gaze holding mine.

He chuckles. “Of course you fucking did.”

He knows I saved his ass tonight; Martin is just waiting for an excuse to call the cops on him and destroy his future. Our future.

Jace dips his head, and his soft lips replace mine. I open my mouth, allowing his tongue to sweep in. His kiss is slow and gentle, calculated, and his large palm trails over my stomach, inching my camisole higher with each movement. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”

I hold the nape of his neck and pull him back to me, moaning into his mouth. “Fuck.” His heart is hammering against mine as our kiss becomes frantic.

“Please,” I beg.

Jace stops kissing me and pulls back, his eyes searching mine. He rests his forehead against mine.

He licks his lips. “I wanna . . .” His throat bobs, and he trembles under my touch. He’s nervous. “Can I taste you?” His eyes flick down, and my face flushes at his words. He wants to taste me down there. This is new to us‍—‍both of us‍—‍and I can’t wait.

I nod, and a thrill of excitement thrums through my veins as he sits back on his heels and lowers my sleep shorts and panties in one motion. His eyes are so dark, I can’t make out his pupils at all now.

Jace stares down at my pussy, and I move to close my legs, feeling slightly embarrassed, but he forces my thighs open wider. “Don’t hide from me, Thalia. This is my pussy, you understand me?”

I choke on air at his words, then without warning, he dips down, and his tongue flicks over my hole and up to my clit. A whimper escapes my lips, and I grip Jace’s hair, determined to keep him there where it feels so good.

My heels dig into the mattress with each sweep of his tongue, while his dark eyes replace mine. Heavy with lust, he watches me writhe under every motion of that amazing mouth of his. “Oh god, Jace.”

I don’t know what has come over me, but I drag down the straps of my top and release my tits. His eyes bug out when I squeeze them between the palms of my hands.

“Holy fuck, Thalia,” he exhales deeply on a moan. His grip on my thighs tightens to the point of pain, but I don’t stop. I play and squeeze and pinch my tits, knowing I’m driving him mad.

Jace groans into my pussy, completely devouring me, and when he begins to thrust against the mattress, a wave of wetness leaks from me, but he laps at it, pushing his face harder into my pussy.

“Fuck, I can’t. I can’t get enough of this pussy, Thalia. Your taste drives me fucking wild.” His tongue curls and dives into my hole as he pushes me further and further toward my climax.

My hips rise off the bed to meet his face, and the moment he sucks on my clit, I’m gone. I throw my head back and scream, “Holy shit. Yes, yes. Yes!”

Jace ruts against the bed, moaning and panting, and just knowing he’s so turned on both excites and reassures me of our relationship.

I slowly come down from my orgasm, my chest rising and falling. Who knew something could feel so good? Jace has brought me to orgasm with his fingers before, but this? This is something else.

He sits up, his mouth open in awe, the wetness on his chin evidence of my arousal. “Fuck, Thalia. You’re like a fucking porn star.”

I scrunch up my nose at his analogy, making him chuckle, before his gaze turns heated. “Seriously, though, I nearly fucking came from licking your sweet pussy.”

I bite on my lip. “Jace?” He sweeps his arm across his mouth. “I want to have sex with you.” My heart hammers in my chest, waiting for his rejection. We’ve been fooling around for months, but Jace has been adamant that we don’t have sex.

At first, I thought it was because he was getting it elsewhere, so he didn’t need me for that, but now I know it’s because he’s scared if we do it, I won’t want him to leave. That I’ll become so attached, I’ll beg him not to go. I can’t help but hope it’s him who’s worried about becoming attached, that it’s him who won’t want to leave.

“Please?”

I slide my hand down to my pussy and swirl my finger around my clit, and his eyes bug out before darting back up to mine. “Fucking killing me here, Thalia.” His words are choked as he strokes his hand over his covered cock.

“I know. I want to, though,” I pout. For so many reasons, I want to. I want him to be my first, I want to be his first.

When he goes off to college tomorrow, I want him to think of me‍—‍only me‍—‍and then there’s the other reason, the one I don’t want to think about, so I shove it as far back in my mind as I possibly can, where all the other thoughts go when it comes to that.

Jace pushes down his shorts and takes out his wallet, retrieving a condom. I sit up on my elbows and watch as he rolls it down his solid cock. “Carl gave it to me. I haven’t . . .” His words trail off when I pull his lips to mine. I know he hasn’t slept with anyone before; I don’t need him to explain to me again.

He’s between my legs rubbing his cock around my hole. “It’s going to hurt a bit, Thalia.” His concerned eyes meet mine.

I force the lump in my throat down. “I know, I want this. I want you, Jace.” Our eyes lock as he pushes inside me slowly, and I grimace a little at the bite of pain.

“Shit, you’re really tight.” His mouth is open, as though he’s astounded, and he slowly pushes in a little more before stopping. “Are you okay?”

I’m already worried he’s going to back out with the concern visibly etched on his face. I nod and bite my lip, trailing my hand over his jaw. I bring his face toward mine, knowing what I need to do. “I like you stretching me, Jace.”

“Oh fuck, I love how dirty you are.”

He pushes in more, then he pulls almost all the way out before slamming in and past the barrier that was between us. My back arches off the bed with a wince.

“Oh fuck. I’m in. I’m in, baby.” He pulls back and pushes in again.

“More. More, Jace.” I dig my nails into his back, determined to leave my mark on him.

His lips meet mine, and his tongue clashes with my own. We kiss frantically as he pushes in and out of me.

“Oh fuck, I think—” He pulls back to look at me, his eyes wide in panic. “Shit, I’m . . .” He drops his head into the crook of my neck as I feel him swell inside me.

I hold him there as tight as I possibly can; I hold Jace Matthews in my arms, wishing the night to never end, because tomorrow? That’s when reality sets in, that’s when my hell begins. I feel it brewing, and if truth be told, Jace can too, he’s just choosing to ignore it.

My eyes well with tears.

“I love you, Thalia. Wait for me, and I’ll wait for you.”

I want to believe him; I want to believe those words he whispers so tenderly into my ear as his lips dust over my neck.

“I’ll wait for you. There’s only ever going to be you.”

He nods into my hair, believing every word from my traitorous mouth.

The truth will only destroy him. Him and his dream.

Him and us.