Forest's Fall (Captive Hearts Book 3)

by Ellie Masters

  "What are you planning?"

  "I have no idea, which is kind of great when you think about it. I have culpable deniability, but I trust in Xavier and my team. They're out there doing what they can, and soon, if not already, they'll know where we are. But Xavier won't act until he's assured of complete destruction. All we have to do is survive. I'll give Snowden whatever he demands to buy that time, and you need to do the same."

  "But what about Paul? He works for Snowden."

  "He hates Snowden."

  "How do you know that?"

  "Because Snowden lied to him."

  "What did he lie about?"

  "He made Paul believe his sister was dead."

  "Piper?"

  "Yes, and I'll use that to turn him, but I need him to trust me first."

  "When were you going to tell me any of this?"

  "Knowledge is dangerous. My goal is to keep you safe. I need Paul to do that, because I can't do it on my own, not when Snowden…"

  Not when Snowden had Forest under his thumb.

  "I get it." I was such an ass. "Which is why you and Paul…"

  "He's a wild card. I can't explain except to say there's something visceral, violent, and inevitable between us. Since I can't run from it, I'm going to embrace it and use it to our advantage. I'm sorry if that hurts you, but I can't stop it. It's going to happen because Snowden wills it. I'd rather it be in an environment I control, away from Snowden, but what happens with Paul doesn't change how I feel about you. I'm not in love with Paul, but he offers something I've never experienced before."

  "I'm trying to understand. I'm more naïve than I'd like to admit. I don't get the whole domination thing. It doesn't make sense to me."

  "Well, the few, rare, times I've come across a truly dominant male, I've found peace in the quiet that comes from handing over control. Please don't think less of me."

  "I want to accept all of you, but I'm going to need a little patience. Truthfully, I'm jealous you share something with him you don't share with me, and I know how needy that makes me sound."

  "It means you care for me, but I think about it another way."

  "How?"

  "Why do you think he left us alone?"

  "I honestly don't know why. I think he wants us to have sex."

  "There's more to Paul than you see. If he wanted to take advantage of his position, he'd be here doing exactly as Snowden expects, but he's not his father. It's not about taking, but rather giving. The resonance between us goes both ways. Paul isn't inherently cruel, at least that's not the vibe I'm getting."

  "Wait. Father?"

  "Didn't you know?"

  "What the fuck? How long have you known?"

  "I just put the pieces together."

  "This is the kind of shit you don't keep from me. He's Snowden's son? Why would I know that if you just put the pieces together? And you think you can turn him?"

  "I'll turn him." He spoke with confidence.

  "How? How are you going to turn a son against his father? Against that monster? Snowden is grooming Paul to take over."

  "The crimes of the father are not those of the son."

  "You're insane. You know that, don't you? Fucking Paul isn't going to change any of that."

  "Getting fucked by Paul is a foregone conclusion. Controlling that interaction is power. As it is, I'm interested. More importantly, I can use it."

  "I don't understand." With a flick of my wrist, I turned the water ice cold. This shower was over.

  Forest yelped when the icy water hit him and darted out from under the spray. I exited and found my towel. I left the bathroom to change, then pulled up short.

  Paul was here.

  "You."

  "Who were you expecting, little girl?"

  I wrapped the towel around my body and marched into the bedroom to dress. If there'd been a door, I would have gladly slammed it shut.

  Paul rapped on the doorframe. "Bug up your butt?"

  I spun around, yanking a shirt over my head. "Do you care?"

  "Not if you're going to be a bitch about it." He glanced back toward the living room. "From the intact wrappers on the floor, and your less than stellar mood, I'm assuming the two of you didn't fuck."

  "I'm not having this conversation with you, and stop calling me little girl."

  "When you stop throwing tantrums, we'll talk."

  I walked right up to him and poked my finger against his chest. "That dominant bullshit doesn't work on me."

  He glanced down at my finger then returned the full weight of his gaze to mine, where he obliterated my little tirade with one well-timed smirk. "Don't knock it until you try it. I have a feeling you and Forest will make quite the pair under my control. You just have to take a leap of faith."

  "Asshole."

  "Reverting to name-calling?" He crossed his arms, effectively removing my accusatory finger from his chest. "Very mature. Fortunately for you, I'm not allowed to touch you. Otherwise, I'd toss you over my knee and spank some sense into you."

  Heat filled my cheeks with his arrogant words. "You try that, and I'll cut your balls off."

  "I see why Forest likes you so much. You're feisty."

  "Sara, come back." Forest's deep voice boomed from the other room. He came to a sudden stop when he saw Paul standing in the doorway.

  "Well, this should be interesting." The corner of Paul's mouth ticked up.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Forest

  Seeing Paul had an instant effect on me. Heat surged to my cock. His magnetism stretched across the distance, where it grabbed my balls and had me sucking wind.

  My dick gave a hungry twitch.

  And I had a serious problem.

  He stood between Sara and me.

  No way was I getting past him unscathed. My body trembled in anticipation of the promise we’d made while my heart broke for the pain this would cause Sara.

  “Well, it looks like we’re all here.” Paul took me in with a languid sweep of his gaze. “Drop the towel.” His deep voice had me obeying instantly.

  My towel fell to the floor as I shifted my weight. I would meet him on a solid base and show him submissive didn’t mean weak.

  He made a point of focusing on my dick, which showed off its eagerness as it lengthened for him.

  Slowly, his gaze traveled upward, lingering on the hard, defined lines of my abs and chest. Unhurried, but relentless, he took in my broad shoulders, moved up my neck, swept across the hard edges of my jaw, and settled on my lips. I slowly pressed my lips together, wetting them with my tongue, then his gaze finally settled on my eyes.

  He uncrossed his arms and flexed his fingers. Rolling his shoulders back, he kicked off from the wall and took a step into the room. My weight shifted back before I realized what I was doing.

  The man certainly wasn’t wasting any time, but he paused.

  “I’m sensing a bit of friction.” He snapped his fingers. “Get out here, Miss Sara.” He pointed to the couch. “And sit down.”

  A huff sounded from behind him. “You’re not the boss of me.”

  “No? We’ll see about that. Don’t make me repeat myself. You won’t like the consequences.”

  “You’re not touching me.”

  “I don’t need to when I have him. Now get your lovely little ass out here and sit the fuck down.”

  Sara crept out from the bedroom. Her eyes cut to mine, then dropped to the evidence of my arousal. Pain flashed in her eyes, but then she drew her lower lip between her teeth, and I saw something else. She slowly moved to the couch, her eyes more on Paul than me.

  “Be very careful how you speak to her.” The threat in my voice had Paul’s head snapping toward me. “She’s not a part of this.”

  “Is that what you think?”

  “Don’t test me on that. She doesn’t belong to you.”

  I would protect Sara at all costs, and that included keeping Paul’s hands off her.

  “Here’s a truth I want you to unders
tand. I’ll test you. I’ll do it because that’s what you need. You’re right. She doesn’t belong to me, but you do. I’ll never force her to do anything she doesn’t freely choose, but it’s my role to pave the way for what we all need. You’re the foundation of our unlikely trio. You support Sara while I provide the focus you need. So, yes, she’s very much a part of this, excluding her isn’t an option.”

  “What does that mean?” Sara folded her legs beneath her.

  His gaze cut to her on the couch. “Only that this is uncharted territory, which means we begin as equals and explore with open minds. How we move forward is the question each of us needs to answer.”

  “There’s nothing equal about any of this,” she said.

  “Ask Forest. He’ll explain how it works.”

  “He has no choice in this. He’s a prisoner…”

  “He chooses when he bends his knee and submits to my boss. He chooses to place you above himself. I’m in awe of the sacrifices he makes every day. I’m also not afraid to admit I’m jealous of what the two of you share, but I’m not threatened by it. My question is whether you feel the same? Is your love as strong as his? Or are you threatened by what he needs from me?”

  “Paul…” I ground out his name. “You’re crossing a line. Leave her alone.”

  “Would you rather we fucked in private and hid that from her? Because I can tell you how that ends. We all lose.”

  “I’m warning you. Leave her out of this.”

  “That’s not how this works…It’s not how I lead and make no mistake who is in charge. We do this with her consent, not without.” Paul turned to Sara. “So, what’s it going to be?”

  “Like I have any say.” She wrapped her arms around her knees and drew herself into a tiny ball. “You’re going to do what you want one way or another.”

  I ached to wrap my arms around her and tell her how much I loved her. Paul didn’t change any of that.

  “Here’s a little thing about power, little girl. Truly powerful men aren’t afraid of handing over control. It doesn’t lessen who they are, nor their status. I will walk away if that’s what you decide. How’s that for giving you control?”

  “I don’t believe you.” She hopped to her feet. “You’re no different from the monster out there.”

  Paul gave me a look, which said I needed to control my woman. I glanced at the towel at my feet and considered picking it up to cover myself. When my eyes cut to his, he had noticed the direction of my gaze.

  If I picked up the towel, I undermined his authority. Everything would change. Or, I could support him. I kicked the towel to the side then looked at him as if saying Are you satisfied? His lips pressed into a hard line, and he gave a curt nod.

  “If Sara tells you to leave, you’ll leave? Is that what you’re offering?”

  I hoped Sara understood what that would mean, praying she could find some way to trust Paul. I needed this.

  “Yes, but only under the condition that the two of you talk.”

  I went to Sara and took her hands in mine. “Just say the word.” I pressed my forehead against hers.

  “Do you think he’d leave?”

  “I trust him. I wish you could too, but yeah. I believe he’ll leave.”

  “Is this...” She choked up then cleared her throat. “Do you want this?”

  “Not if it means losing you.”

  She squeezed my hands and blew out her breath. “I don’t know how to do this. I’ve never been with anyone before, but I guess if I think about it, I’ve always had to share you with other men. This isn’t easy for me.”

  “Perhaps another time.” Paul placed his hand on my shoulder. He slid his hand down my shoulder, ran it over my bicep, and gripped my forearm.

  My body reacted to the touch, and a ripple of desire shot through me.

  Paul headed to the door. He stopped with his hand on the electronic lock. “When he asks, I’m going to tell him I was called away unexpectedly. You may want your story to be similar.”

  “Understood.”

  I released Sara’s hands and pulled her tight against me. My erection remained. Stoked out of quiescence by Paul’s parting touch, there was no way to hide it from Sara. Not that I would. I wanted to share what Paul and I had with her, not hide it.

  The door lock cycled, and Paul pushed the door open.

  “Wait.” Sara’s voice cracked and trembled. “Don’t go.”

  Paul hesitated and looked at me.

  “Sara,” I said, “it’s okay.”

  “I can’t take this from you. It’s not fair to you.” She closed her eyes and licked her upper lip. Placing both hands on my face, she lifted on tiptoe and brushed her lips against mine. Soft and velvety smooth, my eyes practically rolled into the back of my head.

  I held her tight, lifting her off her feet to deepen the kiss. She was all sunlight and heaven wrapped in my arms.

  The door slowly swung shut, and I cracked open my eyes. Paul stood at the door, legs spread, arms crossed over his chest. He took in our kiss, and a genuine smile crested his face.

  My only problem was that I didn’t want to let Sara go. She decided that for me, pushing against my chest until I lowered her to the ground. Peeking up at me, her attention shifted to Paul.

  “Are you sure about this?” Paul didn’t move from the door.

  “Not in the slightest.” She did that thing with her fingers, twisting them together. “I don’t trust you, but I trust Forest. I’m going with my gut on this. Please don’t make me regret it and don’t hurt him.”

  “I make no promises.”

  Fuck! That voice. The violent promise of excruciating pain had my balls drawing tight and my dick bouncing with anticipation. Sara didn’t understand what it took to silence my mind. One look at the desire swirling in Paul’s eyes, and there was no doubt he did.

  She looked between us as our gazes locked. “Um…I’ll just be in the…”

  “Stay.” Paul’s command made her jump.

  “Um…” She looked to me, uncertain, but I nodded.

  “I don’t want you to feel you need to leave, but I won’t make you stay.”

  She lifted on tiptoe, her eyes cutting toward Paul as she placed her sweet lips on mine. “I love you.”

  “I love you more.” I closed my eyes and breathed her in. Soft and gentle, I ached to hold her, to lie with her, and to make love to her.

  And I would.

  Just not right now.

  “Sit on the couch, or take the chair, but don’t interfere. Forest, come here.”

  Paul’s command shot through me, lighting up all my nerves and sending a shockwave of heat rolling through my body. Anticipation rippled through me and quick on its heels was the promise of inevitability.

  “You’re under my control now.” The timbre of his voice changed, turning rough, ragged, and as hard as steel.

  I sucked in a breath, excited for what came next, and gave Sara’s hand one final squeeze. She wasn’t running for the bathroom, but backed up into the small kitchenette, as far as she could get in the limited space.

  Heat surged to my dick as I approached Paul. Each heartbeat betrayed my desire. Long and hard, there was no hiding my eagerness.

  Not sure how he would begin, or what he would ask, I prepared myself to obey his commands and hand myself over to his will. The moment I drew within striking distance, his arm snapped out, and his hand encircled my throat. My eyes widened as he cut off my air and spun me until my back slammed against the wall.

  Without warning, he kissed me, crushing his lips against mine. His free hand reached between us and clamped around my dick. Black spots danced in my vision from the excruciating pain between my legs and lack of oxygen starving my brain, but I didn’t care.

  The firm, wet heat of his mouth was on me.

  This was happening.

  He kissed with an all-consuming passion that stole my breath and sent me places in my head I never thought to go. He caught my lips between his, kissing firmly as
he brought my body to life with his skillful licks and stabbing bites. His teeth cut into my lips, tugging until I huffed in pain, and his hand moved from my dick to my balls where his punishing grip had me seeing stars.

  He held me, not with arms encircled around me, but with the vice of his hand around my throat, controlling every aspect of the kiss. He hungrily ate at my mouth, taking what he wanted, and I barely had a chance to kiss him back.

  Pressing against me, the engorged lengths of our cocks moved against each other with only the fabric of his pants separating us. It was a promise of where this kiss would end.

  I wanted him to take me with the brutal aggression only he possessed.

  “Goddammit, fuck me already.” I croaked out the words between licks and bites.

  Paul released my balls and punched me hard in the gut. “Did I give you permission to speak?”

  Shit, but that did things to my head. Pain filled my existence, slipping into all the cracks and crevices as agony rippled through my midsection and pulsed in my balls. He reached between us and squeezed my dick. Black spots danced in my vision with the violence of his grip.

  “You’re not ready for me to fuck you.”

  I growled with frustration but didn’t dare speak. He gripped my jaw, holding my head back against the wall.

  “You’re going to beg for it.”

  “I am begging for it.”

  He reared back, and his fist slammed into me. I huffed against the pain. Sara stifled a gasp behind her hand and scooted further into the corner.

  “Want to keep flapping your lips, or are you going to shut up and kiss me back?”

  I wanted the kiss and lunged for his mouth. The thing I loved about men was that I didn’t need to hold back my aggression. I gave as good as I got, the rougher, and more violent, the better as far as I was concerned.

  But I wanted him deep inside of me, punishing my flesh with hard, angry, combative sex; a clashing of male on male which would drive me to oblivion.

  His dark, musky scent flooded my senses and drugged my inhales. The potency of his skin on mine, the heat of our bodies colliding, Sara’s fluttering gasps as she watched, it flipped a switch inside of me.

  Pleasure burst from my core and settled with a tingling ache in my balls. Paul’s fist tightened and released. Each contraction lifted me on my toes as I huffed out a breath of delirious pain.