Misted (Team Zero #5) by Rina Kent

I release a long breath, my head leaning back against the bathtub as the water covers me to my chin.

Hawk was right. After vomiting, the ringing in my head faded into a tolerable buzz.

My shaky fingers reach for a shampoo bottle on the side of the tub. Lilac. This can’t be a coincidence.

Hawk snatches it away and positions himself behind me outside the tub. He spills water on my hair and shampoos my scalp with firm, almost angry movements. Despite his pissy mood, I can’t help but soak into his touch and the mere connection of him washing my hair.

The air ripples with steam, lilac scent, and our thick silence. A shot of need tightens my nipples and causes my thighs to clench. It doesn’t matter that I’m weak, on withdrawal, or feel like dying.

Wanting Hawk isn’t a ruse of the moment or a bodily need. It’s a constant state of mind.

His fingers thread into my thick strands as his low, deep voice fills the silence. “I asked you a question.”

“And I refused to answer.”

He fists my hair around his hand and tilts my head back so I’m staring at his turquoise eyes backwards. “Don’t fucking push me.”

“Or what? You’ll kidnap me? Fuck me like a whore? Tie me to a bed and torture me? All done.” I don’t cower away from his murderous gaze. “Let me go. You hurt me enough already.”

“Not enough.” His grip tightens on my hair until pain explodes in my scalp. “It’s nothing compared to being shot in the back by the one person I trusted the most.”

I gulp the ball in my throat. This is one of those times I should step on his wounds and push him away, but how can I when I can hear my own heart splintering to tiny pieces?

“You owe me a fucking life, Mist. This isn’t even the beginning of paying me back.”

“What do you want from me?”

Still fisting my hair, his lips find the shell of my wet ear and he bites down. A chill of pain shoots through me as he whispers, “Your pain.” He flicks his tongue along the lobe until pleasure pools between my legs. “Your soul.”

My eyes fight to flutter closed, but I manage to stare up at him. My mouth hangs open, not sure what I want to say. I don’t get the chance to find out when Hawk yanks the shower head and rinses my head.

Shampoo and strands of my hair get into my eyes, nose, and mouth. I choke on the cascading water, unable to breathe.

He shuts off the steam and I draw in long breaths, blinking away the water. Hawk hauls me out of the water and into a towel and carries me back to the bedroom. I can’t fight him even if I wanted to. I’m too weak and in pain.

I hate him so much for digging his fingers into my soul and stirring up my non-physical wounds.

Hawk throws me on the bed and proceeds to chain my wrists to the bedpost.

“No…” I mumble, trying to push him, but my energy barely exists. It doesn’t take him too much effort to tie my wrists and my ankles to the bed.

I’m still in my wet underwear, shivering with something much more potent than cold. The spread-eagle position makes me so open and available for him. I like it so much to the point of frustration.

“I hate you,” I bite out.

He hovers over me, a dark shadow tightening his handsome features. “At least we agree on that.”

My lips tremble, but I swallow the ache down. “If you hate me then let me go.”

“You don’t get to call the shots.” The deceitful calm puts me on alert as he sits beside me, trailing a lazy path over my wet skin with his hooded eyes. “You can scream and fight all you want, but no one will save you from me. You’re under my mercy and I have none to spare.”

“Screw you.” I pull at the ropes, but in my state, I might as well be an ant wrestling a buffalo.

“As you wish.” His fingers drag from my wet, loose hair to my shoulder and collarbone, leaving goosebumps in their wake. I suck in a breath when it glides underneath my bra and he finds an achingly stiff nipple. He pinches. Hard. I cry out, my back arching off the bed and thrusting into his fingers. I’m so fucked up. He hates me, and I’m begging him for more.

He reaches into his back pocket and retrieves a knife. My bra falls open with a single cut. My head throbs, and I’m still hazy, but my body doesn’t understand that. It’s aching for him to touch me and bring me back to life.

Like every other time.

His index finger trails lazy circles on my nipple. The torturous rhythm plays on the strings of my body. However, I brace myself at the almost gentle look on his face. It must be the calm before the storm because the new Hawk doesn’t do gentle.

“What do you want from me?” I breathe out.

“Tell me why.” He lowers his head until his warm breath looms over my breasts like a threat.

“I told you already.”

“Wrong answer.” His mouth latches on my free nipple, nibbling while pinching my other nipple at the same time. A whimper startles out of me. The double assault shoots a sizzle straight to my core. I try to fight my restraints, but they only dig into my skin.

I hate how much I love being completely at his mercy.

Still torturing my nipple with his mouth, his hand trails down. Every movement is like I’m thrown into a fire pit. He pushes my knickers to the side and finds my soaking wet folds. A moan rips from my throat.

He growls against my breast. “You like this, don’t you, Hellion?”