That small pink tongue of hers darted out of her lips. “I thought you wanted me.” Her gaze bounced up to his and then to the door. She turned, ready to bolt. King shot across the room like lightning, closing the door shut before her hand reached it.
He loomed over her, panting as he fought for control. “I do.” He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms, tight against his aching body and buried his face in her neck. Carefully, she brought her arms up, circled his shoulders, burying her fingers in his hair.
Slowly, he slid her down until her feet touched the floor, inhaling her sweet scent. She trembled in his arms. King framed her face in his hands, tilting her head back so that she had no choice but to meet his gaze. Their eyes met. His heart thudded. She was so gorgeous, her bright green eyes darkening to the deepest emerald. He’d been drowning without her.
The craving rushed through his body and a wave of heat hit every muscle.
Raw aching desire burst through him so forcefully it nearly took out his knees.
The lust had been there from the moment he’d bumped into her on the street. But now it was more. So much more. He was a man possessed, starving for her with every ounce of his being.
When she was around, he didn’t feel alone. He felt alive.
Carefully, he pressed a shaky kiss to her lips. “I do need you. So much.”
She could take the loneliness away. She could drown out his nightmares and give him new dreams.
She touched his face, her fingers gently stroking his jaw, her touch warming the cold inside him. “King…”
Her voice broke through the spell holding him, his body reacted with the brutal force, blood pounding into his groin, demanding her attention. King bent his head back to the temptation of her mouth, stroking his tongue over her lips, tasting her sweet spice that was all Laura. She trembled.
He crushed his mouth over hers, wanting to show her how much he wanted her, how much he needed to touch her. He was desperate and in a tailspin, unable to think with the strong surge of need spiraling inside him. She whimpered, arms around his neck, tight nipples digging into his chest.
He struggled to be gentle, to soften his touch. She had no idea how strong he was; how he could crush her with his hands. Tenderly, he did butterfly kisses over her nose, her eyelids, her cheeks. He nipped at her lower lip, tugging at it.
She leaned into him, her soft, feminine intake of breath telling him more than words ever could. King palmed her ass and lifted her. She yielded, wrapping her legs around his naked waist. They crossed to the bed in three strides, and he gently lowered her down onto the mattress, breaking contact only long enough to rip the scrap of material covering her body free.
She lay back, naked and beautiful, hair fanning out around her, her incredibly full breasts swollen. Her waist narrowed impossibly before curving out into the lushest hips he’d ever seen. He wouldn’t survive the night if he didn’t have her now. She reached for him and he went to her willingly. He needed her satiny soft body and her tender understanding. He needed her to help stamp out the dark and painful memories, to bring him back into the light. He needed her to save him.
Unable to wait another second, he settled his mouth over hers, sinking onto her body, stretching out so they touched from shoulder to toes. He wanted to crawl inside her, bury himself so deep so there was nothing between them. He wanted to pound into her, make her scream out his name.
Despite this, he gave her a slow kiss, savoring every inch of her female body. He slid his hand down between them, stroked enough, fingers drawn to her smooth pussy. And when he found her wet and hot, he groaned. The need to crawl inside her shot through his cock, robbing him of control. He shuddered, working his way down the slender column of her throat with his lips, tasting, learning, exploring every inch of her. With one hand, he palmed her swollen breast, lifting her so that he could tease her hard nipple.
Laura cried out. Her hands in his hair, her knees fell open as she arched from the bed. Pulling on every ounce of willpower he had, King slowed his movements. He thumbed her swollen aching clit, her hips bucking beneath him.
Trembling with the need to get inside her, King slid his hand lower, and pierced her slick wet entrance with one finger. She sucked him in, moaning out her pleasure. Ravenous, King took her other nipple in his mouth, the need to be gentle eroding under his directing wave of passion. He suckled hard, pumping his fingers in and out of her moist heat.
She clawed at his arms. “King, please,” she whimpered.
* * *
Laura had known what would happen the moment she’d come into his bedroom, but she had no idea just how deep she had fallen. Seeing him standing there naked, his huge cock stretching up his stomach, had made her weak. But now him touching her, stroking her—he was taking over, igniting a flame that would be impossible to put out.
He drew on her nipple, deep and hard until she was nothing but a ball of tight need, a need only pain could satisfy. His finger speared inside of her, stretching her. He stroked her, sending shivers of pleasure down her spine. Feeling like she was spinning out of control she clutched onto him, crying out his name. Moaning. No one had ever made her feel so wicked. So wanted. She was drowning in the sensations of his touch, losing herself to him.
She moved her hips in rhythm with his finger, when he looked at her, his gaze shuddered in sensuality and she nearly came undone.
King pulled his finger free and trailed glazing kisses down her belly. Every nerve ending in her body lit up, her skin so sensitive it was almost painful. He moved below her belly button, shoved her thighs apart, slid her hips into his hands, and lifted her to his waiting mouth.
Laura opened her mouth in wordless pleasure, no sound escaped. She couldn’t even draw in a breath. Electric pulses of pleasure beat through her body. She fisted the sheets as he licked her, taking long slow strokes with his tongue. He took her with his mouth like he was starving for her. Her core contracted and pulsed with each swipe.
She was barely aware of his growl except that it vibrated through her body. She twisted the sheets in her hands, trying to hold on to her grip with reality as sheer pleasure wrapped her body. Her muscles tightened, tension whiplashing through her. She wanted to scream at him, to beg him. All she managed was a wanton moan as she threw back her head and let go.
His tongue pushed at her sensitive nub, circling and swiping the nerves, leaving her sobbing in ecstasy. She thrust her hips, wordlessly seeking more as the tension built. And then he drew her clit between his lips and sucked hard. She clenched, her pussy contracted hard and then she shattered. Mind-numbing pleasure exploded through her core in an orgasm that sped through her body, burning her alive.
* * *
King was on her in an instant, rising to his knees between her spread thighs. If he didn’t take her now he was going to lose it. Laura lay shuddering and limp beneath him. Oh shit, he needed her. Shaking, he held himself back long enough to ask, “Laura, are you- “
She nodded forcefully. “IUD, had it implanted a while ago. We’re good.”
Thank God. He grabbed her legs and wrapped them around his hips. “Hold onto me, baby.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face against his shoulder. He could feel her sobbing softly, her breasts raking his chest. Struggling to breathe, King notched the head of his cock against her entrance and slowly pressed inside. Electricity vibrated down his spine, lifted over his skin and bubbled through his bloodstream as he pushed in deeper. Her slick, tight folds surrounded him, still pulsating from her orgasm, milking the last vestiges of his control.
He clenched his jaw, eased inside her, inch by inch until he was buried to the hilt. Once he was seated fully inside, he molded his mouth to hers, fully connecting them. He devoured her, taking her mouth as he began to slowly thrust in and out.
She was so damn tight around him, pulsing and throbbing, gripping him, driving his need so hot, so high. And when he couldn’t stand it anymore, he gripped her hips and drove int
o her. He thrust hard and deep taking everything she would give him. Her whimpers turned to screams, urging him onward.
With every thrust his tension grew, his breath growing more ragged, his skin tightening over his muscles. He pounded into her, holding onto her hips as he drove. The tension grew, tightening at the base of his spine and in his cock. Her nails raked his back, her head tossing to the side. She moaned, whimpered, made soft feminine sounds that drove him over the edge. He plunged into her, sinking as deep as he could. Her pussy clamped around him, throbbing out another orgasm and milking his free.
Completely spent, King dropped his head to the mattress beside her, using what strength he had left to hold himself up and not crush her. She trembled beneath him, the waves of her pleasure still squeezing his cock. King shuddered, pulling on the last buzz of energy rolled onto his back, moving her so that she lay sprawled across his chest, blanketing him in the night.
Even though he’d just experienced one of the hardest orgasms of his life, he couldn’t stop touching her. He stroked her back, shoulders, arms. He marveled at how soft she was. Every inch of her skin pressed against his. “Laura, you okay?”
She nodded, her answer like a purr. “Hmmm.”
King closed his eyes and relaxed into the mattress feeling completely satisfied and at ease. He wrapped his arms fully around her, holding onto her tightly until her breaths evened out into the smooth and steady pattern of sleep.
He toyed with her long strands of hair, fighting his own fatigue as he sought to draw out the night. She’d been all fire. So responsive to his touch. She’d been everything he hadn’t realized he needed.
And for the first time since he could remember, he felt…happy.
Chapter 16
Laura awoke to a loud pounding. She grabbed the covers and yanked them over her forehead. The overwhelmingly masculine scent of clean surrounded her. She felt instantly uncertain and yet thrilled. Carefully she stretched out long, sensing her newly sore muscles. King had taken her again in the middle of the night, woken her with his kisses and made slow sweet love.
The pounding thudded through the room again. Laura pulled the covers down and peeked over the edge, and finding herself alone made a beeline over the foot of the bed and snatched on her nightgown. Sunlight filtered through the partially closed curtains of the window declaring the daytime, although without her watch or her phone she had no idea of the actual time.
She cracked the door, peered into the hall and quickly snuck back to her own bedroom, feeling for all the world like a teenager sneaking back in to her house. Quietly she closed the door behind her, careful not to wake Faith.
Only Faith wasn’t in there. The covers were thrown back, her pajama pants and shirt laying in a crumple on the floor, telling Laura the girl had changed clothes on her own.
The thudding sounded again, vibrating the walls. A trickle of worry slid down her spine and Laura rushed to dress and brush her teeth; combed her hair into some semblance and went in search of Faith. They’d gotten to know everyone in the mansion pretty well, but not well enough that she felt comfortable letting Faith just roam around alone. She could easily get lost in the multitude of hallways and rooms. And then there were the various places they weren’t allowed in.
What if she fell? What if no one was around? What if’s tumbled through her mind and Laura raced down the hallway. She turned the corner, the thrumming and thudding growing louder and faster. It was similar to what she’d heard earlier in the week when they’d crossed Diggs’s room, only this time the vibrations were so heavy Laura could feel them rattling her bones.
Yet, as she neared the door, the source of the booming became very clear. Then Faith squealed. Her heart leapfrogged up into her throat and Laura raced forward, flinging the bedroom door wide. Only no one was in there. She heard Faith again, and realized the sound was coming from the next door over. This one was cracked open, and Laura burst in without stopping, only to pull up, stunned. The room was completely empty save for a huge wooden box-shaped platform with speakers attached all the way around it. The heavy bass of Master P shook the entire floor. Faith, completely lost in the rhythm, stood on top of the makeshift stage dancing in delight.
King, Diggs, and Audra, Diggs fiancée, leaned against the far wall, watching with amusement.
Laura grabbed the doorframe as relief swept her. Faith spotted her, let out another squeal and waved, continuing to move and wiggle with the rhythm. She felt King’s gaze land on her and a few seconds later he was at her side, stopping just inches from her.
Her heart leapfrogged into her throat again, only this time for an altogether different reason. If she’d thought him handsome before, he was utterly devastating to her senses now. And the way he looked at her, deeper than before. Evidence of the connection they shared was clear. His hands slid down her shoulders and he ushered her through the door into the hallway. He reached up and pulled out a set of small earplugs she hadn’t realized he’d been wearing. “How are you feeling?”
Her core clenched between her thighs and she blushed, her body reflexively remembering last night in detail. “I’m fine.”
He stroked her cheek. “I thought you’d like to sleep in.”
She swallowed and ducked around him, needing to put some space between them so she could think. Last night she hadn’t had any doubts about their lovemaking, but the bright light of day had brought back some of her reservations. There was still so much between them with her brother and even more that she didn’t even know how to feel.
He watched her intently and she fought the urge to squirm. They hadn’t come close to finishing their discussion, and she was getting a little frustrated with herself for not forcing the issue again before now. But that would have to wait for another time, when they were alone.
If she could keep her hands to herself.
King moved toward her, but she pointed at the large, wooden platform in the room, looking for a distraction. “What’s that?” She had to raise her voice slightly to be heard over the pounding waves of music.
He shrugged. “Nothing big, just something for Faith.”
The music blared and boomed, and Faith squealed. “Nothing big? It looks like a stage for a concert or something.”
King scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck, looking slightly uncomfortable. “This place isn’t really set up for kids, and I know she’s been bored. After I saw how much she liked feeling Diggs’s speaker, I thought she might enjoy this too.”
Laura stared at him, speechless.
“You know, since she can’t hear the sound, this made the vibrations stronger—so she could feel the music,” King said.
“I don’t know what to say.”
He shifted, looking slightly ill at ease. “Is it too much?”
“Too much? It’s the most thoughtful and kind thing anyone’s ever done for her.” Heat blossomed in her belly, spread up and over her chest, and down her arms.
“It’s not that big a deal,” he said.
It was beautiful and wonderful and amazing. And she was falling for him.
Dear Lord, help her.
“It’s perfect.” You’re perfect. She took all of him in, from his rakish eye patch, to his thick corded muscles, to the vulnerable way he looked at her. She grabbed his hand and squeezed. “Thank you for this.”
“You’re welcome,” he said gruffly.
His obvious discomfort just made her care that much more deeply for him. He’d been honest and tried to open up to her about his past. He hadn’t been mean—just the opposite in fact. He’d gone out of his way to make sure they had what they needed. First the gymnastics for Faith and now this…maybe…maybe he would consider letting her take Faith back to the hospital to get her a new cochlear implant processor so that she wouldn’t lose all her hard-earned gains. She’d already reverted back to full silence, preferring to use the sign language she’d learned as a baby instead of the audible sounds she’d just tapped into.
“King, can I ask
you a favor?”
“Sure, chère. Anything.”
“Do you think it would be possible to take Faith to get a new processor for her implant?” She let him hear the hope in her voice.
King frowned. “Where?”
“The children’s hospital downtown.”
“No,” he said abruptly, crossing his arms.
If he hadn’t been so sweet she’d have gotten upset. “King, please.” She put her hand on his arm.
He glanced down at that connection, and held silent so long she was about to ask again. Then he said, “It’s not that I don’t want to do that for you. It’s not safe. Not yet.”
Because of her brother. “There’s no way he would know.”
King turned the blast of his full attention on her. “He would know, Laura. He’d be watching all the familiar places for you.”
“I took her before he came back. He wouldn’t know to look.” She hadn’t had to take Faith back for speech mapping in several months. After she’d cleared the final visit at the hospital with the audiologist and speech pathologist team, she’d moved Faith’s speech therapy to a closer, private therapist. One less than a mile from her home.
His jaw clenched and she could see him struggling.
She pressed onward. “She’s already gotten behind in her speech therapy. If we can just get her processor ordered and turned on again, I can work with her here.”
“I’d need all the details. Who’s her doctor? What kind of processor? Everything.”
“Really?”
“I’m not making any promises, Laura. But I’ll look into it. That’s all I can offer for now.”
Laura launched up and planted a hard, quick kiss on his lips before bouncing down to her heels. “Thank you!”
Mayhem’s King: Operation Mayhem Page 11