by Skyla Madi
“As simple as that.”
Abruptly, she turned on her heel and headed for the door. There was a slump in her shoulders and it made him feel like shit. He knew he shouldn’t drag her into his problems… but she was the only person he trusted. She was the only person he wanted to share his problems with.
“Nine…” Shit. He swallowed air as her name fell from his lips and she stopped as he bit his tongue.
He wanted to tell her to sit this one out and wait for him to come back. After all, she was an innocent that he was using to make his job that little bit easier. Glancing over her shoulder, her violet eyes looked hopeful. She wanted out and he didn’t blame her. However, if he showed her compassion and let her out now, it would go against everything he’d just said.
“Remember, keep your touches light and move on the tips of your toes.”
Her hopeful stare fell, the pretty violet shade seemingly more cloudy than clear. Fuck. That wasn’t what he wanted to say at all.
“And no kissing,” she added. “Got it.”
She left then, and he would follow shortly. The no kissing rule was a rash decision he made when the thought of her supple, moist lips pressing against his father’s entered his mind. Kade didn’t want his father to experience something so heavenly before his death. He knew his rule made it harder on Nine. To seduce someone into incoherence without touching them was a skill not many had and not many could master. This night, he knew his plan would either work… Or fail. And god help them if it failed.
∞ Nine ∞
Who does he think he is? Asshole. I make my way down the stairs and I see him move along the hallway out of the corner of my eye. From my own observation, I know Michael sleeps in a room on the lower level by one of the main sitting rooms. I don’t know why he chooses to sleep on the lower floor, but it seems he wants to be as close to the front exit as he possibly can. Movement in this end of the manor is low at this time of night. Most guests are either outside and waiting for dinner or in their rooms dressing. According to Kade, Michael will be in his room any minute now for a wardrobe change. I approach his room, my hands shaking as I reach for the door handle. I slip inside.
His room is massive, much bigger than any other room in the house, and everything is an eerie shade of white. From the bed to the drapes—to the rugs and couches. All I see is white.
Kade snorts as he enters the room behind me and closes the door. I peer over my shoulder as he pulls a long, thin blade from his inside pocket.
“You’re not going to kill him quick? With a gun or something?”
Kade cocks an eyebrow and, god dammit, my heart skips a beat. “Do you want to get caught? A knife is the better, more silent option.”
Oh, right. Guns go bang.
“I’m lucky I didn’t get you to kill him on your own. You’d probably do it in a room full of people while blowing a whistle.”
I roll my eyes. I’m not that hopeless. “Go hide somewhere while I do my thing.”
I finger the knot on my shoulder and, rather aggressively, Kade steps forward. I pause in my movements. He’s looking at me like he did earlier… like he wants to say something, but his brain is refusing to let him. Instead of talking, he frowns.
“What’s your thing?”
Who’s the curious one now? I shrug with a smirk. “Get naked and be sexy, you know, the usual.”
His full lips purse and I’m not going to lie, seeing him try to bite back his small amount of jealousy is kind of sexy. That being said, can you even be jealous of something you claim to not care about? Who knows? I’m onto you, Mr. Sario. He swats at my fingers, knocking them away from the knot on my shoulder. “You’ll keep the dress on. Use your words and your movements. I told you, seduction isn’t about being sexual, it’s about being confident.”
He leans in close, so close I can smell mint and whiskey on his breath. “Be confident.”
I drop my stare from his dark, coal eyes to his gorgeous mouth and watch as he flicks his tongue along his bottom lip.
“Be confident,” I repeat in a whisper. “Right.”
Then, something snaps inside of me, something primal and real. I throw myself forward before wrapping my arms around Kade’s neck and crushing my lips to his. He groans deep in his chest. It’s a groan so powerful it vibrates through my entire body and my blood ignites as he rakes his fingers through my hair, pulling harder when they snag on small tangles. The pain on my scalp causes my core to overheat and threaten to explode. He dips low and grabs my thighs and I squeak against his mouth as he pulls my legs out from underneath me and wraps them around his hips.
“I want to fuck you right now,” he pants, making me feel light-headed.
“Do it, please, do it.” Words fall unashamedly from my lips, sounding more like a runner out of breath than the sexy purr I was aiming for.
All day I’ve thought about him, about having him again. He’s addicting, from the scent of his skin right down to the taste. I need it. I needed it yesterday. He surges forward until I’m falling backwards. I land on the soft, white bed with a bounce and in the next heartbeat, Kade is draping his body over mine like a blanket of pure sex and promising orgasms. As his tongue plunges deep into my mouth, until my brain is spinning in my skull, he reaches his hand between us, fiddling quickly with his zipper. Then, he pulls away, leaving me panting and breathless, and I feel his bare, hot erection press against my opening. My body buzzes as excitement crackles through me—from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.
“Are you sore?” he asks with a clear twitch in his lips.
Cocky bastard. I nod. “A little.”
“Good.”
Kade enters me in one rough thrust and I grip his jacket while he fucks me, hard. I bite my lip as pain and pleasure assault my body. This is wrong. His father will be here any second now, but we’re too consumed in passion and hormones to care. Passion… something forbidden for me to share with my Fortunate and yet he gives it to me like I deserve it, like it’s for my own pleasure, not his.
“We have to stop,” I moan, lifting my hips to meet his thrusts. “We’re gonna get caught.”
He doesn’t slow down his strokes, if anything, they pick up in speed—a desperate attempt to feel more of me before it’s over. The harder he pushes, the tighter my organs coil and the harder his belt buckle rubs against my sensitive spot.
“I know,” he states through clenched teeth. “I will—”
He rolls his hips, forcing his big length as deep as my body will take it and holy shit it feels good. With a resigned groan, he slows his pace. No! I tighten my legs around his hips.
“No, wait,” I beg as something sinister begins to burn in my belly. I squeeze my eyes shut. I need this. “Not yet. Don't stop!”
“Nine,” he warns, pumping harder again. “Come on, baby.”
Kade hooks his arm under one of my legs and pushes it higher. Somehow, he moves even deeper.
“Oh god,” I chant as my release closes in on me, causing my toes to curl and my inner muscles to tighten around him. This is all so fucked up, but too good to stop. And then it happens, it crashes into me with tremendous force and I grit my teeth as ecstasy wreaks havoc on my body. My legs spasm, my chest heaves and my blood burns like never before. As the waves of my orgasm begin to slow, Kade pulls out, dropping his head on my chest.
“Wait,” I protest. “What’s wrong?”
I release his jacket as he shudders, then straightens his posture.
“A mess right now would be a bad idea,” he states, forcing his semi-hard penis back into his pants and zipping it up.
“The second we’re done here, get your ass to my room and wait for me.”
“Yes, Master Kade,” I say, breathlessly, as I sit up and push my dress back over my knees.
As I open my mouth to thank him, or say something equally as stupid, the handle to the door rattles. I fist the blanket while Kade whips around, pulling the knife from his pocket. It's beautiful and thin, carved specifi
cally for throat slitting. It’s kind of disturbing, really.
“Well, I’m glad that didn’t fall out of your pocket and into my eye!” I hiss under my breath.
“Now’s not the time,” he bites back. “You got your orgasm and your eyes are fine. You’re welcome.”
The handle rattles again and Kade inches closer. This is it. We’re going to get busted. There’s not enough time for Kade to hide in the bathroom before the door opens. I suck in a breath. This is it.
The door begins to open and I see his bare hand as it grips the metal handle. I squint as my heart crashes painfully into my ribs.
“Dad!” I hear a voice shout in the distance and the door stops. Vince.
I see only Michael’s hand and a small glimpse of the sleeve of his jacket before he closes the door marginally.
“Go!” I whisper to Kade. “Make yourself invisible.”
He sends a glance over his shoulder—a warning glance that sends chills through my stomach and states clearly, ‘Don’t fuck this up.’ I shake my head. ‘I won’t,’ and Kade disappears. I slide from the bed and lean against the cold, slim metal post at the foot of the mattress. I hope he doesn’t invite Vince in… that’d ruin everything. The low murmur of conversation is quick and brief. I don’t hear a word of it, then the door opens and Michael steps inside. Nausea swirls in my tummy as he does a double take, letting his eyes rake over me. Michael kicks his door shut behind him and stuffs his hands into his jacket pockets.
“There better be a good explanation,” he says, his voice thick with warning and promise.
“Uh…” I swallow hard and rub my fingers over my palms behind my back. “Yes, sir, there is.”
I hate the way my voice shakes and I hate the way my lips tremble. I’ve never been terrified of Michael, but in this moment, I most certainly am. He stalks closer, his movements purposefully intimidating.
“Spit it out, Unfortunate. Why are you in my room?”
Every movement he makes is calculated—like a wolf—and the cold gleam in his eye reinforces my thought.
“I’ve come to see you,” I tell him, forcing confidence into my tone.
“That much is obvious. You’re in my room.”
Confidence, I remind myself. Confidence is sexy—according to Kade. I’m not sure how sound his advice is… confidence may be sexy, but being an Unfortunate and all, I can’t really do much with it. Confidence is a killer in my case. Literally.
“Perhaps you don’t understand,” I say, pushing off his bed. “I’m here to see you.”
I lock my stare with his and assess his body language. His broad shoulders are squared and tense. I barely see his dark irises between his suspicious slits and he tightens his jaw on and off in some kind of irregular rhythm.
“You’re barking up the wrong tree, Unfortunate.”
“Am I?” I counter, closing the distance between us on the tips of my toes and with a seductive sway in my hips. “You’re not the slightest bit curious to see what I have that makes your son so obsessed?”
I say it loud enough for Kade to hear and I almost smile at the thought of his scowling expression. I’m going to pay for that later.
“Kaden has always been the clingier one of the two, so don’t put any stock into his words and actions, foolish girl. You have what every woman has.”
What Kade has for me is much more than clinginess. He might not admit it, but I can feel it. I smirk and reach out for him. “Do I?” His entire body tightens as I run the very tips of my fingers over his shoulder.
His brows pull in. I love toying with his mind. It’s thrilling… excitement crackles through my body, heating me from the inside out. I circle him, taking note of the way his shoulders relax into my touch.
Gotcha.
“Wouldn’t you like to see for yourself?” I ask as I come to stand in front of him once more.
For a moment, he ponders the idea and I wait patiently as his wolfish stare roams me again, from head to toe. Then he surges forward and grips my hips. I gasp, more in shock than anything else as he yanks me up, wrapping my thighs around his body. Michael is strong-ish looking, but not like his sons, and as he holds me in his arms, I’m slightly worried he’s going to hurt his back, but his face betrays no sign of strain and his movements are strong and fluid as he carries me across the room to his desk. Rather harshly, he drops me against the white-painted wood. The cool surface freezes my bare ass and it is anything but arousing. Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure the swirl of uneasiness in my belly is disgust. I don’t want to do this. Surely, I’ve distracted him enough? He lowers his mouth to mine and stops as he inhales my breath. I simper and it feels fake—in a painfully obvious way—as his nose twitches and he picks up the scent his son left on me. “Have you been drinking whiskey, Love?”
If only he knew. “It’s forbidden, I would never,” I reply, squeezing him with my legs and pulling him closer. His back was to the bathroom. He’ll never see Kade come from there.
Michael’s cold hand presses against my outer thigh and I fight the urge to shudder as he drags his freakishly soft skin up mine. “I think you’ve been naughty…” he murmurs, our lips almost touching.
Where the hell is Kade? He’s supposed to stop this. I swallow hard, letting my gaze flick to his lips briefly. I really don’t want to kiss him.
“Make no mistake, I have been.”
Michael’s fat, wet tongue slips out to moisten his lips and I can tell he’s contemplating moistening mine, too. Fuck, I hope not. I’m sure I’ll gag. There’s also the fact that if he kisses me, Kade will, or more than likely, kill me, too. Why would he want to kiss someone who made out with his dad?
Michael roughly tugs at my dress, pulling it up over my hips and desperately, I try to push it down. “Wait!” I want to call out for Kade, but I don’t want to give away his position.
“There’s no waiting now, honey. I want in.”
His hand snaps to my throat and he steals my air as he grips my windpipe with all his might. Oh, hell. What have I gotten myself into? Is it just me, or do I always put myself in unnecessary situations? So much for my survival instinct.
Then, as if Kade heard my panicked thoughts, Michael’s eyes widen and I glance at his throat. Sure enough, Kade’s shiny thin blade digs into his father’s neck.
“What the fuck is this?” Michael spits at me, but all I can do is pull back from him as he unwraps his fingers from my neck. I gasp for air and rub my throat as I watch the blade sink into his throat, making its own slit to slide into. Blood sprays my face as the metal is pulled quickly across his flesh. I watch in shock as Michael gurgles and drops to his knees. The red liquid pours from the slice in his neck and covers his light grey suit and light blue tie. The acid in my stomach burns as it churns and bile threatens my throat. I cover my mouth with my hand. Now’s not the time to throw up. Now we need to clean and hide the body… but before that, and more importantly, WHY DID KADE TAKE SO DAMN LONG?
“God!” I hiss, pushing my dress down and sliding off the table. “How long were you going to let that go on for?”
He points the knife in my direction. Blood stains its sharp edge and the tips of Kade’s fingers, but it doesn’t scare me. “You’re mad at me? You’re not the slightest bit curious to see what I have that makes your son so obsessed?” he teases, aggressively mimicking me.
“Oh, please.” I gently swat his knife out of my face. “I was just playing along with your game. I didn’t mean any of it.”
With a resigned sigh, he slips the knife back into his pocket and produces a white handkerchief. “Here,” he says, handing it to me. “You have blood on your face.”
I reach out for it. My hands are trembling, shaking like never before and Kade pulls the clean sliver of fabric back. “You’re shaking.” Somehow, his statement sounds like a demand, so I drop my hands and he steps closer, extending his ever steady limb towards my face.
Gently, he dabs at Michael’s blood that paints my skin. I wonder h
ow I look to him… blood spattered face and sex hair—nothing like the perfect picture of sophistication he always wants me to be, I bet.
“We did it,” I mutter, watching his face. I don’t know what I expect him to do… cry? Maybe.
He just killed his own father… without saying a word to him. He’s dead—gone—never to be seen or heard again. To my surprise, Kade’s lips twitch. “Yes, we did.”
I peek down at Michael’s dead body. There’s no life in his eyes… if death is a sad thing, why aren’t I crying? I’m shaking, but I think it’s more leftover adrenaline than anything else. I look back at Kade. He’s watching me, his eyes burning intensely, and suddenly I become hyper aware of his fingers dragging up my inner thigh. Instantly, my throat dries and I begin to pulse in rhythms only he can compose. We still have things we need to finish, but I’m certain right here, right now is not a good time. If we’re caught, however, this might be the very last time I ever see him or get to feel him. Fuck it. I rush forward as he tosses his handkerchief and grips my face. Kade’s dark, volcanic eyes flick between mine and I know he’s thinking of something to say. A thank you, maybe? Whatever it is, I nod my head in recognition. He doesn’t have to say a thing. He never has. His actions give away more than his words ever could.
He crushes his mouth to mine in a powerful kiss that steals my breath and pushes me back against the table. I let my legs fall apart as his fingers reach the apex of my thighs, but he doesn’t touch me there, instead, he moves to my ass and he spreads his hands along both my cheeks and squeezes, possessively. I gasp as he thrusts his hips and hard length against me, the eagerness in his moves shooting lightning bolts through my body. He wants to do this now? His kiss spins my hormones into a feral swirl of naughty, naughty thoughts. Maybe this is what he needs to cope with what he did. Kade feverishly drags his mouth from my lips and across my cheek before stopping at my ear. He breathes harshly through his nose and I hear him play with his zipper. Excitement—indecent excitement—courses through me—and whispers in a thick, husky tone, “Sit back, pull your knees up.”