Thieving Hearts

by Nikita Slater

  Her breath came out in a panicked rush when he pressed his knee into the mattress and began stalking her across the bed. Her back hit the wall of pillows. She had nowhere to go and her dark predator of a husband was closing in on her with that frighteningly unreadable expression in his eyes. He gripped her ankle in one large hand and yanked her back down the bed. Katie cried out in protest until she was lying completely prone underneath him.

  She stared up at Roman, her breasts heaving in excitement and fear. She pressed her hands flat against the mattress at her sides and waited for his next move. Roman was never predictable, but the one thing she could count on was a wild ride.

  “You’re going to want to stay very still, baby,” he said, his voice deep and amused as he straddled her hips. He slid the flat of the blade up her arm until it was under her bikini strap. “I don't know how often Ramirez sharpened the blade.”

  “I don't know either,” she whispered as he slid the knife through the fabric with ease, “but I had it sharpened for you in Cancun. It wouldn’t have made much of a statement if it hadn’t stuck in the table when we were talking.”

  He chuckled and continued to cut away at her clothes, careful to keep the blade away from her skin. Knowing how much she enjoyed the feel of metal against her flesh, he did run the dull side over her breasts and nipples once he bared them. She arched into the sensation and moaned for him, loving the feel of his cock hard against her belly.

  “Do you regret getting it sharpened for me, now that I have you under my hands? Are you worried I might cut you?” he growled, working his way down her body. He slid down her long, athletic legs so he could slice through the sides of her bikini bottoms. She moaned, knowing the crotch was soaked through already.

  “Never. You would never hurt me, esposo,” she breathed, arching her back so he could tug the bottoms away from her. She blushed when they stuck a little to her pussy and he had to give them an extra tug to peel them away from her dripping wetness.

  “You know me better than anyone, my beautiful wife,” he growled flipping the knife off the side of the bed. He reached for her legs and hauled them over his arms, dragging her core closer. “Now you will pay for denying me what is mine for these past several days. I am a starving man, Katerina.”

  She shrieked and arched her back as he swooped down to claim her pussy with his mouth. She’d been expecting the intimate kiss, knowing how much he loved to taste her, but she hadn’t imagined the intensity, the frantic need he would have for her. No matter how much she begged or pleaded, he continued to eat her like a man dying of starvation. When she tried to push his head away so she could gain a reprieve, he captured her wrists in one hand and held them tight against her belly.

  “Roman, it’s too much,” she squealed, squirming in his too tight hold, knowing there would probably be bruises on her wrists.

  “Should have thought of that before you jumped off a roof,” he growled against her slippery flesh before pushing his broad shoulder further into her thigh so he could free the hand that was holding her leg high. He plunged two fingers deep into her slick passage and began massaging her g-spot with short, brutal strokes.

  Katie’s screams grew louder until she was sure everyone in the resort would think someone was getting murdered in her room. Her hips rocked against him, meeting him thrust for thrust despite her cries for mercy until her world exploded in a psychedelic rainbow of colour. Her neck arched back as she rode the waves of pleasure while he lapped up the juices that flowed from her overheated cunt.

  Instead of leaving her to bask in the happy afterglow of her orgasm, Roman continued to drive her toward another unwanted peak. It took Katie a moment to realize what he was doing when her overstimulated body refused to come down from its perfect high. She woke up to the fact that he was still wedged between her thighs, his tongue stroking her with purpose, his fingers pressing even deeper into her snug channel.

  “Roman, oh my god… Roman… too much… hurts so good…” she garbled as he coaxed her body higher and higher while she thrashed under his skilled hands. He completely ignored all of her pleas as she begged him to give her a break.

  “I won’t make it! Can’t… can’t come again!” she shrieked.

  “You can and you will,” he growled pressing his fingers so hard against her g-spot that she saw stars. He swooped back down and, instead of licking her, he bit down on her sensitive clitoris, taking it into his mouth and using his teeth against the flesh, claiming it.

  Katie screamed, falling apart in his arms again as another orgasm, more intense than the last, crashed over her. This time the waves were black velvet instead of colourful. She barely held on to consciousness as she felt Roman set her back down on the mattress. Through the rushing sound of her own orgasm and the crash of waves against the beach, she heard the unmistakable sound of his zipper dropping.

  She managed to open her eyes in time to see him lean over her limp body. His lips hovered over hers. She turned her face to his and saw an expression in his eyes that she’d never seen before. It looked like… peace. She smiled up at him. She’d given him that by giving him herself. She reached for him, wrapping her arms as far as she could around his broad shoulders. He accommodated her by dropping his big body onto hers until every part of them were touching. He was still wearing all of his clothes, too impatient to undress.

  With one thrust he was inside her, filling her up completely. Katie gasped as pleasure and the incredible sensation of being completely full sparked throughout her. She lifted her knees along his denim-clad thighs and clasped him close to her. He pulled her up into the heat of his body, hugging her to him, and began rocking his hips into the cradle of her thighs. After the intense explosion of the orgasms he’d forced on her, this sweet tenderness was in complete opposition to his usual style of lovemaking. But Katie sensed he needed to just hold her now.

  She pressed her face against his neck and breathed in his scent, loving the male smell of him. Like sun, sweat and man. He was all hers and now she was all his. Forever. He reached underneath her, took a handful of her hair and tugged her head sharply until her throat was bared to him. He bit down on the exposed column, marking her. She moaned at the exquisite pain and rocked her hips into his. He began thrusting faster and harder until she felt him flare thicker within her, filling her completely with his cock. Her heart swelled and she clung to him while he filled her with hot jets of semen.

  Roman was careful to collapse slightly to the side of Katie so he wouldn’t crush her completely. She still struggled a little since he was so much bigger than her and his broad shoulders were pressing against most of her upper body, with his legs and hips pushing against hers. She wasn’t going to say a word though. The discomfort was so worth having Roman with her again.

  He must have realized anyway, because he shifted onto his side, pulling her over with him. His eyes traced her features as though he couldn't believe he finally had her and she was willing to be his forever. He hooked his fingers around hers and brought her hand up to kiss the back.

  “I’m sorry, mi amor, for all the years of pain I have caused,” he said quietly. “I chased you for selfish reasons without understanding how strong you were.”

  Tears glittered in her eyes and she shook her head. “No, you watched over me and you chased me because you never stopped loving me. I think I would have found a way to kill myself years ago if you hadn’t been around to love me. You saved me, Roman. Never be sorry for that.”

  His entire body tensed at her words and she wondered if she’d made a mistake in disclosing how close she’d come on multiple occasions to just jumping and ending it all. Roman was the only thing holding her back. Thinking about him had kept her from taking that final leap. Finally, he relaxed and nodded. He saw her strength and knew that she was no longer in danger.

  “Te amo, Katerina,” Roman murmured. He pulled his fingers from hers and brushed the hair off her face. “I couldn’t love another person more than you. When it is your time it
will be mine also, because I refuse to live on this Earth without you.”

  She looked steadily back at him, tears escaping from her lashes to drip over her cheeks. She pressed her hand against his heart before moving it to cover the tattoo of her name. She leaned over to press her lips against his, knowing nothing she could say would come close to what her wonderful, possessive husband had just declared. So, she sealed his words with a kiss.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Katie crossed her legs impatiently and then uncrossed them again, tapping her shoe against the floor. She glanced down and wondered if she should run up to the master suite and change her shoes. She’d chosen the black and red Louboutins with the metal silver heel that finished in a tiny snake slithering along the side of the shoe. Maybe they were too much? She wore them in honour of Roman’s revenge. Today was the day he’d hunted down the last Ramirez.

  She’d paired the shoes with a sexy little black dress with spaghetti straps. It landed mid-thigh and, though it hugged her body like a sheath made specially for her, it was also loose enough to be easily removable. Katie was learning quickly that if her clothes weren't accessible, then her barbaric husband would either tear or cut them away depending on his level of patience that day.

  Occasionally, his caveman attitude toward her wardrobe was panty-wetting exciting… until he’d destroyed her $900 Oscar de la Renta blouse. Not that Katie was big time into name brands, but now that she was settling down she’d decided to discover what styles she liked best and spend some of the copious amounts of money she’d saved up over the years in the process. It turned out her tastes were expensive.

  She was sitting in his office trying to concentrate on the blueprints in front of her. True to his word, Roman was treating her like a partner. He'd given her access to every part of his home and his life. Though she didn’t invade his office when he was occupying it, recognizing that they had their separate interests. Plus, she suspected she didn't want to get that close to the ins and outs of cartel just yet. She did enjoy his office space when he wasn't in it. She loved feeling his heavy, masculine presence surrounding her when she couldn't have the real thing. She sat in his big leather chair and imagined it was him holding her close. She looked at the spot on the wall next to his big, black bookshelf and imagined the exact painting she wanted in that spot. Then she forced herself to focus on the blueprints in front of her.

  Two hours later, the door to the office opened. Katie slowly opened her eyes. She had given up concentrating well over an hour ago, curled her legs up in the big chair and drifted off the sleep, knowing her husband would come find her as soon as he finished his business. He always came to find her first when they were forced to be apart for any reason.

  “Is it done?” she asked as he approached the desk.

  He nodded, his dark eyes gleaming, though his expression gave nothing else away. He watched her in the warm glow of his office, taking in every beautiful line of his wife curled up in his chair, behind his desk. Though he refused to acknowledge it, the best thing that had happened to him had been when Katie jumped off the roof, because every day after he’d found her at the resort had been the best day of his life. She opened up to him like a flower, accepting their life together wholeheartedly and without reservation.

  That didn't stop him from welding the door to the roof shut. For her own protection. Which in return didn't stop Katie from sneaking out a window and climbing up anyway to practice her dance and parkour skills when he was out working. Just to stay limber. Hey, what husband didn't know wouldn’t hurt him.

  “Do you realize what you have done today, my love?” Roman asked, his dark eyes roving over her face.

  “I helped you bring down the last Ramirez?” she asked, turning in the seat and placing her feet delicately on the floor. She crossed her long legs.

  He nodded and tapped a thick, blunt finger against his lip, his dark eyes roving over her bare legs. “Yes, you did that, but you did so much more. You helped secure the Valdez cartel. Mi mujer helped to bring down the last of the enemy cartel and placed herself firmly as an equal at my side in the eyes of my men.”

  Her gorgeous blue eyes shimmered up at him as he let the words sink in. She smiled, brilliantly, beautifully. “You trust me, Roman?” she asked, her lips quivering.

  “Si, hermosa,” he agreed seriously. Then his eyes crinkled as he thought about it. “Well, I trust you to protect my back and the Valdez cartel anyway. But I definitely don’t trust you not to jump off the top of the damn house. Or not to break into a fucking art gallery or something. Come, baby, you must admit, you like the rush, no?”

  She grinned at him. “Oh si, Roman, I love the rush! Not much you can do about that.”

  He chuckled darkly. “I think there are some things I can do about that.”

  She crossed her arms over her breasts and raised an eyebrow. “You think so? You think you can keep me satisfied?”

  “Si, mi esposa. As a matter of fact, there is something Ramirez told me,” Roman began walking around the side of the desk, slowly and deliberately, giving Katie enough time to realize she was in trouble, but not enough to get away from him, “that makes me want to work on your little adrenaline addiction problem. Right. Fucking. Now.”

  His last few words were said with enough deliberation and just a hint of anger that Katie knew Ramirez had spilled the beans on their meeting. Well crap, she’d really been hoping Roman would cut out the guy’s tongue before he could tell on her. Wasn’t that how these evil cartel dudes worked? Cut the tongue out then beat the guy to death. Damn it, had she gotten the whole torture thing backwards?

  “Umm… about that,” Katie stammered then quickly swung the chair around so it was facing away from Roman and bolted.

  Roman shoved the chair aside and easily caught her before she even made it two steps. Katie lamented her lack of appropriate footwear. She should've paired the dress with running shoes. Not that she would have made it far, given Roman’s longer stride and angry determination to intercept his devious wife, but she could have made it further than the desk. Now he had a surface to work with.

  “Can we talk about this?” she asked as his hands tightened around her arms and he hauled her into his rock-hard chest. Her heels brought her to six feet so she was only four inches shorter than him. She tilted her head back and gave him a tremulous smile.

  “You took the fucking knife off the man himself, correct? Then you kicked him in the balls, screamed like a banshee, kicked the man while he was down so he could grab you again and drag you to the floor. Nearly got yourself fucking raped and killed in his stinking shack. Tell me if any part of this story is wrong? Woman, you are fucking insane!” Roman growled at her, his voice rising with each sentence.

  Katie’s eyes widened. Freaking Domingo had really talked. Next time she’d cut out the guy’s tongue herself before she left Roman a wedding present that could potentially talk. “Uhhh… umm… well, technically…” Katie stalled while he glared down at her, “he was already rolling around on the floor when I took the knife off of him because I’d already kicked him in the balls at that point. Really, the big problem was when I went in for an extra kick. I underestimated how hurt he was. I didn't think he'd be able to grab me and drag me down let alone strangle me a bit… and, oh… you didn't know that part, did you?”

  Roman’s snarl of fury was answer enough. Domingo had not told him about the partial strangulation. But Katie had. Well, confession complete. Her big, towering, angry husband now knew exactly how close she’d come to death in that disgusting, smelly cabin. Oops. The domestic bliss of the past several days had really helped her forget what a scary bastard Roman Valdez could be. Never underestimate the devil you know.

  “Why the fuck didn't you just leave when you couldn't find the dagger?” he asked from between gritted teeth, his hands tightening on her arms to the point of pain. “He could have killed you.”

  “I’d already come that far. And besides, I needed the dagger so I could sho
w you I was your equal,” she whispered, begging him with her eyes to understand.

  “You were always my equal, Katie. Fuck, woman, you were better than me in every way. Why do you think I followed you around like a dog on a leash?” he groaned. “I locked you up because you are breakable. Couldn’t take the thought of anything happening to you.”

  A smile tilted the edge of her lip. “Unless you’re the one doing something to me.”

  He spun her around so she was facing the desk. His hands went to the top of her dress. He didn’t give her a chance to protest before her dress was in shreds on the floor. He rocked his hips into her ass while jerking her shoulders into his chest.

  He breathed in her ear, “Fuck woman, you deserve everything I give you.”

  She reached over her head to pull him into her, loving the way he knew exactly how to sink his teeth into her flesh until she was shivering in his hands and creaming her panties. “I want it all, Roman.”

  He took her by the neck and shoved her over the desk, pushing papers, pens and her laptop to the side. She moaned when he brushed his broad thumb across her delicate pulse point before moving to spread his hand across her upper back. She had deliberately worn a tiny white lace thong, knowing he would likely tear it from her body when he came home. She wasn’t wrong. The panties came away with a stinging snap, leaving Katie gasping and her pussy flooding in anticipation. She knew Roman would be amped up, savage and in need of blowing off some steam after his morning… activities. Even if Domingo hadn’t told him the particulars of Katie’s little escapade.

  Roman kicked her legs further apart until she was completely exposed to him. She tried to relax so it would hurt less, but she knew what was coming and it was impossible not to tense in both anticipation and fear. Though Roman was undoubtedly turned on, he was also angry that she’d taken her prank with Domingo a few dozen steps too far. She could have easily proven her point with Roman and not put her life at risk.