Changing Beauty (Book 2) (The Deadly Beauties Live On)

by C. M. Owens

  Why does he want the crazy girl who managed to pass out and sleep for as long as I did?

  He smirks as though he feels challenged, and he pushes off from the doorway to slowly stalk toward me with that predatory prowess that actually does distract me. Damn him.

  “The last time I let you out of my sight, you woke up naked in a motel. Considering I’ve barely gotten to appreciate your bare body, I’d rather no one else get a chance to look at what’s mine.”

  A small spurt of laughter has me jerking my head back toward the doorway where some guy in too much leather is eyeing Thad like there’s a private joke somewhere in there.

  “So now you’re against public nudity? Wish you had thought about that when your junk was cradling my girl’s head.”

  The hell?

  My temper flares as jealousy sets in without warning, and I hear Thad curse when a ripping sound resonates in my ears.

  “Fuck. Sorry. My bad. He was… It’s really a long, innocent story,” the guy stutters.

  “Yeah,” Karma quickly adds, her eyes wide and fearful for some reason. “I was knocked out from… too much alcohol. And, um, Thad was in the backseat after… um… skinny dipping. The guys stole his clothes as a prank. He… um… they just threw me in the car. It was totally innocent.”

  More ripping sounds emerge, and it takes a second to realize my nails are slicing through the bedding that I’m clutching with a white-knuckle grip. But if I let go, I’m afraid I’ll do something stupid.

  The heat crawls up my neck as they trip over themselves to explain their twisted words. My chest rises and falls rapidly as I fight the urge to pass out. Did he tell them about my problem? Is that why they’re acting so weird right now?

  Lips pressing against mine snap me out of my inner reverie, and Thad pushes me back onto the bed as he kisses me harder, devouring me as though he’s starving. He always seems to be starving with me.

  My anger melts away as my hands lift to his hair, threading through the strands as I pull him closer. The click of the door shutting and exhales of relief don’t have time to fully register before he’s slowly pushing my shirt over my head.

  “Fuck waiting,” he says against my lips. His eyes are so close to mine that they’re almost one big blur, but I still stare into them, or try to. “I’m sick of every-damn-thing happening, and obviously there’s not going to be a moment of peace. Time to make you mine. To hell with the rest of the world right now.”

  Warning bells go off once again, and like the idiot I am, I ignore them like always. Something about Thad… I love how out of control he seems when he’s with me. It’s a savage sort of connection that I’m slightly addicted to.

  Addicted enough to ignore all the weird shit I’ve faced since meeting him.

  He leans up far enough so that I can clearly see both of his eyes, and he uses those honey eyes to hold me captive.

  “Tell me stop now, or don’t tell me at all.”

  His voice is almost desperate, but this time I listen to the warning bells.

  “Are you saying you won’t stop if I ask you to later?” I ask in a hoarse whisper.

  He smiles. Why the hell is he smiling?

  “Nah, sweet girl. I’ll stop any time you tell me to. Let me rephrase what I said; tell me to stop now, or I’ll be in a lot of pain later.”

  That makes me smile despite myself, and I pull him down to me. He’s right. There’s no such thing as good timing with us, it seems. And I’m pretty sick of waiting, too.

  “I don’t plan on stopping you. Unless you’re into some weird shit that involves blood or whips and stuff.”

  Even though I say the words flat and serious, I can’t stop myself from smiling. But he doesn’t so much as grin.

  “Eventually, sweet girl, you might change your mind about some of that.”

  The hell?

  His lips are back on mine, silencing my brain’s thought, and I kiss him back with pure abandon. Nothing else exists right now. I’m so tired of thinking. I’m so tired of feeling like I’ve lost my mind.

  I just want to lose myself in him for as long as he’ll let me.

  I hope that’s a while.

  He breaks the kiss, but before I can protest, he tugs his shirt over his head, revealing those lines of muscles that can make a stronger woman turn into a puddle. Hungry lips crash back down on mine, and he swallows the moan that follows.

  The kiss isn’t pretty or sensual. It’s not slow or sweet. It’s carnal and raw, but most importantly, it’s real. We’re real. Thad is the kind of guy who takes what he wants and doesn’t leave you wondering.

  Apparently it’s too hard for him to ever remove my clothes, because I feel and hear them being ripped from my body. He actually shreds away the jeans I’m wearing as though they’re fragile lace.

  A growl builds in his throat, low and rumbling, almost animalistic, and it has me clawing at him to get closer. It almost feels like I’m on fire. The desperation is almost too much, and I completely turn over all my control as he tears away my shirt with the same primal impatience.

  His lips move from mine, and he starts making a trail down my bare chest, considering I wasn’t ever given a bra. The heat of his breath is almost driving me as crazy as his tongue and teeth as he nips my skin, teasing the flesh between his teeth.

  But when he flicks his tongue against my nipple, some garbled, nonsensical noise escapes my lips as I arch into him. He doesn’t seem to mind the fact I’m pulling his hair much too hard, but I couldn’t help it even if he did mind.

  When someone bangs on the door, I almost want to freaking cry.

  “Go the fuck away,” Thad says without moving away from me, slipping a finger under the lace band of my panties.

  They get shredded away with one hard tug, and he settles himself between my legs as he continues to torture me with pleasure.

  But the asshole on the other side of the door bangs harder.

  “I said to go the fuck away. Or you will be walking on your hands when I get finished ripping off your legs,” Thad growls, turning his face toward the door.

  Why is the universe conspiring against us? Can’t we just have one minute? Well… more than one minute, hopefully.

  “It’s pretty important. Got… someone here to see you.”

  I think that’s Zee’s voice, but I really don’t give a damn.

  “Are they dangerous?” Thad asks as his grip on my side tightens.

  “Yes,” Zee answers without hesitation, and I immediately go tense.

  “Are they dangerous to us?” Thad goes on, narrowing his eyes.

  “That’s still up for debate.”

  Thad’s eyes roam over my body, and he groans while standing up, and… pulling his jeans off. My eyes immediately discover the fact that he’s commando, and I can’t seem to look away.

  He grabs my legs, twisting me so that I’m lying on the bed the correct way, before he resumes his place over me. When skin touches skin, I start burning up, feeling something akin to desire clawing at me from inside, but it’s so much stronger than desire.

  “If they’re not causing problems right now, it can wait. Now go away before I make good on my threat,” Thad says dismissively, returning all his attention to me as his mouth slowly starts traveling down my stomach.

  My breaths get harsher, echoing in my ears. I’ve never been so excited and nervous about sex before. He pushes my legs apart as his face moves in between them, and he holds my gaze like he’s daring me to look away.

  Holy shit, that’s sexy as hell.

  With the first flick of his tongue, I try to buck off the bed from the overwhelming sensation of his touch in such an intimate place. But he holds me down, effortlessly pinning my hips with his iron-grip.

  Then his lips fasten over that bundle of nerves, and he watches with rapt, hungry attention as I start falling apart. His tongue flicks as he sucks, and he doesn’t show mercy.

  Just like with anything else, he’s not wasting time teasing me. He’s go
ing in for the kill, and it doesn’t take long before I’m back to making ridiculous noises that I don’t even have the shame to feel embarrassed about.

  My stomach muscles start tightening, and my body bows off the bed when an almost painful release hits me. My eyes screw shut as I cry out an incoherent string of words.

  So good. So, so good.

  My toes actually curl, and my legs clamp down on his head, trying to push him away or hold him close… I’m not sure. It’s like my mind has detached from my body, and I’m a spiraling mess of sensations.

  His low, rumbling growl is vibrating against me, definitely sounding more animal than human, but it only turns me on more.

  My eyes open when I feel his hands pushing my legs apart so that he can move. He slowly starts climbing back up me with eyes so intense that it’s almost too much to keep his gaze, and I swear I see a flicker of yellow in their depths.

  “Tell me you’re mine,” he whispers as he brushes his lips across mine.

  The tip of his cock nudges my entrance, as he maintains a push-up position over me, his elbows bent enough to let his lips touch mine, but keeping his body otherwise off mine.

  “Say it,” he whispers when I get a little too lost in thought, trembling with nervous anticipation.

  “I’m yours.” I can barely even understand my own rasp voice, but the simple admission has his sweet kiss turning hungry once again.

  His tongue slips in, distracting me for a second, until he’s suddenly thrusting deep inside me. Everything inside me stretches to an almost painful point, and he stills when our bases collide.

  I whimper, caught off guard by the ferocity of his strike, but he soothes me by continuing to hold still, kissing me harder as my body tries to acclimate to his ungodly size.

  “Fucking beautiful, and just as perfect as I imagined,” he whispers against my lips, running his thumb down my cheek to my chin. “You okay?” he asks, sincerely concerned.

  Damn sure glad I wasn’t a virgin. He might have just killed me.

  “Yeah,” I finally manage to whisper.

  I start to remind him that he’s not wearing a condom, when he starts moving, pulling back ever so gently. This time, when he thrusts back in, there’s nothing but incredible, mind-numbing pleasure.

  My fingers are tingling when I grip his shoulders, needing any part of him to hold onto. The pace gains gradual speed, until my nails are cutting into his arms, but he doesn’t seem to mind, and I can’t seem to stop.

  Those wild growls keep tearing from his throat, and they seem to stir the more animalistic side of me that I didn’t even know existed. With one swift move, he pulls my hands off his shoulders, pinning them beside my head. Our fingers intertwine, and he pushes my hands into the mattress as his hips continue to rock into the cradle of my thighs.

  My legs slide up, spreading wider, giving him more room to completely own me as sweat starts to slick our bodies as we writhe together. I try to move my face to the side, but he doesn’t let me. He’s kissing me harder, swallowing my sounds as though he doesn’t want anything escaping from me unless it’s going into him.

  The connection between us is almost like static, beautiful, tangible electric currents that seem to wrap around us as my mind tries to process what’s going on.

  When something starts building inside me, it almost hurts because it feels too good. He finally lets me break apart from his mouth, allowing me to suck in much needed air.

  He releases one of my hands to reach down and grab my leg, lifting it up and finding a new angle that hurdles me over the edge. And I fall like I’ve never fallen before, screaming out his name, or maybe cursing him. I’m not sure.

  Some sound that verges on being a roar rips from his throat, and his thrusts turn into jerky movements until he stills inside me.

  “Fuck,” he groans, still clutching my leg in his hand as he buries his face in my neck.

  His breaths are as shaky as mine, and I feel a tickle with every exhalation of his.

  “I was going to say wow,” I mumble, hoping that sounded clearer to him than it did to me. “But fuck works, too.”

  His throaty chuckle vibrates against my throat, and the hand on my leg starts roaming up my body, gingerly tracing imaginary lines on my skin.

  “Definitely worth the wait. But I only plan on waiting a few minutes for the next time. Hope you’re rested, sweet girl. It’s going to be a long day and even longer night.”

  He makes it sound like a threat, but it’s absolutely the most encouraged threat in the world.

  His head lifts seconds before his lips are on mine, and I melt against him as he kisses me leisurely. It’s not wild and out of control this time. For once, it’s tame, sensual, and just as amazing.

  “Thad,” Zee groans, banging against the door as though he knows we’re finished.

  “Fuck off,” Thad mumbles, not bothering to tear his lips away from mine completely.

  “Wish I could. Swear, dude. I was just joking about cock-blocking you. Get out here.”

  “What the hell could be so important that someone else can’t handle it?” Thad asks, his jaw ticking like he’s pissed off.

  “Reese is here,” Zee says. Thad tenses immediately, and his grip on me gets tighter as he pulls me closer. “And I think you know what he’s here for.”

  “Motherfucker,” Thad says under his breath. “I’ll be right there. Do not let him up here.”

  Zee snorts derisively. “Yeah. I’m not that stupid. But I think your theory was right, given how he’s acting. Meet you downstairs. Basement. Hurry. He’s pissed.”

  Chapter 19

  THAD

  “I’ll be back in a few minutes. An hour at most,” I tell her, already internally cursing Reese for his stupid fucking timing. “And we’ll pick up where we left off.”

  She doesn’t exactly look too thrilled with that, and I feel her pain. There’s nothing I’d rather do than to curl up with her for hours, taking her in ways I’ve been fantasizing about since I met her in that damn bar.

  “Okay,” she says after a beat, tugging the sheet over her bare body.

  “Get dressed just in case someone was to come up here. I really, really don’t want anyone seeing you like that.”

  I bite my knuckle when she gives me that small, shy grin and blushes so adorably. She was just making sounds to wake the dead, and yet now she’s blushing.

  And I love it.

  Leaning over, my fingers disappear into the strands of her hair as I pull her closer to me. The second our lips touch, I almost decide to tell Reese to fuck off.

  But Zee’s annoying voice comes through the door. “Put it away, Thad. We really need to deal with this, and we need you for that, considering you have the most at stake here.”

  Blowing out an irritated breath, I look down into those violet eyes that hide so much power and so much truth. The truth is even hidden from her.

  “I’ll see you in a bit,” I tell her again, brushing my lips against hers one more time.

  Great. I’m exactly what I’ve always mocked Kane for being—fucking whipped. Can’t even tear myself away for a very important meeting.

  After grabbing my jeans, I start stabbing my legs in, hurriedly dressing before I cave to temptation. I try not to even look at Roslyn, because I know I’ll end up touching her again.

  “Anything to say, sweet girl?” I ask while tugging my shirt over my head, getting a little worried about her silence.

  “Yeah,” she says softly. “Hurry.”

  That has my smile forming, and I turn to look at her one last time before winking and backing toward the door.

  “Oh, don’t worry about that, love.”

  She grins bashfully while looking away, and I walk out the door, hearing her get out of bed as Zee rolls his eyes at me from just down the hall. The sounds of drawers opening puts me at ease. At least she won’t be naked if anyone goes in there.

  “Another one bites the dust,” Zee sighs, a mocking smile on the bastard�
�s lips.

  “Feck off,” I say, using my best Irish accent that has him laughing.

  I’ve perfected a lot of accents over the years.

  “Reese might just kill you,” he muses. “Well, he might try.”

  I snort derisively as we head down the stairs, keeping our voices almost too quiet for even us to hear each other at such a close proximity.

  “I could kill Reese with one arm behind my back. But I should probably let him live. Not sure I want to deal with the consequences of snapping his neck.”

  Zee is laughing when we enter the hidden basement, moving down the stairs as the door closes behind us.

  “So glad you could join us,” Kane says dryly, glaring at me while I give him a cheeky, I-really-don’t-give-a-fuck grin.

  “Where the hell is she?” Reese’s snarl draws my attention to where he’s a wasted mess in the corner. He looks like hell right now.

  “What happened to you?” I ask, eyeing his unkempt hair, disheveled clothes, and paler than usual skin, meaning it’s been a while since he ate properly.

  “I’ve been going out of my bloody mind since you blokes sent me the picture of her. Then you tell me she changed in front of you. Obviously I thought the worst. What’d you do to her?”

  Ah, hell. He’s worse off than I imagined. This isn’t good.

  When he sniffs the air, his eyes widen, and I see the wild stirring of autumn take over. Motherfucker.

  “You bastard!” he roars, lunging at me from across the room, reaching me in one bound.

  With one hand, I grab his throat and sling him to the other side, watching him land in a heap.

  “Calm the fuck down,” Kane barks, holding his hand up and keeping Reese pinned to his spot before he can come at me again.

  Hindsight being what it is, I probably shouldn’t have come down here smelling like fresh sex.

  “What’s the matter, Reese?” Dice taunts, and I mentally curse him, imploring him to shut the fuck up before he continues. But it’s Dice, so the dumbass just keeps talking. “Upset that Thad is bagging the girl you’ve been chasing after? Even I can see how badly you want her.”