Ravage (Civil Corruption Book 4)

by Jessica Prince

  I blew out a breath of relief, but still… “I’m glad you’re not gonna drink that, honey. But you think you could do me a favor and dump it if that’s the case?”

  He slid the glass across the counter, and I grabbed it and the bottle, carrying both to the sink and pouring them both down the drain. Once I finished, I set the glass down and tossed the bottle in the recycling bin before turning to face him and placing my hands on the cool stone of the counter across from him.

  “He was a drunk, wasn’t he?”

  My head jerked up, eyes wide as I whispered, “What?”

  “Your ex. He was a drunk. I get it now. Twice you’ve mentioned losing too much at the hands of an alcoholic, and twice I’ve tried to figure out what you were talking about. I knew Will was killed by a drunk driver, but I didn’t put the rest of the pieces together until tonight. I’m right, aren’t I?”

  I continued to whisper as I admitted, “Yes. He was an alcoholic.” He didn’t say anything for so long that the silence began to scare me, and I couldn’t take it any longer. “So… are you still mad at me?”

  His gaze, which had been on the recycling can where I’d chucked the bottle, shot to me. “Why would I be mad at you?”

  “Because…,” I croaked, fresh tears spilling from my eyes. “Because I kept it from you all this time.”

  “Jesus Christ,” he grunted, scrubbing at his face before dragging his fingers through his hair and leaving it in disarray. “I’m not mad at you,” he said once he finally looked back at me. “I’m mad at my-fuckin’-self.”

  My chin jerked back into my neck as I batted away the wet on my cheeks. “What? Why?”

  “Because I could’ve stopped it!” he barked, shooting up from the stool and beginning to pace the length of the kitchen.

  “How could you have possibly stopped it?” I asked in bewilderment. “Mace, there was nothing you could’ve done.”

  “Bullshit,” he snapped. “I could’ve prevented it from ever happening! If I hadn’t been such a goddamn coward all those years ago when you told me you loved me, you never would’ve ended up with him. If I’d just told you the truth, if I’d claimed what had always been mine, it would’ve been me and you all these years, and that fucker wouldn’t have even been a memory!”

  “What truth?” I asked softly as my heart threatened to burst through my ribs.

  “What?”

  “What truth, Mace? You said, ‘If I’d just told you the truth.’ What truth are you talking about?”

  “You know,” he said, narrowing his eyes curiously.

  I did. Or at least I suspected I did, but I needed the words. This was too big, too important. I needed to hear him say it. There wasn’t any room for speculation, not when it came to something so monumental. “Tell me, Mace.”

  We stared at each other in silence for what felt like an eternity, then “I love you, Lyla. Christ, I’ve loved you forever. I loved you that morning you came to my apartment and laid it all out in black and white. I loved you when you showed up at our concert on your birthday.” It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever heard, the words I’d longed to hear for so much of my life, but the agony in his voice as he said them kept my heart from taking flight. “I think I’ve loved you since the first moment I laid eyes on you, so now you see… it’s my fault you have those wounds, baby. If I’d just told you the truth there wouldn’t have ever been room in your life for him.”

  “You love me,” I breathed, unable to grasp anything but that.

  “Of course I do. You’re mine, Goldie. You’ve always been mine.”

  “You love me,” I repeated.

  “Yeah.”

  A slow smile stretched my lips so wide my cheeks began to ache. “That’s good, because I love you too.”

  And just like that, my declaration snapped him out of the misery he’d mired himself in and he moved, rounding the counter at a fast clip. I didn’t even have time to take a step back or brace before he was on me, wrapping his long, strong arms around my waist and pulling me against him as he lips came crashing down on mine.

  It was merciless and urgent and demanding, the most wonderful kiss I’d ever had in my life.

  My arms circled his neck at the same time he palmed my ass and used the grip to lift me off the ground like I was light as a feather. I instantly wrapped my legs around his waist, holding on for dear life, not wanting to break the kiss even for a second.

  I sensed him moving but kept held concentration of our mouths, driving my tongue against his in a battle for dominance. When I bit down on his bottom lip, he let out a growl that caused a rush of wet to drench my panties.

  “Say it again,” he gritted, his lips teasing mine as he spoke against them.

  “I love you,” I panted, desperate, eager, needy, all for him. “God, I love you.”

  Mace went positively feral at my declaration, nipping and sucking, his tongue tasting every inch of my mouth. The kiss was taking me so high and I never wanted to come down, but at the same time it wasn’t nearly enough. I needed more, more, more.

  I felt his feet bump something and didn’t have a clue what it was until we both started going down. He controlled the descent, one of his hands coming up to cushion my head as we fell onto the stairs, not having made it even two steps up before he took us to the floor.

  “Again,” he commanded, having broken the kiss in order to tear my shirt over my head.

  “I love you!” I said on a sharp exhalation when he yanked the cups of my bra down and sucked my nipple into his mouth. He lapped at each one, paying them equal attention and working me into a frenzy.

  “This’ll be fast, baby,” he grunted, making his way up my chest and neck, back to my mouth. “Need you too bad.”

  “I don’t care,” I insisted, tugging at any and every article of clothing I could get to so I could feel his skin. “Need it now.”

  “I’ll go slow later,” he vowed.

  Our hands went between our bodies, his working the button and zipper of his jeans, mine diving past the waistband and wrapping around his straining cock. “Fuck me,” he grunted.

  “That’s what I’m trying to do!” I cried in desperation.

  Mace’s eyes opened and gazed down at me with a smile. His pupils had blown, the black consuming the crystal-clear blue and making his desire known. “Pants off.”

  I didn’t bother balking at his commanding tone, just squirmed beneath him, undoing my own jeans and working them down my legs as he sat back on his haunches and fisted his rock-hard dick. My underwear went next, leaving me in nothing but my skimpy bra.

  He climbed back over me as soon as I kicked the scrap of lace off my foot, aligning himself with my entrance and driving in with a savagery that had me shouting in ecstasy.

  The edge of the steps dug into my back as he powered in and out, but I didn’t care. His growns mingled with my small gasps and whimpers as it started to build inside me.

  “Harder,” I demanded, reaching down and grabbing his ass, digging my nails into the tight flesh as he pumped into me with abandon.

  He wasn’t fucking me. He was claiming me. And I loved every goddamn minute of it. I wanted him to own me, to mark every part of me as his from now until forever.

  “Yes, honey,” I gasped, drawing closer and closer to that epic release I knew only he could give me. “Just like that. Don’t stop.”

  “Fuck, I love you,” he snarled, the power of his thrusts increasing in speed and intensity. “So goddamn perfect.”

  “I’m close. Oh god, Mace. I’m so close.” That tightening deep in my belly grew more and more acute until I feared I’d be swallowed me whole.

  One of his hands slid between us, and he pressed against my clit with the pad of his thumb. “Get there, Goldie.”

  And that was all it took. With a long moan, my walls clamped down around him and stars exploded behind my eyelids as it washed over me for what felt like hours.

  I finally drifted back down to earth just long enough to listen
and watch and feel as he reached for his own climax. And god, it was a thing of beauty. The cords in his neck strained, his jaw clenched, and his eyes went even darker. One, two, three more drives, and then he buried himself as deep as he could and poured himself inside me as he shoved his face into my neck and let loose a long, low, gravelly growl that sent an aftershock through my body.

  I held on to him as tight as I could as it finally left him and the muscles in his back loosened.

  I got those sweet, seductive blues back once he was able to lift his head and look down at me.

  “Hi,” I whispered, trailing my fingertips along his back beneath the cotton of his shirt.

  “Hi back,” he whispered with a soft grin as he brushed a tendril of hair from my forehead and tucked it behind me ear. “You love me?”

  “I do. You love me?”

  He dragged the tip of his nose along the side of mine and answered, “I do.”

  We watched each other just like that as one minute ticked into the next. Finally, he broke the silence by asking, “What’s on your mind, Goldie?”

  To which I answered, “You really shouldn’t leave so many lights on. Your electric bill is gonna go through the roof.”

  He burst into laughter, and that was almost as beautiful as how he looked when he came.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Lyla

  It was morning, but still too early for the sun to be making its appearance on the horizon. I lay in Mace’s bed, my naked body flush against his, half on and half off, staring out his bedroom windows at the twinkling stars in the black sky while my fingers drew lazy, nonsensical pattern on his chest.

  After making love on the stairs hours ago, we finally moved to his bedroom on the first floor for rounds two and three. And true to his word, he’d taken his time, building it up in me only to pull back over and over, torturing and teasing until I thought I’d scream or cry or beg, anything to get off.

  The whole experience had been nothing short of miraculous, and now that we’d worn each other out, we lay lazily, basking in the aftermath of the most intense night of my life.

  He was on his back, one arm resting casually behind his head and the other wrapped around me, his fingers doing much the same as mine and rubbing circles on my bare hip beneath the cool sheets. “What’s on that mind of yours, Goldie?”

  I smiled and hummed. “Nothing,” I murmured, bringing both my hands to his chest and propping my chin on the backs so I could look up at him. “Just happy. Really, really happy.”

  He smiled softly, brushing the hair from my face before shifting to wrap both arms around me. “I’m glad, baby.” Then the smile slowly melted away. “And I hate to do this, to break your happy when it’s only been a handful of hours, but we gotta talk about what happened.”

  I knew it was only a matter of time before the blissful little bubble we’d been in the past few hours would eventually have to be popped in order to let the real world in, so the blow wasn’t too bad. But still, I wish we’d had a bit more time.

  With a heavy sigh, I laid my cheek back on his chest and stared out the window once more as I began telling my story. “I started having doubts while we were still engaged. Little things that most everyone in a relationship deals with, but they weighed on me heavier than they should have. I blamed it on cold feet but it wasn’t that.”

  Mace gave me a squeeze before he started trailing a hand through my hair, sifting the length through his long fingers, silently soothing me as I spoke, providing me with comfort without me having to ask.

  “After we got married, it got even worse. He came from money, like serious money. But it turned out his dad acquired that kind of wealth not only by being an asshole, but an asshole so crooked he was the scum of the earth. The family company went under and, with that, their jobs. That’s when Daniel started spiraling. He refused to find another job, said his skills were too good for some pathetic, low-level desk job, and he wouldn’t debase himself like that. He started drinking more and more, spending his days and nights at the bar instead of job hunting or doing anything a loving, supportive husband would do for their wife.”

  “Fuck, baby. I’m sorry.”

  “I put up with it for years. I worked myself to the bone trying to make ends meet while he continued to spend like we had a goddamn money tree in the backyard. And he was mean,” I hissed. “He was a mean, bitter drunk. I finally had enough. I decided I was done, so I started packing my shit to leave. He came home plastered, and… well, that’s when….”

  I struggled to finish the sentence, swallowing down the well of emotion choking me.

  “It’s okay, Ly,” Mace said softly. “It’s okay.”

  “He put me in the hospital,” I admitted on a broken whisper, struggling to pull in a breath. “I blacked out after he was finished, and when I woke up he was gone. He just… left me there. I managed to drive myself to Will’s before passing out again. I spent that night and most of the next day in the hospital.”

  Mace’s entire body went solid as stone beneath me. I could practically feel the waves of rage rolling off him and crashing into me. “Please, Christ, please tell me his ass got locked up for what he did to you?”

  Sitting up, I wrapped the sheet around my chest. He moved as well, his strong, muscled chest and stomach rippling as he scooted up to sit against the headboard.

  Shame crept through my body as I said, “He was locked up for a day or two. I initially pressed charges, but when he agreed to give me what I wanted I dropped them.”

  His jaw ticked wildly. “What was it you wanted?”

  “Out. I wanted out, free and clear of all his bullshit and debt and all the filth tied to his and his family’s name. I walked out of that marriage with nothing, and that was exactly how I wanted it. It was that or have my credit shot. I’d have been drowning in debt up to my ears, and more than likely would’ve been forced to file bankruptcy. I chose to let the charges go if it meant not having to wait seven years to finally start repairing my life.”

  He watched me closely as the seconds ticked by before gritting out, “He should’ve paid.”

  “Hey.” Holding the sheet close, I scooched across the mattress on my knees. “Please understand,” I pleaded, placing my palm on his warm chest. “It was revenge or my piece of mind. I made the only choice I felt comfortable making. Please understand that.”

  Grasping my hand in his, he used the hold to pull me close. With the sheet still around me, I lifted one of my knees and straddled his legs, resting my behind on his thighs.

  “I understand,” he finally said, and my entire body sagged in relief. “I don’t like it, but I get it. And I don’t blame you.”

  Dropping my forehead against his chest, I sighed, “Thank you.”

  “But he’s gone, yeah? Out of the picture completely?”

  “Yes. Definitely. The divorce was finalized shortly after… shortly after Will died.”

  He lifted his hands, cupping both my cheeks and sliding his fingers into my hair. “I’m so sorry, baby. If I’d just—”

  “No,” I insisted. “Don’t do that. Don’t, Mace. I get why you pushed me away back then. I do. I don’t blame you, and none of what happened after was your fault.”

  He pulled me so we were nose-to-nose, a breath apart. “He wanted me for you,” he said softly.

  “What?”

  “Will. He wanted me for you. He wanted me to take care of you and protect you, and it fuckin’ kills me to find out I wasted so much goddamn time for nothing.”

  I shot up straight, eyes wide. “What? How did you… how do you know that?”

  “I only just found out when we went to San Francisco. I wanted to explain how I felt to your folks, to reassure them that I’d always look out for you. I told them I loved you, and they told me Will had always wanted us together and didn’t understand why it never happened.”

  My mouth dropped open in shock. “You… you told my parents you love me?”

  A smirk tugged at the corn
er of his mouth. “Yeah.”

  “My parents. You told my parents.”

  “Repeating the question won’t change my answer, baby.”

  I gaped some more. “But… that was a week and a half ago! You told my parents a week and a half ago, and you’re only telling me now?” I screeched. “What the hell, Mace!”

  His head fell back on a chuckle as he gathered me closer. I squirmed and struggled against him, but my heart definitely wasn’t in it. I gave in seconds later, letting him hold me against him. His body continued to shake with laughter while I glowered up at him sullenly. “I can’t believe you waited this long to tell me.”

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he replied, his perfect white teeth shining through his grin. “I was just tryin’ to get my shit together. I wanted to prove to you that I was worth the chance you’d be taking.”

  “Honey,” I said quietly, running my fingertips from his temple to his jaw. “I know you’re worth it. You always have been.”

  “You’ve been pushing me away for months.” I opened my mouth, but he kept talking before I could say anything. “And I get why. I got it then, but even more so now. Now that I know your ex was a drunk—”

  “I was scared,” I cut in, not wanting him to beat himself up. “I pushed you away because I was scared. And yes, the alcohol played a part in that, but I know you aren’t him.”

  “I’m not,” he asserted. “I’d never, ever touch you like he did. Never. You have my word. But I swear I’ll never drink another drop. I don’t want anything between us, baby. You’re more important than everything in my life, most especially alcohol. I’ll always put you first.”

  “Even before your cherished Gibson?” I asked, one corner of my mouth hooking up in a smirk.

  He returned my smile. “Even by Gibson, but that’s a very close second.” He laughed when I socked him in the gut, then sobered a second later. “I mean it, baby. It’s always been you.”

  “I know. I trust you.”

  “I swear, Lyla,” he insisted. “No more booze. I’m done with it.”

  That warmth that only Mace could create filled my chest, and I knew without a doubt that I’d made the right choice. It wouldn’t be perfect, but no relationship was. We’d have our ups and downs, we’d fight like any normal couple, but if we stuck together, we’d make it through.