Devil's Tango (Running with the Devil Book 1)

by Claire J Monroe

  “Because it was a secret I swore I’d keep!”

  “From your husband? Your best friend is a fucking Russian Mafioso and you didn’t think I needed to know you’d done him a favor?”

  “I didn’t think you needed to know because it wasn’t for him! The IDs weren’t. They were for two other people that I’d vetted and checked and… would you stop giving me that look?”

  He couldn’t, because he was shocked stupid that she thought she could talk her way out of getting her ass spanked over this. It was time she knew it too. He shook his head. “Get naked. Now. Your ass is getting spanked. Period.”

  “If I promise to let you spank me later will you just shut up and listen to me,” she cried.

  He considered the offer on the table and was about to shoot it down when his cell phone vibrated on the dresser. Quick glance and it was a message from Fox. Ivanov’s here.

  Shit. The spanking would have to wait. Dammit. Tango ran a frustrated hand over his hair then turned for his duffel and a change of clothes. “I don’t have time for this. Whatever the hell you think you need to tell me will have to wait. Ivanov’s here.”

  “But it can’t! If I don’t tell you now, AJ will and I don’t want you to hear it from him when you should hear it from me!”

  If he were in a better mood, hearing her admit that little gem might have made him feel better. But he wasn’t, so it didn’t. “You should have thought of that before you gave every god damn piece of intel I needed to know to every damn body that was NOT your husband!”

  “Fuck. You,” Maddie yelled back at him. “You were never my husband! Not like you promised you’d be!”

  The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them and they had an impact. Oh lord, did they have an impact. One that was swift, immediate, and looked all the world like she’d just dumped a full bottle of lighter fluid on an already raging fire that was more than ready to go inferno.

  Van spun around. “What. Did. You. Say?”

  A shiver ran down her spine. His eyes were solid black. The air thickened with male dominance. Maddie swallowed hard. “You. Heard. Me.”

  Oh god, she was a fool. What was she thinking to deliberately goad him like this? He was seconds from going off and damn if seeing him advance on her, stalk his way towards her, didn’t trigger her traitorous body to respond. By releasing a deluge of hormones that had her breasts tingling and her thighs itching to slide together.

  Van stopped in front of her, then leaned over her and braced both hands on the bed beside her. They were face to face. Nose to nose. His harsh breathing matched hers and she swore she could hear the pounding of his heart because it matched her own. “Get. Naked. Now.”

  Stupid iron stubborn streak inside her wouldn’t budge an inch. “No.”

  A muscle twitched under his left eye and then—whoosh! He snaked a hand under her ass and flipped her over on her stomach on the bed.

  “Van,” she shrieked.

  He ignored her and stripped off her yoga pants in one move. Her socks and shirt disappeared just as quickly, then her bra popped loose and he tore it off her body. Before she knew it she was naked, flat on her belly, her thighs spread wide as one pissed off dominant male stood between them. His hand landed on the base of her neck in a soft but firm grip that stopped her fight and made her freeze with anticipation.

  A rumble of male appreciation rolled out of him as his hand squeezed once then slowly glided down her back to her ass. His hand was heavy and hot as his fingers glided between her ass cheeks across forbidden territory further and further… to the tender aching, pulsing entrance of her pussy that wept for what he and only he could give her.

  Power flowed around her body, skimming over sensitive nerve endings and soaked into her skin with his whispered words. “Caritas mea.”

  The beautiful language was back. Oh god, it was back and her body was responding like a finely tuned instrument that’d been waiting for her maestro to return. “I don’t understand,” she panted.

  Energy, hot and erotic surged from the tips of his fingers as they massaged a slow circle around the rim of her entrance that ached and throbbed with need. She shouldn’t be responding like this. She should be sore. Because it’d been so long since she had sex and her body needed time to rebound from the two times they’d already had together, but… ohmigod, it felt so good. Slow, torturous, and so damn good that her hips moved in unison with his touch, riding his hand, begging him to push further. Deeper.

  “Si quis mihi. Caritas mea.” His words flowed over her skin and into her body until she felt their meaning swirl in her consciousness. Yes, my one. My love.

  “Aperi mihi.” The tip of one finger dipped inside her. Open to me.

  Ho-my-God, yes. She wanted to open to him. Needed him to do that again. With more than the tip of his finger. She needed his cock. Deep. Inside. Sliding and touching and… Maddie gripped the comforter in both hands and her knees jerked forward, desperately trying to get her up and in position for what she needed. Right now. Deep inside her.

  His other hand found her hip and gripped her tight then urged her up and back until there was nothing but an Egyptian cotton towel separated the hard length of his cock from entering the one place she’d forbidden him entrance for so long. “Subjici mihi.”

  Submit to me. His words were a command that her body acknowledged and desperately wanted to obey. Had to obey. Craved to obey.

  He nudged her legs wider, stepped closer, and pressed the hard length of his covered cock between her ass cheeks then moved his hips and her body exploded in an array of sensations that were beyond any intensity she’d ever experienced before. “Fac me introire in tua anima.”

  Let me into your soul.

  Holy hell, yes, she wanted him to get into her soul right then, there, and why wasn’t he already in there? “Van, please, I need.”

  “Si quis mihi. Accipite illum.” He started a gentle rhythm with his hips against her ass that moved in time with his fingers between her legs. Dipping inside, retreating, swirling, massaging, and driving her out of her mind. Yes, my one. Take it.

  Her body climbed higher and higher, tensing, prepping, and panting for the inevitable moment that would come and—he pulled back and slammed into her ass hard, once, twice, as his fingers drove inside her and found that magic spot that pushed her over the edge into a maelstrom of gyrating, panting, frantic, moaning, and… oh god yes and it went on and on and on and… “Ohmigod, yesssssss!”

  He didn’t stop moving. His hips kept up with her movements. His hand on her hip. As he worked her body. Dragged out her pleasure. Milked her body of any resistance until it was futile and a complete waste of time and… god, yes, she wanted to let him in. The only thing that could have made that better were had he been inside her and—

  He bent over her, his chest connecting with her back, then his mouth was on her shoulder. His tongue was hot and scorched a trail across her skin to the site where he’d bitten her. “Vos mei semper.”

  You are my forever.

  His voice, those words, echoed in her mind. Rippled throughout her body. Unlocked any reservations she had. Maddie dragged in a deep breath, then pushed back against him, hungry to feel more of a connection.

  She heard his breath catch, then a growl of pleasure and his teeth grazed her skin. “Si quis mihi. Fac me introire in tua anima.”

  Yes, my one. Let me into your soul.

  Yes. Into her soul. Her body. Yes. To all of the above. Unwilling to wait another second, Maddie reached back and wrapped a hand around the towel at his waist. “Do it. Take what you need. Do. It.”

  Tango was lost in a haze of want, need, and a burning desire to claim what belonged to him. Then she gave him the words that pushed him to his limit. “Do it. Take what you need. Do. It.”

  So simple. It’d be so simple to give in to the urge and let his beast fully merge with him to take what belonged to him. But still he held back.

  Then she’d yanked the towel from between t
hem and he’d nearly lost his mind when the fabric dragged along the tip of his cock, freeing it to bounce and land so close to where it needed to go. To claim her. To fully merge with her. To complete the soul rite.

  Do it, Gabriel. Make her ours. Do it.

  “Yes, Van, please,” she whimpered and something inside him withered.

  Yes, she was ready. Open to accepting him in this moment, but then she’d called his name. The one that wasn’t his. The one he’d given her when they’d met. The alias that wasn’t him. Not the real him and it fucking hurt.

  That in this moment, when he had every possible route to Heaven open to him, begging him to complete a mating that’d tie them together for all eternity and ensure their sons would live to see the sun rise and take their first breath… it fucking hurt that she wasn’t using his true name. His given name.

  Because she didn’t know him. He’d never given it her. Lies, secrets, and half-truths. They were fucking drowning in them and that shit needed to stop.

  Then tell her. Give her our real name. Do it while you claim her, but do it. Now!

  Yes, he should tell her. Yes, he would tell her. But not like this. Not with her face down, ass high in the air, and… this was gonna fucking kill him, but he couldn’t claim her now. Not like this. Not without her knowing.

  You fool! She is ready! Walk away now and you may never get another chance!

  It was a risk he’d have to take.

  Maddie deserved better than this. Better than him if he were to be honest with himself, but she’d never get the chance to find another better because he had no intention of ever letting her go. Ever.

  But giving her the truth of who he was and enough time to come to terms with it? That he could give her.

  Tango slipped his hand out from between her thighs and dragged it up the crease of her ass, lingering over the spot he regretted having to pass up this time. But she wasn’t ready. He could feel her body’s exhaustion through their connection. Had heard it in her voice before her taunt had pushed him over the edge and unleashed the darkness in him.

  She wasn’t ready. But she would be. And soon.

  He wouldn’t take her choice away from her. No matter how much he ached to fucking do it. He would not do it. Not again. Not ever again.

  Tango closed his eyes and pushed back against the darkness, then pressed a kiss against his mark on her shoulder.

  She gasped and pushed her ass back against him. “Yessss, do it.”

  Hot, ready, and so fucking open to him that he was an idiot not to slide into her scalding hot pussy once, twice, and make her come so hard while he prepped her ass for full penetration. Fuck. He was an idiot. And torturing himself every damn second he let her keep grinding herself against him.

  He drew in a deep breath and gripped his cock then calling himself an idiot in every damn language he knew he lined himself up to drive fast and hard into her.

  She whimpered again and he felt her soul calling him back to complete the soul rite.

  His forehead dropped to her shoulder. Sweat beaded on his brow and he shuddered against the all-consuming need. But he couldn’t. Fuck no, he could not cave. He could not take this choice from her. It’d be such a simple thing to move and realign himself to complete the soul rite. But he could. Not. Do. It.

  “Van, please, baby, do it. Please.”

  Her plea nearly broke him. It would the next time and he knew it. It was now or ever. Time to make the decision that’d affect the rest of his life and determine the course of their relationship for years to come and… aw fuck it.

  There was no choice. Maddie’s needs came first. Always.

  Tango reared back then drove his cock deep inside her. There was no resistance. Her pussy walls were slick and hot and felt so fucking good that he pulled his hand out from between them. His hands found hers and their fingers entwined, each gripping the other as she fucked him hard, pushing back into him as he hammered into her.

  Her pussy fluttered around him once, twice, then ah fucking hell she gripped his cock and would have fucking milked his cock dry before the fangs had dropped in his mouth. “Fuck. Yes.”

  “Harder,” she begged.

  He obliged her then shifted his angle and she shrieked.

  It was ugly. Messy. And so fucking hot that if he didn’t bite her now he was going to lose his mind and fucking claim her ass the way it needed to be done and… Do it. Now.

  The darkness edged its way forward in his mind. Dragged his hand down her arm, across her shoulder, over his mark, then between their bodies to the spot he needed to prep. The place he needed to claim.

  Do it. Claim her. Now.

  Fuck yeah. He wanted in her ass. Tight, virgin territory that would bind her to him. Make her submit to his claim and accept him for all eternity.

  His fingers split into a V around his cock and caught her juice, then slithered their way back to her anus and started the slow build up that drove her wild underneath him. She bucked and writhed and moaned egging him on to do it. To breach what belonged to him. To him, not some alias named Van. But him, Gabriel Montgomery.

  “Ohmigod, yes… more… Van… give it.”

  No! Not Van, he screamed in his head. But he couldn’t stop it. The beast had a hold of him and was bound and determined to stake their claim. To take what he had no right to take and there wasn’t a damn thing Tango could do to stop him. Not after his slickened finger circled its way past her resistance and sunk in.

  Maddie jerked underneath him, shuddered and bucked in a wild frenzy that pushed him to his limit and had him finger fucking her ass tip to palm in perfect synchronicity with his cock in her pussy.

  His balls drew up tight and he was about to come. Hard.

  “Ohmigod… yessss. Do. It.”

  He couldn’t hang on. Couldn’t stop the inevitable drop of fangs in his mouth and the need to bite her that hit him hard. He struck fast and quick and she screamed into the comforter as her pussy walls clamped down on his cock and she dragged him with her over the edge.

  Fangs still deep in her shoulder, Tango shouted his release against her skin as he pumped his hips, unloading his seed at the gates of her womb. Package delivered, his fangs retracted and he licked his tongue along the mark then pressed a kiss to her skin and started to ease back.

  Connected as they were he knew the exact moment she felt his retreat. It happened every time. Since the first time they’d been together and he’d marked her as his. Tango closed his eyes tight and tried like hell not to run from the warmth that was Maddie’s soul reaching out to him through their connection, begging him to stay, to not disconnect, to not run and hide from her. Forgive me, he begged her in silence.

  Because he had to disconnect from her. For now. Because she wasn’t ready to accept all of him. No matter how much the beast had convinced her otherwise in the moment.

  Maddie was not ready to accept all of him.

  He eased back more and started the slow, easy withdrawal from her body. He was a mess. Shredded on the inside and rapidly filling back up with hate for himself and what he hadn’t done. So much hate that he couldn’t even bring himself to utter the lie about his cock leaving her warmth feeling almost as good as it felt going in. It didn’t. But it’d been an excuse, an easy lie that he’d used almost every damn time to convince himself that he was doing the right thing.

  But he couldn’t lie to her. Not anymore. Not after this. She needed the truth. About him. His beast. His darkness. She deserved a chance to judge him. To punish him for deceiving her.

  Tango rolled off her and onto his back.

  “Ohmigod, Van,” Maddie mumbled as her body tilted and she fell against him. “You broke me.”

  He winced at the use of the name that wasn’t his. That shit had to stop. Soon. Not now when she was exhausted, but soon. “Remember that shit the next time you try and provoke me.”

  “Not sure that works as a deterrent,” she murmured. “But okay.”

  He cracked a smile. “Smart ass
.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead, then detangled himself to go wash up. His day wasn’t over. Hers was for sure, but he still needed to have a chat with Black and Ivanov about whatever shit she hadn’t told him yet. He scooped her up then settled her higher on the bed. “Be right back.”

  “Mmm, don’t go,” she whined.

  He washed up in the bathroom and avoided his gaze in the mirror. He didn’t need to see his reflection to know the beast was pissed at him for missing the opportunity. Back in the room, he dressed quickly then grabbed a warm wet wash cloth to clean her up. She was half asleep, but let him take care of her. Once she was cleaned up, he tossed the wash cloth into the dirty clothes pile in the bathroom then went back to tuck her in.

  “Please tell me,” she said on a yawn. “That we are not going on the run tonight.”

  He finished tucking the blankets around her and then grabbed his boots and set down on the bed to pull them on. “That depends.”

  “On?”

  Boots done, he turned and planted his hands on either side of her, then leaned over her. “On us being good.”

  “Good?” A slow sexy smile moved across her lips and her eye barely managed to lift to look at him. “Baby, we are so good right now that there’s not a single thing in my mind that I’m mad at you about.” Her eyes closed and she gave a contented sigh. “And that’s saying a lot because I’ve been really, really mad at you.”

  His gaze roved across her features, absorbing everything that’d changed about her. The tiny lines under her eyes were new. As were the ones on her forehead that told him of the stress she’d carried, the burdens he’d dumped in her lap and everything he’d left her to deal with on her own. Never again he vowed as he pressed a soft kiss to her brow. “Yeah, but you still love me.”

  She hummed with approval. “Someone has to, so it might as well be me.”

  He smiled then dropped a kiss on her lips. “Love you, baby. Always and forever.”