VIPER (Fallen Angel Book 2)

by Brooke Blaine

  Viper’s lips were slick and swollen from my attack, his jet-black hair pushed behind one ear while strands on the other side had escaped to fall down and shadow those broody eyes, and there was no resisting him.

  And that was the problem. I hadn’t been able to resist Viper. From the very beginning I’d been intrigued, and ever since then I’d gotten in deeper and deeper with him, fooling myself that I could be as cool about this as he was. That I could be just as casual about sharing his bed, his life, his body, and then walk away—but no.

  I had gone and done the unthinkable. I’d fallen for Viper even after he’d told me not to, and now here I was saying goodbye to a person I would forever be close to, but never again in the way I wanted to be. And I knew if I didn’t take this moment, if I didn’t allow myself this goodbye, I would regret it for the rest of my life.

  I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t want to hear his I’m sorry or this is how it has to be. All of the words that needed to be said had been said, and those that hadn’t were swirling in Viper’s eyes for me to see. Apology. Regret. Desire and need. It was that last one that had me taking a step forward, so I could pull him back in and say goodbye without words.

  Viper opened to me in an instant, just as he always had, allowing me to dive in and explore him in a way that no one had ever done in my life. I slid the hand on his neck up into his hair and tightened, and when he dug his fingers into my hips, I slammed my body up against his and tangled our tongues together.

  Viper groaned and angled his head, deepening the kiss, as he began to walk forward and move me back to the concrete wall, where he pinned me in place and held my face steady. Then he fused our mouths together again in a kiss that felt like a battle, trying to see who could make the other give in first, and tonight I wasn’t holding back.

  I twisted my hand in Viper’s hair and pulled hard, making him grunt and raise his head, and the fierce, untamed light in his eyes flipped some kind of switch in me. With my gaze locked on his, I was the one to torment this time. I slowly slid my other hand down to his jeans and began to rub, squeeze, and massage the erection I could feel pushing up against me, until a tortured groan rumbled from Viper’s throat.

  The sound was so damn sexy that I did it again, wanting to memorize it, and this time Viper’s hips began to move against my palm until he was all but fucking my hand through the denim. He planted his hands on either side of my head against the wall, his eyes not leaving mine, and when that was no longer enough, I dropped my hand so Viper could move between my legs and press that hard cock of his up against me, then I took his lips in a savage kiss.

  As he shoved his tongue between my lips, I moaned, the taste of him something I would never get enough of and never be able to forget. But all of this still wasn’t enough for me. This wasn’t how it was going to end.

  Viper destroying me.

  Viper making my knees weak.

  Viper overwhelming every single one of my senses until I didn’t know anything other than him—no. Tonight I wanted to be the one to destroy. The one to overwhelm.

  I pushed off the wall, the adrenaline rushing through me now as I grabbed hold of Viper’s shirt and tore my lips free. In an instant, I saw the question stop? enter his eyes, but that was the last thing I wanted.

  Catching Viper off guard, I pivoted so our positions were reversed, but even that wasn’t enough, because the truth was that I didn’t want to stop tonight until I’d marked Viper the same way he’d marked me.

  As I muscled him back to the wall, Viper’s nostrils flared, my domineering actions inflaming his arousal in a way I’d never expected. His lips were pulled tight in a thin line, his jaw ticked, and his eyes were so dark they were practically black. He moved his hand to his jeans, and as he flicked them open and drew the zipper down, I did the same. But when he went to shove his hand inside, I reached out and wrapped my fingers around his wrist—tight.

  Viper’s eyes shifted to where I held his arm between us, and when he raised them back to me and arched an eyebrow, it was like the gunshot at the start of a race.

  I yanked him off the wall and spun him around to face it, and this time when I crowded in behind him, I left no space between us. Viper let out a grunt as his front side came up flush against the concrete, and the sound that left me was a feral noise I’d never heard before.

  I gripped Viper’s hips and plastered myself against every hard inch of his strong backside, then I shut my eyes and took a deep inhale of his shampoo. The same shampoo I’d used just last night. But I shoved that thought aside, not allowing myself to think of then. Instead, staying firmly in the now, I wound an arm around Viper’s waist and found his open jeans.

  A hiss of air left Viper as I slid my fingers beneath his briefs and curled them around his stiff dick. I bucked forward in response, stroking him up and down as I ground up against his ass in an effort to get some relief. The thrill at having him in this position was as much of a rush as pulling that response from him.

  I’d wanted Viper like this for a long time but never had the courage to act on it, because Viper had always been larger than life. He’d always been the Viper. A mystery I didn’t understand. A legend no one could get close to. But here, up against this wall, Viper was just a man who wanted another man—me. The man he’d hurt and pushed away because he was so damn scared to care about another person, and now he’d hurt me to the point where I wanted to hurt him right back. Even more fucked up than that? I also wanted to love him. But since he wouldn’t let me do that, I’d settle for something in between.

  I released my hold of his cock and shoved my hand into the pocket of his jeans, and when Viper glanced over his shoulder at me, I wondered if he was about to tell me to stop. He didn’t, though, merely eyed me in silence as I found what I was looking for and pulled his wallet free.

  Viper swallowed as I flipped it open and got out what I knew was in there, and when I dropped his wallet to the ground and tugged his jeans and briefs down under his ass, I drove my hips forward, and Viper thrust back to meet me. That was all the permission I needed.

  I brought the condom packet to my lips and tore it open with my teeth, our eyes connected and my intention clear as I freed my dick and suited up. Viper cursed and shut his eyes as I slicked my throbbing length with the lube he’d carried with him tonight—no doubt with the goal of using it on me, but he was in luck. Tonight he’d fucked me with no need for any of that, leaving them handy for himself.

  Don’t think about that, I told myself. You’ll have plenty of time to hate him and yourself later. Right now? Right now he’s here…

  Take him.

  I took in Viper’s broad shoulders in his leather jacket, and the jeans pulled down under his bare ass, and it didn’t escape me that he was now groaning and fisting his dick. His cheek was pressed to the wall, his eyes were shut, and he was about as vulnerable as a person could get in that moment, and I knew this was something he didn’t give over easily, this trust—and that was what made his denial of this, us, so fucking infuriating.

  Viper wanted me. He cared deeply about me. I knew it. He knew it. But the stubborn motherfucker would rather die than say it out loud. There was only one reason he’d followed me home tonight after our argument. One reason he was now standing on my rooftop letting me have whatever I wanted. Viper had needed to see me, needed to touch me, as much as I needed him—and damn him for that.

  As my frustration at the situation once again roared to the surface, I stroked my slick fingers down Viper’s heated channel and pressed the pads of my fingers to his entrance just as he did whenever he stretched me, and a throaty rumble of pleasure left Viper.

  I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the way that sound made my heart flip in my chest. But it was no use. No matter how mad I was at him, no matter how much I wanted to hurt him, I would never do it with my hands.

  As I eased my finger inside him, the sensation of his body stretching around me made me imagine how that would feel around my dick. T
hen Viper shoved back, and I took that as a sign for more. I moved my hand, sliding my finger in and out before adding a second, and I knew the sounds coming from Viper would forever be ingrained in my mind.

  When his hand landed on my thigh and squeezed, my eyes flew open and I saw Viper looking back at me, his eyes pleading for more, begging me to take him, to make him forget every shitty thing we’d said and done to each other tonight.

  So I pulled my fingers free, and as the head of my cock bumped up against his entrance, Viper’s jaw bunched, and he tore his eyes from mine. I glanced down at where our bodies were connected, and then I gripped the leather covering his shoulder and slowly eased my way inside him.

  As the hot, tight fit of Viper’s body surrounded me, I realized what a gigantic mistake this was. The pleasure was almost too much to take, and I had to shut my eyes to fight back the orgasm that was threatening to explode just from being granted entrance.

  I dug my fingers into his shoulder and moved my other hand to the bare skin of his hip, and when I finally bottomed out, I couldn’t hold back the groan of total ecstasy that racked my body. Viper felt incredible. I felt incredible. And I knew that when this was over, nothing was ever going to compare to how I felt right here in this moment, with him.

  Viper groaned, and when I saw his arm move, working his dick, I braced my feet and pulled back, withdrawing my cock to the tip before I tunneled back inside. The ball-tingling pleasure I got from the way Viper took me had nothing on the loud shout as Viper shoved back until his back was flush with my front and I held him there, wrapping my arm over his shoulder and across his chest.

  Viper’s head fell back as he started to feverishly jack himself off, and I began to move in time with him, giving sharp thrusts that had him cursing me, even as he turned his head in my direction.

  His lust-filled eyes found mine, and the rampant desire there had my arousal hitting an all-time high, and I slammed our mouths together. We bit, licked, and sucked at one another as Viper fucked his fist and I fucked him, our onslaught of one another relentless. And as the pleasure became too intense and the emotions too much to bear, we both gave in to the battle. We surrendered with a litany of curses that soon faded into the night, leaving us standing there in silence, surrounded by the darkness that had come to hang over this relationship.

  As the enormity of what I’d just done—what I’d allowed myself to do and feel after the way he’d treated me—slammed home, so did all the hurt and anger. It rushed in like a tidal wave as I pulled free of his body and rolled the condom off. I zipped my jeans and saw that Viper was doing the same, and when he turned around, I steeled myself against that face, those eyes, the body mine so desperately wanted in every way, and said goodbye the only way I knew Viper would understand.

  “There. Now we’re both just a fuck.”

  Forty-One

  Halo

  “OH MY GOD, there’s press waiting for you,” Imogen said as the car slowed to a stop in front of the venue for Fallen Angel’s Corruption pre-release party.

  As I looked out the tinted windows of the Mercedes, I could see the red carpet that led up to the building, and on either side, a surprising number of photographers, reporters, and fans—none of which I’d expected, because shit, I’d never done this before. I knew there’d be industry people inside, but was I supposed to stop and talk to these guys too?

  “Just smile and be your charming self,” Imogen said, as if she could sense my sudden nerves. “You’ll be fine. And I’ll be right behind you.”

  “Shit, Im…” My hands grew sweaty, and I wiped them on my pants. Why hadn’t the guys given me a heads-up? And why had MGA thought it’d be a good idea to have us all ride separately?

  I didn’t have time to dwell on that, because the driver was opening the door, and unless I wanted to spend the evening hiding in the back seat, I needed to make a move. I took a deep breath and let it out in a rush, and then I stepped out of the car and buttoned my suit jacket as camera flashes blinded me. It was all I could do not to squint under the assault on my eyes, and I somehow managed a smile and a wave before turning back to help Imogen out of the car.

  We’d both dressed to the nines tonight—she wore a floor-length strapless emerald dress that matched her eyes, and I’d chosen an all-black suit, forgoing the tie and switching out the collared shirt for a black T-shirt so it didn’t look too overdone and formal. It also happened to match my mood.

  Imogen took hold of my arm, and off we went, stopping every few feet to pose for the cameras, pretending to know what the hell we were doing. As one of the reporters approached, Imogen gave me a gentle squeeze of reassurance, but there were no tough, hard-hitting questions tonight. They wanted to know what to expect from the album, how I felt about joining the band, and who the “lovely lady on my arm” was. It didn’t escape me that once I introduced Imogen as my sister, the questions turned toward my personal life, if I was single, what my type was, and if I had a celebrity crush.

  Yeah, I have a celebrity crush, all right, I thought, as another Mercedes stopped in front of the red carpet. When the door opened, I could see a dark head of hair, entirely too familiar, and the breath left my body.

  Viper stepped out of the car, clearly not giving a fuck about the dress code, because he wore a pair of dark jeans and boots paired with a plain white tee and black leather jacket, and fuck, the memory of him paled to the real thing. It’d been days since I’d seen him—since I’d fucked him on the roof of my building—but it felt like years. God, seeing him in person now put me right back there, back to the way I’d sought to punish him the way he’d punished me. It’d clearly been a goodbye if ever there was one, which only became more apparent as the days passed and neither of us reached out to the other.

  I hated it. I hated every second of hating him, because the truth was that I didn’t hate him at all. He’d been upfront from the get-go, and I was the one who’d turned it into more, and though that didn’t excuse his shitty behavior, the days apart had allowed me to see things a bit more clearly. So, no, it wasn’t anger I felt toward Viper. It was heartache over losing what I never really had in the first place.

  As if he felt my gaze on him, Viper’s head turned in my direction, his eyes meeting mine, and my pulse sped up. For the briefest moment, I thought I saw the same longing in his expression that I felt, but he blinked and then it was gone.

  Imogen tugged on my arm, her voice soft as she said, “Halo, we should probably go inside.”

  After spilling my guts to my sister, she’d taken on the protective mama-bear role, even insisting on coming with me tonight so I wouldn’t have to face Viper alone. Thank God she’d seen through my protests that I was fine, because as I stood there with my legs feeling like they would go out any second, it helped to have her steady calm beside me.

  When she tugged on me again, I tore my eyes away from Viper’s and gave her a tight smile.

  “Ready?” I said, and when she nodded, I led us into the building without stopping to speak with anyone else, and as soon as we were through those doors, I let out the breath I’d apparently held the rest of the way down the red carpet.

  “Halo? You okay?”

  “Yeah.” My legs no longer wanted to collapse from underneath me, which was something, but I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to be in the same room with Viper tonight and not feel like someone was stabbing me in the chest. One day it would pass and then all would be fine, surely. We’d be simply band members and nothing more, but right now? I wished I were anywhere but here.

  “Maybe we should get a drink before we head up there?” Imogen suggested, and when I nodded, she steered us toward the bar and ordered a couple of vodkas on the rocks. I sat with my back to the entrance and noticed she kept looking past me, keeping a check on who entered the building.

  I finished my drink off in a couple of long swallows, ready for the alcohol to numb some of my anxiety, but when I went to stand, Imogen put her hand on my arm.

  “Wait,�
� she said, her eyes focused over my shoulder, and she didn’t have to say more for me to know Viper had made his way inside. A minute later, she dropped her hand. “Okay. You’re good.”

  “Thanks, Im.”

  “Of course. Need another drink?” When I shook my head, she took a sip of hers. “PS, he looks like shit.”

  I snorted at her attempt to make me feel better. “He does not.” Viper never could and never would look anything less than the gorgeous bastard he always was, no matter how I felt about him.

  “Eh, maybe he’s got some dark circle action goin’ on.”

  “Good.” I doubted it was true, but even if it was, it would probably only add to his appeal somehow.

  Imogen finished off her drink, handed me a mint from her purse, and then we made our way to the elevator. The party was taking place in a ballroom on the top floor. The alcohol had started to kick in, easing the tension in my body as the elevator reached its destination and the doors opened.

  The party was in full swing, people everywhere, and “Dark Angel” blasted through the speakers. As Imogen and I stepped inside, heads turned my way, and cheers and whistles rang out. I stopped, stunned that anyone even knew who I was—I’d probably never get used to that—and Imogen elbowed my ribs to get me moving.

  I smiled and waved as we walked farther into the room, the crowd parting easily for us. Several people stuck their hands out as we passed, and I shook every one of them before Brian made his way over and shooed them away.

  “Halo, finally. I’ve got a who’s who of people for you to meet,” he said, but when he caught sight of Imogen, he did a double take. “And who might your lovely date be?” Brian lifted Imogen’s hand to his lips and planted what I was sure he thought was a charming kiss on the back of it.