by Ginna Moran
Criminal Games
SOMETHING WET PELTS me in the side of the face, drawing my attention to the world above. Two unfamiliar inmates hover over the grate that separates me from the prison yard. The scent of smoke wafts through the air, jerking my attention to my body. My jumpsuit smolders across my stomach, between my breasts, and on the tops of my legs. It’s now that I remember the fire that burst from Maddox. How I’m not a pile of ash or how the sizzling fabric doesn’t burn me, I have no idea.
Another splatter of liquid hits me, this time on my leg. Smacking my palms to my jumpsuit, I pat the smoking fabric until it stops.
“Aw, so soon, sexy?” one of the men says from above me. “I was imagining all the ways you’d enjoy my spit all over you to squelch out your fiery desire.”
His words sink into me, and I gag and scramble to shove myself as close to the dirt wall as possible. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t an actual pit. I thought it would be something like solitary confinement. At least it’s not a damn fire pit, though with how my jumpsuit looks, maybe it was at some point, and I just happened to survive.
A deep growl rumbles through the air, getting the two guys to move on without another word. I curl my knees to my chest, hoping that whoever scared the guys away isn’t even worse than they were. I don’t think I’ve ever been spit on in my life, even during my worst performance, and gag. Those assholes.
“Chow time, cookie.” Damn it. I can’t catch a break. Maddox’s voice erupts the memory of him spewing fire in anger to the front of my mind. “You want out or not?”
Something sounds different in his voice, but I can’t put my finger on it. Slowly scooting back into view, I tip my head up to meet Maddox’s golden gaze. The scar on his cheek glows red before fading, and I wonder if I’m imagining things.
“If it’s that nasty raw meat, then I would prefer to stay here. This pit is better than suffering through that torture.” I brace myself for his anger, but Maddox remains expressionless.
He links his fingers to the metal grate and heaves it off the mouth of my pit one-handed and drops it beside him. “As much as I’d prefer that, I can’t have you trying to escape me just yet.” I can’t help but wonder if he’s implying what I think he’s implying. “You’re no use to me dead.”
Hell. I was right.
“I’m no use to you at all, so why don’t you just leave me alone and let the other COs handle me?” I tighten my mouth. “Then you never have to see me again.”
I don’t get a chance to prepare myself before Maddox slides into the pit, holding the edge with one hand. He secures the grate and locks us in together. Jumping into the pit, he lands in a crouch beside me.
Metallic scales erupt on his arms, breaking through his rippling muscles. I don’t know what comes over me, but my hand takes on a mind of its own, and I bend down and caress my fingers over the strangely magical sight.
Sparks shock me, and I retract my hand, cradling it close to my body. I expect Maddox to shove me into the dirt wall and yell in my face, but he stills without looking at me. Several breaths draw out the silence. Tipping my head back, I look up to see if I could launch myself high enough to brace my feet on each side of the narrow tunnel leading up to the grate. If I could get a teensy boost, I could do it. I know I could.
Inhaling a small breath, I try to talk myself out of the dangerous stunt I’m about to pull. But I need space between my body and Maddox. My heart won’t stop racing, my skin still buzzing from the shock of my fingers touching his...scaly skin.
I suppress my good senses and jump on Maddox, using his muscular back to launch myself into the air. He grunts under the unexpected force of my move but doesn’t topple over. I extend my legs out into near splits, catching myself on the section of the pit I can climb out of.
“Nova, what the hell are you doing?” Maddox asks, my name sounding deep and husky on his lips. I expected him to roar in rage, to call for the other guards, something, but he remains beneath me without even attempting to stretch up to snag my leg.
“I don’t know,” I say, using the strength of my legs to push me up a foot closer to the grate. “I just—I need to get away from you.”
I summon my strength again and jump another foot, catching myself on the dirt walls again. The ground below crunches with Maddox’s movements but he still doesn’t attempt to grab me. Instead, he plops down on his ass and watches me try to get out of the pit.
Sweat prickles on my forehead, the exertion of having to use my strength in such a way reminding me of some of my tougher performances. Except the freefall toward concrete is not nearly as scary as a drop toward that infuriatingly sexy man-beast who seems to enjoy the show.
“Cookie, you’re going nowhere,” Maddox says from below me. “You’ll never get away from me.”
“Wanna bet?” I ask, finally reaching the top.
Linking my fingers to the grate, I test its weight by shoving my hand against it. And shit. It weighs a lot more than I expect it to. And then the fucking metal sparks with electricity, zapping my hand. I lose my balance and drop toward the dirt, preparing to break or twist my ankle from the fall. I press my lips together to stop any noise from escaping, the sensation of flying toward the dirt something I’m used to.
Except I don’t hit dirt.
Maddox catches me by my waist, and I automatically wrap my legs around him and dig my fingers into his broad shoulders. Energy hums between us, his cinnamon breath overpowering the scent of dirt. Our eyes meet, and a burst of tingles warm between my legs, my damn vagina begging me to do something, anything, to get a moment with this gorgeous man naked.
Maddox’s body arouses at my closeness, and I shiver in anticipation, his hardening cock testing the barrier of his uniform and my jumpsuit. Sliding my fingers from his shoulders, I move them around his neck and close the space enough to where he could kiss me if he just would lean forward. The fire in his eyes screams he wants to. So does the friction of our bodies rubbing together as he pulls me against him, digging his fingers into my ass.
His lips puff with a soft breath. “I told you that you couldn’t escape me,” he murmurs, staring deep into my eyes. “You’re mine.”
Why the hell do I love the sound of that? It doesn’t sound threatening but just a fact. The truth of my existence. But fuck that. I belong to no one, especially not this hot-headed asshole who refuses to believe me.
“Are you sure about that?” My voice comes out all breathy. “Kash—CO Dreki claimed me already.”
His eyebrows peak on his forehead at my words. “He thinks you belong to him, but I’d know it if he staked his claim. And he won’t. Not with you. Never with you.”
This conversation has taken a weird turn, and I don’t even know how to respond to that. So instead, I ease myself back, trying to put another few inches of space between us.
“I don’t want that either,” I say, tightening my mouth.
“Because you want me.” Is he for real? How audacious of him to even say the words out loud.
Anger rushes through me but not because of his implication. I’m angry because he might be right. How can I be so damn attracted to a guy who yelled at me for hours? Who refuses to hear me out? The man who runs hot and cold and wants to be cruel for the sake of making my life miserable? Who whacked my ass with a baton...okay, so maybe I liked that a little. But it doesn’t matter. Whatever I’m imagining in my head is wrong. I need to focus on more important things and not how good his damn arms feel around me, or how I want him to prove his strength by ripping my clothes off to sink his raging boner inside me. Or how I want him to kiss me—
My lips brush against his, my body turning my fantasy into reality. Heat sparks from our kiss, and Maddox tightens his arms around me, spinning me toward the dirt wall to kiss me harder, deeper, like our mouths are suddenly at war with each other. His tongue plunges into my mouth with hot desperation, his passion igniting every cell on my body, sending the warmth from his kiss to shoot down the
rest of me, turning me on. I crave more of his touch and desire. Slick warmth builds between my legs with my sudden raw, almost feral need.
I imagine yanking his belt open and sticking my hand into his pants to pull his cock free. My whole body buzzes in anticipation, needing to really test this uncontrollable attraction. He’ll be rough on me for sure, but I wouldn’t mind. I don’t even care that dirt will coat my back if he chooses to use the wall to brace me against.
I act first on my desire, dragging my nails down his back until I manage to bunch the fabric of his shirt enough to pull it from his belt. A deep rumbly moan vibrates against my mouth. He’s imagining the same fantasy as me. It burns hot in our kiss, our tongues exploring each other’s, his hard-on threatening to break through our clothes to experience more of me.
“No, cookie,” Maddox says, snatching my hand to pin between us. He squeezes my fingers in his large hand, breathing against my mouth. Caressing his lips to mine again, he says, “Me first.”
Maddox sets me on my feet, breaking our kiss. I lick the cinnamon flavor his scorching tongue leaves behind, my body buzzing and begging for me to ignore him and to proceed however I want.
Reaching up, he brushes his thumb to my lip, stretching it out with the movement. And then he kisses me once more before spinning me around toward the dirt wall. He presses into me, combing his fingers through my hair to pull the strands from my neck. He sucks the skin on my throat hard enough to leave a mark and make me moan.
“Don’t make a sound,” Maddox commands, sliding his big hand around my stomach to where he can pop open a button on my jumpsuit. “If you disobey me, I will stop. You won’t get what you crave.”
Get what I crave? I’m nearly certain he has that twisted. Instead of saying as much, I go along with his need to hold power over me and slowly nod my head. A dozen thoughts swirl through my mind and the more reasonable part of me screams that I better not lose focus or start to like Maddox no matter how hot he is. This is nothing but a hopefully good time and a chance to play his game until he loses. When he loses, he’ll see he’s made a big fucking mistake. Because I don’t belong here. I will break free.
“Not a single sound. Not here,” he says again, slowly unfastening the buttons of my jumpsuit.
I inhale a small breath at the warmth of his hand sliding into my clothes to explore the sensitive skin of my breasts. His hard cock pokes into my lower back, his desire as prominent as my own. It feels massive, intimidating, but something I’d experience given the chance. I don’t know if it’s this fucking place, my whirlwind emotions, or just a carnal need because I haven’t had sex in months, but whatever it is. Fuck. Me. Fuck it.
Biting my lip, I stop a moan from trying to escape my mouth as Maddox traces his fingers lower, mapping the smooth planes of my stomach. A line of heat trails after his touch like he brands my skin but not in a way that hurts me—it excites me and teases me. It’s a shadow of a reminder of how his touch feels as he does whatever the hell he wants with me. I can’t wait to find out. My body screams in good anticipation the closer he gets to where I want him to go.
“You’re so soft,” he whispers, slipping his fingers into my panties. He hums under his breath. “So smooth.”
I brace my hands to the wall, my knees shaking in anticipation as he grazes his fingers over my sensitive skin. My breathing quickens, my heart thrashing like crazy.
Maddox glides his tongue down my neck and kisses my shoulder. “You’re so warm and wet. For me.” Lifting me up slightly, he adjusts his raging boner between my legs from behind. “Feel what you do to me, Nova? Do you like that?”
“Mmmhmm,” I whisper so quietly under my breath that I’m not sure he heard me.
“Do you like this?” With his question, he slips his finger across my clit to rub circles over my body.
I dig my nails into the dirt wall, bracing against it, a dozen sexy thoughts racing through my mind. It’s so hard to stay silent as he works me over with his fingers, adding speed and pressure like he’s determined to make me orgasm faster than I ever have before.
Maddox whispers my name, sinking his finger inside me to find out exactly what he does to me. I can’t believe this is happening. I never in my wildest dreams ever thought I’d be convicted a murderer, locked away in a magical penitentiary, while also experiencing the best foreplay of my damn life—with a hot, broody, beast of a man who might explode at any second without warning. I have always been a thrill-seeker, living on the edge. But this is far more dangerous than any aerial performance.
My body builds until I almost reach my peak, and an uncontrollable moan escapes my mouth. Maddox stiffens behind me, his muscles rippling against my back. Tugging his hand away from my body, he spins me around and glowers, his eyes flashing with fire.
“I said no noise,” he snaps, his nostrils flaring.
I open my mouth to apologize but then my good senses return with the foot of space he puts between us. Annoyance and frustration rush over me, because fuck. My body still buzzes even as my damn almost-orgasm skips away from me, taunting me about how stupid I was to fall for this game. I bet a man like Maddox never follows through to ensure a woman orgasms.
Stepping forward, I shove my palms to his chest and push him back. “I don’t give a damn about what you said. If you want me to be silent then don’t touch me like that again. Better yet, don’t touch me at all. I don’t know what the hell twisted thing you’re thinking, but I’m not yours. I will never be yours. You’re why I’m in this godforsaken place.”
He bares his teeth at me, releasing a low growl. “Get dressed, inmate. It’s time to return to your cell.”
It infuriates me that he doesn’t even respond to my comment and instead acts like we weren’t just making out or getting off.
Without giving me the chance to comply, he closes the space and snaps the front of my jumpsuit up. He tilts his head and glowers at me, trying to intimidate me or some shit, but all I do is meet his glare with my own.
“With the way you teased and failed to bring me to completion only shows what kind of man you are. The noise bullshit was only a damn excuse. I bet you couldn’t actually do anything.” I purse my lips, trying to think of another few things I could say to mess with his ego. “And you know what else?”
Maddox doesn’t respond but instead looks up toward the grate.
I poke him in his chest. “I’m damn near positive Kash would be better than you. He’s not afraid to show off his sexy as hell body. I bet he’d—”
Maddox releases a growl and snatches my hand from his chest. Pulling me closer, he pins me against him, sliding his hand around my lower back. A wicked smile curls his lips, and he leans in and surprises me with a kiss. “Nice try, Nova. You can’t use my brother—either of my brothers for that matter—against me.”
That’s what he thinks. Because now I’m more determined than ever to figure out which one of these guards I can get close enough to. In doing so, hopefully I can somehow prove my innocence.
“Now, be quiet, cookie. Tell no one I’m here. I’ll get you to myself again soon. We’re not finished.” Maddox releases me and nudges me toward the center of the pit by smacking my ass.
I startle at the warmth left blooming on my butt cheek, even through my clothes. Swiveling, I peer at him from over my shoulder, but he hides within the shadow, a foot of space shielding him from anyone who looks into the pit.
A whistle sounds through the air, and I catch sight of a silhouette blocking the sun above. I glance at Maddox again, who holds his finger to his lips to tell me to be quiet. He licks his finger with a wicked smirk, firelight glowing in his eyes. And now I’m confused as hell. I mean, what the actual fuck? This guy is so hot and cold. I hate how my body loves the idea of him finding me again. This is so twisted, but so is this place and all the magical creatures within this impenetrable fortress.
Something bangs on the grate a second before it slides off the opening to the pit. A rope ladder falls down to me, and I stare
at it, wondering if I should just tell whoever is above that I’d rather just stay in this damn hole. Because hell. I’m a little afraid of what will happen. Those guys who spat on me earlier might seek me out again. Or someone else.
“Don’t make me come down there, Inmate D64901,” Rowan says, smacking what I think is his baton to the side of the grate. “Grab the ladder. It’s my shift, and I’ve decided I’d prefer you in your cell.”
I link my fingers around one of the rungs on the rope ladder. “So you can watch me like the creep you are?”
“Exactly. Now hold on tight.”
My heart flies into my stomach as he yanks the ladder out of the pit instead of allowing me to climb. Wind whips through my red hair, and I can almost envision being on stage with Galaxy. I forgot how freeing it felt to propel through the air, upward with a precise leap and not the annoying unexpected freefalls.
I land on my feet beside him, and he steadies me by the arm. Tingles explode over my skin where he touches, the sensation stealing my attention before I even look around the prison yard. Rowan captures me with his hazel eyes. His sudden intensity burns over me, sending warmth between my legs, my lust still running rampant from Maddox.
“What? No shriek? Not even a little squeal?” Rowan asks, cocking an eyebrow.
“Before you assholes dragged me to this hellhole I was a performer in a traveling aerial acrobatics show.” I don’t know what comes over me, but I have the urge to try to prove myself truthful. Getting into position for one of my floor routines, I dash a few feet from Rowan and perform a flip. “So no, no screeching.”
“Hey, CO, I know how to make the lass scream.” The gurgly voice sounds from behind me.
“Inmate, no!” Rowan shouts.
A hand slaps over my mouth while another tangles in my hair. “Mmm, pretty girl. You looking for a master? I’ll take good care of—”
“Release her!” Rowan hollers. “She’s mine!”
The strange man drags me back, locking his hand across my neck. I close my eyes, preparing for him to choke me to death, to do something crazy. This is the bullshit I get for trying to prove my innocence by showing off my talent. Too many gross assholes around here are fully ready to give me their unwanted attention.