The Land Where Sinners Atone

by Mason, V. F.

  Yeah, what the fuck was she thinking anyway, sending her fiancé to entertain mine?

  I notice Felicia rushing toward me from the left, although relief is flashing in her face when I come between the couple, gently wrapping my hand around Phoenix’s shoulder, who gasps in surprise at seeing me but doesn’t resist the hold.

  At least we have that; otherwise, I’m not sure I could have stayed sane in this situation. “Sebastian, thank you for occupying my fiancée while I was away,” I say loud enough for everyone to hear, so they won’t have any reason to gossip about us. “It’s good to know you can always count on family.”

  “Pleasure was all mine,” he replies, although an odd expression crosses his face as he studies me for a second before a smile flashes across it. “Congrats once again, Zachary. Take good care of her.” He extends his hand to me, and I shake it in time for Felicia to join us, hooking her arm on Sebastian’s.

  “How did the conversation with Dad go?” she asks and then shakes her head. “Actually, don’t answer. Instead, promise to come to my art gallery. We’ll have a music show there too.”

  Phoenix blinks at this and then murmurs, “Well, that sounds lovely, but I’m not sure Zach and I—”

  “I got the invitation. I’ll come.” Felicia’s jaw drops open at this, and I close it with my index finger. “I know it’s important to you.” I’m not sure how an elder brother acts in this case, but I decide to make an effort with them all from now on, accepting the olive branch they’ve been extending for years.

  Not that one little conversation with my dad opened my eyes to my wrong doings or anything, some sort of grand epiphany.

  However, maybe the time has come to indeed grow up and, in this, not ruin with my resentment the family my daughter will grow up in.

  First things first though.

  The time has come to remind my woman who she belongs to in the most primal way possible.

  “Now if you’ll excuse us, we have to go check on those blisters Phoenix has.”

  “What?” Her brows furrow in confusion, and I brush my thumb over the line forming between them.

  “I saw how you winced earlier. The shoes must hurt.” With this, I drag her toward the entrance before we go upstairs, all while she tries to slow my movements by pulling on my hand.

  “Zach, what the hell are you doing?” Her heels click loudly on the marble floor as I take us through the hallway, having a certain, perfect location in mind. “I don’t have any blisters.” I stay oblivious to her words and finally enter the spacious room, shutting the door behind us and locking it with a click. “What are you doing?” She looks around and then gasps. “Oh my God, you brought me to a library?”

  I pay little attention to the huge room with two levels of countless bookshelves holding thousands of titles and various couches to lounge on and read your favorite stories in peace.

  The dim light and the secluded location play perfectly in my plans as I push Phoenix against the wall, pressing myself into her, and she groans, “Zach.”

  Caging her in between the wall and my chest, her fucking curves under me, her raspy breath echoing in the room, when I murmur. “You shouldn't have allowed him to touch you.”

  She stills in my arms as my hand travels to her back, finding her zipper and pulling at it so her silky dress slides down her smooth skin easily, ending up at her feet. She gasps, trying to cover her gorgeous fucking breasts, but I don't allow such a thing.

  I grab both her arms, putting them over her head and keeping them locked with mine while I lean closer to bite her chin, and she hisses, “Are you out of your mind, Zach? We’re in the library! Someone might come in.”

  Well, she should have thought about it sooner, right?

  Before she allowed that fucker to touch her!

  She squeaks, trying to wiggle free from my hold, but instead moans when I catch her mouth, slipping my tongue inside and devouring her with a passionate, hot kiss, punishing in its nature, staking a claim on her.

  Reminding her that in her life there is only one man who matters, and everyone else can look but better never fucking touch.

  She melts in my arms, her head hitting the door when she tilts her neck back. I deepen the kiss, and her breasts brush against my shirt.

  Letting go of her hand, I fist her hair and snatch my mouth away, trailing to the underside of her chin while nipping on her skin. “I hate his touch on you. I hate you dancing with him. You do not belong to him.”

  Bite. Bite. Bite.

  “This is madness. You are insane,” she whispers, lacing her fingers in my hair and pulling me closer as I travel down to her collarbone, licking all over it before nipping and sucking on more of her skin, leaving redness on my way so fucking Hale can look at the marks and know this woman is mine.

  Mine and no one else’s.

  I circle around her nipple with my finger, breaking goose bumps on her skin, and she groans, jerking in my arms, her rosy peak begging for me to bring it relief, so I breathe on it lightly, asking, “Am I, darling?” Nibbling on the mound of her breast, I cup it before lifting it to my mouth.

  “Yes. You’re jealous of my past,” she says and holds her breath in anticipation of my next action.

  A smile spreads on my mouth as I pause over her nipple, flicking the tip with my tongue and not doing anything else while she becomes hotter and hotter in my arms. I know she’s on board with this show of possessiveness, even if she tries to act like the more reasonable person between us.

  “Should I stop then, love?” Another flick and she groans, pulling at my hair painfully while shifting forward so her nipple brushes against my mouth, begging me to do something, but I stay still. “Eager, are we? But bad girls don't get what they want, darling.”

  “Bad girl?” she exclaims in outrage, her throaty words having an effect on my already hard-as-steel dick, ready to pounce on her at any moment, straining against the zipper of my pants. “It wasn't my idea to dance with him.” She waits a bit before adding, “I don’t care about Sebastian.”

  Of course she doesn’t.

  Does it change how I feel about the fucker?

  Not one bit.

  Trapping her nipple between my lips, I suck on it as she moans loudly, the sound ricocheting off the walls while she pulls at my hair so hard I’m surprised she doesn't tear it off my scalp.

  Licking the nipple and coating it in my saliva, I tug on it a little, biting her harshly before instantly soothing it with more licks, all while my palm slides lower and lower until it reaches the hem of her panties. Without warning, I tear them away from her, the flimsy silk barely giving any resistance. “Zach!” she whispers through her moan, but I pay no attention to that, moving to the other breast where I repeat the action while my hand cups her dripping-for-me pussy. The heel of my palm digs into her clit while my fingers rub the walls of her pussy, spreading her juices all over them.

  She groans, clamping her thighs around my hand while pressing closer and closer to me. Her breast fills my mouth until I let go and our gazes clash. Her brown eyes are hazy with desire and such strong need that everything inside me responds to it, wanting to give her what she craves so much.

  Her breathing speeds up. She plasters her hands behind her while my middle finger slips inside her, pushing into her, and she cries out, rolling her hips in rhythm with my finger. “Who makes you so wet, Phoenix?” A challenge flashes in her orbs, and she stays silent, so I pause my movements, repeating, “Who?”

  “You.”

  Good girl.

  Resuming my actions, I continue to press my palm into her while adding a second finger, stretching her wider and deeper, preparing her for my dick while she bites her lower lip, showcasing her perfect, white teeth, and I resist the urge to kiss her. “Who do you belong to?”

  “To no one,” she replies, and I add another finger, dipping deeper before thumbing her clit and no doubt sending sensations all over her body, and she gasps, “To you.”

  “My woman does
n't dance with her ex-husband. In fact, she makes sure her ex-husband stays as far away as fucking possible.” I remove my hands and place my fingers over her lips. She licks them clean, wrapping those plump lips of hers over them, enjoying her taste while I say, “Do you understand?”

  “Zach, just stop these caveman tendencies and fuck me already,” she hisses, digging her teeth into my finger and biting them harshly. “Or I swear…” Her loud whimper fills the space when I snatch my hand away and drop to my knees, putting my mouth on her pussy, my tongue replacing my fingers. I swirl it inside her before licking all over her flesh, opening her up for me, enjoying her taste and craving to have more of it.

  “Do you understand?” I ask again, sucking on her lips before flicking her clit, and she shivers, her nails raking the back of my head while I continue to pleasure her. “You. Are. Mine.” With each word, I give her lick after lick, which drives her insane, judging by how restless she becomes, trying to grind on my face and find relief with my tongue.

  Before she can fully enjoy though, I get up, shrugging off my jacket as she watches me with her hooded eyes, and lower the zipper on my pants.

  Her eyes widen when she notices the condom I take out, and she asks, “Were you hoping to get lucky?”

  I chuckle. “Darling, with you, I don't have to hope.” Wrapping my hand around my hard-on, I jerk it a few times, and she licks her lips when she notices the precum leaking from the tip, but I shake my head. “We have no time for that, love.” And then I grab her hips, lifting her up in my arms as she circles her arms around my neck and locks her legs behind my back.

  I enter her with one swift thrust, pushing her hard against the door, and she moans, arching her neck, but then she looks at me again when I don't do anything else.

  Just stretch her to the fucking brink with her hot pussy wrapped tightly around me, heaven and hell on earth at the same time.

  Despite everything in me screaming for me to fucking move and bring us the release we both so fucking want, I focus my stare on her before leaning closer, whispering into her ear, “Are you mine, baby?”

  Thrust. Thrust. Thrust.

  Her nails dig into my back. I can barely feel them through the shirt, yet I welcome her staking her claim nevertheless, while her thighs clamp around me. She bites my neck so hard she will probably draw blood if she’s not careful enough. “Yes,” she whispers, licking over the wound before biting on it again. I growl as it only adds to the pressure building inside me, driving me insane with the need to speed up my movements and fuck her hard.

  Not yet.

  “Mine and only mine,” I say, hiking her higher before pulling back and slamming inside her again, making us both groan.

  “Yes, only yours.” Her lips trail over my ear as she murmurs into it, “No one else’s.” She fists my hair, jerking my head back so our eyes meet. “Now fuck me hard so the whole world knows it too.”

  Smashing my mouth over hers while we lock in a fucking hard kiss that stakes my claim on her once and for all, I clench her ass cheeks in my hands while speeding up my movements, driving into her over and over again, swallowing her moans of pleasure with each jerk of my hips, filling her to the brink, needing her to let go in my arms before I do the same.

  She groans in protest when I leave her without my mouth, latching onto her neck and sucking on the skin as I continue to slam inside her. Her pussy clenches around my length as her raspy breathing fills the space, accompanied by occasional whimpers and moans. The sound of our flesh slapping against each other mixes with it and adds to the high driving my body, demanding fucking release… but not until she has hers.

  She freezes and cries out, her back arching her toward me as her pussy clamps over me so tight it’s fucking hard to breathe. It takes everything in me to push back and slide inside again, the familiar prickling in my back alerting me to my own release, but not before I kiss her once again. Drinking from her mouth, I thrust in and out of her a few more times before I fucking come, spilling inside the condom, and I vow to one day know what it’s like to have my woman without any barriers between us.

  With her still in my arms as we both catch our breaths, I say, “Don’t dance with Sebastian again.”

  Her laughter bounces off the walls and soothes the edges inside me, calming this storm that I call my life and giving me hope that once all this shit is over… she will be mine without reservation.

  Maybe then we will both find the land where sinners atone.

  Phoenix

  Groaning at my reflection in the mirror in the library’s bathroom—I guess rich people can have it all—I quickly adjust my dress properly and huff in frustration at several hickeys marking my neck right now.

  It’s impossible to cover them up. He staked a claim on me as if I’m some kind of cow!

  Shaking my head, I bring some curls to the front so at least they cover some of the red marks while still keeping the pretense of a morally good person.

  Although my fiancé just fucked me against a wall in the library of all places, while my moans of pleasure probably could have been heard in the distance.

  I can just imagine all the headlines with zoomed photos on my skin of how we’re shameful people who can’t keep it in their pants.

  The place between my legs still throbs with each move, reminding me of how relentless he is in his passion, hot and possessive to the point of madness, and my body responded to it.

  Loved it.

  Craved it.

  So of course, it surrendered to him.

  “God, what are you doing, Phoenix?” I ask my reflection, but the woman staring back at me is as clueless as me about this whole thing, although one realization is crystal-clear.

  No matter how much I deny it or try to run away… it’s impossible to ignore my pull toward Zach and what it has the power to become.

  They say love at first sight doesn’t exist, and that’s not our story anyway. More like hate at first sight with a passion so strong a human is hopeless against it.

  However, what if we had met under different circumstances without him hurting me so much? Then would it have been the love at first sight that so many books and movies speak of?

  Would I have accepted it with all my being, holding on to this opportunity of a lifetime, and let my heart lead me to Zachary, despite my hesitation of how different we are?

  Can I still do it now and give him a chance after all this mess is done?

  Bury my unbearable pain with the past, putting the blame where it really belongs, and accept that some things in life are unpredictable and a person has the right to try for happiness again, even if the choice is questionable at best?

  My heart is exhausted from the constant suffering it has been subjected to for years, and I crave just a bit of happiness to finally enjoy this life again, to live and not just survive.

  Placing my faith in Zachary will be either one of the best or most foolish things I’ve done, but shouldn’t I try at least?

  With one last glance at myself, I leave the bathroom and stroll to the door ready to face the world again, wondering how much longer we need to stay here to satisfy everyone’s curiosity. I doubt the unsub will show up with any tricks, because he would have done so by now. Maybe he enjoys our misery, because we don’t know when he is going to strike again, and it’s spiking our anticipation and in return getting him off on the power play he thinks he has?

  I stop abruptly when I spot an envelope on the floor a few feet away from the door; someone must have slipped it inside. I pick it up, wanting to place it on one of the tables, only to frown when I see my name written on it.

  “What in the world?” I mutter, opening it up, and take out a letter.

  Or more like a small note.

  And when I read it, the world around me crumbles. I sway to the side, hitting my hip on the corner of the table, and the pain travels all through my system, but I barely notice it through the one piercing my heart.

  A sob slips past my lips while I shake m
y head in denial, not wanting to believe a single word, yet everything in my head clicks with this truth, aligning all the blocks in perfect order to form a picture that destroys me in ways I thought nothing could anymore.

  Fisting the paper in my hand, I search for the strength within me to straighten up and blindly follow the hall to the common room, where I see Zach standing at the end of the hallway with his father.

  I’ll wait for you, darling. You won’t be going back alone. Everyone will know who you belong to.

  His words ring in my ears while bitter laughter almost erupts from my mouth at how ridiculous all of this was.

  He deceived me with his actions, and like a fool, I even wanted to give him a chance.

  What kind of monster do you have to be to play with a human’s life like that and not think about the repercussions of his actions?

  Zachary smiles, his eyes warm, as he greets me, “Darling.” And I hate the satisfaction coming from him, thinking that everything is all right with us.

  But then I’ve allowed him to believe that with the crook of his finger, I’ll do whatever he says, right?

  Instead of answering him, I slap his cheek so hard my palm bounces off it, the sting burning my skin and the sound rocking off the walls, but I pay no attention to that.

  Anthony blinks in shock while Zachary stares at me, and I hope he sees all the fury and disgust I feel for him right now when I order, “Take me to my daughter.” And the minute guilt along with surprise reflects in his eyes, he breaks the last shred of hope I still harbored in my heart like the stupid idiot I am that maybe the note lied.

  Maybe Zachary is not the monster who made a mother believe her child was dead only to hurt me beyond measure.

  However, there is no running away from the truth now, right?

  For how could anything be possible between us ever again with this truth?

  Zachary King might always get what he wants, but not this time around.

  My daughter and I don’t belong to him and never will. He’s a thief who stole our hearts with his deceit.