The Recluse Heir by Monique Moreau

11

Iwas upstairs in the VIP section, silently nursing a drink with Nicu beside me at our club, The Lounge. Downstairs, black leather and purple lighting was the predominant theme. Strobe lights and booming music hit you when you stepped through the door. There was a long bar on either end of the huge space in front of a backdrop of flashing purple lights. The club was best known for the rotating DJ booth in the center, with dancers in skintight neon leotards on platforms of various heights scattered throughout the dance floor.

Upstairs, the mood shifted in favor of decadence. The black leather theme continued, but it was interspersed with scarlet-red velvet instead of flashing purple lights. Beneath striking black crystal chandeliers throwing off dark sparkles were groupings of black leather and red velvet chaise lounges, couches, and low tables made of black wood. The black and scarlet motif was picked up in the velour faux-relief floral pattern of the wallpaper.

Pretty classy if I said so myself. Downstairs was for the masses to twerk and grind against each other, while upstairs was for lounging and hanging out. At the long black wooden bar, stools of the same shade of red as the couches were occupied by one willowy-thin model after another. The only difference between them was the color of their skin or the style of their hair. But not one of them held a candle to Cat.

Apparently, I thought dryly, every woman I laid eyes on failed in comparison to my little brother’s fiancée.

My brothers and I were on club duty most weekends, silently monitoring our realm as various people came up to us to pay homage or talk business. We were like princes of a fiefdom. The men respected us and the women were at our beck and call. Facing the entrance, I leaned back into the booth when my head snapped up. Vladimir, the bouncer, was unhooking the black velvet rope for Cat and her sidekick Jewel to enter.

The first thing I noticed was the bright shade of red lipstick covering her bow-shaped mouth. I was glued to her mouth for one long beat before I remembered to breathe. My eyes wandered down her frame and my body tightened. The tight, black dress might have ended at her knees, but when she turned around, it was backless, leaving little to the imagination. The jutting of her hips alone made my cock weep in my boxer briefs. She looked like she was out looking for a good time. My hands curled into fists.

Bad girlie.

What in the fuck was she doing here? She shouldn’t be in a place like this, and for good reason. My gaze snapped left and right, eyeing the various men who’d become aware of their presence and were blatantly checking them out.

Oh, hell no.

Nicu leaned into me and asked, “Who the hell is that?”

My forehead wrinkled as I mocked, “Who? Your soon-to-be wife?”

Tense, he leaned forward, gnashing his teeth. “No, the chick with her.”

Seriously? He had a drop-dead gorgeous fiancée and the first thing he asked about was her boring little American friend?

“That’s her best friend, Jewel. Don’t you dare think about tapping that, you sick fuck,” I threatened. Like I should be talking, but whatever.

He reared back, realizing how blatant he was, and heaved out, “Of course not.”

Of course not, my ass.No one expected Nicu to be faithful, and Cat was too bright not to know better, but still. Nicu had shown such a lack of interest in her that he didn’t even know that Jewel was her bestie. It was a damn shame because Cat was incredible. She was intelligent and driven, yet sensitive and loyal. Oh, and hot as fuck. She deserved a man who was attentive to her every need, but once they were married, she’d be bound for life to my idiot brother. I loved him, but he was delusional for not realizing what a lucky fucker he was. I shuddered in my suit. Once they were married, once she’d spilled blood for him, any fantasies I harbored about her would be dead in the water. I bared my teeth at the thought as Cat sauntered toward us with her friend.

“Hey, Nicu. Luca,” she greeted in a soft tone, her eyes mostly on me.

“Hey Cat,” responded Nicu as we both simply stared at them. The energy was taut. At least on my end it was. The slit of her slinky dress went high up on her thigh, showing off her slim leg. I saw a flash of a satin band around the top. Was that a garter? Oh, fuck me, just fuck me.

“Who’s your friend?” asked Nicu, eyeing her in a way that was borderline obscene it was so ravenous.

“Nicu, this is Jewel. Jewel, Nicu,” she introduced, slipping into the seat beside me. For the love of all that was holy, she better not—fuck, she was touching me. Her hand landed on my lap. For fuck’s sake, as if life didn’t hate me enough already. The unique fragrance of nectarine, peach, and spring blossoms poured over me, making my stiff cock even harder.

“What the hell are you doing here, Cat?” I gritted out.

Her long eyelashes fluttered in surprise. I’d never used a hard tone with her before. But what was she thinking, coming here, dressed like a sexy vixen, her hair falling in waves around her bare shoulders? Pointed nipples poked through the thin double layer of her gossamer dress. Was she expecting that to cover her? If so, Versace wasn’t doing a good job of it. Fucking hell, if she wanted to show off her body, she should do it for me alone. Yeah, and I got how out of line my possessiveness was, but I didn’t care.

I pushed Cat off the banquette of the booth and to her feet, followed her out, and said to Jewel, “Why don’t you sit down, order a nonalcoholic drink, and get to know Nicu?”

My eyes dipped down the length of Cat’s spine in her backless dress.

Wrapping my fingers around her delicate upper arm, I said to Nicu, “I have something to discuss with Cat. We’ll be right back.”

Eyes on Jewel, Nicu nodded to me absentmindedly. Lifting my chin in the direction I wanted us to go, I tugged Cat across the floor and turned into the quieter hall leading to the employee bathroom and break room.

Pressing her back to the wall, I slapped my palms on either side of her head and crowded her.

Dropping my head until my face was inches away from hers, I snapped, “How the hell did you get in here?”

Considering only people over twenty-one were allowed in, I already had a pretty good idea, but I wanted to hear it straight from her mouth.

“Vlad,” she replied simply. “I spoke to him in Romanian and told him my name.”

Of course, she did.

“And downstairs?” I growled through clenched teeth. “They don’t speak Romanian down there.”

She opened the little silver clasp of her clutch and pulled out an ID.

I snapped it up and inspected it closely in the dim lighting.

A fake.

“Jewel and I flashed those and got a couple drinks,” she confessed flippantly. I swear, the urge to turn her over on my lap and give her a spanking was riding me hard. “We danced between ourselves until we drank enough to get a buzz since we had no idea if you guys would let us drink once we got upstairs,” she volunteered without prompting, blinking her wide eyes up at me oh-so-fucking innocently.

Innocent, my ass. Every word out of her mouth made my stomach twist into tighter knots. I knew they weren’t careful down there. We ran a business, not a day care center, and keeping little girls out was not on the agenda. The idea of a random douche pawing her on the dance floor clouded my vision with red sparks of fury. Clearly, someone fell down on the job if she wasn’t being watched.

“How did you get out of your house? Where’s Cristo? He could show up here any moment, you know.”

“He doesn’t know I’m here. He thinks I’m staying over in Jewel’s dorm room. I convinced him that it would be safe. They have guards at the front gate, patrolling the campus grounds, and at the entrance of her dorm. I also promised to be good.”

“If this is what you call being good—”

“Aaand,” she interrupted me. “I happen to know that Cristo is going to a party with his new girlfriend. I seriously doubt he would appreciate being called in to pick me up after the week he’s had.”

“You don’t know your brother very well if you think him coming here to irritate me and Nicu would put a damper on his night.”

An indentation appeared between her brows. Shaking my head, I dragged my gaze down to her breasts that were lifting and rising in harsh breaths. “And what the fuck are you wearing?”

She gave me a little pout, flouncing the flimsy strips of gossamer barely covering her chest. “What, this little ole dress? You don’t like it?”

This girl was trying to kill me. She’d been born with the primary objective to kill me, and she was nearly succeeding.

My hand reached up, clenched midway, but then kept moving against my will and circled the column of her throat. “I like it too much. Problem is, so does every other male in the vicinity, and considering the mood I’m in, they’ll be thrown out on their asses if they keep staring at your tits.”

Her eyes flared wide. After a little lick, her tiny white teeth sank into her lush bottom lip, making me groan.

What was she doing to me, with her bedroom eyes, her sexy dress, and her sultry voice? Yeah, that was a rhetorical question if ever there was one. If I didn’t know better, I’d think this little girl was making a move on me. God, I’d give anything to have that to be true. I must want it because I’m conjuring this out of nowhere. Knowing I was losing my mind, I dropped my hand and took a step back.

A flare of distress passed over her face.

Suddenly, her hand shot out and grabbed my tie. Gripping it tightly, she stopped my movement backward. We stood suspended for a long moment, both staring down at her slim fingers crushing silk.

She tugged once. What did she want?

My torso leaned forward, desperate to follow her prompt.

Her eyes glinted with purpose.

She tugged again. Okay, that one answered my question.

Me, she wanted me.

Her scent wrapped around me like I wanted her lips wrapped around my cock, pulling me in, in, in.

“Don’t play with me,” I warned, breathing heavily. My brother was right outside, in the main room. Anyone could walk around the corner and find us in this compromising position. I should pull away, but my will was in shambles. Seconds away from cracking, it was imperative that I left before I did something irrevocable.

“I’m taunted to do bad,” I confessed. “I mean, I really want to lean into the bad.”

She pushed herself off the wall, raised up on her tiptoes, and pressed her lips against mine.

Motherfuck—

My brain stalled.

My control snapped.

I grasped the front of her dress, dragging her up to me while my other hand wrapped around the base of her head, keeping her in place. Slanting my mouth over hers, my tongue pushed past her lips. She tasted of rose water and sugar rolled into one. My tongue lashed inside, like a roving marauder, seeking to taste every inch. She opened up to me like my good little girl, meeting my assault with a strike of her own.

Letting go of her, my hand snaked down and grasped her ass cheek. I moaned into her mouth as I took hold of the supple flesh. It felt fucking divine and so damn right. I palmed the slit of her dress, yanked it away, and placed my hand on her hot skin.

I was touching her skin, and holy fuck, nothing felt better. My fingers dug into her bouncy ass, my middle finger curving inward and so damn close to her back entrance. The heat of it was burning the tip of my finger.

There was a roar from a crowd outside, breaking into my trance. Fuck. We were practically in public with my little brother around the corner. I tore her mouth apart one more time before pulling off her.

Glaring at her, I gave her tight ass a sharp slap. “No more going out alone.”

Her eyes flashed. She nipped at my chin.

This woman was twisting my insides, but she had to learn who was boss.

I gave her another smack, this time a touch harder.

She let out a sharp gasp.

“Do you hear me? Answer me,” I demanded, nostrils flaring. “No more dresses like this.” We had bigger problems than her damn dress, but I clung to the one thing I could control.

She gave a short nod, followed by a small whimper that almost buckled my knees.

Christ, I’m trying to do right.Everything inside me screamed to wrap my arms around her. And then pound into her against the wall and make her mine. Make her mine. Make her mine. The words pounded into my brain like the staccato rhythm of drums at the start of a battle. Once they entered my consciousness, there was no beating them back. They took hold like amped-up, mutant plants in fertile soil, like Jack and the Beanstalk on steroids.

Fuck it.I swooped back down and captured her mouth again, taking and using it as if it was my own personal toy to mouth fuck.

She melted against me, feeding off the succor I provided. Pushing her chest out, she rubbed her high little tits into me. I slammed her into the wall, the wallpaper rasping against my knuckles as I ground into her. This girl undid me like no other. My cock was as hard as stone, and she scraped her belly against it, moaning into my mouth. That luscious sound reverberated down my body to my balls. I was about to spill like a damn teenager just from dry humping her.

I needed this woman under me like I needed my next breath, and I sure as hell wasn’t going any further here. All hell would break loose if we were caught before I finished what I intended to do.

“We’re leaving,” I snarled.

“W-what?” she whispered, blinking up at me, the haze of lust dissipating as she focused on what I had said.

“We’re leaving. You’re coming with me,” I pronounced.

“What about Jewel and…” she hesitated and swallowed, probably scared to say his name out loud.

“Nicu? Fuck him. You’re coming with me, Cat. This is happening,” I declared.

My hands still on her, I turned her around and pressed her back to my front, nestling my pike-hard cock right between her ass cheeks and said, “Go out there and tell Jewel that you’re leaving while I talk to my brother.”

She twisted her head over her shoulder, wide eyes searching mine. “Do you mean w-what I think you mean?”

“The blood bond? Fuck yes, I do, woman. You’re mine,” I rasped. I’d never spoken truer words. Despite the lust coursing through my veins and guilt pounding inside my head, an inexplicable peace permeated my soul. I was clearheaded and the path in front of me was illuminated like flares on a runway. I always assumed marriage wasn’t for me, but I had seized on something that was as awe-inspiring as it was frightening. And that thing was…hope.

Hope.

Insane as it was, I let it flare in my chest, growing brighter by the moment. Turning Cat around, I placed the flat of my hand on the center of her back and propelled her forward. This was fucking happening.

We returned to the booth, and she immediately asked Jewel to go to the bathroom with her.

Leaning against the banquette, I addressed Nicu, “Cat doesn’t feel well. I’m taking her home. Do you mind watching over her friend and driving her back to her place when she’s ready to leave?”

Avoiding my gaze, he cleared his throat and said, “Yeah, sure. I can do that.”

I rolled my eyes. He was clearly smitten with Jewel. Even though I was gunning to fuck his girl, I was suddenly irritated. “Don’t you want to know what’s wrong with your fiancée?”

His eyes darted to mine and then away again.

“No,” he retorted with a stubborn tilt of his chin. “She’s the enemy. I don’t trust her, and you know me. Once I make up my mind about someone, I don’t change it. I’m not like you, making decisions based on my fucking emotions. I was ordered to marry her, so I’m doing what I was told. Nothing more, nothing less. I didn’t make that decision freely, and while it may not be her fault, it’s her family’s fault. That’s the way it is. Anyway, she’s not my type.” His eyes drifted toward Jewel, where they stayed. “Since the beginning, she was more yours than mine.”

What the hell did he mean by that? I was too focused on Cat and what I was about to do to concentrate on Nicu’s strange comment.

As pissed off as I was at the way he treated Cat, his declaration sealed the deal. I was taking her from him. He didn’t deserve her. He’d make her miserable. Cat was marrying him out of duty, but she didn’t know him like I did. He would break her and I was going to save her from that fate. If it meant that I’d have to marry her, so be it. That was the natural consequence to a blood bond anyway.

He turned toward me, his expression crafty. “You seem to have developed quite a rapport with her. Ironic, isn’t it?”

My eyes snapped to his. “What the hell do you mean by that?”

“Only that it was your responsibility to marry her first. I was a stopgap measure to save the contract, but we all know those Popescu dogs preferred you.”

Distracted, I caught sight of Cat winding her way between the couches with Jewel behind her. The low cut of her dress exposed the dimples right above her ass cheeks. Goddammit! How had I not noticed how much that dress exposed of her back? Every cell in my body strained to cover her with my jacket. I saw red. My mind emptied of all thoughts but one. Carry out the blood bond.

“Whatever, I don’t have time for this shit. Just make sure you get Jewel home safe,” I commanded and stalked off as I yanked my jacket down my arms. “You can do that much, can’t you?”

Meeting her halfway to the exit, I grabbed her elbow and tossed my jacket over her shoulders. Mumbling a good night to Jewel, I crowded Cat into the stairway leading downstairs.

As we waited for the car, I wrapped her into my arms and pulled her into my chest. She nuzzled into the base of my throat, gliding her nose up and down in a way that was tipping me right into a place of insatiable greed. My other hand fell to her ass, squeezing her firm bottom in public, as I muttered out complaints about her backless dress. I should’ve kept my hands off her, at least until we were alone, but I was done fighting with myself. After weeks of dancing around each other, innocent and accidental touches here and there, I had direct access to her and I wasn’t about to let go.

She trembled slightly in my hold.

I bent my head down, snuggling her close to me. “You okay?”

“I-I’m scared,” she replied.

“Shhh, I’m going to take care of you, Cat. You know I wouldn’t touch you unless I’d make good on it.”

“I know,” she paused a beat, “but maybe we should go to your brother and my parents first.”

I dropped a kiss on the crown of her head. “You’re such a good girl, and I love that about you. I love that you want to do what’s right and know how to follow orders. That’s critical to being my partner, but you also have your own mind and a spine. Those are going to come in handy. It takes guts to do what we’re about to do. Once it’s done, no one will be able to argue against us, no matter how angry or disappointed they might be with us,” I explained.

“The blood bond,” she stated simply.

“Yes,” I breathed out. “It’s the only way.”

She nodded into my chest. I caressed her long tresses. Grabbing them, I tilted her head back until her eyes were on me. “Trust me, beautiful. There’s no way I’m going to let anyone hurt you, understand?”

Licking her dry lips, she nodded. That was all the consent I needed.

A sleek black Ferrari rolled up on the curb where we were standing. She tilted her head to the side, inspecting my car.

“Only Italian for me. Like my suits,” I clarified.

“Such arrogance,” she replied with a huff.

I gave her a shrug as I caught the keys the valet tossed in my direction.

“We can afford it,” I affirmed, “so why not enjoy it? And don’t worry, I have every intention of pampering you as well,” I teased as I opened the passenger door.

Her body stiffened as she slipped into the seat. She locked eyes on me. “I don’t need your wealth,” she replied.

My brows furrowed at the edginess in her tone. My joke had touched a nerve. I knew the Popescus were proud, and sensitive about their status, but it would be my duty to provide for her, and I’d take it seriously. Leaning down, I pressed a kiss against her temple.

“Good to know. Anything else we need to clear out of the way?” I asked lightly.

Forehead crinkling adorably, her mouth pursed in a cute bow and she shook her head solemnly.

In a tone brooking no argument, I finished, “Then let’s do this.”