Begging for a Second Chance (Sienna Sloan and Jarred Sterling) novel Chapter 177

Jarred's hand was large and powerful. His knuckles were pronounced, and the rough calluses on his palm and fingertips told the story of years spent in the gym and on the firing line.

His thumb lazily stroked the top of her foot, his dark eyes swirling with a dangerous, unspoken intensity.

Sienna's face burned as red as a ripe apple.

"Let me go!"

She thrashed against his grip, but his fingers only tightened like a steel trap.

Jarred leaned in close, his shadowy gaze pinning her down.

Taking in her flushed, utterly flustered expression, his lips curled into a smirk that was equal parts mockery and raw desire. His voice dropped to a seductive murmur.

"Suddenly, making a baby sounds like a fun idea."

It was a completely infuriating comment.

But delivered with that piercing stare and that gravelly tone, the words hung heavy with undeniable sexual tension.

A hot surge of outrage sparked from her toes and shot straight to her chest.

Sienna fought harder, kicking wildly under the covers with her free leg in a desperate bid to rip her foot from his grasp.

"Are you out of your mind? Have you forgotten? I can't have kids anymore! If you want a baby, go knock up Celeste!"

The playful gleam in his dark eyes vanished instantly, snuffed out like a candle in a hurricane.

It was replaced by an expression so intensely complicated she couldn't even begin to decipher it.

But the vulnerability lasted exactly one second before his arrogant, untouchable mask slammed back into place.

Instead of letting go, he gave her ankle a sharp, calculated yank.

Sienna felt herself sliding helplessly forward, the duvet bunching up uselessly beneath her.

Before she could fully register the movement, she was dragged right to the edge of the mattress.

Jarred's massive frame loomed over her, coming down hard.

He planted both hands firmly on either side of her, trapping her tightly between the soft mattress and the hard wall of his chest. She was completely immobilized.

The wet, agonizingly soft friction sent a shiver straight to her core, making her instinctively squeeze her thighs together.

She gritted her teeth, tensing her jaw as she mentally prepared for a strike.

She silently swore that if he moved a single inch closer, she was going to bite him hard enough to draw blood. She wouldn't hold back.

But the man pinning her down seemed entirely unbothered by her hostility. He actually chuckled at her desperate defiance.

His casual, dominant posture made it clear he knew exactly who was in control.

Sienna's eyes burned with unshed tears.

The whole world thought Jarred and Celeste were a match made in heaven, completely devoted to each other. Yet here he was, aggressively backing her into a corner.

Refusing to let her leave, but refusing to offer her his actual heart. This endless, toxic push and pull was suffocating her.

Right as she braced herself to sink her teeth into his skin...

The phone on the nightstand erupted in a loud, jarring ring.