“Of course. We grew up side by side. I know the family as well as anyone.”
“So why are you helping me now?”
“Because we have a past, and you were kind to me many years ago. I haven’t forgotten that Monst—Merrick,” she corrected herself. “What you did stayed with me for a very long time. I was a girl who never knew what self-sacrifice was until that day. You gave me hope that decent people existed in this world, and at the time, that was something I needed to believe very badly.”
It didn’t feel like she was talking about him, even though he knew she was. The boy who had helped her wasn’t the same as the man who was with her now. Did he still have that ability for self-sacrifice? The man his father had raised him to be was a purely selfish and self-focused being. Until Lily had entered his life, he hadn’t given the wellbeing of another person any more than a lingering thought.
***
A few hours had passed since he’d taken the last dose of pain medication, and the throbbing in his shoulder began to intensify. Even though she was driving, Sophia must have noticed his discomfort by the way he shifted in his seat, his opposite hand reaching to place pressure against the wound.
She frowned at him. “We need to stop and get you something to drink so you can take your meds.”
He shook his head. “I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. You won’t be any good to anyone if you can’t think straight because you’re in pain.”
“Please, Sophia, I just want to get there.”
“Tough,” she said, craning her neck to spot a gas station along the highway. “Your doctor knows best.”
He cocked an eyebrow, wondering what her medical qualifications actually were, but considering she’d removed a bullet from his shoulder, he decided not to question her.
They approached a gas station and Sophia signaled. She pulled off the highway and parked in front of the store.
“Wait here,” she said. “I’ll get some water so you can dissolve the pain meds.”
Not giving him a chance to respond, she jumped from the car and headed inside.
Monster didn’t want to stay inside the car. He needed to stretch his legs after having spent the past couple of hours cramped in one position.
Sophia exited the store carrying a small paper bag. She reached in and pulled out a couple of bottles of water, and some snacks. “Grab my purse for me,” she said. “The meds are in there.”
He did as she asked, and she unscrewed the top of one of the bottles and emptied a small sachet of powder into it. She gave the bottle a shake and handed it to him.
“Thank you,” he told her.
“Welcome.”
She moved to stand beside him, both of them leaning against the side of the car. The metal was growing hot under the sun, and Monster wished he could remove the zipped up jacket he wore. As though she’d had the same thought, Sophia tugged off her sweater so she stood beside him in only a strappy white top and her jeans. The material molded to her breasts, her cleavage a full swell he couldn’t help staring down into.
To take his mind off Sophia’s wicked curves and long, blonde hair, he filled the moment with questions.
“What about you, Sophia?” he asked. “What’s been happening in your life all these years? Do you have a family?”
She took a sip of her water and shook her head. “I was married for a couple of years, but it didn’t work out, so we separated.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m better off out of it. He liked other women too much, though I think that might have been partly my fault.”
He stared at her in confusion. “How could that ever have been your fault?” How could a man who had a woman as beautiful and warm as Sophia ever look at anyone else? “If he didn’t see how amazing you are, that’s his problem, not yours.”
She glanced away. “I don’t know about that. Perhaps if I’d fully given my heart to him, then I would have blamed him more for all the cheating.” She raised her blue gaze back to his. “But the truth is I think I was always hung up on a boy from my childhood. A boy who offered me kindness when no one else did.”
They locked eyes, the air between them sparking with tension. Monster’s heart rate rocketed.
“The birthmark never bothered me, Monster. I could see how handsome you were beneath it, how troubled, and tortured. You found a place in my heart, and you never left.”
“Sophia,” he breathed. She’d found a place in his heart, too, all those years ago.
No, he had Lily. He didn’t need or want another woman in his life.
But Sophia moved closer, all honey and sunshine, and parted pink lips, the swell of her breasts rising and falling. He felt his cock jerk in response to her proximity. Even though both his head and heart wanted Lily, his body still betrayed him. Thoughts of Sophia pummeled his head—he imagined her naked breasts, her nipples pink, erect nubs. Was her pussy covered with blonde curls or was she bare?
She reached out and placed her hand over his crotch, squeezing him tight, making his breath catch.
“I still want you, Monster,” she breathed. “I used to think about you at night, when we were younger. I was just exploring then, but I touched myself and thought about you. Did you do the same?”
Her breasts pressed against his chest, her breath warm, and the pressure on his erection increased as she began to stroke him over his pants, causing him to grow harder. She dragged a groan from his throat.
No, he couldn’t do this. He loved Lily. Even though he hated the thought she might be having sex with Rodriguez right at this very moment, he couldn’t use that as an excuse to give in to carnal pleasure. Lily would never forgive him, and he wouldn’t forgive himself either. Lily was one of a kind, and it wasn’t just that she was beautiful and smart. Her natural instinct was always to help others, to put their needs above her own, and yet she could be fierce when she wanted. She was caring, and passionate, and felt her emotions to her very core, and he admired her so much for that.
He stepped back, dislodging Sophia’s hand, putting space between them. His cock throbbed, his balls heavy, and he wanted nothing more than to undo his zipper and masturbate here and now, but he had to hold back on the compulsion. He needed to get sex out of his head and concentrate.
“I’m sorry,” he said to Sophia. “I just can’t.”
Her lips twisted. “The other woman?”
He nodded. “I’m in love with her. I can’t hurt her like this. She’s been through too much already. It would destroy her.”
“It’s okay, I understand. I just had to try, you know. I’d never have forgiven myself if I hadn’t taken this moment to see if there was any possibility of there being something between us.”
“If it wasn’t for Lily, then yes, Sophia, I would have kissed you so hard you wouldn’t have been able to breathe, and then I’d have screwed every inch of you. When I was younger, I wanted you more than anything. But things are different now.” He shouldn’t even be saying these words, feeling his erection starting to stiffen again. Lily was his and he was hers. She would never forgive him if she learned he’d betrayed her with another woman, just as he’d go crazy if he discovered she’d slept with Rodriguez and had enjoyed it.
Jealousy was the one emotion that could burn hot enough to eradicate even the heat of love.
Seven
A noise woke her.
Her eyes shot open and she froze in the bed, waiting for the sound to come again. Lily had no idea how much time had passed since she’d been sleeping, and she cursed herself for allowing herself to fall into such a deep slumber.
Knocking sounded at the door and her head snapped in that direction.
Her first thought was it must be the woman wanting to take the empty bowls back to the kitchen.
The lock gave its familiar click and the door opened.
Lily sucked in a breath and pulled her legs up onto the bed. Instead of the woman, Rodriguez stood in the open doorway, his hands
behind his back. He stared at her with his black eyes, his chin lifted, his mouth a straight line. This was it. Her turn to be punished. She wondered what he would do with her. Whatever it was, she was sure it would be worse than what had been dealt out to Jess. Rape was her worst fear … no, actually death was her worst fear. She could recuperate if she was raped, or at least try to heal. There was no coming back once you were dead.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “What do you want?”
He entered the room and closed the door behind him. “I have something for you.”
“Whatever it is, I don’t want it.”
She noticed he still had one hand behind his back.
Lily moved higher on the bed, so her back pressed against the headboard.
He pulled his hand from behind his back, holding a small plastic bowl. “Are you sure? I thought you could use a treat.”
Was it possible to smell chocolate even from this distance? If she’d been asked that a couple of days ago, she’d have said no, but even from across the room, the sweet milky aroma tickled the insides of her nostrils, making her mouth water. He took another step toward her, but she wasn’t focused on him now. She hadn’t tasted anything sweet for several days, and, despite the thin porridge, her body was still starved for calories.
His head tilted slightly to one side, like a predator assessing its prey. “You want it, I know you do.”
She glanced to her left, toward the door which separated her room from the bathroom and Jess’ bedroom. She hoped Jess was sleeping. She didn’t want the other woman to know Rodriguez was in here. God only knew what her reaction would be.
“Why do you want to give that to me?” she asked.
“Because I thought after everything you’d been through you could use a treat. I want you to learn to trust me, Lily. I want you to one day understand I can provide you with everything you need to live a happy life, here with me. A little chocolate is just a token of my affection.”
“You’re insane. I’m not going to fall madly in love with you because you’ve brought me some candy.”
“I don’t expect you to. This is just the start.”
“If you want me to care for you, why would you treat Jess that way back in the dining room? All that’s done is make me hate you more than I did before, and I didn’t even know such a thing was possible.”
He touched his hand to his heart. “Don’t say such things, pet. I don’t want you to hate me. But please understand that I don’t take kindly to bad behavior either. My guests are very important to me, and when one of them is treated badly, I must be seen to take things in hand. He should never have touched you, and I apologize for that, but I expect my girls to be restrained and disciplined, and what you did and said was neither of those things.”
“If you think I’m the kind of woman who stands by while some asshole tries to grope me, then you’ve got the wrong kind of woman as your slave.” She spat the final word.
“I want you to be more than that. I want you to worship me, and one day, I believe you will. Now please, take the chocolate as my way of saying sorry, and in future, simply report anything that upsets you directly to me, and I’ll make sure the person is dealt with severely.”
“What about Jess?” she said. “Who does she get to report to?”
He at least had the courtesy to glance away. “The other girl wasn’t meant to be here. I only ever planned to take you—”
“Lucky me!”
He lifted his hand to silence her. “I could have killed your friend. Don’t think for a moment that I’m not capable of it, but instead I was merciful and brought her here. She will be clothed and fed, and in return she will serve my men, in whatever way is needed. Don’t say I’m not caring, Lily. You have a friend here now. Don’t make me regret it.”
Lily opened her mouth, and then shut it again. She didn’t want to do or say anything that would get Jess in more trouble.
Rodriguez crossed the room and put the bowl on the bedside table. She glanced at the chocolate, but didn’t reach out to take it.
“A gift normally receives a thank you,” he said.
“Thank you,” she muttered, tearing the words from her lips.
He leaned down, and she froze. Aftershave washed over her, musky and clean and fresh. He pressed his cheek against hers and then kissed the spot just below her ear.
She did her best not to jerk away from him, but inwardly she recoiled. He lingered, so she felt the heat of his breath on her skin, the slight scrape of his stubble brushing her jaw. Her heart thumped against her ribcage, her whole insides vibrating with tension. She didn’t want to show that he affected her, wanted to be cool and composed, but internally she was a mess.
He straightened up and she held back a sob of relief that he’d increased the space between them.
“I mean what I say, Lily. I want things to be … different between us.”
“Why me?” she asked, trying to hide how much she was affected with a question of her own. “What makes me so special?”
“Honestly, at first I only wanted you to hurt Merrick. I wondered what was so special about one woman that he would go to such effort and risk so much, but the moment I saw you I understood.” He reached out a finger to stroke her face. This time Lily jerked away. “There’s something beguiling about you. You’re not obvious and trashy like some women who want to be around men with money, but you’re not meek and broken like others who’ve gone through what you have. Even though I don’t want to encourage bad behavior, I’ve enjoyed seeing that spark in you, the fire that made you stand up for your friend even when you were in a dangerous situation yourself.”
“But the irony is you want to break me. You want to put that fire out.”
He shook his head. “No, not break, just bend to my will. I want you, Lily, I think I’ve made that clear, but I want you to want me, too.”
“That’s never going to happen.”
A knowing smile curved his perfect lips. “I’m not so sure. I think there’s something inside you which you haven’t acknowledged properly even to yourself. Did it turn you on, to watch your friend get spanked over the table like that? Did part of you wish it had been you?”
“No!”
“Really? Because I looked between you and her while it was happening, and I saw the heat rise to your face, the way your breath grew shallow, the way you bit your lip.”
The heat he’d been speaking of blasted her cheeks again, spreading to her neck and ears, and down to her chest. “I was angry!”
“Oh, I know you were angry—furious, even—but that doesn’t mean you weren’t wet as well.”
She gritted her teeth. “I don’t want you to even think about me that way.”
He smiled again. “Too late, sweetheart.”
Lily bit down on her fresh fury, remembering what he said about Jess being punished for everything she did wrong. She knew Jess was in a bad place right now—as was she—but she didn’t think it would take much to push the other girl over the edge.
“Don’t worry, pet,” he continued. “I’m not going to treat you with a gentle hand, because I don’t think that’s what your body truly craves. I think you like it rough. I saw how your eyes lit up, that fire behind them. Is that why Merrick became so obsessed with you, because you didn’t flinch from him in the bedroom? I imagine a man like Merrick would be quite … demanding.”
“That’s none of your business,” she snapped, trying not to think about all the times she’d been fucked by Monster, how she’d loved it best when he’d tied her up and been forceful with her.
“It is my business, because you’re my business now. I intend on learning every inch of you, Lily. Both inside and out.”
She shivered. “Leave me alone.”
He touched the bowl of chocolate beside her. “Please, enjoy the treat I’ve brought you. You don’t know when there will be another one.”
Why did everything he say sound like a promise and a threat all rolled into one?
<
br /> Rodriguez turned and left the room, locking the door behind him.
Lily looked to the chocolate, the milky sweet taste drawing her in. She wished she’d had the strength to throw it at him as he’d left, but the truth was she wanted to eat that chocolate more than anything she’d wanted to eat in her life.
Her hand hovered above the bowl as she glanced toward the closed door. This was probably some kind of test about her strength, and by eating it she was failing. It was a battle between her desires and her will, and she didn’t want to fail.
Eating it will give you energy, she told herself, knowing she was trying to talk herself into giving in. You need energy for what’s to come.
Just a little taste, another voice whispered seductively. What harm could it do?
Lily knew someone else who would also need their energy.
She glanced toward the closed door between the bathroom and the bedrooms. No noises had come from within since she’d left Jess with the porridge. She didn’t even know if the other woman had eaten or not, or if she’d thrown it against the wall in disgust. Lily had to assume she was sleeping now. She didn’t blame Jess for her earlier outburst—it was the least that should be expected in this situation. Her own lack of a meltdown was stranger, but they couldn’t both afford to lose it. They might have only met a matter of a day ago, but they’d been thrust together in the most extreme of circumstances. Their shared experiences bound them, and right now they only had each other.
What time was it? Morning yet? She felt as though the porridge she’d eaten was a distant memory, her body already empty.
Perhaps if she shared the chocolate, she wouldn’t feel so bad if she ate some herself? Lily reached over and picked up the bowl. She stared down at the small, brown squares. She knew if she so much as nibbled the corner of one of those squares, she’d lose all self control and wolf down the lot before she’d even thought any more. No, she’d take it in to Jess and give her a share before she touched it herself.
Getting to her feet, the bowl clutched in her hand, she tried to ignore the way her mouth watered and her nostrils flared at the sweet scent. She shouldn’t want anything from Rodriguez the way she wanted these few squares of chocolate, but she did.
Delivered (The Monster Trilogy Book 3) Page 8