I have no idea what just happened. One minute I’m out on the balcony talking to some guy who obviously had a history with Rhys and the next, he’s dragging me out of the gala, fuming. Did he think I wanted to be out there with Killian? Couldn’t he see the relief on my face when he got there? Probably not since he was in blind-rage mode. I hadn’t seen him like that before in public. He’d never let the dark side of himself out when other people were around. He’d saved that for me, in private heated moments where he made me forget how to speak and breathe.

“What were you talking to him about, Melanie?” he growled, his hand gripping my knee.

“Nothing. I was out there on the balcony. Then I got cold. As I was going back in, he came out and asked me to stay. To keep him company. He offered me his jacket and we had barely finished introductions when you came out.” It was no use letting him know everything Killian said to me. With the way Rhys acted, he’d have Derek turning the car around so he could have another go at him.

“I didn’t know who he was, and I didn’t want to embarrass you by blowing off someone you might have business with. I’m not a liar, Rhys,” I said. His suspicions agitated me. That he thought I was out there doing something wrong made me want to show him how wrong he was. Teach him a lesson about doubting me. But with his next words everything outside of the car ceased to exist.

“I will never do business with Killian Thorne and the only blowing you’ll be doing is of me,” he said, his grip tightening on my knee. His fingers made small circles on my skin. They traveled higher up my thighs as he gathered my dress and pushed it up higher. The look in his eyes dared me to stop him. Dared me to use the words, but I was at a loss. It was like the air had been sucked out of the car. The only things I could feel were his fingers and I squeezed my thighs together.

His warm hands slid between my knees, running the length of my thighs. Tingling pleasure flowed over me and my breath caught in my chest. He kept his eyes trained on me while his hands roamed. He got closer and closer to my panties. Each stroke up and down my legs, increasing the desire I had for him to move a little higher. The adrenaline from the end of our evening was still high and I was thrumming with energy. His fingers grazed my panties, drawing a gasp from me in anticipation of what was to come.

I didn’t know exactly what he had in mind, but I knew I wanted it. The raw power from his fight with Killian still flowed through him. He was practically vibrating, though his hands were firm and measured along my skin. These past few weeks, every glance, every brush had set a simmer I thought I could ignore, but here in the car with him I couldn’t ignore it any longer.

He tilted my head and ran his fingers along my neck.

“What were you talking about, Melanie?”

“I told you. Nothing,” I breathed out, as his lips gently ran across my neck. His lips making of hyper-aware of every inch of flesh between my shoulder and my ear. This wasn’t the sort of reaction I had expected when we left the gala. He’d been so angry, but this wasn’t what I was used to when a man was angry. This was scary, not in a way that made me want to run and hide, but in a way that made me fear what things would be like after he was done with me. What I’d be like after he was done with me.

“Killian doesn’t partake in idle conversation, Melanie. Everything he does has a purpose,” he said, his hands running higher again, just skimming my panties. The red flush from my cheeks burned all over as he sunk his fingers in, rubbing against the crotch of my panties. I knew they were soaked through. I could feel it.

“I told you exactly what we talked about. I think he was trying to figure out why I was there. I’m sure I looked out of place,” I said, my voice quivering as his hand dipped inside the thin elastic band of my panties. His lips trailed along my jaw and just a hairsbreadth away from my lips. I turned to him and his eyes burned into mine. I was lost, spiraling out of control as his fingers grazed my clit. I jumped and gasped as he massaged me, strumming my clit. My legs parted giving him easier access, but I maintained eye contact. It was what he wanted, what he needed and who was I to deny him?

“You are never to speak to him again, Melanie. Do you understand? He’s not someone I want you entangled with, and I don’t want you to get hurt.” I bit back my retort that he was someone I probably should have stayed away from, but with his fingers parting my lips the words died in my throat. Then he threaded his hand through my hair. And his lips were so close to mine. His ever-present minty scent filled my nose along with the smell of my own arousal as his fingers continued their ministrations. My breath came out in small gasps. His full pink lips were so close to mine. This almost felt more personal than what went on under my dress, inside my panties.

He tightened his grip in my hair, the roots screaming for relief, but not me. I relished the edge of pain, better to keep me in the moment, not get lost and forget a single detail. And then his lips weren’t just close, they were on mine, crushing my lips in a punishing kiss that was more like a marauding conqueror than the sweet and gentle kisses that people seeing him on TV might imagine he gave.

The heat in the car was almost unbearable on this cold winter’s night. The windows steamed from the intense heat. Rhys pulled back from our kiss, his lips lingering on mine. I panted, eyes wide at what had just happened. My lips ached and his were twisted up in a satisfied smirk. He kept his hand in my hair, more gentle now, running his thumb along my cheek. My thighs trembled as his fingers continued their slow torment that made me shudder in anticipation of him possessing me, like he’d just done with my mouth.

“I didn’t get my answer, Melanie. Do. You. Understand?” he asked, punctuating each word with a tap of his finger against my clit, making me jump each time.

“I wasn’t doing anything. And where do you get off telling me who I can speak to? There was nothing going on out there other than me trying to be polite to someone at an event you brought me to.” I might be someone under his control right now, unable to break away from the gravitational pull he had on me, but I wasn’t going to let him rule my life. He couldn’t tell me who I was allowed to talk to. That wasn’t going to happen. Plus, I liked the little game we were playing.

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” he ordered, pulling back and tracing the seam of my pussy. I shuddered and a small moan caught in my throat. He was my weakness. I thought I’d had more than one over the years, but those paled in comparison to him. I wanted to rage against him, punch him in the mouth and tell him to fuck off, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t stop myself around him. He was too much for me to resist and I hated him for that. For allowing me to give over so much of myself to him.

“You will not speak to him again,” he commanded, nipping my neck. I closed my eyes and rested my cheek against his head, all while his fingers stroked my clit before plunging inside me. I cried out then and gripped the seat beneath me. Suddenly, the slow build was completely out of control and I couldn’t contain it any more. My orgasm ripped through me, shooting through my clit, racing up my spine and catching me off guard. Every part of me tingled, from the roots of my hair to the tips of my toes. I felt my pussy squeezing his fingers, not wanting him to let go. He gave me a few last pumps of his fingers, sliding in and out of my slickness as I shuddered, closing my eyes and moaning. He slid his hand out of my panties and brought his fingers to his lips. He sucked them into his mouth and another shudder coursed through me at the sight.

“Delicious,” he said, closing his eyes and tilting his head back. When he opened his eyes, I knew I’d do anything for him in that moment. I wanted to return the favor. Needed to return the favor and I sunk to my knees in front of him. Why was I doing this? He was insane. I was insane. I didn’t care that he bossed me around, trying to control me, hell that was probably what got me so hot in the first place. I’d never been one to give my power over to someone else, to let them lead, but with Rhys, he made it easy. He made it so easy that I was drunk on the freedom of not having to think for a little while, even if I knew it would come back and bite me in the ass. Maybe with him, it would be a literal bite.

“No,” he said, pulling me from my knees and up to his side, his arm around my waist. “We’re home.”

I glanced up and realized the car wasn’t moving. Derek stood outside ready to open the door. Oh my God. I’d completely lost my mind, not even aware of what went on outside of the car. Outside of the little world we had created. I hastily shoved my dress down over my knees and tried to compose myself. I’m sure I looked exactly like I felt, like a woman pushed to her sexual edge by a man who could make a woman faint with just a smile.

Rhys hurried me into the elevator and up to the apartment, my heels in his hand. His fingers once again gravitating to the small of my back, as he led me into the foyer. His heated stare skimmed across my body. He pressed his body against mine and our lips were once again inches from one another when a scream and cry ripped through the air.

Esme came barreling down the hallway, Rachel hot on her heels. We immediately broke apart and crouched down as Esme launched herself into our arms.

“I’m so sorry,” Rachel said, pushing her glasses back up her nose, wringing her hands.

“It’s okay, Rachel. Don’t worry. We’ve got it from here. What happened?” Rhys asked, glancing over at me. The simmer was still there, but the worry for Esme pushed that to the back burner—for now.

“I don’t know. She was asleep. She went down really easily. Are you sure I can’t help?”

“No, it’s fine. We’ve got it,” I said, rubbing Esme’s back.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Esme’s little arms tightened around both our necks and she shook her head. Rhys untangled them from my neck and picked her up, cradling her against his chest. “It’s okay. I’m here. We’re here,” he soothed. Rachel hesitated before grabbing her bag and heading out.

“Esme, tell us what’s wrong. We can’t help, if you don’t tell us,” I said, as we walked down the hall, Rhys carrying her in his arms, and eventually laying her back in her bed.

“I had a bad dream about mommy,” Esme said, her face shining with tears. Rhys’s back straightened and he froze with Esme’s hand gripped in his. The whoosh of the air leaving the room was palpable. Esme might have spoken to me, but she never talked about her mom. Never. I’d begun to wonder about her, but didn’t want to pry and definitely didn’t want to ask Rhys about it. The little searching I’d done online said she had an accident involving sleeping pills and died tragically. That was the extent of what I’d been able to find.

“Maybe I should go,” I said, unsure which would make things worse, me staying or going. I stood and Rhys wrapped his hand around my wrist and shook his head.

“Stay,” Rhys said, at the same time, Esme shouted, “No!” Well, I guess that settled that. I sat on the bed and grabbed her other hand.

“I had a dream about the bad man coming to take me,” Esme whispered in little shuddering breaths. She squeezed my hand tighter. Something got to her and sent her into a panic. I looked to Rhys, who had his eyes closed, face tilted up toward the ceiling.

“Esme, the bad man is never coming for you. Never. I will protect you forever. You know that, don’t you? I’ll never let anyone hurt you.” Rhys said so fiercely it raised goosebumps on my arms. Something had happened. Something had happened before, maybe what led Esme to stop talking. He held her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. Esme nodded, gripping onto our hands until her breathing settled and she yawned.

Once she was asleep, Rhys tucked her hands under the blanket and left the room. I stood in the doorway looking after him, unsure if I should follow or not. I didn’t know what happened to Esme tonight. I was overwhelmed with the desire to protect her sweet little heart. I just wish I had someone to protect mine.

I cautiously walked the path to Rhys’s office, hoping we’d be able to talk about what happened with Esme and what happened back at the gala. My toes sunk into the carpet, each step like my legs were being weighted down with more lead.

I knocked on the cracked office door and peeked my head in. Rhys stood in front of the large windows, gazing out over the city, a tumbler in his hand.

“Rhys,” I said.

“Mel,” he replied, his back still to me.

“Do you want to talk about it, about what just happened with Esme? With us? Any of it?”

“No, I don’t,” he said, turning and setting the glass down on his desk. He looked up at me, his eyes radiating the pain behind them. I wanted to wrap my arms around him. “I don’t want to talk about it because it’s something I can’t fix. It’s something I’ll never be able to fix.”

“I’m sorry.” I was at a loss for words. I didn’t know what to do. I stood in the office doorway with the half-opened door behind me. “Do you want me to go?” I asked with my hand on the knob, ready to make a hasty retreat. Rhys glanced up and the fire was back in his eyes, causing my stomach to clench.

“No.” He strode across the room and stood in front of me. His hand came up and pushed against the door, closing it behind me. With his body, he pressed me up against it, breathing me in. My nose pressed against his shoulder, I inhaled his cologne, his musk. He reached behind my neck and undid the hook and eye at the top of my dress. His hand came up to my waist, sliding along my ass reaching for the zipper of my dress. I sucked in a shuddering breath. He gently pulled at my zipper as his hand traveled along my hip, every inch of me set ablaze by his hands gripping me, squeezing me.

He stared into my eyes as he pulled the top of my dress down. I broke out in goosebumps as the cool air hit my skin as he peeled the fabric lower and lower. With a final push over my hips, the dress pooled at my feet. I’d have to thank Rachel for the swanky panties. His nostrils flared as he glanced down at me. I struggled not to cross my arms over my chest. I held them at my side, willing myself to relax, but it was impossible.

He growled at my exposed nipples, pebbled from the cool air and my arousal. He dipped down, taking one of them in his mouth and I moaned, leaning my head back against the door. I threaded my fingers through his hair as his ministrations pushed me to the edge of a cliff I hadn’t seen coming. Switching from one nipple to the other, he sucked, bit and tweaked them with his tongue before sinking to his knees.

Rhys looked up at me, his fingers hooked around the waistband of my panties, daring me to say no. I don’t think I would have been able to even if I’d wanted to, and I definitely didn’t want to. He slid them down over my ass. The scent of my arousal hit me, so I knew he knew what he was doing to me. I stepped out of my panties and he lifted my leg over his shoulder, parting my lips for him. I was completely exposed now. Completely open for him. He breathed in deeply before leaning forward, his tongue grazing my clit. I held my breath, afraid to breathe and break the spell woven over us and then he dove in, feasting on my pussy. I nearly toppled over, holding onto his shoulders to steady myself as he delved into me like a man starved.

My fingers dug into his shoulders as I leaned against the door, trembling as his tongue laved my clit, my opening, everywhere all at once. He pushed one finger into my pussy, pumping it in and out as I cried out. Then he added two more, sinking them into my pussy and I was gone. Set off like a rocket, everything went bright white for a second and my breathing stuttered in my chest.

He stood and spun me around, my breasts pressed against the hard, cool wood. “Grab the sides of the doorjamb,” he grunted. I glanced over my shoulder, but he gripped my hair and turned my face back to the door. I rested my forehead there and stood on my toes to grab onto it. Then I felt him, covering my back. His weight pressing into me and I relished the crowding. My legs flush against his naked thighs. I tried to look back, but it was too tight to move. His hands reached in front of me and dipped back down to my pussy, spreading me open and massaging me again. His other arm came up and around my neck, tight enough that I couldn’t move, but not so tight that I couldn’t breathe.

Then he dipped his hips and slid his cock into me with one long hard stroke, every inch pushing deeper and deeper.

“Fuck, Mel.” Was all he groaned against my ear. His chin, nestled in the crook of my neck, where he nipped at my skin. My head swam. It took my breath away. I was so full. And before I could bask in the pleasure coursing through me as he finally plunged inside to depths no one else had ever reached, he pulled out again and hammered right back in. His fingers continued to massage my clit, plucking and pulling me there. His head rested against my shoulder as he pumped into me, driving me higher and higher, so hard my feet came off the ground.

“So sweet,” he moaned against my skin as I leaned into him, once again surrendering all my control to him, completely. Rhys flipped me around and wrapped my legs around his waist while plunging back into me. My back pressed up against the door and he held my face in his hand.

“Come for me,” he demanded, cupping his hands around my ass, digging his fingers into my flesh and pounding his cock into me over and over. The angle had his stomach scraping against my clit with each thrust. My moans turned to gasps and his groans turned into grunts. My legs shook as my orgasm approached at lightning speed. Then he bit down on my shoulder, marking me, and I was gone. Flying higher than I’d ever felt as he bit out a curse and slammed into me a final time, holding himself there as he spilled into me.