Ravenous dominance.

That’s where he started.

His body, his mouth, his hands imprisoned her in steel bands and seemed to touch her everywhere.

That’s where he started.

Just as Valentina began to tense and shield herself against Hal’s raw, driving need, his body listened to hers and responded; that’s when the real assault to her senses began. Because even though Valentina had expected that rough, primal need for control, she had not expected the sudden turn to gentle.

How was it possible that this hard, uncompromising man was capable of such tender persuasion and restraint?

In a move that stripped Valentina bare of all defenses, Hal’s quick and rough aggression turned into a slow, sweet seduction. Valentina felt her body melt into his as his head dipped down to capture her lips in relaxed and exquisitely thorough caresses. His hands buried themselves in her hair while his tongue explored every inch of her mouth.

He tasted like beer.

And tobacco.

And sin.

Kissing Hal was everything Valentina had dreamt it would be and many things she hadn’t. 

She was completely powerless against him, and she didn’t need his hand at her throat to feel that.

This slow and tender exploration wasn’t about power, or control, or surrender.

It was about searching and finding.

She lost herself in the wonder of his mouth.

Her arms reached up and wrapped themselves around his neck to draw him closer. She felt undone—desperate for more.

Valentina let out a startled gasp when with sudden force he twisted her around, pulled her back against his chest, and held her captive with his arms crossed under her breasts. She closed her eyes and felt the heat of her body rise as he explored every inch of her. Hal took his time, and the warmth of his palms seemed to burn through the thin cotton of her nightdress. Valentina’s insides turned to jelly and she struggled to stay on her feet as Hal slowly ran his hands over her taut belly, past her ribcage, and finally to the full softness of her heavy breasts. When Hal’s strong fingers began to tease her nipples into tight swollen peaks, Valentina’s senses went into overdrive. Her intimate muscles pulsed, clenched, and soaked—wetting her panties and making her breath come out in tortured sighs.

“Put your palms on the table.” Hal whispered into her ear

Even before her mind had time to register the quiet command, her body responded without hesitation. Hal’s hand pushed Valentina’s spine down with gentle pressure until she was bent over, then he shifted their bodies until her ass was settled against his hard length. Higher and higher, Hal’s left hand began a slow journey up her thigh while his right one kept the pressure on the small of her back holding her in place. When Hal reached under the scrap silk of Valentina’s panties and teased her slick folds over and over again with an expert’s erotic assault, Valentina became undone. She bit down on her bottom lip to keep from crying out for release. She found herself spiraling in a whirl of sensual pleasures unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Hal’s rough hands touched every intimate part of her as he directed her to bend to his will. With each stroke of his fingers, each whispered command—Hal was fulfilling all of Valentina’s sexual fantasies. 

But none of your romantic ones— a small voice whispered to her from planet pleasure.

Somehow, reason forced itself through the thick, sensual fog and showed Valentina, in glaring Technicolor, the reality of the situation. And that unfortunate reality was that she was bent over a table, and the sexiest man alive was about to fuck her silly from behind without even looking at her face—or into her eyes.

Not exactly the stuff dreams were made of.

Stop overthinking everything. Valentina gave in and pushed every judicious thought aside because reason faded in the face of multiple—multiple—pulsing beats of pleasure

When Valentina felt the thick ridge swell inside Hal’s denim and press into the silk that covered her bum, Valentina’s response to him was feral. She purred and arched like a cat in heat while Hal began to move rhythmically against her, letting her feel every inch of what he wanted to put inside her. Hal cupped and squeezed her writhing bottom all the while pulling her hips against the tight pumping pressure until Valentina whimpered, moaned and cried out against the aching need. But even as her pleasure center throbbed and swelled and begged for release, Valentina’s sense of reason proved to be her stronger ally and knocked traitorous desire right on its ass. Coherent thought banged her on the head and told Valentina that if things went on like this—if Valentina allowed Hal to go on like this—all hope of anything else between them, anything other than primal, animalistic sex, would be lost.

It took every ounce of willpower Valentina had to move out of Hal’s reach and turn to face him.

“Tia?” His voice was rife with confusion —and frustration. “What’s wrong?”

“I just—I don’t know. Is this how you want me, Hal? Face down on a table?” She whispered.

“Baby, there’s not a way that I don’t want you.” His eyes locked on her mouth.

“Maybe if we could go a little slower…”

ust not that guy.” He stepped away from her and his next words were filled with resignation and regret. “Come on, I’ll take you back to your room.”

“No. I don’t want to go back.” Valentina stayed where she was.

Hal looked at her in surprise then his eyes glittered with anger.  “Didn’t think cock-teasing was your game, sweetheart.”

“That’s a horrible name for what’s happening here,” she said softly

“For what’s happening here?” Hal spat out with scorn. “Tia, you have no idea what’s happening here.”

Valentina knew if she was smart, she would leave it alone. She knew she should take herself back to her room like Hal had told her to do. She knew that she should get out before this thing between them blew up and out of control. Valentina had heard the rumors about Hal just like she had heard them about Riker. It was whispered excitedly by those in the know that Hal was particularly inventive with the women he took—in a rough, sexy, incredibly hot way. Sleeping with Hal was considered somewhat of a trophy among the biker babe crowd. When Valentina had first caught wind of the gossip, it had given her a sting of jealousy. Now that the experience was within her grasp, something bleak and desolate rose inside at his rejection of her—at the realization that he considered her to be too broken for that.

For him.

“I’m not as fragile as you think I am, Hal.”

He gave her a cool appraising look.

“And I’m not as strong as you think I am, Tia. If you don’t leave now I’ll—” He bit off the words bitterly.

Valentina heard a mixture of fury, vulnerability, and longing buried deep in Hal’s voice.

A crack in the shield. A chink in the armor.

“Tell me, Hal. Tell me what will happen if I stay.” She breathed out daringly. Because all of a sudden Valentina wanted nothing more than to do that—to stay with him. And it had nothing to do with curiosity or gossip, it had everything to do with Hal— about finding out who he really was and who she would become in his arms. 

Hal’s eyes held hers but the blank mask had slipped back into place.

“Please, Hal.” Valentina longed to wipe that detached look off his face. “Don’t make me go.”

Then as quickly as the mask of indifference had slipped into place, it was gone and replaced with something—animalistic. Hal let out a low primal roar and transformed before Valentina’s eyes. Every muscle in his body seemed to expand, tighten, and explode in a Goliath sort of way. When Hal’s eyes met Valentina’s, they glittered with savage intent. The air between them surged which such an explosion of sexually charged energy that it combusted the air around them and swallowed up everything in its path.  In one instinctive strong move, Hal caged Valentina in and pushed her up against the wall. Holding her in place, he ran one calloused palm up, and down  the length of her body.  Hal pushed a strong thigh in between Valentina’s legs then he placed his mouth against her ear and growled, “Me letting you stay means I get to do anything I want to you— and baby, there’s a whole lot I’ve been wanting to do.”

Valentina made herself be still in Hal’s arms even as the blood rushed through to her head. She looked at him with searching wide eyes until she saw the glimmer of challenge light them;  she picked up that gauntlet and met his stare head on. He narrowed his eyes and leaned in until every move of his mouth tickled her ear.

“Still want to stay? Then the very first thing you got to be ready for is the way I’m gonna rip that piece of cotton off your smoking hot body.  I’m gonna bunch that cute as fuck nightie up into my big strong hands. Then I’m gonna tug and pull and tear until the buttons fly across the room and the cloth falls off your body in long jagged strips. After I take a good long look at what’s mine, I’m gonna force you onto your back.  Remember those strips of cotton? I’ll use those to tie your wrists tight together. Then I’ll pull your arms over your head until your back arches, and I’ll lock you tight to the bed frame. Those long, toned legs of yours—the ones that I see in my damn sleep? Those are gonna be stretched out nice and wide to give me all- point access to that sweet little piece of heaven between your thighs.  The last thing I’m gonna do is blindfold your eyes and gag your mouth. You won’t be able to see or speak. Just feel. Just feel the way I feast my way through your hot, soaking, tight pussy. After I finish lapping up all the sweetness between those soft, petal-pink folds, I ‘m gonna suck on your juicy clit until that little fucker swells and throbs. While your body’s shaking and my hands are holding your gorgeous hips in place, your gonna come hard and all over my tongue. After I have licked you dry, I’m gonna untie your ankles. Then I’ll flip you over on to your belly and pull up on your knees until  your ass is high and straight in the air. With my cock pushed up hard against your cunt, I’ll run a dull blade down your spine, across the small of your back and over that tight, plump ass. Then I’ll slam you into oblivion. When I decide you’ve had enough, and only after I decide that you’ve had enough, I’ll take off the gag and blindfold.  While holding your head in my hands, I’ll look right into your eyes and see straight down to your soul, And Tia I will own you…”

Hal pulled away from her then just a little and gave her body another insolent, long sweep with his eyes. “So, you see, darlin’, I don’t do gentle, I don’t do slow, and I sure as shit don’t do stop. Then he leaned back in, ran his nose along the curve of her jaw and continued his tender assault. “You wanted to know what will happen? You wanted to stay? Be careful what you wish for Tia. Because the next time you make an offer like that to a guy like me you might not be given the choice.”

Hal pushed away from Valentina then, a sheen of sweat covered his hard body and a powerful erection strained against his jeans.  His eyes were hooded and his biceps flexed against his chest. He leaned back against the door jamb and when he spoke his relaxed tone belied the power and restraint emanating from his body. “So what do you say, Tia, you up for a little one on one?”

Hal watched Valentina intently as she struggled with a myriad of emotions. He read hurt, confusion, pain, and need in her eyes. Her breath was uneven and her arms were wrapped around her waist.  Her cheeks drained to a ghost white, then blushed to a fiery crimson red. Her lips trembled and she stayed rooted to the spot, searching his eyes looking for something he was damn sure he was not capable of giving to her. 

Hal had expected anger, disgust, outrage, or even a hard slap from her. But what he hadn’t expected was the look of hurt and betrayal on Valentina’s face. She didn’t fight him. Or resist. Or even spare a glance in his direction when he took her arm and led her down the hallway to her room. When Hal heard the decided click and clear message of her door being locked against him, Hal felt a tightness in his chest. He leaned his shoulder against the door and listened until the muffled sounds of her misery slowly turn into the fractured breathing of restless sleep. He hadn’t wanted to make her cry…he had just wanted to…? Who the fuck knows what had made him say the things he had said to her. He only knew that he didn’t want her to look at him and see a lie. See a fantasy image or get any crazy ideas about who he was—about what he was.

Well, you sure as hell took care of that you, asshole. Hal’s conscious upbraided him as he made his way down the hallway. Good thing you spilled the beans to that beautiful, perfect woman about what a sexual psycho you are. You know, buddy, just in case she had somehow gotten the wrong impression. That she had thought under all those scars and that road dirt and black leather that you were actually Prince Fucking Charming or something. Well, you sure set her straight… on and on and on that pain in the ass Jiminy Cricket nagged at him, and this time, Hal’s inner soldier had absolutely nothing to say in his defense.