King’s Temptation by Piper Stone

Chapter 11

Angelique

Fierce.

My mother had called me the fiercest person she’d ever met and that had been when I was eight years old. I hadn’t understood what she was referring to at first, but I knew she’d given me a compliment and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

I’d prided myself in being strong and independent, maintaining a fierce attitude no matter what was going on around me. In doing so, I’d been able to pretend more often than not that I was a normal girl, not the daughter of a brutal dictator. I’d learned early on that the world could be cruel and unforgiving and that brutality was nothing more than a way of life. I’d also learned that rules were made for very distinct reasons and that breaking them had consequences.

But that hadn’t dissuaded my actions in the least. My fierce and bold attitude had gotten me into trouble on several occasions, including the first day I’d met Dimitri. That was the day my mother had told me in no uncertain terms that girls born into royalty never accepted men considered little more than thugs.

As I sat huddled in a blanket, even after a long hot shower, I thought about how ironic it was I’d used almost the exact phrase with Dimitri. No, against him. I fisted my hand around the blanket, thankful that Dax remained curled up on my feet.

Dimitri had spoken little more than two sentences collectively since we’d returned. We’d eaten dinner in silence, only the last of the storm and light music coming from his small CD player providing any noise. What made me sad was that I’d been all right with that. Maybe I was the one who needed space, time alone.

I shifted my attention in his direction, studying his strong jaw and chiseled features. He’d covered a good portion of his body with gorgeous, colorful tattoos, but they hadn’t been able to hide the long scars on his back or the ones on his chest. While the marred skin on his chest had been from bullet wounds, a product of the profession he’d chosen, the ones on his back were horrible to look at. The gorgeous man had been whipped several times, the crisscrossing forever mutilating his skin.

Exhaling, a cold shiver raced down my spine. Maybe he was right and I didn’t want to endure hearing the wretched stories, the horrible torment he’d been forced to face. However, the moment he’d whispered Natasha’s name, I’d known how tortured he truly was. She’d obviously been the most important person in his life.

I could never make up for what had been stripped away from him. I was fooling myself if I thought otherwise. I absently stroked Dax’s head as I sipped my wine but all I could think about was the hard fucking only hours before.

The moment in the forest had been raw and insatiable, leaving me sweaty and sore with scratches covering my back from the roughness of the tree. Every moment of lust shared between us was all consuming, slamming shut my ability to deny my burning hunger. Even now I found it difficult to think clearly, images of the savage few minutes playing over and over again in my mind. Dimitri had that kind of power over me.

“You will sleep in the bed. I will remain here,” he said so quietly that I almost hadn’t heard him.

“But you have a guard to watch over us.”

He snorted, lifting the crystal glass in his hand as he studied me. “You obviously underestimate Antonio’s capabilities. Even with the five acres surrounding us as well as the extensive security system, if he wants to get in, I assure you that he’ll find a way.”

“Are you trying to scare me?”

“I’m doing nothing more than protecting you. Nothing. You deserve to know the truth.”

Swallowing, suddenly the taste of the wine was bitter. “I appreciate that.”

His gorgeous blue eyes continued to stare at me, studying me even more intently than before. “You own five acres. That’s wonderful.”

“Yes, give or take.”

This was like pulling teeth. Why in the hell did he shut down after he’d fucked me? Even asking myself the question seemed ridiculous. Because that’s what he did. It was his defense mechanism, keeping him from actually caring about someone. “Did you know that Cristiano had been approached regarding marriage to Antonio before?”

“No, he didn’t tell me.”

“That was a few years ago. Cristiano laughed about it, my other brothers angry with him for even mentioning it. That was before he’d gone to prison. I don’t know why I was thinking about that at this point. I guess it doesn’t really matter.”

“Because you’re still furious with your brother for suggesting that Antonio is even led to believe he agreed to it this time. I can understand that, but as I’ve said, often there are reasons that go beyond logic.”

“I love my family, Dimitri. I would do anything in my power to protect them, but he has to know how Antonio will react when he learns the truth.” I looked away, studying the darkness. I’d always hated the dark from the time I could remember. That’s where boogeymen lived. Hell, I was childish enough that I still slept with a nightlight on.

As well as a gun beside my bed. At least he hadn’t taken away my weapon.

Now I had my own personal monster trying to claim what didn’t belong to him. Dimitri was right. Antonio would never stop trying. He was like a dog with a bone. No, the man was simply an animal. I continued rubbing Dax, hating the fact I actually was afraid.

I heard the tinkling of ice, his ragged breathing. “Cristiano knew what he was asking of you was significant. I do not believe he would have allowed you to get close to the man under any circumstances. He will never allow a man like that to get control of anything regarding the King family.”

“I don’t know what his plans are and I’m not certain I care.”

“Family is everything, Angelique. You should remember that. And you need to forgive him.”

“You’re right. Fine. I’ll make you a deal, Dimitri. I’ll forgive Cristiano if you forgive yourself.” I shot a look in his direction, realizing that I’d obviously caught him off guard.

He took another gulp of his drink, obviously ignoring my suggestion.

Sighing, I was too exhausted to argue with him. “I’m going to bed.”

“I think that’s a good idea.”

In my usual craziness around this man, I actually waited for a few additional seconds for him to encourage me to stay for any reason. Company. Friendship. Anything. He simply turned his head away, using one hand to sip his drink, the other to hold the weapon in his lap. What a horrible way to live.

“Come on, baby. Let’s get some sleep.”

Dax eased off the couch, stretching as he wagged his tail. Even my dog was staring at the hulking mass of a man. I left the blanket on the couch, arranging it so Dimitri would consider using sometime in the night. As I turned away from the couch, I could swear I heard a single agonizing sound behind me.

As if he was hurting.

As if he was reliving what had occurred.

I padded toward the bedroom, feeling entirely too small and helpless.

Then I felt him behind me. The scent of his cologne tickled my nose, the hints of spice and a deep dark forest just another reminder of our act of carnal sin. I held my breath, uncertain of what to expect.

Would he take me into his arms, whispering words of lust and need?

Would he find some horrible offense I’d performed or a rule I’d broken, dragging me into the bedroom to spank me before bed?

Or would he bark some additional order?

I had a feeling I knew which.

“Just remember that the security system is on. You can’t as much as open a window without setting it off. If Dax needs to go outside in the middle of the night, come and wake me. Otherwise, keep the bedroom door open. I need to be able to hear you if you cry out. Do not dare to try and escape. I will hunt you down and you won’t like what I do.”

I could feel my shoulders slumping from the tone of his voice alone. All business. All protector.

Not my lover.

Not my master.

“Fine, Dimitri. I will make certain I’m a good little girl. All. Night. Long. Come now, Dax.” I had to fight myself to keep from running down the hall. I almost slammed the door anyway, but I was finished with acting stupid and childish. Whatever happened, I needed to pay attention to everything around me. Dimitri was right that this was no game. One way or the other, I would make certain Antonio never bothered me again.

Then I would leave New Orleans for a while. Maybe a year. Traveling would clear my head. After all, I had nothing to go home to, not really.

Not like I wanted.

Dax jumped on the bed, his deep brown eyes never leaving me. He knew when I was pissed off or sad. Tonight… It was a mixture of both.

I yanked my duffle off the floor, tossing it onto the dresser, unzipping it and immediately reaching inside. As I wrapped my hand around the handle, pulling the gun into the light, I was able to take a deep breath. At least I could protect myself if some crazy soldier tried to break in. I wouldn’t hesitate to point the barrel right between his eyes.

After placing it on the nightstand, I realized I hadn’t bothered to think of packing anything to sleep in. I stood staring at his chest of drawers for a few minutes. Maybe he’d left a few things here. There was no reason for me to dart a look out the door. Why should I care if wearing something that belonged to him pissed him off?

As I opened the first drawer, I almost laughed. The man had left four perfectly folded pairs of socks. From what I could tell, they were positioned in squares that were the exact same in dimensions from one to the other. The next drawer held nothing. The third held a few tee shirts, all folded in exactly the same meticulous manner.

I couldn’t hold back a smile as I pulled the single red shirt into the light. There was nothing special about it, no markings of any kind, and it was obvious by what he’d told me that he hadn’t spent time here in months. However, I still pulled the material against my nose, able to detect his scent. It gave me comfort somewhere, a closeness that I wasn’t going to get otherwise.

Very slowly I walked into the bathroom, removing and folding my clothes, still smiling from the sight of the efforts of an organized man. When I slid into the shirt, an actual laugh pushed from my lips. Dimitri was large, huge in comparison to me, but when I turned around and looked in the mirror, I realized just how large he was. The shirt was a lovely dress almost reaching my knees.

After brushing my teeth, I gave my reflection another stare. What the hell? Red looked good on me. After turning out the light, I crawled into bed, uncertain I wanted the flood the room with darkness. As Dax shifted next to me, I took a deep breath and turned the switch on the lamp.

It was time to grow up on every level.

There were no boogeymen hiding under the bed. They took what they wanted in daylight as well. There also wasn’t a perfect man out there, only broken ones who refused to allow anyone else to come into their lives.

Dax and I would enjoy spending time together. After all, what more did a girl need than a loyal companion?

Chuckling, I turned away from the door, pulling the covers over my shoulders then closing my eyes.

Almost instantly, images of Dimitri’s face popped into my mind.

After a few seconds, I huffed, turning over. I had to get some sleep.

Another full two minutes passed.

I rolled back over, half laughing from the way Dax was snoring. At least he was going to have a restful night. I put my hand on his paw, rubbing gently, praying that everything would be all right. A single tear slipped past my lashes, which was one tear too many. I wasn’t going to cry. I wasn’t the kind of girl to get this emotional. Was I?

After clenching my eyes shut, I ran the tip of my finger through the tear, wiping it ever so slowly on Dimitri’s shirt. Yes, everything was going to be all right.

At least the brutal Russian was committed to protecting me.

But who was going to protect him?

* * *

Dimitri

I remained in the chair, sulking as I polished off my drink. I’d done a hell of a lot of that lately, falling into round after round of despair. Even before this mess, I’d found it difficult to concentrate. Maybe it was because the anniversary of that night was only a couple of weeks away. Or maybe because I’d been working long hours in an effort to help the King family keep the peace. Whatever the reason, I loathed what I was doing to myself.

What I was doing to her.

Her.

Now I couldn’t even use Angelique’s name. I’d continued to try to reduce her down to nothing important in my life. Yeah, I could tell how that was working. I jerked the bottle from the floor, pouring another hefty shot. This was my limit. Period. At least by Marko’s last report, the perimeter remained intact. One of the good things about the property was the denseness of the forest with only one road access. One of the bad things was the river. A boat could access the location, anchoring out of sight, the assassins swimming to the dock. Hell, they could use a freaking rowboat and it’d breach the limited security I had down by the lake. At least every exterior light was on a motion detector, the main line tripping the security; that did help. But there were always ways of getting around it.

I took another swig, glaring out the window. Maybe I should install blinds, something I’d never wanted to do. Still, we were sitting ducks if a single light remained on at night.

My thoughts drifted to the lovely woman sleeping in my bed down the hall. I’d been far too gruff with her, barking like some sergeant. She didn’t deserve my bad mood. I licked the rim of the glass, trying to reconcile my feelings for her. The yin and yang of what I was doing to myself was part of the problem.

I wanted what I couldn’t have.

Now that I had a taste, I wasn’t certain I could live without her. She was the only possible chance I had at salvation.

Beautiful.

Sensuous.

Bratty.

Perfect.

Mine.

If that was allowed for a man like me.

I eased the glass to the floor before rising to my feet, sliding my weapon behind my back. I took long strides down the hall, peering inside. It was far too damn dark. I knew she hated the darkness, angry shadows as she’d called them a long time ago. This wasn’t acceptable. Then I remembered I had a small battery-powered LED that would be perfect to use as a nightlight.

After finding it in one of the drawers in the kitchen, I took a deep breath before returning to the room. The second I turned it on, I was able to make out a shadow on the nightstand. When I walked closer, my throat tightened. She’d placed her own gun on the nightstand beside her. Not only was she terrified of what might happen, she couldn’t place all her trust in me being able to protect her.

Why should she? I’d failed the first time at rescuing the most important person in my world. What would make me think I’d have any more success this time around? I rubbed my eyes, loathing myself and almost everything I’d ever done in my life. Damn it, I wanted nothing more than to be close to Angelique, making certain I kept my promise to Cristiano.

And to the woman I… adored.

As I crouched down onto the floor, placing my back against the bed, I not only allowed images of the horrible night years before to enter my mind. I encouraged them for the first time. And for some reason I wanted to tell her what had held me prisoner for so many years.

Even if she was asleep.

Maybe it was a way to clear my conscience. Maybe it would allow me to feel closer to her. Whatever the reason, I wanted nothing more than for her to hear me. I chuckled as I ran my fingers through my hair, enjoying the shadows in the room. Tonight they were comforting. I couldn’t tell her the story while she was awake. Some big badass I was.

Still, it felt good to open up, even in this way.

“When I was fourteen, I was recruited into the Bratva. Hell, my parents were poor, barely making ends meet. I was promised a lot of rubles to start working with the powerful organization, so I agreed. It was shit work at first, the kind of crap that no kid would want to do but within only a few weeks, I’d made more money than my father had the entire year. I was able to buy things for the family, including food and clothes. I was even able to purchase toys and books for my little sister.”

I thought about Natasha’s face for a few seconds before continuing.

“Unfortunately, my brothers wanted to follow in my footsteps, refusing to obey my father. That pissed him off, but that was the way of life. As the months moved on and I was trusted more, I was placed into different positions, including working the streets, collecting money from the businesses who paid the Bratva for being allowed to operate. That doubled my income. By that point my parents were livid, my father refusing the gifts I brought.”

I shook my head, a short laugh pushing up from my throat.

“He even destroyed this perfect doll I’d bought my sister, which infuriated me. It was the first time I’d thought about hitting my father. The Bratva had already taken hold of my soul at that point. I was starting to lose my ability to understand right from wrong. I moved out. I was barely fifteen but could easily afford a place of my own. No one asked questions, unless they wanted to face Don Doskolov, which would mean instant death. Soon after, my brothers did the same and one by one over the years they were killed, nearly destroying my mother.”

I heard rustling and stopped, smiling as Dax got off the bed, curling up against my leg. After a few seconds, I was able to continue.

“Anyway, the years went on, my father forbidding either my mother or sister from seeing me, but I found a way to provide some things, which was the only aspect of my life that made me happy. When I moved to the position of a soldier, I thought I had it made. Money. Cars. Women. I was twenty-one years old and thought I ruled the world.” I laughed bitterly, remembering the stupidity of my actions.

“I’d grown by several inches, gaining almost a hundred pounds. At that point, no one fucked with me. I was brutal and I had no issues killing a man, but I still had my standards. And I protected my sister always. She was an amazing young woman. Another two years went by and I was made secondhand man to the Don. It was one of the most trusted positions. There wasn’t anything that I couldn’t have. There were no limitations, no one looking over our shoulder. With one exception: a KGB agent who was determined to bring down the Bratva. That made things edgy, the city pushed into lockdown at night. We had to be very careful about our business decisions, but I was good at that. I was also good at hiding what I really did from my sister. At least I thought anyway.”

Dax whined, lifting his head. I continued rubbing him, the ache in my heart increasing.

“One night, she needed some things for school. I’d managed to help her get into college, which my parents couldn’t afford. I knew better than to take her out that night. Damn it, I knew that we were taking a risk, but I wanted to give her the world. I agreed. A big storm hit, torrential rain much like what we had this afternoon. We were drenched in trying to get her back to her dorm. Something happened, a man coming from out of the shadows. He, um…” Tears welled in my eyes, stinging as I tried to blink them away. I took a deep breath, uncertain I wanted to continue.

No, I had to say this. I had to share with Angelique.

I leaned my head against the bed, staring up at the ceiling. “What I learned later is that it was more of a setup than anything. These men attacked us, knocking me out by slamming a gun against the back of my head. I came to and she was being dragged toward a vehicle. From there, it all happened so fast. I ran after her. I pulled my gun. I…” Choking, I was forced to take another series of deep breaths.

Dax crowded closer, licking the side of my face.

“It’s okay, boy. This needs to be said. Angelique deserves to know the truth.” The raggedness of my voice was almost debilitating. “Just before she was shoved into a car, I caught up to the asshole, pumping three rounds into his brain. But the nightmare was just beginning. I was grabbed from behind, beaten almost unconscious. I didn’t give a shit about the pain. All I could concentrate on was the sound of her screams. And I couldn’t do a damn thing. Nothing. I tried. I really tried.” The lump in my throat quickly gave way to being unable to hold back the tears. I hadn’t cried for as long as I could remember, promising never to allow that to happen again. Yet here I was, unable to control myself. What a fucking loser I was.

“I’m sorry, my beautiful sister. I did everything I could. I promise you.” I sucked in and held my breath, finally able to control my emotions after a full minute. Exhaling, I rubbed my eyes.

Everything was too damn quiet.

“I found out later I’d killed a very important man in the government. He had this thing about beautiful young women. He’d abduct them from the streets, keeping them in a cage, using them in horrible ways. In my mind, I was a hero, but that’s not how the rest of the men he worked with saw what happened. I’d committed a heinous crime, sentenced to a harsh punishment. By all rights, I should be rotting there right now, paying for killing a monster.”

I lowered my head into my hands, wiping my eyes. “But I would have done it all over again. At least with Don Doskolov’s influence, he was able to get me out of that hell hole after a few years. But he sent me away. There was no way I could remain in Russia. There was a price on my head. One day I would have been slaughtered. He knew of your father and made a phone call. I was lucky, Angelique. Your father immediately trusted me, helping me heal to some degree. He taught me to be a better soldier, able to understand good versus evil, although I’m beginning to wonder about the difference in degrees. If you want to know why I have loyalty to your family, that’s why. And yes, I would lay down my life for any member, especially you. Because you will forever be my beautiful flower.”

I leaned my head against the bed, controlling my breathing. Nothing was going to bring her back.

Laughing softly, I jerked to a standing position. “Just remember that I am a bad man. That will never change, Angelique, and I refuse to do anything to hurt you or ruin your life.”

After a few seconds of silence, I walked toward the door, taking a deep breath.

“What was her name?”

Her usual strong voice seemed so sad, so tiny. But her lilt was something that would forever send chills down my body. She’d heard me. My beautiful flower had listened to my horror story. “Natasha.”

I heard the rustle of sheets and sighed. I’d been such a fool. How could she ever look at me as anything but a real monster after this?

“What happened to her?” Angelique continued.

“I don’t know. She disappeared. I’ve done everything in my power to find her, but she’s nowhere. That’s why I deserve to feel guilty until the day I die. I shouldn’t have brought her out that night. I should have followed my instinct, but I loved her so much I wanted to give her the world. Instead, I signed her death warrant.” I took a step out of the room when she spoke again.

“Wait. Please don’t go. Please, Dimitri. Just come here. We don’t have to talk. Okay?”

My mind was rattled, images of Natasha and Angelique melding together. I had to keep Angelique safe. I couldn’t afford to make a single misstep. Not one. That was all it would take for the bastards to take her away from me. No, that wasn’t going to happen.

“Please, Dimitri. I need you.”

Her imploring tone nearly broke my heart. How could she want a man who had nothing to give her? The best thing I could do was get the hell away from her, asking Cristiano to use another Capo. That would be the only way her life could be spared.

But instead, I moved toward her, allowing her to take my hand. As she pulled me down to the bed, she scooted over, yanking back the covers. There hadn’t been a single time in my adult life that I’d spent the night with a woman. Not one. That was too close. That was too intimate, yet all I wanted to do was to be close to her, holding her tightly in my arms.

After I pulled off my boots, I eased onto the pillow, turning to face her. There was something so special about the way she folded the covers over both of us, tucking us in as if the sheets and comforter would keep us safe. It was at that moment I knew I was falling in love with her.

I also made a promise to myself that I would find a way to shove that thought in a padlocked box, never thinking about it again. She deserved so much more.

She didn’t move for several minutes, but in the glow of the light, I was able to see her face clearly. There were so many emotions in the way she moved her mouth, her eyes staying locked on my face. When she lifted her hand, brushing a single finger down my cheek, I almost bristled. But the warm touch was exactly what I needed, an entirely different connection than I’d felt with her before.

Caring.

Loving.

Giving.

She had no idea how her gentleness made me feel or the collision of thoughts and emotions rushing through me. They’d been locked away for so long that I’d had difficulty understanding them any longer.

Her breath skipping, she continued her path of exploration, moving the tip of her finger across every inch of my face. Just the way she was taking her time, learning every bone, tenderly touching the single scar tingled every one of my senses. I was more alive than I’d ever been, the intensity of our electricity swirling around us, yet more contained than before.

When she seemed satisfied, she pressed her finger to her mouth, darting a lick across then placing the tip against my lips.

The hunger roared from deep within me, but all I wanted to do was enjoy the quiet moment. There would likely never be another time we would be allowed. I wrapped my hand around her wrist, keeping her hand in front of me, slowly licking up and down one finger then another, taking as much time as she had in exploring my face.

Her scattered breaths became light mews and I was able to gather a scent of her arousal. The beast within me wanted nothing more than to claw his way to the surface, taking what he believed belonged to him. I shoved him aside, pressing my lips against her palm. Then I flexed open my fingers, placing them against her face. Every move just as gentle as she’d shown me, I brushed them down the length of her face to her neck, moving further still until I slipped it down her chest.

Angelique shuddered, a series of moans escaping her lips. “Dimitri.”

The way she murmured my name was unlike any time before. Soft. Sensuous.

I rolled onto my back, pulling her on top. I needed to feel the weight of her on my body, craved the way her long hair draped against my skin.

She placed her hands on either side of my head, slowly lowering down until our lips were almost touching. The fact she was wearing one of my tee shirts was almost as exciting as the woman herself. She was even lovelier in the shadows, but I didn’t need to see her to know how insanely gorgeous she was.

Or how I felt about her.

We were meant to be as one. I wanted nothing more than to take her at this moment, but not just to fuck her like a savage.

To make love to her for hours, to share in the kind of passion that I’d longed to feel. I wanted her complete submission, writhing underneath me as I drove my cock deep inside her womb. I longed to hear her cries of joy as I brought her from one orgasm to another, leaving her aching and sated.

She continued to hover over me, blowing tiny swaths of hot breath across my skin. As her hair dangled in my face, my cock burned, pushing hard against my jeans. The second she pressed her lips against mine, I wrapped one arm around her, rubbing my hand up and down her back. Just having her in my arms was more powerful than anything.

As the kiss became more passionate, she darted her tongue just inside my mouth, shifting her body until she straddled my legs. As she undulated her hips back and forth, every part of me ached for her. I wasn’t going to be able to hold back for long.

I fisted her hair, holding her in place as I took control, crushing my mouth over hers. I would never be able to get enough of the taste of her.

Always naughty, she rocked against me, creating another wave of friction as well as heightened electricity. I cupped her breast with one hand, enjoying the way it felt beneath my shirt. As I pinched her nipple, she threw her head back, gasping for air then exclaiming. When she lowered her head for a second time, a sultry laugh pushed past her lips.

I rolled her over, sitting up then immediately yanking off my shirt. I needed the explosion of heat between us. She didn’t give me time to rip off the tee shirt, maneuvering until she was able to jerk it over her head. When she pressed her hands against my chest, caressing my muscles, I was forced to take several deep breaths.

I didn’t move for a full minute, allowing her time to rub her hands up and down, further igniting the fire threatening to combust. Just watching her expressions as she touched me was priceless, giving me more joy than I’d had in a long time. She’d managed to break through the plate of steel I’d slammed shut around me, pulling out the man she wanted me to be.

Sadly, I wasn’t certain that man could exist other than at moments like this.

I lowered down, taking my time to enjoy the deep look in her eyes. As I pressed my lips against hers, she tangled her fingers in my hair, the tips of her fingers stroking the back of my neck. A series of vibrations shifted down my spine, inching into my core. I remained several inches above her, gently rolling our lips together.

With every subtle move of her body, every slight moan managing to push past the intimate embrace, my method of control was pushed to the limit. I refused to rush the kind of moment I’d hungered for my entire life, barely darting my tongue inside, tasting her sweetness. I relished the tenderness of our hold, a coupling that had seemed impossible but was now no longer imaginable to do without.

She danced the tips of her fingers back and forth across my shoulder, further igniting the beast, desire ripping a hole in my heart. As she brushed her hand down my arm, moving ever so slowly to my chest, I was unable to keep a series of guttural growls from erupting. The little vixen knew what she was doing as she enticed me, crawling her fingers down to my belt then between my legs. The second she rubbed her hand up and down the length of my aching cock, I almost lost it.

I dropped my head further, the kiss becoming more passionate, rough, and needy. There was nothing more important than being with her.

Tasting her.

Consuming her.

I allowed myself to become lost in the moment, sharing something I hoped we would both remember for a lifetime. Time seemed to stand still as I explored the dark recesses of her mouth, swishing my tongue back and forth across hers, fighting every dark and sadistic urge that was right on the surface. She didn’t deserve the beast. She couldn’t handle the real man.

Maybe she was the single person who could allow me to change.

However thought-provoking the idea was, the hunger continued to increase, a need that would not be denied. After a few seconds, I broke the sweet passion, moving onto my knees while still keeping my gaze locked on her sensuous face. Just the way the light splashed across her naked body kept my mouth watering and my heart thudding out of control.

I took my time unfastening my belt as she slowly shifted her fingers to her breasts. Attempting to tear me apart, she swirled the tips around her rose-colored nipples, moving her head from side to side. Every moan escalated the heat between us, every undulation of her body boosting the electricity.

Another round of husky growls erupted from the depths of my being as I unzipped, pushing the dense fabric over my hips. When she pinched her hardened buds between her fingers, I knew there was no way I could hold back any longer.

I wrangled with my jeans, finally able to tear them away from my body, pitching them across the room. Then I ripped down the sheets, fully exposing her hourglass figure. I took a few last seconds shifting my gaze all the way down her long legs then back before lowering down once again.

There were no words needed between us, no need to complicate or interrupt our combined needs. We were two lovers, lost and broken, trying to find our way of tolerating the choices we’d both made. In sharing, we were able to release the anger and hatred, the sadness and anxiety.

If only for a few blissful moments.

I eased her legs apart, sliding between them.

Angelique bent her knees, wrapping her legs around my hips, allowing me access. I stroked the base of my cock for a few seconds, rubbing with enough intensity I caused a moment of pain. When I pressed my cockhead just past her swollen folds, she gripped my shoulders, pulling me down.

I remained on my hands, fighting the urge to crush her, needing the heat of her body to slide against every inch of me.

She slid her hand down to my cock, stroking several times as if begging me to fuck her. I took several deep breaths, still fighting the brutal urges before no longer being able to fight my needs. I drove the entire length inside of her, closing my eyes as the sensations of her muscles clamping and straining to accept the thick invasion became the most powerful aphrodisiac.

“Oh…” The single syllable was her only sound, but as she arched her back, she clung to my shoulders, digging her long fingers into my skin.

Lights flashed in front of my eyes before I closed them, tossing back my head as I pulled out. I took several deep gasps, my chest heaving, then thrust into her again.

And again.

I repeated the move several times, raw pleasure turning into the kind of ecstasy only found in the world of fantasy. She was so hot and wet, so soft and inviting that I knew I could make love to her for hours at a time.

When she wrapped her hand around my neck, pulling my head down, I almost laughed as she darted her tongue around my lips several times. She was only adding gasoline to the roaring flames, pushing me to the point of taking her roughly. I pulled out, using every last effort of control, reminding her that I was in charge.

And that she belonged to me.

My obsession.

My possession.

Then the little vixen twisted her feet together, using her thigh muscles to force me to plunge my shaft inside.

Purring, she stroked my neck, undulating her hips as she pressed gentle kisses across my jaw. That was all I could take. I yanked first one arm over her head then the other, holding her wrists together with one hand as I pumped into her wetness.

She was so tight, yet yielding, the heat becoming combustible.

“Oh. Oh. Oh.” As her moans picked up in intensity, so did my primal growls. I was pushed to the limits of self-control, sliding in and out, jutting my hips forward. Together we were as one, our bodies moving in a perfect rhythm.

She kept her eyes open, struggling in my hold while she arched her back. I kept our lips apart, longing to watch her every move, to know the moment she was ready to climax. That came within seconds, her lovely mouth twisting, her breathing even more scattered. There was no need to instruct her and I knew I had no chance of forcing her to hold back on the moment of sheer ecstasy.

I pumped harder, becoming brutal as she writhed in my hold. Then her entire body began to shake. As I shifted the angle slightly, following her actions, changing the intensity, her eyes flew open.

The harshness of her scream was like sweet music to my ears, pushing me harder. I wanted to slide into nirvana, staying there for one hell of a long time. I wanted her drained and sated, begging for more.

“Yes. Yes. Yes!” She fought hard, bucking up from the bed, her hands fisting then flexing as her pussy convulsed, one orgasm shifting into another. When she jerked up, pressing the back of her head against the pillow, her eyelids fluttered, her mouth remaining open.

She was even more beautiful when she came, allowing the caged woman inside to enjoy the raw passion. I refused to stop, thrusting hard and fast, the force slamming the headboard against the wall. The echo of our combined moans of passion floated all around us, swirling like the deepest booming drums.

When she was shoved into another climax, I knew I couldn’t hold back for long. My cock ached to the point of madness, my balls beginning to swell. All I could think about was filling her with my seed, claiming her as mine.

The moment she fell back against the bed, her breathing remaining ragged, she opened her eyes. And in those few seconds before I exploded into her, the simple yet powerful words she said were the ones I’d never wanted to hear.

Because I wasn’t worthy.

“I love you.”