by J. L. Beck
“I didn’t lie to you.”
I force out a breath and shove at his chest. Of course, he doesn’t budge. “Then why the hell are you lying on top of me, threatening me and other people again to ensure I stay? What the hell happened to you wanting me to want you? To wanting me to come to your bed willingly? If you keep this shit up, I promise you I won’t be in your bed unless you drag me there.”
As if the man’s never had a scolding in his life, he scowls down at me, rather like a little boy who just got his favorite toy confiscated. “Understand, you belong to me, and I’ll do anything to keep you, anything. And I promise you, if you run, I’ll stop at nothing to bring you back and keep you.”
I shake my head and capture his cheeks in my hands. “Not sure if you know this, but that’s not really how voluntary works. If you force me, it’s not my choice. It can’t ever be my choice until I have the option to stay or to go.”
He drops his head to my shoulder and grinds into me. A heavy breath escapes as pleasure chases through me at every arch of his hips.
“I need you, please,” he whispers into my neck, his lips tracing the collar of my dress.
It’s the please that makes me want him in return. I dig my hands between us, unbuckle his belt, open his fly, and draw his cock out. My dress is already baring me to him. He maneuvers so he can hook my panties to the side and slide into me in one smooth, practiced stroke.
I’m still new to sex, and it takes me a moment to adjust to him. My body is straining, trying to push back against the assault.
When he gives me time, I relax, sinking my shoulders into the ground, and the sensation morphs from a tight squeeze to a heady pleasure.
“There you go, stellina. Take me.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and drag his lips to mine. And he meets me there, crashing together, kissing me with his tongue, his teeth, his lips, all of it. When I need to break for air, he continues his steady thrust inside me and drags his lips down my neck, nibbling a path that lights me up further.
Each push of him inside me sends a spiral of pleasure along my nerves. It wasn’t until he took my virginity that I understood why people make such bad decisions in the name of sex. Not that the oral or anal we had in the past was terrible, it just wasn’t worth all the trouble I’d witnessed in friends and on TV.
But this. This sensation is worth everything. Every sacrifice. Every fight. Every damn minute I spend doubting him.
“Does it feel good?”
I nod because words won’t come out when I’m so close to coming. And I am. My body is already coiling toward the end, and each heavy rut of his cock into me is one step closer.
I wrap my legs around his hips and rock up toward him, getting us more leverage, more sensation.
We are slapping together now, wet sounds breaking up the birdsong on the lawn. His legs shake, and I know he’s going to come soon too.
“Come with me,” I say.
He locks his eyes with mine and drops his forehead on mine, never faltering with his tempo.
“Ready?” he whispers.
I nod, our foreheads rolling together. And then I’m there, breaking apart around him as wave after wave of sheer bliss crashes into me. His cock feels so good as he spears me, holding himself tight into my hips, his knees shaking against my ass.
As I float down from the high, I notice my back is soaked from the grass, and a cramp has taken root in my hip. A laugh bursts out of me before I can stop it.
“Probably not the ideal time to laugh,” he says, staring down into my face, a look of concern etched across his features.
I shake my head. “I’m not laughing at you. I’m just a damn mess, and it was funny how I didn’t even notice until after I came.”
His eyes sparkle as he pulls out of me and tucks himself back into his pants. Then he squats to lift me in his arms. “I’m taking you back to the bedroom.”
I twine my hands around his neck and lean into his chest, all the soft, warm feelings after sex coursing through me. Letting me be comfortable here, right now, in this moment.
“When I leave again, please stay there. If you walk out of this house, and I can’t find you, it’s on you what happens.”
His words detonate inside me, blowing apart the soft warmth, replacing it with fragments. Shrapnel embedding itself in my heart. A warning and a reminder.
11
Nic
Things feel different. But Celia is still holding herself back from me even as I focus my attention on keeping her comfortable and safe.
I stare at the surface of my desk, seeing her bent over the edge as I drive into her. She’s spread her soft thighs and lets me sink inside her. The train of thought dissipates as Soo saunters into my office.
“You seem to avoid me,” I say, with no preamble.
He shrugs and plops into the chair across from me. “You seem to be preoccupied. I’m just trying to stay out of the way while you and Celia get whatever is happening between you settled.”
“She belongs to me.” I observe him, waiting for him to respond.
But I know better. Soo has a better poker face than world series poker tournament winners. “I figured as much by how you have been taking care of her.”
“Do you have any opinion on the change in our circumstances?”
Another shrug as he folds his hands across his stomach. “Nope, you do you. Although if you want her to accept you in full, you might need to make some changes.”
Of course, he knows exactly what I’m dealing with and the reason she refuses to give herself to me fully. “Her and I are going to have to find a middle ground because my immediate plans will not change.”
Instead of addressing that little bomb, he stands and retrieves a bag he set by the door. “Here’s what you asked for. I hope she likes it. And I set your reservations for tonight. Good luck.”
He walks out, and I come around the desk to snag the bag off the floor.
I scribble a note to Celia and drop it on top of the white tissue inside. The dress I bought her the other day I ended up ruining. So, at the very least, I owed her another beautiful piece of fabric. Not to mention I love seeing her wear what I pick out for her. I leave the bag at our bedroom door, knowing if I go inside, I won’t walk out again until after I’ve made her come at least twice.
Even though I’m distracted, I spend the day trying to salvage the remnants of my auction. Contacting clients and smoothing ruffled feathers. When the sun sets, I clean up in my office’s bathroom and head out to the foyer.
She’s standing in a pool of light from the crystal chandelier, and I stop dead in the hallway’s entrance.
In another red dress, floor length with a slit up to her thigh, Celia looks stunning. Her long hair is brushed to a shine, hanging down her back, and she’s painted her lips an enticing shade of red that matches her dress perfectly. She spins when she hears my shoes on the tile.
She offers me a tentative smile, and I just stare at her.
“You look incredible.”
When she tucks her chin, a faint flush washing into her cheeks, I lift her chin and shake my head. “No, you don’t bow your head to anyone. You hold your head up and accept the praise due to you.”
My response throws her off. Her mouth pops open as she looks up at me. But she says nothing.
I hold my arm out for her to grasp. “Let’s go to dinner.”
The restaurant is one I’ve never been to, but Soo booked it. And he’s picky as fuck about his food, so it must be good. We are seated immediately, and instead of sitting across from her, I crowd into her side of the booth so we can sit closer.
The drinks arrive quickly, and I try to think of something neutral I can use to make conversation.
But while I’m thinking, she’s already planned out what she wants to say. I can tell by the way she folds her hands and refolds them around the stem of her wine glass. “I want to talk to you again about your plan for revenge.”
I don’t want to rui
n her evening or her mood, so I shake my head. “It’s not up for debate or conversation.”
“Are you telling me I’m not allowed to have an opinion?” She bites out, staring down into her glass.
I cup my own lowball of whiskey, knowing this date is not going to go as I originally planned. “I did not say that. You took my request not to discuss a topic as my telling you that you can’t discuss any topic. I’d be thrilled to discuss anything else.”
She straightens and angles toward me. “Okay, then let’s talk about me leaving your house.”
I sigh and shake my head. “We’re outside of the house right now.”
“No, I mean alone. On my own.”
It’s obvious she’s baiting me. I just don’t know if it’s because she wants to have a fight or if she’s hoping to push me into talking about what she wants to talk about. Either way, it won’t work. While my control is notoriously thin when I’m around her, things have changed between us, and her care is now my priority.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go anywhere alone. Not while people out there are trying to get to you or get to me by taking you.”
“Great, so you kidnap me, and now I’m even more locked down than before because you took me.” Her tone is icy, and she won’t look at me.
I shake my head. “I’m not trying to keep you prisoner anymore. But I have to keep you safe at all costs. If something happens to you…” I trail off, my throat tight. “To be clear, I won’t allow anything to happen to you.”
She exhales heavily, her shoulders slumping. “I want to believe you. And strangely, after the time we’ve been spending together, I even want to give you what you want from me. But I can’t, not when you’re keeping me from the only thing I’ve asked for. Not when you’re keeping me confined for your own ends. How can we ever be equals?”
“Who says we’ll ever be equals?” I drag her hands between mine and kiss her knuckles. “You’ll be my queen. And queens are always more cared for, more respected, and more feared than their kings.”
“No one will ever fear me.”
I study her face. “Do you want people to fear you?” It’s not a question I’d usually ask, but I’m genuinely curious about her answer. “I know you have your own injustices, your own desires for revenge.”
When her jaw hardens, and she dashes her eyes away, I know I’ve got her. “Tell me what you’re thinking. I want to know.”
She clears her throat and shifts beside me again. Instead of letting her fidget, I draw her into my side, hugging her against me. “When Lucas had me at his house, he said my father killed my sister. He said that when she wouldn’t marry the man he wanted and ran away, he killed her.”
“What are you saying? Do you want me to confirm what he told you or tell you what you want to hear?”
“I—”
The wait staff brings our dinner and sets our plates in front of us. She clamps her mouth shut and shifts away from me to eat her food.
As the server places a basket of bread on the table, he brushes against her hand. They both jerk away, but a flash of heated anger hits me before I realize what’s happening.
He must see his death in my eyes as I toss my napkin on the table and stare him down.
His sense of self-preservation is good because the man flees our table toward the kitchen. I’m two seconds from chasing after him, demanding to know if he’d done it on purpose. Even if his touch was an accident, I can’t abide another man touching Celia. Not alone, not in front of me, not under any circumstances.
“Are you okay?” she asks, staring at me, her fork tucked into her plate of pasta.
A red haze has coated my vision, and I’m already climbing out the booth. She jumps up and intercepts me before I clear our table. “Stop. You can’t go after that kid. It was an accident that he touched me. You don’t want to hurt someone for no reason.”
I stare down into her face and cup her cheek. “Him touching you is a reason to hurt him.”
She shakes her head. “If you go after him, then this dinner will be ruined, and you have been working so hard to make sure it’s not. Please, sit down with me. Don’t go after him.”
It takes effort, but the way she says please, and how her hand frames mine as I hold her face, it’s enough to drag me back from the edge.
She leads me back to the table, and I take my seat beside her again.
There’s still an underscore of rage simmering through me, but I ignore it for her sake.
After the interruption, we finish dinner quickly. She doesn’t look like she wants to linger and share a drink with me. And why should she?
The car is waiting out front when we finish. And I instruct the driver to take us back to the house. She doesn’t touch me or reach out. Even though I want to pull her into my lap and kiss her senseless, I keep my distance.
It’s the hardest thing to not touch her when it’s all I can think about. And while I want her obedience, I want it because she trusts me to care for her, not because she’s obligated to give me it.
When we reach the house, I climb out of the car, open her door, and help her out. I offer to walk her upstairs, but we both spot Soo hovering nearby, and she shakes her head.
“No, it looks like you have some business to attend to. I’m tired anyway.”
Soo crosses the foyer and intercepts us both. “I need to know what you want me to do with Lucas. He’s getting restless and belligerent, and I’m about one minute from slamming his beefy little brain into the cinder block walls.”
I chuckle. I can’t help myself. Nothing rattles Soo, and the annoyed look on his face is priceless.
“What does he mean? What do you want to do with him?” Celia asks, a few steps away.
I tug her into my side and wrap my arm around her waist. She fits perfectly, and I love holding her here, feeling her warmth against me. It’s better when she’s naked, but I’ll get her there soon enough.
“What does he mean? What do you want to do with Lucas?” She repeats her question.
“Ever since the night I picked you up at his house, he’s been secured in our holding cell.”
She gasps. “You haven’t hurt him, have you?”
“Not any more than what you witnessed when I found you. I haven’t exactly been in the mood to talk to him,” I explain.
She drags her hands up my chest and tugs my face to look directly at her. “Please, don’t hurt him. I know you guys are fighting, but he’s your brother; you must have some sympathy for what he’s going through.”
“You’re defending the man who kidnapped you.”
“From an auction that the other man who kidnapped me sent me to,” she snaps.
I grit my teeth and look at her. If I give her this, maybe it’s the first step to breaching the distance she’s created between us. This vast void she’s erected to guard her heart from my grasp. “What do you think I should do with him?”
Immediately, she says, “Let him go. You punished him enough with the beating you gave him. Besides, I feel like he’s being eaten alive by his guilt and his trauma. He needs help, not punishment. So, help him.”
My stellina. Her soft heart is beautiful. I don’t know how it hasn’t been crushed under someone’s fists by now, especially knowing what I do about her family. Her compassion should have been stripped from her by now.
She cups my cheeks, running her thumb along the bottom of my lips. I can appreciate the subtle use of her touch to entice me to give her what she wants.
I nod and look at Soo. “You heard the lady. Let him go.”
Soo’s face is a mask as he peers between us. All the annoyance he displayed when I arrived wiped clean. “Are you sure about that? You know there is something wrong with him right now, don’t you?”
I shrug. “Talk to him. But also explain that he and I will have a conversation soon, and his continued existence will depend on those answers. And also, make sure he knows if he touches Celia again, brother or not, I’ll put a bullet in his he
ad and leave him outside for the wild animals to pick at.”
Soo blinks, his only reaction to my statement. Celia goes rigid in my arms, as if she’s holding her breath.
When Soo turns and heads toward the garage, I call out, “Also, maybe make sure he knows he’s not to go after Ricci on his own. It’ll get him killed. You and I both know he’s not ready to face him, and if he tries, his emotions will ensure he ends up dead.”
After Soo leaves, I focus on Celia again. “See, I can be reasonable when the request is reasonable, and the requestor is as beautiful as you are.”
A soft blush washes into her cheeks. Instead of saying anything, she rocks up onto her tiptoes and presses her lips gently to mine. It’s barely a kiss—more of a wish than a promise.
But I don’t let her escape now that I’ve got her in my arms, warm and willing. “Let’s go upstairs.”
“For what?” she asks, all mock innocence.
I lean down and capture her mouth, demanding entrance with my tongue and then taking everything she gives me. When I allow her to come up for air, she stares at me, all heavy-lidded and pink. “Because our date isn’t over until I’ve sunk deep inside you.”
12
Celia
I don’t give myself time to rethink my plan as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. After I got up for the day and ate breakfast, I came back to the bedroom. I haven’t been able to think of it as our bedroom yet, but I have an entire side of the closet and even a designated side of the bed.
Now, I’m standing in the bathroom wearing a little pink sundress. I’d found it in my closet the other day. Nic’s finally been giving me clothes. He won’t let me buy any myself, but at least he lets me pick from whatever he wants me to wear.
This soft dress, with spaghetti straps, hugs my body tightly, the bodice molding to my torso and then expanding to a full skirt that makes my waist look tiny.
If there’s any dress to entice a man to give me what I want, this one would be it. I give my hair one last smoothing over my shoulder, and I take a deep breath to center myself. What’s the worst thing that can happen? He says no, again?