Flames of Chaos

by Amelia Hutchins

  “How did you manage that?” I asked curiously, feeling a little calmer with knowing he’d noticed the age and brand of scotch, and had cared enough to pay attention to the details.

  “Knox brought it back with him when he returned from Scotland last night.”

  My heart stopped and then restarted with a flutter. Of course, it had been Knox who had thought of it. For an absolute prick, he had a knack for noting fine details. I didn’t sit down, not with the nervousness that flooded my system the moment my brain registered the cut of his suit, and that he was dressed for seduction. I exploded with anxiety until I thought I would pass out from the blood running to my head at the decision I was making.

  I was about to give this man a piece of myself that I’d never been able to give to another man. It was supposed to be something that happened, not something planned or done because a spell called for it.

  Brander watched me moving around the large room, studying certain items as he poured two glasses of scotch then stood there in silence. His room was larger than the main floor of our mansion. It stretched down long, dark hallways that appeared to extend further into other rooms, and yet from my vantage point, I couldn’t make them out.

  My fingers hovered over a crystal, sensing the power that pushed through it before I finally turned, looking at him, trembling nervously while fidgeting and biting my lip to find peace in pain.

  “So, how do we do this?” I asked, hating the shiver in my voice that made my words seem weak, forced.

  I wasn’t afraid of many things, but forking out the missing ingredient for the blessing spell? It had my insides churning with anxious energy. My hands shook as they rose, brushing over my naked arms as he trailed his vision over my dress and frowned. My heart raced at a rapid beat, which I was sure Brander could hear even at the distance from where I stood, quaking.

  “Why me, Aria?” he asked softly, countering my question with a look in his eyes that tugged at something deeper within me than I cared to acknowledge at this moment.

  I took in the wide stance of his legs and the fold of his arms as they crossed over his heavily built chest. He stared me down without looking away as I debated my answer.

  “Because I don’t like you,” I admitted, shrugging my shoulders as my hands dropped to my sides. “It’s messy if we tie emotions to the act, and I’m not looking for messy. I’m looking for someone who won’t hurt me, and will also walk away after we’re done.”

  “You don’t like Knox, so you could have chosen him.”

  “Knox is a predator. He looks at me as if I am something he can easily devour. I loathe him, and you, well, you, I just don’t like. Knox is intense, the way he looks at me makes my insides quiver. He awakens something within me, and honestly, it terrifies me. He’s also the most arrogant, self-assured, conceited prick on this planet. Knox wouldn’t be safe or easy with me, and you will. He’d also enjoy taking my virginity entirely too much to allow him to have it.”

  His smile curved into a dark, sinful smirk. “I’m a predator, too.”

  “Yes, you are. But you, Brander, don’t terrify me, and Knox does. Knox is intensely dangerous, and he doesn’t care who he hurts or who knows he can murder them with a mere thought, and the deed would be done. He’s very secure in playing the prick, and not even you can argue that fact. Besides, I don’t care that you’re about to take my virginity, really. It’s a nuisance at this point.”

  “Then why haven’t you given it away yet? Not that I’m complaining, but it is curious why you still have it.”

  “I had my reasons.” I wasn’t willing to divulge that I was a dud and couldn’t manage to give it away, considering what we were about to do. “It wasn’t so much that I didn’t want to have sex as much as I couldn’t.” I offered, knowing he deserved some explanation to know that there wasn’t something wrong with me. I opened my mouth to say more, but his dark brow rose as the smile twisted a little more.

  “Drink,” he offered, nodding his dark head at the glass that sat untouched on the table in front of the settee. “You’re nervous, and it’s starting to mess with my vibe, woman.”

  I made my way to the settee and sat, lifting the amber-colored scotch to my nose, inhaling it deeply before I drank it down in one gulp. It burned its way down my throat. I silently watched him reaching to refill the glass I held. He sat across from me, placing his feet on the table before tipping back his drink, studying me over the rim.

  “You’re a nervous little thing, aren’t you?” he asked huskily before taking a long swig from the glass.

  “I’m not that nervous.” It was a lie, one that hung heavy on my tongue. He’d noted the shiver that etched my tone, and the way the glass trembled even though I held it with both hands to prevent it from being too obvious.

  The tattletale heartbeat that raced against my ribs was audible to my ears, which meant his inhuman ones had noted the erratic rhythm. It didn’t help that it raced like nitrogen gasses had fueled it, either.

  “Fine, then strip out of that dress for me, and prove how not nervous you are, Aria. After that, finish the scotch, and we’ll start this thing so I can show you how it’s done instead of telling you.”

  Placing the glass on the table, I stood. My hands vibrated with tense energy, and yet I wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t afford to. My sisters depended on me to play my part, to get the blood of an untouched witch, one of purity. Spells like the one we were preparing to perform were ancient, written by witches who used the carotid artery when it called for the blood of a virgin.

  Pure witches were rare—mixed with the fact it had to be from my bloodline made it more unique, meaning there was no way to do this myself. Ancient spells were more detailed, fine-tuned, and precise. If it called for a sacrifice, it wasn’t talking about animals. They didn’t mess around in the old days and, of course, didn’t think twice about slitting someone’s throat to make sure the gods knew they meant business.

  Slowly, I untied the thin ribbon around my waist. My hands reached around, unzipping the dress, pushing the thin straps from my shoulders as it pooled to the floor at my feet. His breathing hitched in his lungs as I bent down, lifting the dress to fold it and place it onto the arm of the settee. Gradually, my eyes rose to his, watching them smolder as they moved down my long frame.

  “Damn, woman,” he groaned, covering his face with his hand before he sat up, pouring more scotch into my glass. “Finish that, and when you’re done, stand by the bed, and we’ll begin with binding your hands.”

  “What?” I asked in a high pitch squeal. “You’re fucking with me, right?” I probed, worried I’d heard him right.

  “No, not at all.” His voice was husky, filled with enough gravel to refill an entire driveway. His gaze slid over my body when I stood, turning to follow him as he moved through the room. “You asked me to do this, and I’m pretty sure Knox is still here, so I can go get him if you’d like to change your mind in that pretty little head of yours. I have rules that I play by, and I won’t break them, not even for you. You will be bound and blindfolded before I fuck you. If you can’t do it, you can find someone else to pluck that cherry. I’m a kinky prick, but I plan to be gentle with you, and I won’t hurt you, Aria. Now come to me and give me your hands.”

  I downed the remnants left in my glass and set it down. Pulling on the strength I had left in the reserve I kept stored in my mental bank, I took the first step toward him. I told myself that once I finished this, once I played my part, we could go home.

  Brander was safe, I told myself. So what if he was a kinky prick, but who wasn’t these days? I talked myself into continuing this path by the time I reached him and stood before him.

  “Give me your hands. Hold your wrists together.” Once I had done what he instructed, he held my wrists together, tying them with a length of black silk, then lifted his eyes to hold mine as a smirk spread over his lips. My breathing hitched, struggling to calm my reaction to his touch. I watched in utter silence as he finished binding my wr
ists and lifted his eyes to mine. “Is that too tight?”

  “A little,” I admitted, moving my hands as far as they would go.

  “Good, then it’s perfect.”

  “Now, what happens?” I asked through quivering lips, watching him closely as he moved across the room, grabbing a blindfold.

  “Walk backward toward the bed and take a seat,” he ordered in a strained tone, running his finger over his top lip as his eyes turned to slits.

  “You do know that you were supposed to be the easy one.” I fidgeted nervously as I stepped back carefully. The nerves within me were on edge, and the moment my legs touched the bed, I turned, staring into a giant mirror before sitting down.

  The entire room smelled of Knox the longer I was in here, causing everything within me to struggle with the decision I was making. It was too late now to change my mind; by now, Knox had left the house to do whatever the hell he did when he vanished—supposedly, though, Brander had said he was still here. It both comforted and unnerved me.

  “Oh, I’m easy, sweetheart. Easy like a Sunday morning.”

  I chuckled at his attempt at humor. “Heels left on or off?” I asked, uncertain which I should do.

  “On for now,” he said, watching me as I studied him from where he stood in front of me.

  “When do you strip?” I asked, and his jaw tensed. “I just meant that I’m feeling a little undressed here.”

  “Are you in a hurry, sweet one? I sure hope not,” he chuckled darkly, stepping between my legs. “This isn’t ending quickly.” He pushed a stray strand of hair from my temple, and shocks ignited from his touch. He placed the blindfold over my eyes and leaned down, brushing his mouth against mine and sent a flurry of heat and emotions pulsing through me. “Stand up.” I trembled at the tone of his voice as it changed, becoming darker.

  Standing, I held my hands out in front of me, and as I did, a whisper of power erupted through the room, causing my hair to disturb from the pins that held it up. My flesh heated, and when hands reached for mine, I allowed it. Brander placed them above my head, using his foot to part my legs until I was standing with them slightly parted. Then, he secured my hands to what I assumed was a hook I hadn’t noticed earlier.

  “Doing okay?”

  “Yes,” I answered as apprehension slithered up my spine, and my mind focused on oceanic blue eyes that had swells within their murky depths. The memory of Knox against my flesh, the way he’d kissed me as if I was the air that filled his lungs and he was starving for oxygen. It calmed me from within.

  “Good,” he growled, and more wind stirred within the room, rustling papers from the end tables.

  The room filled with the promise of power as it brushed over my naked flesh. I inhaled, drinking in the faint scent of Knox that clung to the air as if he had been in here in the last few hours. I waited with my hands above my head, and my legs spread apart for Brander to begin. Only he never started, or he watched me squirming as I tried to trail his footsteps as I used my senses. It sounded as if he was across the room, but then his thumb trailed over my lips, making me jump.

  “Be gentle with me,” I pleaded, swallowing hard as dark laughter echoed in my ears.

  Chapter 32

  I waited with bated breath, listening to the room as music started playing softly across from where I stood. Breaking Benjamin’s Dance with the Devil began, and for a moment, I was lost in the sound of the lead singer’s voice and the instruments that caused my blood to spike, rushing through me in tune with the tempo of the song. Fingers touched my spine slowly, and I arched, feeling the sparks it created, igniting a smoldering candle within me.

  They continued to trail down my back, settling on my ass before they squeezed one cheek. I felt his heat as he moved closer, standing behind me as his mouth touched my shoulder, fanning heated breath over it. Hard, sinewy muscled flesh touched against my back while his hand slipped around my front, pulling me back as teeth grazed my shoulder. I felt his fingers as they pushed my bra aside, exposing one nipple, pinching it hard enough to expel a gasp from the delicious pain it created.

  Throaty laughter whispered over my skin as his hand moved up, touching my throat as his mouth skimmed against my neck, kissing it softly, barely touching it with the softest butterfly wings which forced heat to soak my core, clenching with need. The simplest touch sent a wealth of need pooling in my sex until I felt it dripping down my leg embarrassingly so.

  The growl that sounded from deep within him created a need that I couldn’t explain, as if my mind had replaced Brander with Knox, and my body was reacting to him because of it. A foot spread my legs further apart, while the other hand that held my throat released it, slipping down my stomach to touch beneath my panties, skimming over the delicate nub briefly before pushing through my sex, finding it wet with need.

  “Not sure we need the foreplay, do we?” I whispered as an angry growl answered.

  I felt him withdrawing his hand from my panties, ripping them off in a swift movement that pulled a cry from my parted lips. I opened my mouth to speak, and he pushed my panties between my lips, stilling my words as my brows furrowed. I could take a hint. His knees forced my legs apart. I felt him skimming my entrance from behind, while his other arm slipped around the front, brushing his thumb over the nub that connected to every erogenous nerve in my body.

  A single finger entered my core, creating a moan that built deep in my chest and escaped through a muffled cry. Another finger pushed into me, and I whimpered at the fullness it created in my body. Slowly, torturously slow, he drove them deeper, only to withdraw them, turning them while his thumb worked circles against my clitoris.

  Heat unfurled violently from my middle and moans exploded from my mouth. He slowly increased the speed kissing the curve of my neck as his hot breath fanned against it. My legs threatened to give out. He laughed hoarsely, watching as my body bent over with my arms twisting painfully above me, preventing me from falling to the floor. I began moving with his motion, helping him as he fucked me with two fingers until I gasped, screaming as everything exploded.

  Bass pounded in my ears, or maybe it was my heartbeat. Lights filled my vision, replacing the darkness the blindfold created. He didn’t stop, not even after the orgasm began to abate and another one threatened to take hold. My breathing was labored. Spitting my panties out of my mouth, I gasped air in, fighting to regain control.

  His fingers withdrew, and I listened to the sound of bare feet as they padded around me. One hand grasped me around the neck lifting me up as he pushed his fingers between my lips, forcing me to taste myself until his tongue joined in, brushing against mine. It was erotic, tasting myself with him as he growled against my mouth, noting the eagerness of my tongue.

  Withdrawing his fingers, he let his mouth brush against mine as his hands snaked up, unhooking the pins that held my hair in the updo. I felt it falling down my back, but his fingers slipped through it, gripping it as he exposed my neck to his mouth. He kissed me slowly, letting his tongue escape his mouth as it brushed over my flesh, working around my throat as he controlled my head with his fingers threaded through my hair.

  He slipped his mouth against my ear, nipping the earlobe playfully, and I moaned loudly, feeling everything he did viscerally. The man knew how to use every part of a woman’s body explicitly. No wonder he had a new woman in his room every night. There was probably a line all the way out of town to fuck him.

  He didn’t stick his tongue into my ear, which was a relief. Instead, he used it against the bottom of my lobe, flicking it like it was my pussy instead of my ear. My breathing was shallow, coming in gasped breaths as he continued using every inch of me to ignite a raging inferno that threatened to leave me in ashes.

  He stepped away, and I whimpered, rocking my hips in search of his touch. I shouldn’t be this excited for him, but I wasn’t imagining Brander—I was imagining it was Knox slowly unraveling me, sending me into a frenzied state of need. Oceanic eyes would stare at my naked flesh, to
uching it and bringing me into the state of womanhood.

  Something touched against my ass, and I turned my head, listening. Hands positioned me, lifting my legs, causing me to cry out in surprise as I left the floor. My ass was placed onto something hard, and yet he didn’t release my thighs. Instead, he rested them over his shoulders, and then his mouth brushed against the inside of my thigh before fanning my pussy with his heated breath, yet never touching it.

  I could feel the arousal that dripped with need from my needy pussy. It was embarrassing, and I started to realize just how vulnerable and exposed I truly was. Teeth skimmed my flesh, and I gasped, letting his tongue which was slowly running up my thigh, ease my embarrassment at being this excited for him. It did little to calm the panic that was blossoming within me as I realized that I was literally helpless, bound and blindfolded in a room with a man I knew nothing about.

  His fingers tightened on my legs, as if he sensed my unease, reassuring me I was safe. That was why I settled on him right. He was safe? Yet here I was, blindfolded and tied to the ceiling like something that waited to be sacrificed. Nothing about this was safe. This was insanity in all its damn glory!

  His mouth brushed against my flesh, and a deep growl escaped his lips, whispering against my pussy as he let his tongue lick through it greedily. I wailed, calling out the name that was on the tip of my tongue, and then muttered an apology as dark laughter filled the room, echoing in my ears before his mouth descended on my flesh.

  He didn’t lick, he devoured. His mouth sucked, tasted, and rocked through me like a bomb detonating slowly, each stick of dynamite placed strategically to impact the most damage possible. He wrote the alphabet with his tongue, not the human one, but the long, endless one of the Nine Realms. He didn’t stop until I was shaking, crying out as the orgasm exploded, causing my body to jerk and spasm with the sheer force of it. I pleaded for mercy, begging for him to stop and let me catch my breath, but his laughter was the only noise other than my pleas that filled the room, echoing through it loudly.