"Okay, this is what we know." She began ticking points off on her fingers. "He wants to control you. That begins with making you bow to him, serve him, but there's more." Her brows pinched together, and I lost myself in her beauty.
I never really spent the time to admire her delicate features. Her long lashes fluttered when she was mad. Her brows pinched together when she was upset or deep in thought, like now. Her eyes glittered with so many emotions I couldn't begin to decipher. And her mouth, pert and lickable red, was something I wanted to taste.
Only a taste.
I would take too much from her if I let myself have what I wanted.
I focused on what she said.
"He wants my pain. Rape is only the tip of the iceberg."
"Agreed. But what else?"
I didn't know if it was wise to state the obvious, but it might prepare her to endure what would come.
"He's a sadist."
"I get that," she said. "He's going to hurt you. The question is, how."
I had the answer to that. Snowden could be very creative with rope. He enjoyed the whip but loved to use his hand and belt more.
My flesh would become his living canvas, and there would be more.
There always was.
"I don't think we need to discuss the particulars." I struggled not to spiral into hopelessness. Snowden would make me work to maintain my sanity.
"You know how these things work." I blew out a breath, expelling the fear clawing its way out of me.
"I do, but let's get inside his head. If we can figure him out…"
"I don't want anywhere inside his head."
She shifted and turned to face me. I held back a gulp because that brought her tits into view as well as the dark triangle between her legs.
My thoughts about her lips were positively G-rated when compared to what I wanted to do with those tits and her pussy. Those desires went R-rated to triple-X in a heartbeat.
I swallowed and averted my gaze. I shouldn't react, but there was no way to tamp down the desire building within me.
I might be bisexual, but until recently, the only woman I had any sexual interest in had been the one who repulsed me.
I almost convinced myself that I was gay and not bisexual. I loved fucking men, and there had been a reason I kept myself from touching Sara. I'd always wanted her.
I craved the physicality between men. The battle of wills. The fight to establish dominance. The prowess of a real man who could beat me. I wanted that with an indescribable hunger but had yet to meet a man who could scratch the surface of what I needed.
But I also craved the intimacy of holding a woman, of melding my body with hers in the sensual dance that sex could be between man and woman.
They tasted different. Reacted differently. They felt different. They yielded to me. And they smelled different. Everything about it was different. It was tender. They were loving.
I craved both women and men, but I would never have what I truly wanted. It simply wasn't possible.
Sara had me facing an alarming truth. It wasn't one I could deny, and it wasn't new.
I had a thing not just for women, but specifically for one woman.
I always had.
I pushed Sara away because I knew what I could do to her if I ever gave in to my desire. I would break her, and that could never happen.
I never allowed those thoughts to ruin what we had.
Sara and I had the perfect relationship. We simply kept sex and any sexual tension out of the equation.
Or rather, I did.
I couldn't risk losing her if she ever discovered I had feelings for her. Fortunately, those weren't reciprocated.
Sara knew I only dated men, and she didn't react when I told her I was, in fact, bisexual. If there'd been a spark of interest, wouldn't I have seen it? I'd been watching.
But no.
Sara regarded me with a blank expression when I told her I liked women as well as men.
I just hadn't realized until Snowden put a knife to her throat how deep my feelings went.
Sara made me bleed emotions, messy, troubling, and dangerous emotions.
And Snowden was going to use those to destroy the woman I cared about.
I placed my fist to my chest and pressed the area over my heart. I didn't want to hurt Sara the same way I'd hurt Skye.
But Snowden would.
Sara sat beside me, oblivious to the thoughts swirling in my head. Blissfully unaware of how fragile her safety was, she tapped her finger against her chin as she tried to dissect the mind of a madman.
"Sara…" There was no way she could figure Snowden out.
Slowly, she turned to me. Her gaze angled down to my lap, where I hid my arousal with the bend of my legs. I pulled my knees close against my chest.
She didn't need to see how much she affected me.
"What?"
"Let's go to bed."
Her eyes widened, and I quickly interjected.
"I need sleep."
And the erection jutting between my legs needed a little hand love.
"Um…okay."
"Why don't you head out. I'll…" I glanced down at my lap and chewed at my lower lip. "I'll be there in a minute."
She averted her gaze, but I knew she'd tracked mine. Sara was no fool.
Slowly, she unfolded her legs and stood. Without a backward glance, she exited the shower.
I waited while she dried off and for the door to close before I fisted my cock.
I didn't want to leave her alone for too long. God knew what, or whom, waited for her out there, but I needed a little relief.
Sara's scream had me tripping as I raced out of the shower.
Chapter Twenty
Forest
I raced out of the shower, then skidded to a halt—a man sprawled on our couch. One arm draped over the back of the sofa and his legs spread wide, he took up as much space as possible, dominating the room, and scaring the shit out of Sara.
Sara clutched a towel to her naked body. One glance at me, and she slowly backtracked.
The man held a phone and stared at the screen. He slowly looked up, arrogant prick, as if he had all the time in the world to acknowledge me. To explain who he was and what the fuck he was doing here.
“Forest, I presume?”
“And who the fuck are you?”
The man unfolded his sturdy, muscular frame and stood to his full height. A tall man, he was almost eye level with me.
Almost.
That, in itself, was unusual enough to stir a reaction, but I still had a couple of inches on him.
Fucker.
His rust-colored hair shifted when he stood. Tousled waves spilled over his forehead in complete disarray, which had my fingers itching to run through them, pull them, and yank them the fuck out by the roots.
He gave a practiced flip of his head, which swept the hair off his face. His arresting forest-green eyes, flecked with a tawny gold, took me in with unadulterated lust.
Fuck me. He was magnificent.
His deeply tanned skin glowed with an inner light, and a spray of freckles dusted the bridge of his nose. His megawatt smile, unwelcome but freely given, anchored a face chiseled out of granite: dark eyelashes, straight nose, strong jawline; they attested to his strength.
He was everything I liked in a man—hard, strong, and confident. The way he carried himself, with the strength of a warrior and the self-possession of a predator, made my heart trip in open admiration. The man epitomized masculine perfection, and it took me a moment to take all of him in.
His iridescent eyes crinkled as the seam of his full lips drew my eye. His tongue darted out and licked along the fullness of his lower lip as he regarded me.
It was a cocky and arrogant move. The bastard watched for a reaction, and I gave him exactly what he wanted.
My God, the man was stunning and fuck if my body didn’t take notice.
But that wasn’t what stopped me in my tracks.
&n
bsp; He stirred an animalistic hunger within me. The way he moved, full of sinuous grace, there was no doubt in my mind which way this man swung. He captivated me with his presence, and I’d bet a million bucks he dominated men with the same physical aggression I did.
It would be interesting which of us came out on top.
“Name’s Paul. I’m your security for the night.”
Easily the sexiest, most viciously enthralling man in existence, he kindled a desperate hunger I couldn’t put into words. The air crackled with a flood of sexual tension as we stared each other down.
Like Snowden, he was dangerous.
Unlike Snowden, who hurt beyond reason by using my extremely high pain tolerance to whip me into unconsciousness and fuck me to the point of suffocation, I wanted this captivating man to do all those things and more.
Such was the dichotomy that was my life.
Paul made me ache for the unattainable, but something about him gave me pause.
There was an odd familiarity about him.
Despite the intensity of my reaction to his physical presence, anger spilled outward in a seething, uncontrollable rage.
With difficulty, I drew my outrage back and kept it contained.
Not knowing if this was one of Snowden’s tricks or a test of some sort, I didn’t know whether to knock the bastard out, nonchalantly ignore him, or pour him a fucking drink and join him on the couch.
“You mean, you’re our guard.” The words ground out of me, slipping past my wire-thin restraint.
Snowden said he would leave me with Sara. These rooms were supposed to be our sanctuary.
Foolishly, I thought he meant to keep his word. How easy it was for Snowden to give and then take away.
Shit! I knew he would do this, but it still came as a shock when Snowden pulled the rug out from under me.
A guard? What was the man really here to do?
I met him with the full force of my indomitable will. Aggression seemed the best path to match his strength.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
“I’m here to watch over the two of you.” Paul gave a nonchalant shrug and walked to the small kitchenette where he poured himself a scotch. He lifted his glass toward Sara in a mock salute.
She slowly inched her way over to me. I drew her behind me with my arm, protecting her from this unknown threat. I thought I could keep her safe within these rooms, but evidently, Snowden had other plans.
“Get in the bathroom and shut the door.” My command vibrated the air. Tension coiled inside my body as I prepared to do battle and keep her safe from this threat.
“You should cool down before you lose your shit.” Paul took a sip. “I’m your security. Mr. Snowden wants to make sure no one inadvertently slips in and has his way with your girl while you sleep. You should remember to thank him. He’ll like that.” The bastard winked at me.
My fingers curled into fists. I was seconds from popping this asshole in the face.
“Who’s to say you’re not one of the assholes who want to hurt her?”
He swallowed the remainder of the liquid, and I couldn’t tear my eyes from the way his Adam’s apple bobbed. Pressing his full lips together, he let out a satisfied moan which set my nerves on edge. How could a moan be so damn sexy?
He fixed me with a lustful and very hungry stare. “Because I like men.” His gaze raked me from head to toe. “You’re the only one I’m interested in fucking. Not the girl.”
I stood before him naked; my hungry cock standing loud, proud, and showing off as it twitched in eager anticipation.
His gaze cast downward, and an appreciative smile filled his face.
“And you…” His eyes widened as he carefully enunciated each word. “You. Are. Something. To. Admire.”
“Fuck you.” I’d run out of the bathroom so fast I hadn’t grabbed a towel.
Behind me, Sara made it to the bathroom door.
Paul shook his head. “Um, no.”
“No, what?”
I was seriously considering clocking the bastard and taking him down. The only thing stopping me was whether Snowden would consider that a breach of our fucked-up arrangement, which provided Sara the only protection she had in this nightmare.
“The doors stay open.”
“The fuck they do.”
“Open, or I take them off their hinges.”
“You’re not…”
Paul closed the distance between us until he stood chin to chin with me. Fractionally shorter than me, the man was built and knew how to hold his ground. He possessed all the fluid lethality, which screamed he was a man used to being in charge.
My stomach clenched, reacting to the show of force on a level I didn’t want to admit.
Snowden disgusted me.
This man?
He fascinated me.
“Didn’t you hear what I said? I’m here to protect your girl from those who might think to take advantage of this situation. I’m not interested in fucking her. Now you, on the other hand, …there are a lot of things I’d like to do to you.”
To me.
Not with me.
The message was not lost on me. We would not be equal partners.
This man was a sexual dominant, but I didn’t cave that easily.
“Fuck off.”
“I’d rather fuck you, but I’m sensing a little hostility.” With a step back, he took another long, hard look at me.
I breathed out, unaware I’d been holding my breath. He stood close, too close, and there was something about him that stuck deep in my core.
It off-balanced me. Made me want things I couldn’t have.
My entire body ached…
For him.
The corners of his lips turned up when my cock gave a little jerk. The little bastard was showing off after being denied its quick fix in the shower. It was ready for that fuck Paul promised.
I was ready for it too.
“Well, I’m sure your boss will have something to say about that. He’s not inclined to share.” I had more than I could handle dealing with Snowden’s unwanted attention. I didn’t need this asshole fucking that up.
“Is that what you think?” Paul’s eyebrow lifted in question. “Because I’m pretty sure he has plans to pass you around.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m fairly certain of it, actually.”
Behind me, Sara slowly drew the door to the bathroom closed.
Turning his attention to her, Paul cleared his throat. “I’m serious about the doors. They stay open.” He gave a sharp snap of his fingers. “You have clothes waiting in the bedroom. I suggest you hide in there while Forest and I get acquainted.”
The fuck he and I would be getting acquainted. No way in hell was I leaving Sara alone.
“Clothes?” Sara’s voice cracked, and her breath gave a little hitch.
“Yes, courtesy of your host.”
“He’s not our host.” Sara cleared her throat. “You work for a monster.”
“I disagree. Mr. Snowden has been very good to me, and I tend to respect that.” He lifted a finger. “I would strongly caution you about making disparaging remarks against him. He can be quite—”
“Horrific? Disgusting? Despicable?” Sara’s tone showed more strength than I imagined.
Unlike me, his size didn’t seem to intimidate her.
She took a step forward. “You want me to say nice things about a monster? Is that what you want?”
He gave a soft laugh. “What I want is beside the point.” His gaze cut to me. “Consider this a warning or a lesson. It’s in your best interest not to irritate Mr. Snowden. Be gracious, the niceties he affords you are precious gifts and should be appreciated.” He swept his arm out. “Such as a nice place to stay, clean clothes, a bed to share with your boyfriend, a lock on the door leading out of here, and a guard to keep you safe. Be thankful he chose me and not one of the others.”
“Telling me he doesn’t trust his men doesn’t spark confidence,” s
he said. “What’s to say we can trust you?”
“Mr. Snowden and I have a unique understanding.”
“That’s not an answer,” she said.
I couldn’t have been more thankful for Sara than I was at this moment.
Paul did strange things to me, off-balancing me in a way no man had ever done before. I should be the one asking the questions, but all I could think about was what it would feel like to have Paul’s body wrapped around mine.
“I already gave that answer. You don’t interest me.” He turned his attention back to me. “Forest, on the other hand…”
“What about me?” I finally found my voice. No way in hell was Snowden allowing this cocky asshole anywhere near me.
He ran his fingers through the air as if plucking on strings. “There’s a resonance I’m eager to explore.”
“Fuck you.”
“I’ll be the one doing the fucking. In fact, I look forward to it.”
His gaze took a slow, meandering stroll down my naked body. The skin of my chest flushed. I tightened my abs and found myself standing a little straighter beneath the scrutiny.
When his gaze finally landed on my cock, he didn’t hide his interest. The bastard even made a show of it with a slow, appreciative shake of his head.
“Not going to happen.” I tried to stand my ground, even knowing in my gut what the future held.
His smoldering eyes snapped up to mine, capturing them with the ferocity of his lust.
He slowly approached me. “Mr. Snowden is a generous man by nature. He rewards loyalty. He rewards obedience.”
Without hesitation, he reached for my cock and took it in his sure grip.
I was so stunned, I didn’t react, but instead sank into the sensation of a man who knew exactly how to hold another man’s cock.
His grip tightened, and I huffed against the pain while holding back a low-throaty moan as desire washed through me.
With a twist of his wrist, he stroked me. My hungry cock nearly came right there as intense pleasure coursed within me.
Paul took a step back, satisfaction filling his face.
“Yeah, it’s going to happen. The question is whether you’ll let it happen the way it should, or if you’re going to fight what’s happening here.”
Forest's Fall (Captive Hearts Book 3) Page 17