I fought tears.
He didn’t have to do that.
He didn’t have to do any of it.
And he especially didn’t have to hold me. But he did. For the third time in as many hours, he simply, inexplicably, held me.
No one held me.
Not even my mother.
But Dane Marek held me and fucked me and made me come and gave me money and did things to my heart I shouldn’t let any man do.
His huge hand stroked over my hair and his lips touched my head. “Come on, sweetheart, I know you’re tired. Let’s go to bed.”
I nodded because I couldn’t speak. I was going to bed with a killer who treated me better than anyone I’d ever met.
I didn’t want tomorrow to come. I wanted this moment to last forever, because for the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged.
His arm slipped to my shoulders, and with the grace of a warrior, he led me to his room with a canine trotting behind us. As if it were the most normal thing in the world, he tossed his cell on the nightstand, then he dragged my nightgown over my head. Stepping out of his boxers, he pulled the covers back for me to crawl in, then followed. His chest hit my back and a hundred-pound attack dog jumped on the bed and lay at my feet.
“I didn’t make you dinner,” he murmured, gently brushing my hair from my shoulder.
It wasn’t the first time I’d been sent to bed without a meal. “I’ll survive.”
His lips touched my shoulder. “I know you’re a survivor, sweetheart.”
Every time he said sweetheart, an unfamiliar feeling spread through my chest. “I’m just a problem taking up space in your life.”
“A beautiful, sexy-as-hell problem that I don’t want to get rid of.”
“Like I said, you’re crazy.”
His hand traveled down my side and over my hip then flattened against my lower abdomen. He pulled me back into his hips and huge erection, then let out a slow exhale. “I like this brand of crazy.”
His sexy voice rumbled in my ear and made goose bumps race up my neck and down my arms.
He skimmed a hand down the bumps on my arm. “What caused this?”
“Your voice.” And his scent, and his arms, and his desire pressing into my back—all of it.
He chuckled. The deep and melodic sound was as rich as it was unexpected.
A smile broke out across my face. “I like your laugh,” I whispered.
His lips touched my shoulder. “I’d like to hear yours.”
My smile disappeared. “Maybe.” One day. If we had any days beyond this one.
“Why does that make you sad?”
“Who says I’m sad?”
“I heard it in your voice just now.” He laced his fingers with mine.
“You know this isn’t going to last.” I had to keep saying it to remind myself.
He lifted our combined hands and brought them to my chest as he trailed slow kisses across my neck until he reached my ear. “Right now, there’s only one reason.”
I could think of a dozen. None of them good. “Only one?”
“Yes.”
Curiosity got the better of me. “What?”
“If you walk away.”
“You don’t do repeats. By definition of your life, this is already over.”
“We already talked about this.” With a slow grind, he pressed his hips into mine. “This is just beginning, sweetheart.” He lifted my thigh and the head of his cock slid through my wetness, then he sank inside me.
The moan crawled up my throat and filled the quiet of his bedroom.
“Hunter, down.” The dog jumped off the bed as he thrust and hit my G-spot. “You like that?” he murmured, his lips against my ear.
I didn’t just like it. “Yes.” I bit my tongue to keep from letting any more traitorous words spill out of my mouth.
He moved our intertwined hands to my nipple and used my palm to tease one then the other to an aching hardness as his shallow strokes teased my pussy. “Arch back into me, love. Let me in.”
Oh God. “Please, don’t,” I begged. I didn’t want him calling me love.
The storm shutters rattled as his hands wrapped around my hips. “Don’t what?” With agonizing slowness, he stroked deep into me.
“Call me that.” I gripped a handful of the sheets and grunted. “Harder.” I pushed back into him.
Controlling my hips, he gave me a slow grind. “Tell me why.” His mouth closed over my neck and sucked.
My eyes fluttered shut. Gaining purchase against the mattress with my feet, I pushed against him.
He rolled to his back.
I landed on his chest and shoved down on his cock. “I said harder.”
He lifted me off him and tossed me on my back. Before I could blink, he was on top of me. “What are you doing?” he demanded.
My heart beat frantically. “Fucking you.” This was fucking, not love. He didn’t get to call me that.
His body went perfectly still. His intense stare relentless, his expression gave nothing away. “That wasn’t fucking.”
“Yes it was.” I raised my hips to meet his.
He shoved them back down. “I can’t make love to you?”
“I don’t make love.” Thick and bitter, the words stuck in my throat.
His mouth landed on mine. Slower than the torturous ecstasy of his cock sliding in and out of my body, he stroked his tongue through the heat of my mouth. Alpha, dominant, he didn’t kiss me. He slipped his hands into my hair and showed me what I’d always been missing.
He wasn’t ruthless.
He was cruel.
Kissing me passionately, consuming my mouth like he was touching my soul, he stole more from me than Viktor ever had.
My arms at my sides, I fought not to kiss him back. I fought so hard, even though I wanted to give in to him. I wanted nothing more than to do what he’d said we’d been doing, but I was terrified of jumping off that cliff.
As if he knew my thoughts, as if he knew exactly what I needed, he pushed me to the edge. His hands gripped tighter, his hips ground harder, but his kiss turned heartbreakingly gentle as he moaned into my mouth.
My resistance flew away like a bird taking flight. My traitorous body bowed off the bed, and I gave in to play with my demons. I kissed him back.
His cock slid back into my body.
The tremor started in my core and radiated. My pussy clenched, my legs shook, and every inch of my body convulsed in orgasm.
He pumped hot cum inside me.