by Cali MacKay
I should have kept my mouth shut. Damn it. “It means that you’re better off finding some sweet and sane woman who doesn’t have a ton of baggage.”
“So this is about Steven…and what he put you through?” Ash’s eyes softened as he took me in, looking far too worried.
“My entire life’s a mess, Ash. Any sane person would fucking run as far as possible, and not look back. Besides, it’s not as though you don’t have women falling at your feet. Why the hell are you bothering with me?” I couldn’t tell him the truth. It’d be one thing to have him hate me for leaving him—and another for him to know that my father was indirectly responsible for his father’s death and had put the whole Blackthorn family in danger.
“Do you really need me to spell it out, Wren? I. Love. You.” He swore under his breath as he nuzzled me, his stubble rough against my cheek, making me want him even more. “No matter what’s happened…what you’ve gone through…I’m not letting you leave me. You’re mine—just as I’m yours—and that’s never going to change.”
I knew Ash, and I could already tell he wasn’t going to let this go. Not when his mind was made up. It was how he’d convinced me to date him in the first place, since dating anyone had been the last thing on my mind, given my mess of a life. But he’d been sweet and persistent, and had worked his charm until I’d fallen so hard for him, it’d been impossible to deny him anything. And now, I was running the same risk, except that there was so much more at stake. He’d truly hate me—and that was a whole lot worse than simply being heartbroken.
Trapped between the sofa and his hard body, my futile and feeble attempts to resist him were pointless, my heart skittering out of control as I took him in. His thick, dark hair was tousled and his rough stubble only gave him that rugged look that made my body crave his touch. But it was his clever green eyes that always did it for me, drawing me into their depths and mesmerizing me into doing his bidding.
I shook my head to try to clear it, though the effect he’d had on my body had yet to fade. “Why do you always do this to me? Why can’t you just let me be?”
“That’s not happening. And the reason I always do this to you is because I need you, Wren—and I desperately want you. Now that I have you back, now that I actually know you and there are no secrets between us, I need you more than the air I breathe—and I know you need me just as much.”
Except that I did have a secret—a damn big one.
And yet, everything else he’d said…I’d like to say he was smug, but we both knew he’d spoken nothing but the truth when it came to my feelings for him. Because the fact that I’d always needed him, wanted him, was a constant and had never wavered, even while we’d been apart. No matter who I’d been with, no one had ever come close to matching what I had with Ash.
“All of that’s beside the point when the rest of my life is shit. And this has nothing to do with sex, since that won’t solve a damn thing—even if I want you.” There was no point in denying it, when he’d know it was a lie.
“Then let that be enough for tonight, Wren.” He slipped his fingers into my hair, cupping my face in his hands as he brushed his lips against mine in just a tease of a kiss. “Come on…it’s late. Tomorrow, we’ll find a way to sort this all out—and you have my word things won’t look so dire in the light of day.”
Except that I knew nothing would change come morning. His father would still be dead, and my father would still be responsible.
Yet as he fisted my hair and pulled my head back to trail kisses down my neck, I had little hope of denying him, his familiar touch too compelling. Each kiss, each trace of his fingers over my skin, stoked my need for him, my body coming alive as he took control. And when he sank his teeth into my taut neck, I was helpless to keep my needy moans from escaping my lips, desperate for so much more.
Pulling my tee up over my head, he flicked open the clasp of my bra, tossing it aside as he lifted my ass onto the back of the sofa, my legs wrapping around his hips, so I found myself straddling his erection and cursing our jeans for getting in the way. He sucked my nipple into his mouth, and each tug, each nip, each tease, had a direct line to my clit, so I couldn’t help but grind my pussy against his cock, even as my brain told me that this was a mistake…that I was being weak and stupid for giving in to him, and sex wouldn’t solve any of our problems.
With an arm around my waist and my legs wrapped around his hips, he carried me off to his bedroom—and yet I didn’t care. Not when there was the promise of Ash’s mind-blowing orgasms and a distraction from all my problems and my haunted past.
He lowered me onto his bed, never letting me go, so that I now found myself pinned below his weight, loving the feel of his hard body pressing against mine, demanding my submission. My hands trailed down his back, his thick muscles shifting under my touch, reminding me of just how strong, how powerful he was.
I pulled his t-shirt off, his skin hot against mine, and then he was shimmying my jeans down past my hips and pulling them off me, my panties following suit, before he finally turned his attention to getting himself naked. I couldn’t help it when my eyes dropped straight to his long, hard cock, though I immediately felt the weight of his gaze.
I found him looking at me, his eyes smoky with lust and his jaw clenched with a determined desire. “When will you learn, Wren? What’s between us can’t be denied—and I think it’s about time you learned your lesson.”
His words had my cunt clenching and going wet for him with the anticipation of what was to come, my body already his, even if my mind wanted to fight him rather than simply give in, making him take what he so clearly wanted—even if I felt guilty about my needs being so twisted and fucked up. “This still doesn’t change a thing, Ash—no matter how hard you fuck me.”
He just laughed with a shake of his head as he opened the drawer on his nightstand, leaving me to wonder what he was up to. “I love your games—but you’re going to marry me. You don’t get to run away from what’s between us. Not now that I know the truth. And I get that it might be hard for you to trust me given our past and what you went through, but I’m not leaving. You’re mine, little bird.”
My heart skittered, not just at his words, but at the black silk ties he pulled out, grabbing my wrists and expertly binding them together as I struggled to get free of his grip, my need for him escalating the more I fought him, until I was helplessly bound to his bed, my clit aching and heavy, and my thighs now slick with my own desire. And yet, as bad as I wanted him, my sick and twisted mind needed to fight him, needed to make him take me with complete disregard, needed him to claim me, so that I could somehow be free.
And then he pulled out the flogger, and my heart nearly stopped even as my pussy gushed in anticipation. He let the soft leather lashes tickle my skin as he trailed it over my breasts, my nipples hardening in response, before brushing it over the curves of my belly and down to my cunt, my legs spreading for him even as I squirmed and fought against my bindings.
Without a word and with a simple flick of the wrist, a stinging heat hit my inner thigh, my gasp escaping, even as I tilted my hips toward him, begging for more. He obliged me with a lashing to my other thigh, pain and pleasure building so that I swore I might come if he so much as touched me, hoping that he’d whip my cunt next and give me the relief I was so desperate for.
Yet he didn’t, opting instead to tease me into a frenzy by gently running the leather lashes over my delicate folds. “You’re so fucking wet, Wren. But fucking you will be the last thing I do.”
And Ash always kept his promises.
My cock was so hard it fucking throbbed. But there was no way I was going to rush this, even if she was gorgeous when she looked so wanton. Because by the time I got around to fucking Wren, I wanted her crazy with need and desperate for me… I wanted her begging for me to fuck her, to give her some release. I wanted to push her to the edge and leave her teetering there. And when I did finally push her over that edge into a freefall—I would also be the one to catch he
r fall.
“Either fuck me or let me go, Ash.” Her cheeks were flushed with color, though whether from need or anger—or both—I couldn’t be sure.
Not that it mattered.
“You’re in no position to tell me what I can or can’t do.” And just to prove my point, I brought the flogger down onto her breasts, the lashes catching her hard nipples and marking her skin red as she cried out and bit her bottom lip. “And I will fuck you, sweet girl. Eventually. But not until I’ve had my fun with you.”
Spreading her legs wide, I knelt between them, her pussy so fucking ripe, it glistened. I stroked my cock, unable to keep from doing so, as I flogged her inner thighs again, before landing the leather straps against her pussy. I swore she nearly came from that one lashing alone, cursing me out like a drunken sailor, even though I knew she wanted more.
“I fucking hate you, Ash. Why the hell do you like teasing me like this?” She glared at me with so much frustration in her eyes that I couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re such a bastard.”
“Am I now?” With rough hands, I grabbed her hips and flipped her onto her front, pulling her ass up unto the air, her wrists still bound to the bed. “And here I thought you liked me. Loved me even—since you’re still wearing the engagement ring I got you.”
She said nothing to that. No denial of her love for me. No telling me to take back the ring. Not even any cursing.
I didn’t know what the hell had been going through her head when she decided to run away, but it was clear she still had things she was dealing with. And getting married was scary at the best of times, let alone when things were as complicated as our relationship and her torturous past.
Leaning forward, so that my chest was pressed to her back and my cock was slipping against her slick folds, I bit her ear, loving that she threw her head back with a groan, her ass pressing against my cock as if searching me out. “I love you, Wren. But you don’t get to walk away from what’s between us.”
I caught her mouth in a kiss over her shoulder, and took the flogger and placed it between her lips so she could bite down on the handle. And fuck, the mere sight of her nearly had me coming.
“That’s my good girl… Don’t worry…I’m going to take good care of you.” I grabbed some lube from the drawer and slicked up my cock, working a finger against the tight pucker of her ass and then adding a second. “Relax, love…just like that.”
I slowly stretched her out, before pulling my fingers free of her body, and pressing the head of my cock against her opening. I thrust past the tight ring of muscle, and then worked my cock deeper and deeper until I was buried balls-deep in her ass. Fucking hell…she felt so good…so fucking tight.
I pulled out to the head of my cock, and then thrust back into her, loving each hungry moan that escaped her lips as my pace increased, my body unable to hold back when I knew she wanted me to take her rough and hard. Burying my face in the crook of her neck, I kissed and nipped at her as I dipped my hand down between her legs, teasing her clit as I continued to fuck her, my orgasm building with a heavy weight in the base of my spine.
She pushed back against me, urging me to quicken my pace, taking me deeper as she moaned with each thrust and my fingers thrust into her slick cunt as I ground the heel of my hand against her clit. Bucking against me, she cried out, coming hard as I pounded my cock into her ass, pushing myself over that delicious edge with a primal grunt, pulsing my release deep inside her, our bodies finally stilling as we stayed there entwined, our breathing heavy.
I removed the flogger from her mouth so she could breathe easier, and then slowly pulled my cock free of her body as I trailed kisses up her spine to the back of her neck. “If I untie you, are you going to try to run?”
She looked over her shoulder at me and rolled her eyes, her breathing still heavy and her cheeks flushed red. “Your cum is spilling out of my sore ass after the pounding you gave it, Ash. So, no…I don’t think I’m going anywhere at the moment.”
I reached over and undid the bindings, rubbing her wrists to get the blood flowing before kissing them and lying back against the pillows. “You make it sound like you didn’t enjoy yourself.”
She let out a weary sigh and curled up against my side as I pulled her close. “You know I did. But that’s never been the problem—or rather it is, because it lulls us into thinking that everything else is fine just because the orgasms are mind-blowing.”
“Mind-blowing, huh?” I laughed and kissed the top of her head.
“This is serious, Ash.” Clearly annoyed with me, she tried to push me away, though I just held onto her tighter.
“I know it is—because you’re trying to run away from me and this marriage, even though I could make you happy, and you damn well know it.” I swore the girl was going to drive me to drink. And yet, the fact that she could be in any sort of relationship at all was amazing after all she’d been through. “I can’t imagine what has you so upset, but you have my word, I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”
Yet before we could discuss the matter further, my cell phone vibrated on the nightstand. It was my brother, Locke, and as late as it was, it was likely something important. Keeping an arm around Wren, I grabbed my phone and answered the call. “Hey…what’s going on?”
“Please tell me Finn is over there with you.” The tension in Locke’s voice had me sitting up, my mind immediately recalling my father’s accident.
“No, he’s not. I saw him earlier, but we parted ways hours ago. Why? What’s going on?” I tried not to think the worst and failed miserably. Despite trying to avoid trouble, and wanting to leave this type of life behind, it seemed more and more that my family’s enemies were waging a war that I wouldn’t be able to avoid.
“He was supposed to swing by here hours ago, but he hasn’t shown up—and he’s not answering his phone. And you know what he’s like…”
I did. Finn was always on time and always followed through.
“Have you gotten Dane to track his phone?” It was the only thing I could think of since our younger brother was our computer guy and usually damn good at tracking. He could find anyone, and it’d been his job when we worked for my father.
“Yeah, I called, but he didn’t have much luck. I’ll see if there’s any other way for Dane to track him. I’d just wanted to call and make sure I wasn’t worrying for no reason if he was there with you. I’ll keep you updated.” Locke hung up, leaving me to worry.
Wren placed a hand on my shoulder, her soft, warm curves pressed against my back. “Hey…is everything okay?”
“I’m not sure. But…I don’t want you worrying about it.”
I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but I’d heard enough of the conversation, and it was clear that something was going down and by the sound of it, it wasn’t good. And though I knew Ash was trying to protect me, I didn’t appreciate him trying to shut me out, even if a part of me felt like I needed to get the hell out of here.
I should be putting as much distance between us before things got even more complicated and he found out what my dad had done—and yet I couldn’t bring myself to leave him when his brother might be missing. But if anything at all happened to Finn, that would fall on my father’s head too, since he was the one who’d gotten this giant mess of a ball rolling.
“Ash, if you think you’re somehow protecting me from the sort of shit that goes down around here, then you’re a decade and a half too late.” I’d been in my teens when I started to realize the sort of business my father was in. Though I may not have known the extent of my father’s business dealings, I was smart enough to guess that anything legal was nothing more than a front for his other, less-than-legal ventures. “I’m not naïve, and I’m not stupid.”
“It’s nothing. He didn’t show up at Locke’s. But that doesn’t mean anything. He probably fell asleep or forgot. And the last thing I want is for you to be needlessly worrying over nothing.” He lay back on the bed and pulled me into his arms, leaving me un
able to resist the pull he had on me—and that left me wondering why the hell I’d come back.
What the fuck had I done? I never should have given in to his pleas…never should have slept with him again. Especially once I knew that we had no chance of making this work. And yet, the mere fact that I couldn’t resist him only dredged up my nightmares of Steven calling me a whore, as my body betrayed me and proved him right. Because time and again, Steven would get my body to come for him, even as I begged him to stop.
I fought back the repulsive shudder as I thought of Steven, and instead focused on Ash, and getting the hell out of this mess before things turned even worse. “If everything’s okay and you don’t need me here, I’m going to head home.”
“Wren…you belong here—with me. I want this to be your home, and I’m not letting you go.” Something in him shifted, and I didn’t know if it was because he was stressed about his brother or because he knew I’d pull a runner the moment I had a chance, but there was no ignoring the firm dominance in his voice. “We’re getting married, and I’d hoped you’d be there of your own free will. But if that’s not going to happen, then I don’t need your compliance.”
Even though it was pointless to argue with him, I didn’t care. Things were going from bad to worse and I just couldn’t take it anymore. “You can’t force me to marry you, Ash—just like you can’t force me to stay here.”
He let out a heavy breath, his gaze both stern and kind, though it did little to settle my nerves. “Little bird…do you really think I’m not capable of those things? Because if you haven’t noticed, things have gone fucking sideways as of late, and I refuse to bury anyone else. We both have far too many enemies, and since our options are limited, the only solution is to appease your father by getting you to say ‘I do,’ even if it means you think I’m a fucking asshole.”
“Then I’ll talk to my father again. But I’m not marrying you, Ash. Not now—not ever.” Refusing to pointlessly argue with him all night long, I shifted his attention away from us getting married. “Now tell me what’s going on with Finn. That’s who we need to be focusing on if there’s a chance he’s in danger—and don’t go telling me you’re not worried about him.”