When he heard the sincerity in my voice, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer into him. “You don’t need to worry about him anymore, sweetheart. As long as I’m around, he won’t touch you.” He moved his lips to my hairline and gave me a gentle kiss as his arms tightened around me.
I closed my eyes and rested against his powerful chest, wishing we were home and alone together. Calloway gave me the greatest gift anyone could have ever given me. He gave me back my freedom, gave me back my liberty.
I shut my office door so I could talk to Christopher without anyone eavesdropping. “Hey.”
“Hey, how’s it going with that caveman? I haven’t talked to you in a while and just want to make sure he didn’t eat you or something.”
He ate me all the time, in fact. “It’s been really good, actually.”
“Glad to hear that.”
“But that doesn’t mean I’m not still pissed at you.” Christopher and I hadn’t talked in a while, and I knew he did that on purpose so I would cool off. But he knew me better than that. I didn’t forget easily.
Christopher sighed into the phone. “I’m sorry, okay? But I did what I thought I had to do.”
“I specifically told you not to tell Calloway.”
His anger flared just the way mine did. “It was either that or let that psychopath get to you. I honestly believed you would be safer with Calloway than you would ever be with me. I’m sorry you’re angry, but that’s too damn bad. I made my choice, and I don’t regret it. You’re my sister, Rome. I’ve got to protect you—even if I piss you off in the process.”
After hearing Christopher defend himself, I couldn’t stay angry. Besides, he ended up being right. “You were right about Calloway. He’s the only person Hank seems to be afraid of.”
“What do you mean?”
“Hank tried to corner me outside the office today. Calloway was with me, and he scared him off with just a look. I’ve never seen Hank back down from a fight. Actually, he nearly ran. I don’t know if this means Hank is gone forever, but I think it’s a good sign.”
“Hell yeah.” Christopher clapped his hands together hard over the line. “Calloway is the fucking man. I told you. I told you that from the beginning, Rome. You’re staying there forever. Helps me sleep at night.”
“I don’t know about forever…” Now that I was living there again, I didn’t want to leave. I loved sharing Calloway’s bedroom with him. I loved sleeping in that enormous bed with him right beside me. We had a routine every morning before work and every night before bed. I treasured it.
“He told me he gave up everything for you, Rome. Yes, I think this is forever.”
“He told you…?”
“I called him the other day,” Christopher explained. “Just to check in.”
I thought Christopher was pissed at Calloway for lying to me. He obviously got over it. “He hasn’t told me he loves me.”
“Not with words, no. But he does.”
“Why do you think that?” My heart was racing in my chest, the adrenaline flooding my body. There was nothing I wanted more than to tell him I loved him and hear him say it back.
“Are we gossip girls again?”
“Just answer the question.”
“Because it’s obvious, Rome,” he snapped. “The guy is letting you live with him again. He watches every step you take. He’s given up Ruin for you. Do I really need to spell it out for you?”
“Then why won’t he just tell me?”
“Because words are stupid. They’re meaningless. They can be taken back with the snap of a finger. But his actions say everything that needs to be said, Rome. Maybe he’s just afraid of intimacy. Maybe he’s just afraid to say the words out loud. But he does love you. We both know it.”
When I’d told Calloway I loved him, his eyes softened in a way they never had before. Then he’d made sweet love to me on the couch, moving slow and taking his time so we could enjoy each other as much as the sex. I believed he did love me. He just wasn’t ready to say it.
Calloway came to my office at the end of the day right on time. “Ready to go, sweetheart?” He gave me an endearment right in the middle of the hallway where everyone could hear. But he clearly didn’t care.
Since everyone knew I was sleeping with him, I guess a nickname really didn’t make a difference at this point. I grabbed my stuff and met him at the door.
He looked down at me like he wanted to kiss me. He eyed my lips with his usual look of intensity, probably wanting to pin me against the wall and fuck me right then and there. I didn’t want him to kiss me because we were at work, but if he did, I wouldn’t stop him. He eventually pulled away, having made up his mind.
We left the building and took the car back to his place. When we sat in the back seat together, he grabbed my hand and brushed his thumb over my knuckles. His eyes were glued to the window, but he glanced at me from time to time.
We arrived at home then walked inside. The second we were alone together, the electricity filled the air between us. His desires were an open book. I could feel his arousal without even looking at him.
His hands went around my waist, and he moved me into the wall.
Before he could kiss me, I spoke my mind. “I want to please you.”
He eyed my lips, his hands still gripping my hips as he held me against the wall.
“You did something amazing for me today. So I want to do something for you.”
His hands tightened on my hips, and his look intensified. “You don’t owe me anything, sweetheart.” He pressed his face against mine then placed a kiss to the corner of my mouth.
“But I want to…” I moved my hands up his chest and undid the buttons of his shirt, popping one by one. I loosened his tie and let it come apart over his chest. “Whatever you want, Calloway. I’ll do it this time.”
When his eyes darkened, I knew he understood exactly what I was offering.
He chased away my greatest nightmare and gave me back my freedom. He did so much for me without ever asking for anything in return. I knew he had his fantasies, and I could fulfill one—an innocent one.
“You’re sure about that, sweetheart?” He stepped closer to me, his chest pressed against mine as he backed me up into the wall.
“Yes…something tame.” He knew I didn’t want him ever to raise a hand to me, ever to strike me the way Hank did. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be violent in any way.
He struggled to say no, to give me the slow and sensual sex he knew I enjoyed. But his entire body wouldn’t allow him to do that. It went against his nature, the beast deep inside him.
He unzipped my dress and let it fall to the floor. Next, he went for my bra and panties, stripping me down until I was completely naked with the exception of my heels. He yanked his tie off then forcefully turned me around without warning. He pushed me against the wall, my tits hitting the cold surface. He bound my wrists together and secured them with his silk tie. His lips remained next to my ear, breathing heavily right into my canal. “Last chance.”
I was scared, but I was also excited. “I trust you.”
He pressed his face against the back of my neck and took a deep breath, his hands pressing against the wall as they shook. Something I said went straight to his core, went straight to his being.
He kissed the back of my neck. “Fuck, sweetheart.” He undid his slacks and let them fall to the floor, his boxers dropping around his ankles. Without any warning, he shoved himself inside me, slamming into me without the gentleness he usually showed. He pumped hard and fast, pinning me against the wall while he fucked me like a madman. He gripped my hips and kept me still as he gave me his long length over and over, breathing and grunting. He fucked me harder than he ever had, like he lost his mind to the carnal temptation.
I arched my back and used the wall for balance since my hands were bound behind my back. I felt his arousal, his adrenaline, and fell into the abyss with him. His cock felt enormous like it always did, but t
he hurt was so damn good.
I’d already begun to scream just a minute into it. My face was pressed against the wall, and my body shook as he thrust into me like he’d never really fucked me before until now. Now that his secret was out in the open, he showed me all his true colors. He showed me just how rough he liked to fuck.
And it felt good.
“Come for me.” He pressed his mouth to my ear. “Now.”
I was on the verge, so he didn’t need to push me.
“Now.” He grabbed me by the throat and gripped me hard, his cock stretching me like I was a plaything rather than a woman.
My body responded to his command like it had a mind of its own. I came with a loud groan, feeling my entire body tighten in ecstasy as the wonderful sensation washed over me. Everything felt so good. I was in heaven and hell at the same time. “Calloway…”
He pumped into me a few more times before he released with a quiet groan, his hand still on my throat and his mouth pressed to my ear. He filled me with all of his seed, giving me another deposit of his come.
When he was finished, he rested against me, with the wall for balance. His cock slowly softened inside me, the blood draining and returning to the rest of his body. A gentle kiss was placed on my cheek then my lips, like he was apologizing for the way he’d just fucked me with abandon.
He finally pulled his cock out of me, making me wince once my pussy was barren of his size. “Let’s shower.” He still spoke with authority, but now he sounded angry—livid. The awesome sex we just had seemed to piss him off more than satisfy him.
But that couldn’t be true.
4
Calloway
I let the water wash over me, the warm drops doing nothing to cure the rage that settled deep inside my chest. Like an earthquake, the aftershocks still rocked my body even after the initial explosion had passed.
Rome finally joined me, stepping into the shower and getting her hair soaked under the water. It immediately clung to her neck as it grew heavy. She eyed me with trepidation, knowing something wasn’t right. “What is it?”
I was livid with her even though I shouldn’t be. “Don’t say that to me again.”
“Say what?”
“Don’t tempt me.” I didn’t squirt the shampoo into my hair or rub soap on my body. My arms remained by my sides where I knew they would say. “You asked me to give up everything for you, and I have. Don’t tempt me with possibilities. Don’t remind me of what I’m missing. It’ll only make it harder for me.”
Her eyes fell, like she hadn’t realized her error until now.
“If you want vanilla, I’ll give you vanilla. But don’t let me even think about the darker flavor that I’m into. Don’t play games with me, Rome.”
Her eyes remained on the drain in the bottom of the shower, reminding me of the submissive I wished she could be. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“Well, don’t do it again.” I squirted shampoo into my hand and massaged my hair, digging my fingernails into my scalp. I didn’t look at Rome, existing in my own bubble of frustration.
Her somber expression quickly faded away, replaced by a fiery one. “Calloway, I apologized. No need to talk to me that way.”
I tilted my head under the water and let the suds drip down my body. The day had been a nightmare. Looking at Hank made me want to commit murder. And then I got a taste of dominance, a taste of the life I used to live. That short experience reminded me of everything I was missing. The fact that I could have it made me momentarily angry. And then it pissed me off that I caved to her, let her break me.
“I wasn’t thinking, Calloway. You’ve done so much for me, and I just wanted to do something for you. That’s all.”
I knew my rage was misplaced. The dominant side of me came out, unleashed and powerful. Now that he was out, it was difficult to control him. But I knew I had to box him back up, to return him to the dark depths where he belonged.
I should apologize for the vicious way I spoke to her, but I couldn’t bring myself to do that. Instead, I closed the gap between us and placed my hands on each of her cheeks. I pressed my forehead against hers and held her under the water, apologizing with affection rather than words.
Her hands moved around my wrists, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the paramount electricity that ran through us. It made my body hum to life, to feel the natural connection that formed between us the second I saw her in that bar. I could feel the solid touch of her black ring, the ring she agreed to wear so I could fully possess her. We both agreed she was mine, but that didn’t seem to be enough for me.
I moved my lips to her forehead and placed a gentle kiss there, feeling myself finally calm down now that I was this close to her. The better version of myself, the generous humanitarian, was back once more. I shut out the dark side of me, the evil one. “I’m sorry.”
When she was wet under the shower, she looked beautiful. Her makeup ran down her cheeks, the mascara dripping, but the sight was still extraordinary. Her strength and power emitted from her in small waves. She let her guard down around me, but she was still the strong woman I’d come to worship. “It’s okay, Calloway.”
Was Hank really gone?
That sounded too good to be true.
The second he looked at me, he’d seemed utterly terrified. Like a little boy running back to his mommy, he took off at nearly a dead run. He realized Rome was no longer a vulnerable woman. She had a Roman soldier for a bodyguard, a man that made the soldier in 300 look pitiful.
He couldn’t fuck with me.
If that was the solution to everything, then great. But I feared that was too simple, too easy. If only Rome had told me the truth sooner, I could have chased away her demon so easily. Even if he was a difficult opponent, I still could have made this problem go away from her. When she slept in my arms every night, I knew she felt safe. When I took her everywhere, I knew she appreciated having me by her side. She wasn’t the kind of woman to show fear. In fact, she usually objected to my protection. She had no problem staying in a sketchy apartment or taking the subway every day to work. But now that she was really afraid of Hank, she accepted my help without objection.
In fact, she wanted it.
And that made me want her more. I wanted her to want me, to need me. It made me feel more like a man. She was such a woman, the curvy one who didn’t put up with bullshit, and having a strong woman rely on me just made me hard. I liked being her champion, her protector.
Hot as hell.
We had dinner together then sat in the living room together and watched TV. Like always, Rome worked on paperwork from the office as she sat beside me, the hardest working person at the company. She took on extra projects without getting paid for the extra work, and she lightened the load of her colleagues.
But now that they knew she was sleeping with me, all that hard work meant nothing to them. They hated her, regardless.
I rested my arm over the back of the couch and explored her hair with my fingertips, feeling the soft strands move against my callused skin. Instead of watching the TV, I watched her. She had the most elegant jaw, hard with strength but soft like a goddess. Her lips were always magnetic, attracting my lips like a bee to a flower. She was so beautiful, it hurt me sometimes.
She took her eyes away from her work and glanced at me. She wore a light smile on her lips, playful and serious at the same time. “Hmm?”
“Hmm, what?”
“Why are you staring at me?”
“Because you’re beautiful.” I leaned toward her and placed a kiss on her neck, feeling the warm skin against my lips.
She immediately tensed underneath me, her neck craning to the side to give me more room. Her body reactions told me everything I needed to know. I knew when she wanted me. And I knew when she really wanted me.
I pulled her paperwork off her lap and pushed it onto the floor, hearing the papers scatter once they hit the hardwood. My body guided hers down to the couch, making her back hit the cu
shions and her head the armrest.
She was in one of my oversized t-shirts, so getting her panties off was easy. I yanked my sweats and boxers over my ass and to my thighs so my cock could come free. He was already hard and anxious for the woman who stole his obsession.
Her legs moved around my waist until her ankles hooked together at my lower back. With enthusiasm, she wrapped her arms around my neck and dug her fingers into my hair. She breathed against my mouth before she kissed me, her lips trembling. “I want you inside me…” She pulled me closer to her with her legs, suddenly impatient for my cock.
I loved her fire, her desperation. She’d been hot for me since that night we formally met at the charity event. She wanted to invite me inside and give me her virginity then and there, but somehow managed to stop herself. Now she was ready to go at a moment’s notice, just as eager for me as I was for her.
Even if the sex wasn’t rough like I preferred, it still satisfied me. I loved the moment right before I entered her, seeing arousal in her eyes. She wanted my cock, and she was practically begging for it. The fact that I was the only man ever to have been inside her just made it better. She loved sex because of me—and only me.
I rubbed my cock against her folds, immediately becoming drenched in her wetness. I automatically groaned at the touch, the smell of sex entering my nose at the same time. My cock was hard and throbbing, excited like I’d never fucked her before. “You want my cock, sweetheart?”
She kissed me and inserted her tongue into my mouth, her passion amplified. “I want you.” She gripped my ass and pulled me into her, silently begging for my cock. “Make love to me.”
When my woman asked for it, I didn’t make her wait. I grabbed my base and pressed my tip inside her, greeted by her wetness. I gently pushed inside her, taking her slowly unlike earlier in the day. I slid through her slickness and her tightness, finally inserting my length completely inside her. “Fuck, Rome.” I dug one hand into her hair, getting a tight grip on her so she wouldn’t slip away. She was my woman, and I wanted to adore her the way she deserved. Anytime I was inside her, I was her at her mercy. I’d do anything she asked—then and there. Her pussy was more addictive than cocaine.
Black Promise (Obsidian Book 3) Page 4