by Piper Stone
After a few seconds, I turned off the light on the table next to me, preferring the limited light from the television alone. Darkness had always been my favorite time, allowing the stars in the sky to ignite my imagination, something my father had made fun of when I was younger. I’d learned to keep my interests and what he referred to as my weaknesses to myself. That kept his anger and displeasure at a minimum.
Almost fifteen minutes went by. She seemed more relaxed, her head bobbing during a portion of the movie, her eyes remaining bright and wide open as she stared at the screen. From where I was sitting, I could see every move her mouth made as she took a bite of food. The way her lips formed around a piece of cheese or a bite of fruit only further fueled the deep ache. It would appear the food was succulent, as if she hadn’t enjoyed anything so delicious in a long time.
If ever.
I knew nothing about her, other than her connection with Angel. However, I didn’t need to drag information out of her to know she hadn’t lived an easy life. Then again, who the hell had?
When her body stiffened, I shifted even further on the edge of the couch, studying her intently. I could see tears brimming her eyes, a single bead slipping past her lashes. She hunkered over, taking at least thirty seconds before bringing the bottle of water to her lips. It was clear she was upset over whatever scene was playing. When she furiously wiped the tear away, I took a deep breath.
The craving I had for her intensified, dragging me into the very darkness I’d tried to avoid with her. I wanted nothing more than to tangle my fingers in her long curls before yanking her head between my legs. I craved having her luscious lips engulfing my cock, drinking every last drop of cum. My breathing ragged, I put the glass on the table, struggling with the ugliness inside of me.
There was no way to fight the battle. My hunger was far too powerful, ripping away any shred of decency I might have left.
“Come to me, Acadia.” My command boomed over the sound of the movie.
She didn’t respond at first, still underestimating my control over her. When she pushed her food away, I took a deep breath, sitting back against the soft confines of the couch and spreading my legs wide open. After shifting my arms across the back, I rolled several fingers of one hand across my mouth, the heat of my anticipation spiking my heartrate.
I could tell she had no desire to leave the peace of watching the movie, her actions stilted as she moved onto her knees. She even took the time to tighten the sash on her robe, as if that was going to make a difference in taking her the way I wanted. She finally started crawling in my direction, her mouth pursed the entire time.
I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off the way her long hair draped across her shoulders, the sight in front of me far too enticing. As she approached, she tilted her head until she was able to stare into my eyes. The flashing of various screens on the television only accentuated the way her eyes shimmered, an iridescent glow appearing in both.
My cock twitching, I continued to rub my fingers across my lips, taking ragged breaths as she crawled between my legs.
“What do you want?” she asked in a sultry tone, even purring after issuing the words.
“Suck me.”
She dragged her tongue across her lips then proceeded to dance her fingers up both calves, undulating her body in a provocative manner.
The woman was a little temptress. I narrowed my eyes, doing everything I could to control my breathing as she slid her deft fingers up to my thighs. I loathed the way the robe covered up her beautiful body. Soon, I’d require her to be naked.
Vixen.
That was the single word that adequately described her. As she tossed her hair down over my lap, her fingers continuing to crawl toward my groin, a moment of realization settled in. I snapped my hands around her wrists, shaking my head from the sight of the knife she’d managed to slide into the sleeve of her robe.
“Tsk. Tsk. You fucked up, little girl.”
Squealing, she did everything she could to get out of my hold, still trying to shove the worthless steak knife into my chest. “Let go of me.”
“You don’t get to make demands, sweetheart. I’ve already told you that you have no choices left.” I wrenched her wrist until she dropped the utensil, shaking my head as I leaned down until our lips were dangerously close. “That wasn’t very smart.”
“Fuck you.”
Her caustic words did nothing but turn me on even more than I’d been before. “I suggest you accept your fate.”
“Just kill me. I’d rather that happen than to be with you.”
Something snapped deep inside of me, the need turning into a caustic wave of desire unlike anything I’d experienced before. I lowered my head, taking several deep breaths before capturing her mouth. She fought my hold, doing everything she could to get away. Every move she made only added to the raging desire.
As soon as I thrust my tongue past her pursed lips, I could feel her shudder. The taste of her was sweet, the ripe fruit adding to the powerful aphrodisiac she’d already created. I yanked her closer, forcing her to feel the thickness of my cock. My actions generated a moan, her fingers flexing open as she struggled like a wildcat.
I dug my fingers into her soft skin as I held her, dominating her tongue as I drank my fill of her. Lurid visions filled my mind, each one filthier and viler than the one before.
Somehow, she managed to jerk free, tumbling backwards then trying to climb to her feet.
I took a deep breath as she bounded for the door. I was finished with playing the nice guy. “Acadia. You have a choice to make. Whichever one you make could be the final one. I suggest you choose obedience.”
“Or what?” she demanded, stopping short. After taking several scattered breaths, she shifted her head over her shoulder.
“I think you know that answer.”
Chapter 5
Acadia
“Being brave isn’t the absence of fear. Being brave is having that fear but finding a way through it.”
Bear Grylls
Fear.
I’d experienced fear the majority of my life, the kind of paralyzing sensations that had kept me from fighting back, especially against my stepfather. The brute of a man was almost always drunk, railing on my mother for something she did or didn’t do. She’d been so frail, weak from years of being beaten both physically as well as emotionally. I’d watched her suffering, unable to bring myself to do anything to help her. I’d been afraid and helpless, my inabilities given my age and size forcing her to endure every savage blow he’d given her.
However, the horrible poor excuse for a human being hadn’t paid attention over the years to the fact I’d been biding my time. I’d planned exactly what I was going to do to him. I’d even dreamt about it almost every night, promising my mother that one day I’d end her horrible pain.
When I’d stood nearly as tall as he’d been, the workouts sculpting my muscles, I’d been able to take him on. I’d never forget the day I’d snapped, the rage that had been building for so many years destroying whatever sense of goodness my mother had tried to instill in me. I’d thrown several hard punches, catching his drunken ass off guard. Sure, he’d come at me, trying to slam me into a wall, but I’d been too quick for him, the knife I’d grabbed doing my bidding.
He’d learned a lesson that I was certain he remembered today, his ugly scar a reminder that his bad behavior was no longer accepted. Then I’d tossed him out, making certain he knew in no uncertain terms that his return wasn’t welcome.
It had been my finest hour.
And the worst moment of my life.
At least the horrible experience had taught me that I was much stronger than I’d given myself credit for. Sadly, my mother had never recovered, succumbing to years of indulging in booze to comfort her pain, her death a cruel reminder of what the bastard had done to her. That had left me on my own. I’d been barely eighteen and there’d been no money, only the two hundred dollars I’d managed to squirrel away over t
he years.
I’d left without looking back, pretending as if I could rule the world. Sadly, fear continued to follow me, keeping me from acquiring my dreams. That’s why I’d made such bad decisions in my life, taking help from someone I didn’t know and honestly didn’t want to know.
Now this.
Fearing Vincenzo was easy. Shoving aside the desire I continued to feel for him wasn’t.
He was brutal and unforgiving, the kind of man everyone should fear.
A murderer.
A monster.
Sexy.
Dangerous.
Desirable…
I slowly turned to face him, unable to see his eyes in the dim lighting, but I didn’t need to. I knew what the alternative was. I either obeyed his every command or there wouldn’t be a tomorrow. While the last thing I wanted was to surrender to a brutal man, there was no other choice. He was right. He’d taken me away from the one thing I loved, but I’d only been fooling myself that it would have mattered in the first place.
He sat on the edge of the couch, his elbows resting on his knees and his fingers flexed open, one hand touching the other. I’d been foolish to think the stupid knife would be able to cut through his skin, but it had been the only choice I had.
“Come here,” he commanded in the same dark, sultry, and captivating tone I’d heard several times.
I found myself inching closer, shuffling my feet as if that would keep me from being punished. I wanted to beg him to give me another chance. Then I wanted to lunge at him, ripping out his heart with one hand.
Then I realized that he didn’t have a heart.
He was nothing more than the devil.
He didn’t bother looking at me, his gaze locked on the movie. I’d almost laughed seeing the selection he’d made. The Notebook. Who the hell was he kidding? There wasn’t a romantic bone in his body. There was nothing but pure, unadulterated lust, hunger unlike anything I’d ever witnessed before. And I’d seen a hell of a lot of men in dire straits, pawing at me as if I would actually give them a taste of anything but my fist.
Which I’d done on more than one occasion until my reputation had kept me safe.
It would seem I’d underestimated the real monsters that I thought only hid in the shadows. This one lived in broad daylight, parading his power, wealth, and influence with ease.
What had nearly driven me to the brink of losing my mind was the way he’d looked at me after walking into the bathroom. I’d seen such a change in his eyes, the single vision I’d captured of his soul almost too much to deal with.
There was little there but a hard, cold block of steel.
“You do realize that there is nowhere you can go. One of my soldiers is standing outside that door. Even if you could get by him, I have several of my men outside. If your thoughts are to contact the police, I assure you that the majority of them are actually on my payroll. In other words, you’ve run out of options. Unless, of course, you’d prefer that I dump you off at the shithole camp where the bikers you seem to love live. I’m not certain how happy they’ll be to see you given they were just made aware of exactly what happens to traitorous bastards, and he was your boyfriend. I’m certain they’ll believe you told me everything, including the name of their new business partner. I doubt they’ll take kindly to the thought, even if it isn’t true.”
“You bastard. He’s not. My. Boyfriend!” Why wouldn’t he believe me? What the hell did I have to do to convince him?
He lifted his head so slowly that a river of fear slithered into my veins. My God, his eyes were piercing my very soul, dragging me straight to the very hell I’d mentioned I was prepared to enter. I suddenly didn’t want to die and would do almost anything to keep that from happening.
“Come. Here.”
When I was only a foot away, I took several deep breaths, trying to calm my nerves. My head ached from the entire night’s events, the stench of cigarette smoke and cheap men’s aftershave clinging to every cell. Even the rich scent of Vincenzo’s cologne did little to mask the nasty odor.
He rubbed his chin up and down over his thumbs, remaining unblinking. I couldn’t stop shivering as thoughts regarding what he was going to do to me remained in the forefront of my mind.
“I’ve been very patient with you. Haven’t I?”
How was I supposed to answer that? “Yes. I guess. How would I know?”
“Fair enough. You’re just going to have to trust me on this, Acadia, because I won’t tell you again. I’m not a man to be taken lightly. I don’t accept excuses or provide second chances. I’ve been very fair with you considering the circumstances.” When he lifted his head, his normally gorgeous eyes were the same pools of darkness I’d seen in his soul.
“Okay.” If only there was some kind of information I could tell him. While Angel was a drunken fool, he’d always been cautious, holding any business discussions away from me, just like Pedro had. I’d never asked questions. I’d never wanted to hear what kind of business they were in. I’d simply been made an offer to help me get on my feet, a promise that I could grow my musical career. The decision was one that I now regretted.
“You’re going to respect me. I won’t accept anything less.”
“Why, yes, sir.”
When he took a deep breath, I knew the man was going to give me another round of harsh punishment. What I’d endured before had been utterly humiliating, the pain secondary to the shame that I’d felt. However, the reminder of his harsh punishment remained, the way the terrycloth shifted back and forth across my bruised ass an ugly reminder of the fact he was very much in charge.
“Drop to your knees.”
I was somewhat surprised by his demand, although this time I did so without pushing back. Every part of me trembled, my mind as hazy as before. As I slid down, the robe rubbed against my hard nipples, the ache almost pushing a moan past my lips. Why did the man have this kind of effect on me?
He shifted backwards, finally gazing down at me with no emotion on his face, his expression entirely blank. As he patted the couch in between his legs, I did everything I could not to scream out of frustration.
But I did as I was told, inching closer. When he reached down, fisting my hair, I closed my eyes. I was shocked at the feel of his fingers brushing down the side of my neck. Another wave of shivers danced along every portion of my body. His touch was gentle, as if he cared about me. Then he eased them underneath my robe, very slowly sliding his fingers over my nipple.
“You’re aroused,” he half whispered.
I kept my mouth shut.
He pinched my hardened bud, twisting until I yelped in pain. “Let’s try that again. Are. You. Aroused?”
“Yes,” I hissed between clenched teeth.
He resumed caressing me tenderly, flicking his finger back and forth until I almost lost my breath. There was no doubt he was able to gather a scent of the very desire he was seeking. I was revolted by the feel of my pussy juice trickling down my inner thighs as well as the soft whimpers that continued to threaten to escape.
I didn’t want this.
I couldn’t want him.
But I did.
As he shifted his hand to my other breast, cupping and squeezing, I couldn’t hold back a single moan.
“Mmm… I love to hear the sound of your voice.”
Why was he complimenting me? It wasn’t going to do any good. I would never care for him, not on any level. “Thank you.”
His actions sudden, he ripped the robe from my shoulders, exposing my breasts. I yelped involuntarily, my entire body shaking. After cupping both breasts in his massive hands, he tugged me closer then lowered his head. The feel of his hot, wet mouth engulfing my nipple sent a wave of stars in front of my eyes.
My God, the sensations almost electrified me. I was like a live wire, no longer able to process what was happening, my skin burning from his touch. I bit my lower lip to keep from crying as he licked and sucked, finally nipping my tender tissue.
Ev
ery sound he made was guttural, his actions growing more savage as he bit down even harder.
“Oh. Oh…” There was no way to hold back, several sounds rushing past my lips. I kept my eyes closed as he rubbed his lips across to my other breast, repeating the action. There wasn’t a portion of my body that wasn’t aching. My body swaying, I was forced to grip his thighs for fear of toppling over.
Through hazy eyes, I could tell how turned on he was, the thick bulge in his pants throbbing. My mouth watered from the thought of sucking on his cock, swishing my tongue around his cockhead. I craved tasting his cum, experiencing the feel as it slid down the back of my throat. I almost laughed at the sinful images floating in my mind. It was crazy, ridiculous.
What the hell was wrong with me?
The pain became biting as he pinched one nipple while he sucked on the other. I was pushed into a glorious moment of bliss before realizing I’d rubbed my hand across his bulge, the single touch alone a reminder of just how large he was.
Unable to stop my actions, I stroked him through the thin fabric of his trousers, enjoying his husky growls.
He refused to stop, pushing me even further into a state of euphoria. I fumbled with his belt buckle, trying to tug it free. As he laughed, the sound dangerously dark, a series of tingles rushed all the way to my toes. I knew the man was going to devour me.
“As I told you, Acadia. You will never be in control.” He ripped at the sash holding the robe together, pushing both sides apart, the weight of the material allowing it to fall down my arms.
The second he dragged me onto the couch, planting my feet on either side of his thighs, I gasped for air. What the hell was he going to do? I was forced to grip his shoulders, digging my fingers in as he blew across my stomach. The heat was significant, keeping the electricity flowing.
My mind was turned inside out, my heart racing as he dragged his tongue around my belly button. I was shocked at his actions, as if there was some kind of passion behind his savage demeanor. As I peered down, watching everything he did, I couldn’t resist realizing how incredibly gorgeous he was. What did that matter? Even some serial killers had been extremely good looking.