by Melody Anne
Darcy’s hand was roaming Elena’s body as she spoke. And the more the woman talked, the more Elena wanted to listen. She wanted to be the person Darcy was speaking of.
“How?” Elena asked and Darcy smiled.
“Decide you’re worth it,” Darcy told her. “I’m done talking now.”
The woman grabbed Elena’s hair and tugged her against her, kissing her until they were both breathless. They didn’t leave the room the entire day.
Darcy was right. All she had to do was snap her fingers and even Dalton jumped at whatever she demanded. Elena would have that — or she would die trying to get it.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Elena walked in the ornate double doors with confidence as Dalton matched his steps beside her. Anticipation burned in her veins as she looked around at all the lavishly dressed people.
She looked better than any of them.
After only a few months of Darcy’s tutelage, Elena truly was finding herself. Dalton had been the one to promise to set her free, but he’d only bound her further to him until she thought she couldn’t live without him.
She now knew that no one could keep her against her will anymore. She was ready to be on her own, ready to make her way, knowing she would succeed. Dalton didn’t know that, didn’t know she was leaving him.
The need for him was still there, but it was a low simmer instead of a deep burn. For the first time in her life she knew she would be okay on her own.
It was euphoria at its highest.
Dalton walked them to the bar and ordered a flute of champagne and a Scotch. He turned to the couple beside him and struck up a conversation, not bothering to introduce her.
Elena waited to see if irritation would fill her. After a full minute she felt nothing; she smiled, finished her champagne, and let her eyes wander the room.
She stopped wandering when she connected with a pair of sea blue eyes, looking at her with utter appreciation. A low stirring in her stomach began and she smiled, licking her lips as she slowly eyed him from head to foot, just how Darcy had taught her.
When she reached his eyes again, she saw lust in them, and the power that filled her was unlike anything she’d felt before. Just by looking at him, licking her lip, showing the smallest glimmer of interest, she’d turned this man on.
She could have anything she wanted.
Ignoring the man by her side who was ignoring her, Elena purposefully crossed the room and stepped up to the man, her body nearly brushing his as she looked up into his interested eyes.
“Can I get you a drink?” he offered, the low timbre of his voice making her core heat.
“You can dance with me,” she said.
Her boldness seemed to startle him at first, but he quickly regained his composure, his thick palm resting against hers, pulling her to the dance floor; a slow song was playing.
“You are the most beautiful woman in the room,” he told her as he tugged her into his arms, pressing her tightly against his body. “How are you here alone?”
“I’m not. I came with a man who’s ignoring me,” she said with a pout.
“What a foolish man,” her dance partner said. “I wouldn’t let you out of my sight.”
“Then you would be the one taking me home and getting naked, so I could run my tongue down your hard abs and get a taste of what’s pressing against my stomach.”
At her words, his eyes flared, and he tugged on her lower back, pressing his thick arousal against her. Yes. Power. This was so much power. Her words, her gestures were making this man putty in her hands.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Tonight isn’t a night for names,” Elena told him.
“Damn, your man is really stupid,” he said with reverence.
“But you aren’t, are you?” she purred as she turned her face and ran her lips across his jaw.
He tried turning his face so he could kiss her, but Elena stopped him. She was in charge. And Darcy had been right. She wanted to control this man. It was turning her on more than anything ever had before.
“Tsk, tsk, darling. You don’t get to kiss me until I give you permission to do so,” she said, sinking her teeth into the soft skin at his neck with just enough pressure to hurt and leave her mark.
When she pulled back, his eyes had darkened, and he looked slightly out of control.
The crowded room was ignored as she moved seductively with the stranger, wrapping him around her finger. He would do anything and everything she wanted.
After the second dance, Elena realized she didn’t want him. She just wanted the power of seducing him, but she wanted to leave this man a jumbled mess for the rest of the night. She wanted him to go home hurting, and she wanted him to picture her when he stripped off his clothes and pleasured himself.
However, she did want to send him off a bit madder, and to do that she needed privacy.
“This way,” she said, pulling back and taking his hand in hers.
He panted like a puppy as he followed her from the crowded room to the barely lit patio. The air was slightly chilly, and no one else was there. Elena didn’t hesitate to pull him into her waiting arms.
“Now you can kiss me,” she told him.
But Elena didn’t wait for him to lean down. Reaching behind his neck, she grasped his hair and yanked.
His arms wrapped around her, pulled her close, and hungrily devoured her mouth. The man was a fantastic kisser, leaving her breathless as he pulled away.
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” Dalton growled, making the man in her arms jump back.
He gained his footing quickly, so she had to give him props. “This is a private party,” her stranger said.
“Really?” Dalton said with a clear threat and stepped out of the shadows.
Her stranger froze as he drew away from Elena. “I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t know that was you.” He stumbled, and Elena lost all respect for the man she’d thought could be her first to be controlled.
“Get out of here,” Dalton told him.
The man didn’t even look in Elena’s direction again, just scurried away like the good little bitch he was.
Elena let out a frustrated breath and gave her sole attention to Dalton, who was storming over to her. Wow. She didn’t feel fear, and she couldn’t remember seeing him so angry.
“You whore,” he said through clenched teeth.
She smiled at him. “You turn me into a whore and then you get all macho when I behave like one. You’re a hypocrite,” she said mockingly.
That sent him off the deep end. Dalton stepped to her, his fingers tightly wrapped around her arm as he dragged her away from the party.
Soon. It was almost time for her freedom.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Dalton didn’t get far before he was pushing Elena against him, backing them both into a low wall, his breathing coming out in rough pants as his eyes turned black with rage and . . . desire.
His fury was so great Elena couldn’t tell if he wanted to hit her or kiss her. Either way, she no longer cared. His power over her was forever severed. Never again would he tell her what to do.
When she didn’t immediately react to his mood, confusion washed across his face. She could see the conflicting emotions fly across his expression. That was a first. She looked at him analytically, wondering if she might now be the one breaking him.
“What in the hell are you doing?” he finally demanded, getting his equilibrium back. She was thrust backward, her body slamming into the wall, jolting her. The pain was a reminder of where she was — who she was.
She smiled, which infuriated him all the more.
“Do you have no clue how deadly I can be?” he threatened.
“You don’t scare me, Dalton,” she taunted.
“Are you looking for danger,
Elena? Have you grown bored with me being too civilized?” he raged.
“Dalton —”
He cut her off by lifting his hand to her throat, his fingers squeezing. She didn’t move, didn’t try to ply his hand away. She didn’t care. He wouldn’t truly end her. She knew that. There was nothing to fear.
How had she been afraid of this man for so long? He was weak, as weak as her. He just wrapped his insecurities in a package so tight, it was hard to get underneath. But now Elena knew it was only a façade. She would now be the one wrapped in a tight package of her own — however, she wouldn’t allow it to be unwrapped.
“Do you have any idea who I am?” he demanded, his fingers flexing.
“Yes, Dalton, I know exactly who you are,” she said, her voice calm, which only infuriated him more.
“No!” he screamed. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”
His fingers released her throat, and he took a step back, his chest moving as he quickly sucked in air. Elena braced herself against the wall, not trying to run away. They were having a showdown, and she had a front seat. Why would she want to run?
Never again would she flee. She would walk with her head high, her shoulders back, and her head clear. Taking a minute, she analyzed her feelings.
There was desire sitting in her stomach, low and pulsing, but overriding that desire was a new strength that wasn’t dissipating. It was growing, building, turning in to something too great to be stopped.
“I choose who I want you to be with. I choose who can touch you. In no condition ever, do you embarrass me and pull a stunt like you did tonight. The punishment coming for you will make you wish you’d never been born,” he threatened.
A few months ago, heck, a few weeks ago, those words would have filled her with terror. Now, they did nothing to her. It really was all about power. Whoever held the power was the one who impacted with threats. Once that power was severed, the threat had no meaning.
“You don’t control me anymore, Dalton,” she said, her words still calm, her face unchanging.
His head whipped around, his gaze glaring into hers. He took a menacing step toward her, and she didn’t flinch, which surprised him enough to stop. But then she saw something that looked almost like desperation flicker through his eyes, and she felt the low simmer in her stomach flare.
One last time.
She wanted one last time with this man she’d been so dependent on, who had controlled her life for too many years. He would take her, but only because she would allow it.
“Like hell I don’t,” he said, his voice quiet and deadly.
Her core heated. She wanted it all — his passion, his fury, his control. She wanted to own him as he had owned her for so long. And when they finished she knew, beyond a doubt, the man would forever be burned within her soul. He wouldn’t own it, but he would always be a part of it.
Elena saw the moment he broke, saw the animal instinct take over. Less than a second before he stormed forward, his hand pressed against the wall on either side of her, and he trapped her within his arms.
There was no more speaking before his arms wrapped around her, pulling her tight, and his lips were capturing hers.
This wasn’t a gentle kiss — it was wild and desperate — it was fierce and erotic. It took the breath from her and didn’t allow her to take another. She tugged against him, turning just as desperate as he was, opening her lips for him to thrust his tongue deep inside as he tried to possess her.
There was a new intensity between them that hadn’t been there before. It was goodbye, whether he was conscious of that or not. And Elena wanted him — wanted this moment.
His hands traveled over her dress, scorching her through the material, as he reached her heaving chest, his fingers clamping down on her nipples and tugging, making her moan against his lips.
She wanted him to rip the material away, remove the obstacle that prevented skin on skin contact. She wiggled against him in frustration, which seemed to ignite him even more.
His mouth became frantic, devouring her, taking her bottom lip between his teeth and biting down. His fingers were desperate as he swallowed her cry, pinching hard on her nipple, making her back arch.
Her breasts were aching when he moved his hand down her side, along her hip, and finally found the slit in her dress. He slid beneath it like he owned her, his sure fingers sliding to the inside of her thigh before moving up and tracing the outside of her core.
He pulled back and gasped, his eyes molten with unrestrained desire when he found she wasn’t wearing panties, wasn’t wearing anything to block him from her smooth skin.
He didn’t hesitate before sliding his fingers inside her dripping heat and cupping her, his thumb brushing against the outside, making her nearly come apart in his arms.
Elena reached behind his neck and ran her fingers through his hair, tugging him closer as she kissed him with all the pent-up passion she never seemed able to get a handle on. She wanted him, and she wasn’t afraid to show it.
She felt the tug of her gown as he lifted it away, and then he was lifting her, setting her on the low wall, lining her up perfectly with him. Yes. Yes. Yes. She wanted him buried deep within her core — wanted this piece of him she could take with her.
This wasn’t about tenderness and making up. This was passion, possessive and rough. This was both of them staking their claim. There would be no winners.
Dalton continued kissing her, his teeth nibbling on her lips, his fingers shoved deep inside her body. His other hand gripped her breast and squeezed, and she still wanted more.
Elena was spinning out of control, losing her grip on reality, and she knew this was her favorite place to be, her only safe place to be.
“Take me now, Dalton,” she demanded.
Her tone made him pause, but he didn’t stop. His fingers pulled from her as his lips moved down her neck, and he pulled the top of her gown down, exposing her hard nipples to the cool evening air.
He ran his tongue across both of them, making them more sensitive. Then he clamped down on one before pulling her hips forward. When she felt his thickness at her opening, she was overjoyed that he’d managed to get his pants undone.
He clamped his teeth over a nipple and thrust inside her in a harsh motion, nearly rocking her off the stone wall.
The night lost all sense of time as he pounded fiercely within her heated walls, his lips and teeth devouring her breasts, his hands bruising her hips, and his thickness filling her. She didn’t want it to end.
“Come for me,” he demanded.
And it didn’t matter that he no longer owned her. In this one instance, she was his. Her body exploded around him. She was suddenly spinning out of control with nowhere to land, and no chance of coming down. Somewhere in her consciousness she felt his own release, felt his hot spurts of pleasure filling her insides, heard his groan of completion mingle with hers in the cool night air.
She continued spinning for minutes or possibly hours.
When her body went limp, she knew the only thing keeping her stable was Dalton’s hands gripping her hips. When he pulled from her body, she wanted to protest.
Only her new will kept her from doing just that. What a perfect ending to an imperfect relationship.
“Damn you, Elena,” he said in a whisper, his breath against her forehead as he leaned into her. “What have you done to me?”
“Nothing you haven’t done to me,” she said.
There was no anger in her voice. Why should there be? It was over, and they both knew it. No more accusations or threats needed to be hurled.
“You’re leaving.”
This was a statement not a question. He had felt the finality in their intense lovemaking. At least he wasn’t stupid.
“Yes, Dalton, I’m leaving. We’re finished.”
She wasn’t cruel
when she spoke the words. They were having this conversation almost politely, as she sat there, her clothes in disarray, his release resting inside her. The words were almost civil, while neither of them were remotely normal.
“Elena, we will never be finished, no matter how far apart we are.”
There was something in his tone she couldn’t quite interpret, and that, more than the words, sent a shiver through her. Was he right? Would she never truly escape him? She wasn’t sure. But she certainly didn’t like not knowing.
Shaking her head, Elena pushed him away. Dalton stepped back, adjusting his clothes, not meeting her eyes while he did. Elena put her dress back in as much order as she could and moved a few more steps from him before looking up, waiting for his eyes to meet hers.
“Goodbye, Dalton.”
His dark eyes flared for a moment, and he moved half a step closer as if he was going to try to stop her. But he stopped, and acceptance marked his expression. He didn’t say a word, just nodded his head.
Elena turned and walked away. She didn’t look back.
Epilogue
The world faded away as Elena soared through the clouds. Her worries were left behind and she felt . . . free. For the first time in months, or more accurately in years, she was free. Free from her troubled memories, free from the man who had trapped her but never loved her, free from the life she had never asked for, free . . .
No matter what happened from now on, she would never go back. The people who had hurt her seemed so much smaller now, the lights that had once been so blinding were merely twinkles on the ground. She could pinch her fingers together and those lights — those people — disappeared. Mary was dead. And Elena had been reborn. And she would show them all exactly what that meant.
Smiling, she studied the bag cradled in her lap, the bag holding everything she would need to start her new life. As Seattle faded away, Elena decided she would return one day — she would return, and she would never be afraid again.