by Harley Wylde
She gave me a slight smile. I knew how much pride she’d taken in her hair. I couldn’t remove what she’d been through with a quick trim, but at least I could take away one of the visible reminders. Her hair would be shorter all the way around, but maybe she could pretend she’d just gotten a haircut and not that it had been cut from necessity. It had to be better than a huge chunk being so much shorter than the rest, especially since the ass had taken it off near the front.
“It won’t be perfect,” I warned, “but it should be close to even until you can get to a salon. Or wherever you go to have your hair done.”
I ran my fingers through her hair. Probably best to cut it while it was still wet. It felt wrong digging through shit in Beast’s house, but I eventually found some scissors that seemed sharp enough. Lil brought me her brush and I did the best I could. Seeing her hair fall on the floor made my stomach twist. She’d been growing it for so long, and I had to admit I loved her hair. I knew it would grow back, but it felt like just another way I’d failed her. If I hadn’t been a dick, none of this would have happened. Didn’t matter what she said. She might not blame me, but I did.
When I was finished, I swept up the mess, and tried to assess Lil. She was quiet. Almost too quiet. I noticed she fingered the ends of her hair, but her eyes were vacant. I fucking hated what this asshole had done to her. She’d been doing so much better. At least, she’d seemed better. She had a job, family, friends. Now it seemed like she was retreating into herself the way she’d done when we’d first brought her home.
I knelt at her feet, taking her hands in mine. I squeezed, slowly applying pressure until she looked at me. “Lil, it’s over. You’re safe. And as soon as you can travel, we’ll go home.”
“It’s over for me, but what about Charlotte?” she asked.
I shook my head, not knowing how to answer that. I really wanted to rip apart the fucker who had taken her, but if Charlotte meant something to Beast, which it seemed she did, then I knew he’d probably squeeze the life from the guy before I even had a chance to get in the room. I wanted vengeance for all she’d suffered. Having her see that side of me was another matter. She knew I was capable of doing bad things, but she’d never witnessed it. Even if she wasn’t in the room with me, she’d know that I hurt him. Maybe even killed him. I didn’t want her to see me differently, not in that way.
“What do you need, Lil? Whatever it is, I’ll make it happen. Just say the word.”
She took a shaky breath and held my gaze. “I want him to pay. Make him pay, Dane.”
Holy shit. That was the last thing I’d expected my sweet woman to say. “Babe, are you sure? Do you know what you’re asking?”
She nodded. “I know what you do. I’ve heard the whispers, even when I wasn’t supposed to be listening. Don’t let him ever hurt anyone else. I want him to hurt. To be humiliated. And I want him to die.”
If that’s what she wanted, what she needed, then I’d give it to her. I studied her face, looking for any signs that she was just talking out her ass and didn’t really want this, but I saw determination in her gaze. She really wanted me to hurt the fucker. Kill him.
“When Wolf gets here, I’ll have him stay with you and I’ll see where they put this asshole. I’m not leaving you alone, though. Don’t even fucking ask that of me.”
She reached out and ran her fingers through my beard. Leaning in closer, I brushed my lips over hers. I tried to go slow. Be gentle. One taste and I knew I’d made a mistake. I thrust my tongue between her lips and ravaged her mouth, making sure she damn well knew she was mine. I might not be able to claim her the way I wanted right now, but this would do. It would give her something to think about at the least.
Whatever it took, I’d make sure she felt safe again.
Chapter Nine
Lilian
My lips still tingled from kissing Dragon. The man was lethal, and not just in the killing kind of way. Although, I had no doubt he’d keep his word and make sure my kidnapper paid in blood. It was wrong of me to ask that of him, but I’d lived with bikers long enough to know he didn’t mind getting his hands dirty. Maybe it would put a stain on my soul to request a man’s death, but I had to hope that by ending his life I was saving others. In some way, I felt it would balance the scales. One bad soul to keep countless good souls safe.
Beast hadn’t returned yet, and I worried that something really bad had happened to Charlotte. I hoped they found her safe somewhere, but with the way the crazy person had been ranting, I didn’t think that was likely. I felt useless. I hadn’t learned anything that would help them. I couldn’t go out and help look for her. I might have gotten away, but now what? Just sit here? I couldn’t keep my mind clear of everything I’d been through, and wondering if Charlotte had been through worse.
“You’re too tense, Lil,” Dragon said as he tried to tug me closer. We’d settled in to watch a movie while we waited on Wolf to arrive with food. I didn’t know what was taking so long, and the more time that passed, the less chance Dragon had to do what needed to be done.
I knew what would ease my tension, not to mention pass the time and get me out of my head, but I also knew he’d never go for it. Dragon had been so careful with me since we’d left the doctor’s office. Honestly, it was a side of him I’d never seen. Before the day it had all gone wrong, he’d been careful in a different way. Trying not to touch me for fear of scaring me, yet making sure I knew how to defend myself if I got into trouble or had some handsy asshole bothering me.
If anyone else had been here with me, I’d have been putting some space between us. Even though I’d hugged Beast earlier, I hadn’t felt as at ease as I had previously. The man who had taken me hadn’t just scared me and humiliated me, he’d stolen what little confidence I’d gained. Men had still made me uncomfortable, but not as much as before. I’d gotten better over the years. Until now.
And yet, having Dragon pressed against me, having him touch me didn’t send me running. If anything, I wanted to lean in closer. I needed more than just his arm around me. The way he’d kissed me in the kitchen, everything inside me had warmed and my body had craved his touch. Then he’d pulled back and I knew he wouldn’t be repeating it anytime soon. He was treating me as if I were broken. Maybe I was. A little. But I knew that only Dragon could put me back together. He’d been the one to do it before, and he could do it again.
“Do you regret kissing me in the kitchen?” I asked.
His body tensed and slowly turned his head toward me. “Why would you ask that?”
“I could feel you retreating afterward. And your arm is around me, but it’s… it’s more like a friend is holding me than the man who claims to love me.”
He shut his eyes and I felt his body shake, then I realized he was laughing at me. I smacked his chest with the back of my hand. It wasn’t funny. Not even a little. At least, to me it wasn’t.
Dragon took my hand and pressed it over the zipper of his jeans. “Babe, does that feel even a little like I think of you as a friend?”
His cock twitched under my touch and my heart kicked in my chest. “No. But I don’t understand.”
He lifted me onto his lap, his arms around me. If only he’d held me like this before. It’s what I’d wanted, what I’d hoped for when he’d taken me that day. He’d been rough and demanding, but it hadn’t scared me. I’d wanted him, and still did. I’d felt so embarrassed when even weeks later I tried to get myself off to thoughts of how he’d felt inside me, believing he’d just used me and didn’t want to make me his.
“Lil, the doctor said you need to rest. Do you really think he’d give the green light for sex right now?”
I chewed on my lip. “You could be gentle.”
Dragon arched his eyebrows. Okay. Maybe he couldn’t be gentle. I’d gotten off on how alpha he’d been the one and only time we’d been together, and I got wet just thinking about it. But he was right. The doctor probably wouldn’t think it was a good idea. It didn’t make me want him
any less, or ease the ache that was now starting to build between my thighs. My clit pulsed and under Dragon’s intense gaze, I felt my nipples harden.
“Beast said no sex in his house,” Dragon reminded me.
I wanted to scream, But he’s not here! He tipped his head, then tapped my thigh. I stood up and he rose from the couch. Taking my hand, he led me back to the bedroom I’d used previously. Dragon shut the door and twisted the lock, then leaned against it, arms folded.
“Strip,” he said. “Everything off. Right the fuck now.”
My pulse raced and my fingers trembled as I hastened to comply. If it had been anyone other than Dragon, I’d have balked and tried to run. But this was my Dragon, my Dane. The only man I’d ever love or ever want.
He jerked his chin toward the bed behind me and I sat on the edge. Under his steely gaze, I hastened to the center of the bed. Dragon pulled off his boots, then stood at the end of the bed. He tapped my ankle.
“Knees up and spread. Feet flat on the bed,” he said.
My heart raced as I complied.
“Hands over your head, Lil. You don’t fucking touch me. Got it? You reach for me, and I’ll use my belt to tie your hands down.”
I sucked in a sharp breath and stared at him. Was he serious? Yeah. The heated look he gave me was confirmation enough. He’d not only do it, but he’d get off on it. I lifted my hands over my head and gripped the headboard. Dragon put his knee on the bed, then crawled a little closer. The fact I was completely bare and he was still fully clothed added a hint of naughtiness to the moment.
Dragon dragged a finger down my pussy and I tried hard not to whimper and beg. He parted the lips, then blew on my clit. “So pretty. And mine. Say it, Lil.”
“Yours.”
“What’s mine?” he asked.
“I… I’m yours.”
He held my gaze. “And?”
I didn’t know what else he wanted. He tapped my clit and I gasped. “And my pussy is yours?”
“Is that a question?”
I frantically shook my head. “No. I’m yours and my pussy is yours.”
“Damn right. Any man touches this but me, I’ll fucking kill him.” He rubbed my clit with such a soft touch that I wanted to cry. It felt good but not enough to make me come. “I’m the one who filled up this pretty pussy with cum. The one who put not one but two babies in you. This is mine, Lil. You’re mine.”
His words might have offended some women, but for someone who had always wanted to belong, to be loved, it only made me want to hear more. He spread the lips wide, then leaned down and dragged his tongue the length of my pussy, giving my clit a hard flick before he started again.
“Dane, please!”
“Been without this pretty pussy for months. You get to come when I say you can.” He licked me again. “Didn’t get to play like this before. Need to make sure you know you’re mine. Only I can make you feel this good, Lil.”
“Only you,” I murmured. As if I’d want anyone else to touch me.
“Good girl.” He licked and sucked at my pussy until I wanted to cry from frustration. He’d get me so close to coming, then back off again. I wanted more. Needed more.
“Dane. I need it. Let me come. Please.”
“My pretty girl wants to come?” he asked before licking my clit again. I nodded frantically. “You want a good fucking?”
“You know I do.”
He sank a finger into me, stroking it in and out a few times before adding a second one. It wasn’t as good as his cock would have been, but when he went back to torturing me with his mouth, I knew I was close to coming.
“Dane, I’m so close.”
He growled and drove his fingers into me faster. “Come, Lil. Now.”
He gently bit my clit, and I came so hard I soaked the bed and screamed out his name. Even then, he didn’t stop. Dragon kept teasing me, making little shockwaves of pleasure flow through me. When I had nothing left to give, he withdrew and licked his fingers clean.
“Good girl.”
“Arf.”
He smirked. “If you weren’t recovering, I’d turn you over my knee and spank you for that sass.”
Was it wrong that the idea kind of turned me on? I’d heard the stories about him when no one thought I was listening. The women who hung around the club gushed over how dominant he was, how powerful. I’d not really understood, or thought I’d like someone like that, until now.
I saw the hard length of his cock pressing against his pants. He hadn’t told me I could move yet. Slowly, I straightened my legs and closed them. His eyebrow shot up, but he didn’t say anything. I pulled my hands back down by my sides, seeing what he’d do. Still nothing. Rolling to my knees, I moved closer and reached out to cup him through the denim of his pants.
Dragon growled and grabbed my wrist. “Lil, no.”
“I can make you feel good without us actually having sex.” I blinked up at him. “Don’t you want my mouth on you?”
He cursed and tried to put some distance between us.
“Dane?”
He stood, shaking his head. “No. Nope. Not fucking happening, Lil. I don’t have enough control for that. I’d end up fucking your mouth, using you. That’s not what you need.”
“Or maybe it’s exactly what I need.” He was doing it again. Thinking he knew what was best for me.
I got off the bed and sank to my knees in front of him, placing my hands in my lap. I stared up at him, hoping he’d see how much I trusted him. “Use me, Dane. I’m yours. You said so.”
“Yes, you’re mine. That means I take care of you, and using you like a whore after everything you’ve suffered the last few days, is doing the exact opposite. You think it’s what you want, but it’s not. I’m not a gentle guy, Lil. What you experienced before? That was nothing. Just the tip of the iceberg.”
I reached for him, placing my hand on his thigh, but he backed away. It hurt. He might think he was doing the right thing, but if he wasn’t going to take his pleasure from me, did that mean he’d get it somewhere else? He claimed to have only touched the club whores back home a few times and not gone any further. As much as I wanted to believe him, I had to wonder if he would stray at some point.
“Stop,” he said, his voice harsh and cold. “Stop that right the fuck now.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Yeah, you fucking did. I can see it all over your face. You think I’m going to walk out of here and go fuck some woman up at the clubhouse? You doubt me when I say I don’t want anyone but you?”
“Dane, I…” I clamped my lips shut. Was that it? Did I doubt that he would stay with me? That I would be enough?
I was just a whore. Maybe not by choice, but it’s what that awful man in Colombia had made me. I was dirty. Dragon might have fucked me once before, but would he be content with me the rest of his life? I knew Dingo had accepted Mei, even after what she’d suffered, but they didn’t have the past I had with Dragon. Dingo hadn’t walked out after being with Mei, he hadn’t pushed her away. With Dragon, everything was different.
He came closer, gripping the back of my neck. I looked up, not sure what I’d find, but there was tenderness in his eyes. “Babe, I don’t want anyone else. When I say you’re mine, it means I’m also yours.”
“But you don’t want me,” I said softly.
His grip tightened a moment. “Unbuckle my belt.”
I reached up and obeyed, my fingers shaking a little.
“Unfasten my pants and take out my cock.” I did as he demanded. “Now lick it.”
I flicked my tongue out and gathered the pre-cum before working my way down his shaft. He tugged me closer and I opened, taking all of him into my mouth. Dragon dragged me down his length until my nose pressed against him. I relaxed my throat, then swallowed, pulling a groan from him.
“Fuck, babe. So good.”
Dragon used his hold on me to control my motions. I felt his cock get even harder and knew he had to be close. When
he gripped my head with both hands and started driving into my mouth hard and deep, I felt a flutter of excitement.
“That’s it. Take everything I give you,” he murmured. “Suck me dry, baby girl.”
The hot spurts of his cum hit my tongue and the back of my throat. I swallowed it all. When he slipped from my mouth, I noticed his eyes were darker and his chest rose and fell rapidly. Dragon helped me to my feet, then kissed me hard.
“No more, Lil. I mean it. Not until we’re home and a doctor has checked you over. I want to fuck you, so damn bad, but not at the risk of hurting you.”
There was someone banging on the front door and I scrambled to get my clothes back on. Dragon tucked himself back into his pants, zipped up, then walked out as he fastened his belt. I heard the murmur of voices and wondered if the food had finally arrived, and if that was Wolf, did that mean Dragon was about to leave? I’d asked him to handle the man who’d snatched me, and I knew he would… assuming the Reckless Kings let him.
I went to the kitchen and found Dragon fixing a plate and a glass of sweet tea. He set them both down and gave me a nod. “Eat, Lil. Wolf will stay here with you while I’m gone.”
“Aren’t you hungry?” I asked.
“It can wait.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine in a quick kiss. “I made you a promise, and I’m going to keep it. Rest. Do what Wolf says, and don’t leave this fucking house for anything. Unless it’s on fire.”
Watching him leave, I had mixed feelings. Part of me wanted to ask him to stay with me, but I needed him to go take care of Mr. Crazypants. I ate my food with Wolf watching my every move. When I glanced his way, I found a slight smile curving his lips.
“What?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Never thought I’d see the day the mighty Dragon was brought to heel by a woman.”
I snorted. “You really think anyone can tame him?”
“Didn’t say he was tamed. But it’s clear he’s in love with you. He damn near lost it when he heard you were missing. I don’t know what happened between the two of you, and I don’t need to. Just know that he’d do anything for you, Lilian. That man would lay down his life for you.”