by Sybil Bartel
Unscarred.
But I still didn’t let women touch me.
Not with anything other than their mouths or cunts. But here I stood, on a fucking ledge, all because of a dark haired, blue-eyed vixen of a teenager.
I forced words out. “You want to touch me, woman?”
“Yes.” The heat of her hand burned into my chest and spread.
I fucking let go. “Do your worst.”
HIS ARMS AT HIS SIDES, his voice barely more than a low growl, he issued an order. “Do your worst.”
Instinct telling me I was treading on thin ice, I flattened my palm over his heart. I didn’t want to do my worst. I wanted to make him feel good. I wanted to make him feel something as powerful as the orgasm he gave me.
But he was impenetrable.
His expression, his authority, his dominance. He was a warrior. And I was… me.
I didn’t know what I could do for him, but I felt desperate to try.
Coasting my hand up, taking in all of his ink, but not seeing the details, there was only one tattoo I could read without the lights on. Just above his hips, across his lower abs, nine bold letters.
UNSCARRED.
In all caps, the ink slightly curved down on either end, the word itself mocked all the ink he had covering his chest and arms. He was completely scarred. But I suspected the word meant more than its surface and I’d wager every cent in my trust fund it had to do with his time in the Military.
I wanted to ask him about it. I wanted to ask him about every single tattoo covering his body, but I didn’t want him to change his mind about giving me free range, so as I ran one hand up his chest and over his shoulder, I reached for his hard length that jutted out proudly from his impossibly perfect, sculpted body.
One hand wrapped around his shaft and the piercings I’d felt in my mouth as my other coasted over his shoulder, but then I stilled.
Rough, raised flesh jutted out under my fingers and the ink on his stomach suddenly took on a whole new meaning.
My heart stuttering at the thought of what kind of wound had caused the jagged scar, I moved even farther over his shoulder. Like dragging my hand over asphalt, more scarred flesh pebbled under my fingers and I needed to know. “What happened?”
His shoulders stiff, he watched me with a locked expression. “IED.”
I splayed my hand, but the scar didn’t end. “Does it hurt?”
“No.”
I dared to ask. “Is this why you aren’t in the Marines anymore?”
His nostrils flared but he didn’t respond.
Feeling like I crossed a line, I dropped my gaze. “Sorry.”
His chest rose with an inhale and when he spoke, his voice was tight and controlled. “I was medically retired after they surgically fused vertebrae in my neck.”
Oh dear God. I looked up at him. “The IED injured your neck?” He was lucky he was walking.
The side of his jaw twitched. “Shrapnel did.”
“I’m sorry.” But I was thankful he was alive.
Not verbally replying, he tipped his chin.
I let my other hand drift over his abs. “This says—”
“I know what it says.” Anger darkening his voice, his words cut through the night.
“But you are scarred,” I whispered.
One second his arms were at his sides, the next they were gripping the sides of my face without mercy. “You said you wanted to touch me, not rehash the past. Which is it?”
I did want to touch him. Badly. But I also wanted to feel him and understand him and taste every reason why my heart seemed to beat in the same rhythm as his now. I couldn’t explain any of it, but I was already neck deep in it.
His name didn’t suit him.
It was him.
He was the shade, covering every inch of my soul that’d been left too long exposed in the blinding light. I’d been living without an escape and now he was blanketing me. His protection, his attention, his eyes on me, the way he didn’t cater to me or treat me like I was inconsequential—I wanted him.
“I want everything,” I admitted.
His expression darkened with his voice. “You’re not getting everything. You’re getting orgasms and then you’re getting out of here in one piece.” His nostrils flared like he was angry. “That’s all I’m offering.”
“What if I want more?” I wasn’t daring to ask. I wasn’t playing games. I simply, honestly wanted to know.
“You don’t.”
His reply stinging, I pushed ahead anyway. Wrapping my fingers around the shaft of his hard length, I asked what I already knew. “How many piercings?” I’d felt four on my tongue and one on the roof of my mouth. All huge, all with barbells.
“Five.”
I squeezed and he pulsed in my hand. Then I asked what I wanted to know since I’d first felt them. “Why?” It wasn’t just about sex. It wasn’t just for looks or for the single moments when he was getting off. This man was deeper than that. He didn’t do anything without purpose.
“There has to be a reason?”
Now I knew there was significance behind the number. “There is with you,” I said confidently.
He smirked.
I pushed. “Why five?” He could’ve stopped at one, or he could’ve fit twice as many, he was that big. But he didn’t. Five seemed important.
“Get on all fours and I’ll tell you.” He dropped his hands.
The warmth of his touch leaving, my core thrumming with need, all I wanted to do was what he wanted, but I didn’t get on my hands and knees. Instead, I wrapped my hands around his neck, my fingers brushing across his scar, and I went on tip toe. Then I made a demand of my own. “Kiss me.”
“I was wrong.” Fisting a handful of my hair, he pulled me in tight. “Taking you into that restaurant wasn’t the turning point.” His lips a breath away, he growled out two words. “This is.”
He slammed his mouth over mine.
FUCK MY HEAD UP, WOMAN. Do your goddamn worst.
That’s what I was thinking when I took her mouth.
I’d show her exactly what I thought of her fucking questions. She didn’t want to touch me, she wanted in my head and no one went there. I wasn’t hers. I wasn’t going to be dissected, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to tell her why five pieces of hardware were pierced through my cock. If she wanted to fucking talk with a man naked in front of her, she should get a goddamn boyfriend.
All of those shit thoughts ricocheted through my head, but then my tongue tangled with hers and everything I said to myself became a joke.
I was a joke.
This woman was an adrenaline rush that rivaled anything I’d experienced downrange. My head was spinning, my heart was jack hammering and I wanted to fuck or fight. Or both. With her.
Driving into her mouth like she was the oxygen I needed to feed my lungs, I took her trusting innocence like I had a right, then I picked her up. Holding her up so her tits were level with my mouth, I latched on.
“Shade,” she gasped, threading her fingers into my hair and wrapping her legs around my waist.
I wanted to cover her tits with my cum and answer every damn question she’d ever asked. Biting her sweet nipple, I sucked.
Her wet cunt on my abs, her body jerked and her head fell back. “Oh my God.” She moaned. “More.”
Her ass in my hands, her lush and sensitive rack in my face, I was in fucking heaven. “You’re gonna get more.” A whole ten inches more. Latching on to her other hard nipple, I sucked the tight bud between my teeth.
“Tell me,” she demanded, gripping my hair and shoving her tit into my mouth. “You promised.”
Fighting a smile, I licked a circle around her nipple. “You on all fours?”
“Then put me down.” She squirmed.
I gripped a handful of her hair and brought my mouth to hers. “Last fucking chance,” I warned as my hard as fuck cock throbbed against her slick cunt. “If you don’t want me bareback inside you, sweetheart, tell m
e now.”
A tremor went up her spine and her eyes focused on me. Then my submissive little nineteen-year-old turned into the vixen. “Fuck me, Shade.”
Releasing her ass and hair, I grabbed her by the waist and tossed her on the bed.
Letting out a sexy little laugh, her tits bounced and her hair splayed. But then her eyes turned serious, and like the minx she was, keeping her gaze on me, she rolled from her back. Getting on all fours, flipping her hair, she looked over her shoulder at me.
“Tell me,” she whispered.
Stepping to the edge of the bed, stroking myself, I rubbed the head of my cock and the captive ring of my Reverse Prince Albert slowly down her cunt. Then I opened my fucking mouth. “I got my first piercing after my first deployment.”
Her hips swayed and she made a noise low in her throat. “You were deployed five times?” she asked, putting it together.
“Yeah.” Fuck, her cunt was as sexy as her mind.
“Are you going to get more?” She ground her hips.
Gripping my cock so I didn’t sink inside her yet, I rimmed her. “No.” Maybe.
“I want to feel them.” She bit back a moan. “I want to feel you.”
I knew what she wanted. I just didn’t know why the hell I was prolonging this, but I was. I always made sure women came, but I didn’t screw around. I gave them what they wanted, got my own, and got out.
Twenty years of fucking, and I’d never gotten attached. But here I was, dragging my dick through her slick folds, circling her soaked cunt, and I wasn’t thinking about coming.
I was a goddamn pussy thinking about savoring this, savoring her.
“Shade.” She squirmed under my touch.
Leaning over her, I licked up her back and brought my mouth to her ear. “Sebastiano,” I murmured.
She shivered. “What?”
I sunk the first piercing in and the language I’d learned before English came out. “Mi chiamo Sebastiano Hades Domani.”
Her body jerked, her hands gripped handfuls of the sheet and she moaned. “S, H, D. Shade,” she moaned, immediately picking up on the nickname I’d had since I was a kid.
Fuck, this woman. “Sei pronto per me, principessa?”
“English,” she demanded, rocking back into me.
I smiled. Then I repeated myself. “You ready, princess?”
“Yes, oh my God, yes.”
I flipped her over, shoved her legs wide and crawled over her. Fisting my cock, cupping her nape, I took in every inch of her face and held her eyes.
Then I slowly sunk inside her.
She sucked in a sharp breath and her eyes welled.
“Gesù Cristo.” She was so goddamn tight.
Her small hands gripped my biceps and her teeth dug into her bottom lip. “Oh God. I’m not ready.”
“You got this.” I switched to Italian without thought. “Stai bene, bella. Sei al sicuro.” Fuck, I wanted to thrust deep.
“I-I don’t understand.” Her legs clamped around my hips and she started to shake. Tears rolled down her face.
“You’re okay, beautiful.” I repeated, but I had to move. She needed to feel what my piercings could do for her and I needed her heat. Swiping at her face, I pulled back, then I circled her clit with my thumb and thrust my top piercing right where I knew she would feel it.
Her back arched, her mouth opened and her eyes flew shut. “Ohhhh fuck.”
I drove into her deep and ground my hips. Her tight cunt constricted around me and I almost lost my fucking mind. “Fuck yeah, principessa. Sei così dolce. So fucking tight.” English and Italian bleeding out, I thrust hard.
Then I couldn’t stop.
Pounding into her, slamming my mouth over hers, eating every sound she made, I fucked her.
I fucked her until I couldn’t remember a goddamn thing before her tight cunt constricted around my cock.
Her hands in my hair, her legs around my waist, tears dripped down her face. “Shade,” she cried.
“Sei così bella.” Fuck, she was beautiful like this. Crying, sweating, taking my entire cock deep. “Let it go, woman. Show me how good that feels.”
Her nails dug into my flesh. “Oh my God, I’m going to come.”
“Fuck yeah.” Possessive shit clouded my head and no way in hell was I going to walk away from this after one fuck. “Tesoro mio.”
“Shade.” She went off.
“Sei mio adesso.” She was mine. Goddamn, she was mine.
Her sweet cunt pulsing all around me, I was done.
I fucking exploded.
Coming deep inside her with a growl, I didn’t hear it. Losing my mind in this woman, I didn’t register the first then the second perimeter breach alarm going off until it was too late.
Glass shattered, wind rushed past my head, and wood splintered.
Grabbing her in my arms, I rolled.
MY ENTIRE BODY SHAKING WITH a mind-altering orgasm, I didn’t realize the window shattered until a whistling noise rushed past our heads and Shade grabbed me and threw us off the bed.
His pierced cock ripped from my body as I fell on top of him, but I didn’t even have a second to catch my breath from the shock of pain the separation caused.
He grabbed his gun off the nightstand and rolled to put me behind him as he reached over the bed and fired.
The sound of gunfire exploded around us as cold air blasted into the room and stole all the heat.
Grabbing our clothes as shots hit the wood wall behind us, Shade shoved them at me and barked out instructions. “Head down, move fast, stairs. Now.” Going to one knee he aimed and fired shots out the broken window.
I didn’t think.
Clutching the clothes, I grabbed my boots and ran in a crouch out of the bedroom.
Wood exploded next to my head as I cleared the door, but I kept going.
Panic robbing me of all sense except to flee, I was halfway down the stairs before a huge arm caught my waist and hoisted. My naked back hit his front as his wet cock pressed into my ass and he lifted me off my feet.
Taking the rest of the stairs two at a time, his gun aimed in front of us, he looked around the corner with a quick glance then retreated before taking another quick glance. Then he ran us into the room where he had all the security cameras, slammed the door shut and locked us in.
Dropping me on my feet, setting his gun on the desk, he quickly typed something on his computer and his screens started flashing images of the property immediately surrounding the cabin.
“Clothes,” he barked, not taking his eyes off the images as he messed with a cell phone on the desk.
Shaking, from fear, from cold, I dropped the pile in my arms to the ground, fished his pieces out and handed them to him.
“Get dressed,” he ordered, pulling his boxers on.
I felt it a split second before my gaze dropped. The evidence of what we’d just done ran down my leg. But it wasn’t only the huge amount of his sticky release. Blood tinged color came with it and dripped onto the floor.
Startled, horrified, embarrassed, I stood there.
Someone was shooting at us and I was standing frozen in place as my core throbbed and another drop of blood landed next to the first.
The air shifted and he let loose with an exasperated curse. “Fuck. How bad?”
Fighting tears, I glanced up at him. “What?” I was bleeding.
He didn’t look at me, he was already moving to the shelf behind him and grabbing a big black case. “How badly did I hurt you?”
“I-I’m not hurt.” Movement on the screens caught my attention but before I could look closer, he came back and blocked my view.
Dumping the case on his desk, he opened it and pulled out a square paper-wrapped package as he glanced at the screens and frowned. Ripping it apart, he yanked gauze out and wiped between my legs.
I flinched. “I got it.” Mortified, I grabbed for the dressing. “I’ll handle it.”
“Stop,” he ordered as shots sounded outsid
e the room. “Let me look.” A door somewhere in the house banged open.
Completely forgetting about the blood, I panicked. “Oh my God, they’re coming!”
“They can’t breach this room.” He wiped again and his gaze dropped as he looked between my legs.
Doors opened and closed, and heavy boots sounded in the house. “Shade!” I whispered-yelled.
His huge hand cupped my neck and he bent to eye level. “They cannot get into this room. Steel reinforced door and walls, secure locks—it’s soundproof, fireproof and bulletproof. It’s a small fortress.”
I shook. “They’re out there.”
“Not for long,” he reassured, but the look in his eyes wasn’t warm or calming. It was lethal. “You’re safe in here.” His hand still between my legs, he wiped one more time then tossed the gauze. “But I need you to get dressed.” Glancing at the screen, he grabbed his clothes.
I followed his gaze and my knees locked with fear. Two men in white parkas with huge rifles and ski masks covering their faces moved across the computer screens as they searched the cabin right outside the very place where we were hiding.
“Oh God.” The reality of the situation suddenly hitting me full force, I was more scared than when the bullets started flying in the restaurant parking lot. I was even more scared than when the SUV went over the side of the cliff.
These weren’t two crazy mafia guys firing from behind their car doors with their heads down low. They looked like professional hit men in arctic gear who’d wait us out until we had no choice but to emerge from our trap. “They’re going to kill us.”
“I won’t let that happen.” Glancing across all the screens, Shade grabbed his pants and I realized his intent.
My heart seized, then panic shot through my veins. “You can’t go out there.” They’d kill him.
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do.” He threw his clothes on, stepped into his boots that were next to the desk chair and laced them up. Then he unlocked the cage that housed shelves and shelves of scary looking supplies. “Get dressed, princess.”
Ignoring the mess between my legs and ache low in my belly, I pulled on my leggings. I was pushing my arm through the sleeves of my thermal, when he tossed something black and heavy at me.