by Kiera Silver
Larenz pushed away from the stool, stumbling slightly as he got to his feet. “I don’t have to listen to this from you two. I’m going home.”
“You’re not driving after all that whiskey. You can barely stand upright,” teased Dante.
“Fuck you. I’m not drunk. I just stumbled getting off the stool.” He strode from the bar, deciding to do the sensible thing and flag down a taxi instead of trying to drive in his current state. Maybe he was a little more intoxicated than he thought. There was clearly something wrong with him, making his decisions foggy. He’d much rather blame it on a few shots of whiskey than admit that the cold woman waiting for him at home had affected him so deeply.
A wave of sadness swept through him when he remembered just how hot she could be. During that first week with Grace, before she had learned the truth, she had been amazing and they had been amazing together. With a start, Larenz realized that was the happiest he had been in a long time.
“Fuck,” he said aloud.
The cabbie looked back in his direction. “You okay back there?”
“Just fucking fantastic,” said Larenz as he turned his gaze out the window. He was in no mood to talk to anyone, and he wished that he had skipped the conference with his brothers.
It was just after nine-thirty when Larenz entered the house, so he wasn’t surprised to find Grace sitting in the living room, though he was taken aback by the fact that she didn’t completely look through him or give him her ice maiden routine. Instead, her eyes met his as she got to her feet. “We need to talk,” she said.
He nodded his head. “Yeah, I guess we do.” During the cab ride home, he’d come to the realization that things couldn’t continue on as they were, and while he was in no mood to make spontaneous gestures of affection or confessions, he figured that he at least owed her an apology. “I’m sorry.” It was unexpectedly difficult to get those words out of his mouth.
She frowned, looking confused. “Sorry about what?” Her tone made it clear that his sins were numerous, and she was having a difficult time figuring out which one he was apologizing for.
He grimaced slightly. “I’m sorry I tricked you into this. I should have told you the truth upfront rather than trying to manipulate your emotions.”
She seemed surprised, but after a hesitation, she nodded. “Thank you.”
“What did you want to talk to me about?”
She licked her lips, and his greedy gaze couldn’t help following the motion of her tongue. It was difficult to focus on her words. Her face kept distracting him, along with the tempting contours of her luscious lips. It was when he realized that he’d do anything to taste those lips again that he admitted his brothers were right. He was in trouble and in way over his head.
“Well?” she asked impatiently.
He blinked. “Sorry. What?”
She let out an exasperated sigh. “Well, what you think about the situation now? Dad did his part, and I’ve done mine.”
He nodded, not at all sure what she was talking about, but certainly not about to admit that either. “It sounds fine.” He hoped that was a good response, but guessed not from the way she let out another irritated sigh. “Perfect even.”
She was perfect too. Her features, which he had once dismissed as on the plain side, were simply understated elegance. Her glossy brown hair was full of life, and he loved the way it twisted around his fingers when he ran his hands through it. He loved everything about her. Fuck. Before he could stop himself, he opened his mouth and said, “I love you, Grace.”
At exactly the same time, she said, “I want a divorce.”
“What?” they said simultaneously.
He shook his head. “What did you say?”
She looked uncertain, almost nervous. “I asked for a divorce. The terms of our agreement have ended, or they should have anyway. I did what you asked, and my father did as well. The family is safe, Dad has retired, and you don’t need me anymore.”
He smothered a curse before shaking his head. “No divorce.”
She glared at him. “There’s no reason to stay together.”
“I fucking love you, Grace, and you’re not going anywhere!”
She snorted. “You don’t love me. This is just some other manipulation tool.”
Pushed beyond the bounds of control, Larenz surged forward, and clamped his hands around her biceps as he pushed her back onto the couch. She landed with a small grunt, and he trapped his wife against the cushions, lying across her to keep her from wriggling away. “I’m not manipulating you.”
She thrashed underneath him, clearly in no mood to listen to his words. “Get off me!”
Desperation propelled him, and he bent his head to bring his mouth against hers. That was one time she couldn’t deny how she was feeling or push him away.
Grace tried to turn her head, clearly desperate to avoid his kisses. “No kissing!”
He ignored the edict, pressing his lips against her cheek before moving his mouth to the right in a series of small nibbles. She had her face pressed against the couch cushion, and there was nowhere else for her to go. A surge of victory filled him when he claimed her lips, though they remained stiff and rigid against his for several long moments.
He didn’t try to force a response. He simply kept kissing her, keeping their lips fused, though occasionally nibbling or sucking on her lower lip. She was trembling now, and her lips quivered as she fought to hold herself back and hide the way her body responded. Having her on the brink of capitulation made him feel shaky as well and it took all of his strength to keep his kisses coaxing, yet commanding. He had to shatter the icy façade behind which she hid, and this was the best way. Perhaps the only way.
She was stubborn, and she remained impassive underneath him for several minutes. Finally, with a small moan, her lips softened and molded to his, and when he pressed his tongue against the seam of her lips, they yielded to allow him entry into her mouth. He let out a sigh of his own, relieved to have broken down her defenses, hoping she would now be receptive to the truth.
He savored the taste of her as he put everything of himself into the kiss, needing her to believe that he was sincere in his love for her, and desperate to keep her. He wanted her to stay of her own volition, not because he had blackmailed her into agreeing to stay his wife.
Her body was soft and pliable under his now, and he could no longer resist the urge to let his mouth roam farther afield, moving first over her chin, and then down to her neck, where he nibbled and sucked lightly at the spot that seemed to drive her wild. Her hips bucked against him, and he knew he’d found the perfect place. He focused on that for a few moments, judging by the suddenly liquid state of her body that he was hitting all the right buttons, and she was soon blissed out on passion.
She had clearly prepared for bed, since she wore a soft bathrobe over a silky pajama set. His fingers were clumsy as he untied the robe, finally getting the knot on his third attempt before sliding open the lapels to reveal the pink satin beneath. It was more cute than sexy, but on her, it was the most irresistible thing he’d ever seen.
He tried sliding it up, but it caught at her rib cage, bunching in the back. Then he tried pushing down the neckline, but he still couldn’t reach her breasts. In a fit of frustration, he used his teeth to tear at the hem, before ripping open the garment with both hands. She let out a small cry of surprise, but she didn’t seem to be frightened of his actions, and she was still clearly immersed in the sensations overwhelming her body.
Larenz fell forward, his mouth seeking out one of her breasts, tongue lapping the taut bud before he began to suckle. She whimpered and arched her hips as her fingers threaded through his hair, holding him against her. He would have chuckled with victory, but he was too far-gone to be capable of that. He simply wanted to taste all of her and immerse himself in his wife until he couldn’t tell where he ended and she began.
With his other hand, he caressed the neglected breast before switching his attention t
o that one. The way she writhed and moaned underneath him was driving him wild, and Larenz wasn’t certain how much longer he could hold on. He didn’t want to rush her or this moment, because he knew that everything was riding on it. Physical pleasure was how they had connected in the first place, and it was how they would reconnect.
He could lock her up and hide her from the world, keeping her from escaping him, but even if he did that, she would never truly be his. She had to want to stay, and she had to submit to her own need for him, to embrace whatever she felt for him. He hoped it was love, or at least close to it. She must have felt something for him once, and deeply, since she had taken a huge gamble by marrying him. He had screwed that up, but he was determined to make it right and keep them together.
It was torture tearing his mouth away from her breast, but the enticement of even sweeter flesh waiting below finally spurred him to do so. Larenz ran his tongue down her abdomen, smiling when her stomach quivered underneath his touch, and she moaned again. Her hand was still in his hair, and she was tugging sharply, enough to make his scalp sting, but he didn’t protest.
His hands made short work of the pajama bottoms, sliding the shorts down her hips and under her buttocks before pulling them down her legs. He managed to free one ankle before he abandoned the task to return to the slick spot between her legs. He propped her thigh on his shoulder before burying his face in the heated flesh of her pussy.
He savored the musky sweetness he found there as he licked and sucked every exposed inch of her. Her taste was addictive, and he was certain that he would never get enough. If Grace insisted on leaving him, he was going to be a bitter man with only memories of the sweetest pussy he’d ever tasted to keep him going.
She had both hands in his hair now, and she was frantically riding his face as he slipped his tongue down her slit, and plunged it into her opening before swiping his tongue upward again and sucking carefully on her clit. Her entire body spasmed as she started to cum, and she cried out his name as she reached her climax. Her fingernails dug sharply into his scalp, making him wince, but he didn’t break the rhythm he’d established. He simply eased down so she wouldn’t be overwhelmed, and the pleasure wouldn’t turn to pain on her sensitive flesh. He didn’t stop though. He wanted her revved up and on the edge of orgasm at any moment.
His intention of ravishing her with his mouth until she was a pile of goo fled when she spoke. “Need you… Please…”
He didn’t have to be asked twice, and he somehow managed to push down his pants without leaving his perch between her legs. He felt like an uncouth teenager as he angled his cock to take possession of her, still fully dressed. He couldn’t deny that he was eager for her though, and the idea of separating from her even long enough to take off his clothes was unbearable.
Instead, he surrendered to the need in her eyes, which was the same need that thundered through him, and slid into her welcoming heat. She was slick from her pleasure, and he didn’t think he was imagining that her pussy felt softer, hotter, and more welcoming than it had been for weeks.
He started out slowly, surging fully into her before withdrawing almost completely and repeating the motion again. She rocked against him, her thighs clamping around his waist, clearly determined to keep him with her. Since he had no intention of going anywhere, he reveled in having her twined around him.
Soon enough, the pace escalated, and the rhythm he’d set became jerky and unfocused. Somehow, she still managed to match each thrust of his hips, clinging to him as he thrust in and out of her. When he reached the pinnacle, he pushed as deeply inside as he could, unleashing his release as her fluttering pussy tightened around him, and her low, keening moan told him that she was cumming too.
It was an intense climax, made even more enthralling by the look in her eyes when her gaze locked with his. She didn’t look away, and she didn’t shy away when he bent his head at an awkward angle to kiss her again. She responded with enthusiasm, moving a hand from his back to his hair to anchor him against her.
She hadn’t spoken any words yet, but he didn’t think he was fooling himself by believing that she wouldn’t leave now. Words would come later, but right now, he needed as much of her as he could have, having been deprived of the connection for far too long. Perhaps she felt the same way, because she clung to him as he awkwardly got up from the couch, never loosening his hold on his wife as he climbed the stairs to his room, where he took her and laid down with her on the bed. Having her back in the room felt right, and he was certain she was back where she belonged. He could only hope it was permanently, and that she had no plans to try to leave him again.
Chapter Eight
Something woke Grace in the early hours of the morning. A quick glance at the clock revealed it was just after four, and she started to sit up, trying to determine what had awakened her. Larenz’s arm was draped across her body and as she moved, his arm clenched tighter around her, as though he was unable to let go of her even in his sleep.
The digital clock on the nightstand provided the only illumination, so she couldn’t clearly see his features, but she could imagine they were etched with exhaustion, and she remembered how tired they had both been the last time they’d made love. Their lovemaking had been slow and drawn out, with each of them appreciating the other’s every line and curve, and she was certain that she had fallen straight to sleep after her final orgasm had ebbed away.
She reached over to turn on the lamp, stretching awkwardly over Larenz’s body. As soon as the light came on, she let out a startled gasp and reflexively clutched the blanket to her chest to hide her nakedness. “Dad? What are you doing here!?”
The gun in her father’s hand made it obvious exactly why he had come into Larenz’s room in the middle of the night. If it had been a different night, she wouldn’t have been there. He could have shot her husband while he slept. The thought sent a cold chill through her. “You can’t do this.”
Larenz started to stir, his hand on her waist moving higher to cup her breast.
“Larenz, wake up,” she said firmly. Her gaze never left her father and the gun he held pointed roughly in Larenz’s direction. “How did you get in here? Larenz has people all around the estate!”
Her father made a scoffing sound. “I was on the SWAT team for ten years before I entered the administrative side, in case you’ve forgotten, young lady.”
She gave him a small smile, reluctantly proud of him even under the circumstances. “Dad... you shouldn’t be here.”
Larenz was clearly awake now, though he hadn’t moved. When she glanced down at him, she could see his eyes were open just barely. He was in a watchful state, apparently having grasped the situation even without fully opening his eyes.
“You said it yourself, Grace, that you’d be better off without Larenz. This is the only way I can free you, baby. My life is over now. My career is over, and this bag of shit managed to turn me into that same level of scum as he is. Believe me when I say that it will be my pleasure to free you from his clutches.”
She couldn’t allow him to shoot Larenz. The idea of Larenz being injured or even killed nearly crippled her with grief. Her father brought up the gun and focused more carefully on Larenz.
“I don’t want to be without Larenz, Dad. He’s my husband, and I’m not leaving him.”
Her father looked stunned. “That’s impossible! He manipulated you! He used your family as a threat against you. You told me yourself he threatened to kill us all if you tried to leave him.”
She nodded, knowing she had to reconcile that side of Larenz with the one she knew from only a few hours ago. “I know, and that’s the truth. I think he meant it at the time, or at least I believed he did. I can’t help how I feel though, and I don’t want anything to happen to him.”
Her father ran a hand through his nearly white hair, shaking his head in frustration. “This is ridiculous. I know you. As soon as he’s gone, you’ll snap out of whatever he’s done to you! He doesn’t deserve to li
ve!”
It was strange that even earlier today, she probably would have agreed with her father, though she still would have tried to stop him from shooting Larenz. “You can’t shoot him, not in cold blood. This isn’t you, Dad. You’ve spent your whole life upholding the law and trying to get justice for people.”
He snorted. “Clearly, I’ve wasted my life. There’s no justice in a situation like this, sweetheart. It all comes down to revenge.”
Larenz chose that moment to speak. “If that were the case, you would have already shot me and been gone by now. Why don’t you put down the gun, Philip, and we’ll figure this out like adults?”
“Don’t provoke him,” she hissed at her husband, glaring down at him when his eyes opened fully and met hers. All she wanted to do in that moment was throttle him.
Larenz looked unconcerned as he carefully sat up, still keeping her hand in his even after he had settled against the headboard. He eyed Philip as though he were the one in command, despite his lack of weapon or clothing. “Put away the gun.”
Her father’s hand trembled for just a second before it steadied. “I can’t do that. I need to free my daughter.”
Larenz sighed softly. “I appreciate that you’re trying to protect her, but you don’t need to protect her from me. I love Grace, and I would die for her. I know you feel the same way, so let’s try to meet on some common ground for Grace’s sake. You don’t want her last memory of you be anything close to this. We’re at a stalemate.”
She watched her father carefully, seeing the beads of perspiration collecting on his forehead. She wasn’t as confident as Larenz that he wouldn’t shoot, especially if he thought he was protecting her. “Please don’t, Dad. I do love Larenz, and I want to be with him. I’d like us all to be able to get along.”