by Snow,Jenika
“Honestly? Not really.” She smiled again, but now it seemed tight.
She had something on her mind that was clear. Of course, he thought the worst about what the fuck was going on, that someone was fucking with her, even if she’d said things were good.
“I wasted your time?” she asked honestly, sincerely.
“Never.” They were silent for long seconds, and he started speaking again. “How about a ride?”
Bad idea. Being alone with her is such a bad fucking idea, yet I want to be alone with her. I want it to just be the two of us.
She didn’t answer right away, but then she nodded, that small smile on her face again. “I’d like that, and some privacy might make this easier.”
His heart thundered at her words.
Make this easier?
Before he could make a move to the car, she was walking toward him. His body tensed, and then the scent of her filled his head. She smelled sweet, like warmed sugar and chocolate. And as he looked down at her and she looked up at him, every part of him roared to just pull her into the hardness of his body, to see if she felt as soft as she looked.
She’d be so much softer. I know it.
And then she pressed against him, wrapped her small arms around his waist, and rested her head on his chest. He was frozen, every muscle in his body tight.
“Don’t you want to hug me back?” she whispered, and he closed his eyes. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. This felt right, but he knew it couldn’t last.
He gripped her shoulders, curled his fingers into her soft flesh, and as much as he wanted to pull her in close, he pushed her back. “Let’s get you in the car.” He helped her into the passenger side. He stared at her as she climbed in, her legs lean, long. She wore a longer skirt, and fuck, did she look good in it.
And her ankles … so fragile, small, did something intense to him.
He shut the door before he could look at her anymore, and made his way around to the driver’s side. He knew where to take her, where they could talk. Maybe it was best they did this without an audience, because he sure as fuck didn’t know how he’d react once he finally told her he was walking away for good.
It might have been years that they hadn’t seen each other, but Wrath hadn’t planned to walk away from Lila.
Not until now.
It’s for the best.
He kept telling himself that, like it would change the fact giving her up, even if she’d never really been his, was for the best.
Once in the car he started the engine and pulled away from the restaurant. Wrath didn’t know how long he drove, but he found himself about twenty minutes outside of the city, close to where his house was which meant they were out in the middle of nowhere.
“Can you pull over so we can talk?” Lila asked. “I figured it’s best if we aren’t moving.” She smiled, but it didn’t meet her eyes.
He glanced at her, but then nodded. Wrath took a left, followed a dirt road for a minute, and then cut the engine. It was clear from the underbrush and overgrown trees and bushes this road wasn’t driven on a lot.
“Lila, I’m going to ask you once more.” He turned and faced her as much as he could given the fact he was in a car. “Did someone fuck with you? Because I’m getting a pretty intense vibe coming from you.” He felt his anger rise at just the thought, but then she placed her hand over his, and everything in him stilled.
“No, that’s not why I wanted to speak with you.” She stared in his eyes, and all he wanted to do was drag her across the seat and claim her mouth with his.
“Then what’s wrong?” He was starting to really freak the fuck out, because this wasn’t like her. They hadn’t spoken in years before the Spike incident, and even after that they didn’t speak much.
He wanted to give her time to tell him, but deep down he wanted to roar out and demand to know who had been fucking with her.
Chapter Five
Wrath looked insane, like he wanted to really hurt someone.
And Lila knew he would, without a doubt, kill a person that had done her wrong. He’d proved that countless times throughout the years.
He was worried about her, and she knew she had to have strength to get through this. No matter what happened tonight, even if it ended up Wrath didn’t want what she did, Lila still had to do this.
“Talk to me, Lila, because I’m getting pretty fucking crazy right now thinking of a lot of bad shit.”
He had one hand still on the steering wheel, and she saw his knuckles were white from how hard he held it.
Just do it. Say what you have to say. This doesn’t have to be suspenseful or drama filled.
She took a deep breath and just did it, said what she had come out here to say.
“I love you,” she finally whispered, her voice not rising any higher. For a second he didn’t move, didn’t even blink.
“I love you, too, Lila.”
Her throat tightened. She knew he loved her, just as Tank loved her.
Lila shook her head, cleared her throat, and said, “No, Wrath. I’m in love with you.” She saw the way his jaw clenched, knew he was surprised, but he didn’t move or speak for long seconds.
“What?” he asked in this deep, gravelly voice.
She swallowed past the lump in her throat before she spoke again. “Yeah,” she said in a tight voice, so worried about how this would play out. “I’m in love with you. I’ve been in love with you for a long time, but I didn’t want things to get ruined… I didn’t want you to end up breaking my heart, Wrath.” She licked her lips, glad she was honest with him. There only needed to be the truth between them.
He closed his eyes and made this gruff sound. “Fuck, Lila,” he finally said after several long seconds. When he opened his eyes she saw this war playing behind the darkness. “This wasn’t how things were supposed to go tonight,” he said, and she hated that he looked so torn.
I’ve fucked this up.
No, she didn’t. Because even if things didn’t work out, which they looked like they weren’t going to, she was glad she’d told him.
“I wanted you to know, Wrath. I wanted you to really understand how I feel … how I’ve always felt. I’ve just been too afraid of my emotions, and the life you lead to allow myself to have the strength to say anything.” There, it was all out in the open. But he didn’t respond for long seconds, and the intensity in the car grew. “I wasted so much time not saying anything.”
She took that moment to look at him, to really look at him. His hair was dark and short, and his facial bone structure masculine, cut like it had been chiseled. A strong, straight nose, a square jaw, and a day’s worth of scruff covering his cheeks and chin had heat licking over her and settling right between her thighs.
He wore a pair of faded jeans, ones that molded to his muscular thighs, and looked well worn in. The white button down shirt he wore was undone at the collar, and she saw the tattoos that snaked up his thickly corded neck. She’d seen him plenty of times without a shirt on, knew he was covered in ink. There wasn’t a spot on his arms or chest, not even his back, that wasn’t covered in a tattoo.
She’s always found that highly arousing.
Looking at the hand still wrapped around the steering wheel, she ran her gaze over the tattoos that covered the back of his hand and ran up his forearm. God, the images she conjured of what he would do with those long fingers, and at how much power he could exude. Following the ink over his forearm, and finally looking at his face, she saw he watched her. His eyes were heavy-lidded, and this low, deep sound came from him.
“Wrath?” she whispered, but before she could say anything else he reached up and cupped her cheek. He rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip, back and forth, he focused on her eyes. Her breaths became shallow, quick. They stayed silent, just looking at each other, and as much as she wanted him to say something, anything, the silence stretched on.
“You have no idea how long I waited to hear you say that,” he final
ly said. “You have no idea how long I imagined you with me.” He lowered his gaze to her lips, and another deep sound left him. “I’ve been so fucking in love with you for years, Lila.” He looked into her face again, the truth right there in his expression.
Oh my God. Is this really happening?
“You’ve been the one I’ve wanted … the only one I’ve ever wanted, Lila.” And then he cupped her nape and pulled her in close so his lips were on hers.
She felt herself melting into him and moaned against his mouth. He swiped his tongue out, ran it over her bottom lip, and the groan that left him had her nipples hardening and her pussy becoming wet.
Lila couldn’t help herself. She tilted her head and moved closer. He speared his hands in her hair, caressing her scalp as their tongues stroked along each other. It started out slow at first, but with each passing second the passion grew until she wanted to feel his hardness against her softness.
This had been a long time coming.
“I want you, Wrath,” she whispered, and a second later this harsh growl left him and he hauled her across the seat and onto his lap. A startled, pleasure-filled sound left her throat. He grabbed her hips and pressed her down … right on his huge, hard cock.
“Fuck,” he said and lifted his hips, grinding his shaft against her pussy. A gasp left her, and a shot of pleasure filled her. He pulled back, and this flash of disappointment filled her.
“Wrath? What’s wrong?” She heard the breathy quality in her voice. “You don’t want this?” Lila had her hands on his shoulders, the muscles under her touch flexing, tight. He clenched his jaw, and she felt his cock jerk. She bit her lip to hold off on moaning.
“Oh, I fucking want this, Lila.” He sounded like some kind of crazed animal. “You want this?” he asked, and she nodded instantly.
“I want this.” She’d always wanted this, but she’d been such a fool.
He rested his forehead against hers, closed his eyes, and they shared the same air. “I’m so wrong for you,” he whispered, as if to himself.
“Be with me, Wrath.” She looked in his eyes. “We’ve wasted so much time as it is.”
He groaned again, and she knew he wouldn’t deny either of them.
“This is a bad idea, but hell, I won’t stop this.” He cupped her cheek. “But I’m not about to take you in my fucking car, Lila,” he growled out, and she knew this very well might be a bad idea.
But God, did it feel so right.
Chapter Six
Wrath could have taken her ten times over back at the car, but Lila deserved so much better.
This is a bad fucking idea.
Yeah, it was, because this wasn’t what he’d planned on doing. This wasn’t how he’d seen this night going. He’d planned on telling her he was walking away. Not that he had thought it would have changed anything, but telling her that he couldn’t be around her because he was a selfish bastard seemed like the best route.
I could have just disappeared without doing all of this, cut all ties with her and Tank. It would have saved him from any confrontation, from breaking down and giving in to her.
Just like I’m doing now.
But when she’d told him she was in love with him, all common sense had left him. Wrath didn’t want to let her go, even if it was the best option for her.
He closed the front door, set the Bentley keys on the table beside him, and stared at Lila. He’d only been about twenty minutes from his house—one of many that he owned. They hadn’t spoken the entire time, but the heat in the car, the arousal he’d felt come from her had been tangible.
She walked around, checking everything out, and he let her. Hell, he was checking her out in the process.
“Your house is incredible.”
It’s just things, Lila.
You’re incredible. You’re what’s important.
His whole life he’d worked for what he had, gathered possessions, ruled over this world he’d created. But when it came to Lila she was the only thing that mattered. At the end of the day this was just shit he’d surrounded himself with to fill this dark, bottomless hole in his soul.
“Come here,” he said, his voice low, husky. He should go slow with her, cherish her for hours, but he couldn’t control himself right now.
She turned around and moved a few steps closer. The images of her on top of him in the Bentley played through his head. She was gorgeous, with her hair now down and hanging around her shoulders, the waves looking messy like she’d had the wind blowing through it.
“It’s only ever been you,” he said, and he saw her throat work as she swallowed. “Come closer, Lila.” She did as he said until she was a foot from him. The air around him was charged, and the scent of her, so sweet, so intoxicating, filled his head. He felt drunk, high, hell, he felt like he wasn’t even on solid ground with her standing so close.
“Wrath,” she whispered his name, and he forced himself not to close his eyes at the sound.
“You sure you want this?” he asked, wanting her to be sure. “I can take you home, let you be with Faye, and leave my world, all the corrupt and violent things that entails, behind.” She shook her head before he even finished.
“No. I want this. Faye is with Bunny and Tank.” She licked her lips as she stared up at him.
She was so much shorter than his six-foot-six frame. Hell, she was fragile in comparison.
“Tank knows where I am, who I’m with.” She looked down at his mouth, and he could have groaned at that fact. “He knows I’m safe with you,” she whispered. She took a step closer.
The air was so hot, so charged between them. They didn’t speak for long seconds, and all Wrath could do, all he was able to do, was breathe in her scent. He was so high from it, from the look she gave him, that he wanted to strip her naked and devour her. His cock was hard, the fucker pressing against his fly, demanding to be out and buried between her lush thighs.
And the way she looked at him … fuck, she looked like she wanted him to do just that.
Wrath knew once they started this he wouldn’t be able to stop.
He couldn’t.
****
This was really happening, and Lila wasn’t going to back out. She wasn’t going to think about the repercussions of being with Wrath, that giving herself over, surrendering fully, might cause this rift between them.
This was crossing lines.
Lines that I put up.
Lines that I can cross at anytime I want.
“The way you’re looking at me is very dangerous, Lila.” Wrath’s voice was low and rough, like sandpaper moving along her body.
She shivered.
“What way?” she whispered, her fingers itching to touch him, to unbutton his shirt and see all that smooth, hard, and tattooed skin. Maybe she was playing with fire, tempting a dangerous beast, but she couldn’t help it. She didn’t want to help it.
“You’re looking at me like you want me to devour every inch of you.” He took a step closer. “You’re looking at me like you want me to fuck you until you can’t walk straight, Lila.”
Her heart pounded so hard that she felt like it would burst right through her chest. Wrath’s eyes were lowered and trained on her lips, and she felt them part under the weight of his stare. They tingled, warmed for a taste of him.
He was so ruggedly handsome, so masculine and raw, that Lila wasn’t going to deny herself the one thing she wanted the most, the one thing she’d wanted for so damn long: Wrath.
She saw the tightness in his expression, and knew he was fighting himself for this. She didn’t know why, didn’t want to force him into this, or make him feel like he had to be with her to make her feel good. But she also didn’t want to stop.
No, I want Wrath because he wants me just as much.
She opened her mouth, maybe to tell him that, but before a word came out Wrath made this gruff sound and pulled her forward. Wrath had his hand on her nape, yanked her forward so she collided with his wide, muscular chest, and
leaned in close.
“Once we do this, there’s no going back.” He looked her right in the eyes. “I can’t stop, Lila.”
She licked her lips and nodded again. “I don’t want you to stop.”
“Christ,” he growled out, and then slammed his mouth on hers.
Kissing Wrath was like falling over the edge of a cliff and not caring if she hit the bottom. He pulled back far too soon, and she sucked in a gasp of air. Her mouth tingled, felt swollen, and the spicy flavor of Wrath filled her mouth. Lila wanted him to be with her in the way he wanted, even if she knew it would be crazy intense. She wanted him to be himself, wanted that power, that strength to have her submitting to him in a purely feminine way. It was only Wrath that could evoke so many emotions in her, and she wanted to explore that in the most physical of ways.
“Be with me,” she whispered against his mouth, telling him again she wanted this so badly. She was becoming frenzied, her body heated, her mind submitting.
Wrath groaned. “I’m going to have my way with you, Lila.”
God, yes.
Nothing else mattered except right now.
“Tell me how much you fucking want this, baby.” He cupped each side of her face and breathed hard against her mouth. “I need to hear you say it.”
His breath brushed along her lips, and a small sound left her. Here and now, she felt very helpless with this very dominant man, with the one person she’d been madly in love with nearly her whole life.
Her mind and body were already in submission.
She wanted to feel him slide his cock deep inside of her. He would be huge between his thighs, that she had no doubts about, and Lila ached to feel the stretch and burn of Wrath claiming her.
God, I’m so wet for him.
“I want you,” she said on a breath. “I want this, Wrath. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything as much as I’ve wanted this.” They stared at each other, and he let out this deep sound from his chest. “I want you, in any way, Wrath. I want the real you.”
He didn’t speak for long seconds, but finally he leaned in and kissed her on the lips. “I need to be gentle, sweet with you—”