Exquisite Death: Dark, Friends to Lovers Romance (The Gilded Sovereign Book 3)

Chapter 8

“What are you saying, Tarian?”Grecia’s voice is filled with confusion, edged with desire.

Ever since the day she found me on the beach in Capri, I’ve been exercising restraint. But she’s gradually chipping away at my self-control.

“I don’t know,” I sigh.

I push off the bed, slip into my sweatpants, and head into the bathroom. Closing the door behind me, I flick the lock on. I’m not sure why I’m securing the door, but I do know I need to be alone. Being in such close proximity to Grecia is fucking with my head.

While I was lying next to her, I was so tempted to give in and touch her. I wanted to feel her body spasm under my caress. I’m turning into a fucking pussy-ass girl with all these emotions. They’re taking me into unknown territory.

I open the faucet and splash ice cold water on my face, hoping the chill will wash away these thoughts of fucking Grecia. Maybe it’s time to call Ares and Etienne and ask for their advice.

“Tarian, are you okay?”

Even hearing her voice through the door makes my dick hard. I don’t know how to resist her anymore.

“I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“I said I’m fine, Grecia,” I bite out in frustration, but it’s not at her. It’s at myself.

I don’t want to be this broken, scarred, and haunted person anymore, but I know I can’t give her what she deserves—a loving relationship. Even though it’s clear I’m no good for her, she looks at me as if I’ve hung the fucking moon and stars. But no matter how much she cares about me now, I know she’ll walk away eventually. Everyone leaves me in the end.

My mother left me because she wanted my uncle more than she wanted to be a parent to me. She made sure I believed she was dead, and even when I found out she was alive, she didn’t make any effort to talk to me. If I’m being honest, though, I didn’t give her a chance. I wasn’t ready back then to face her, but now I need answers.

I want to know what happened the night my father died. I need to understand why the fuck my mother killed him and then faked her own death. I need the truth, even if it hurts more than the lies.

Shaking my head at the stupidity of the situation, I step away from the sink to look at myself in the mirror. I don’t recognize who I am anymore.

“I know you’re fighting something within yourself, Tarian. I know what you’re going through.”

Grecia’s words send me into a violent rage, and I pull open the door, slamming it against the wall. Her eyes widen in shock as I meet her stare with a glare of my own.

“Did you just say, you know what I’m going through?” I bite out through clenched teeth as I stalk toward her, forcing her to retreat until she’s trapped between me and the door to the main cabin behind her. “Do you know what I’m feeling right now, sweetheart?” I question, allowing my words to fan over her pretty face. Her long lashes flutter when I press my body closer to hers. There’s nothing between us now, not even the air we breathe, as my mouth touches hers. “Because if you do know, then you’ll comprehend just how badly I want to sink my cock into you. But if I allow myself to do that, I’m going to break you. Is that what you want?”

Grecia pushes her palms against my chest, trying to put some space between us, but I don’t move. Instead, I lock my gaze with hers.

“I’m already broken, Tarian,” she whispers, and her voice is so soft I wouldn’t have heard her if I’d been standing any farther away.

“Don’t do this, Grecia,” I plead.

The moment I kiss her, it will all be over. She’s nothing short of perfection, and I know I’ll get distracted by her. I keep hoping she’ll try to push me away again, but she doesn’t.

The heat emanating from her holds me hostage. I find myself leaning in until her breath tickles my face, and I watch as her tongue darts out and licks the soft, plump flesh of her lips. My cock is straining against my sweats, and I’m longing to touch her, to feel her skin under my fingertips.

“Are you just going to stand there?” She arches her dark brow at me in a challenge, and her lips tilt into a perfect, pouty smile.

Grecia Birchwood’s the devil in disguise, taunting me to break every rule I’ve made.

“I am.” My voice is scratchy, filled with gravel.

As I attempt to swallow the lump in my throat, she smiles and leans toward me until her lips are touching mine. She doesn’t kiss me, though. Instead, we just stand there, motionless, with our mouths delicately fused as her breath becomes mine, and vice versa.

A sizzling electric current courses through every nerve in my body, and I can’t stop myself from gripping her hips and pulling her against me. My hands find her ass, and I lift her off the floor. The moment her legs wrap around my waist, I move so her back’s pressed against the wall. She’s pinned between me and the cool surface that does nothing to chill us. She whimpers into my mouth as my hard cock, still tucked in my sweatpants, rubs against her center.

“Fuck,” I growl out. Then sucking her lower lip into my mouth, I graze the flesh with my teeth, biting down until she’s squealing. Her hands grip my shoulders, her nails digging into the skin that’s bared to her. “Scratch me, and I’ll make you fucking scream.” My threat is clear, but I know the little minx isn’t going to heed my warning.

The kitten digs her claws in even more and turns rabid as she rips at my flesh. I’m certain she’s drawing blood, and I do exactly what I warned her I’d do. Rolling my hips, I push against her heat and bite down on her lip until I taste the bitter, metallic flavor of blood as it trickles into my mouth.

Releasing her lip, I move my head back to meet her gaze.

“I don’t make empty threats, sweetheart,” I tell her. “Don’t fuck with me.”

“And don’t fucking threaten me. You can’t scare me, Tarian,” Grecia grits out through her perfectly white clenched teeth.

A small trickle of blood oozes from her lip where my teeth have grazed her flesh, and I can’t help but smile.

I’ve marked her.

My tongue darts out, and I lap her essence away, tasting her before I come to my senses and realize my mistake. Setting her down, I stumble backward as the implication of what I’ve done slams into me.

I can’t…I can’t fucking do this.

Shoving past her, I pull the bedroom door open and stalk through the plane. I pour myself a drink, and with a tumbler of whiskey in hand, I return to my seat. The amber liquid burns when I swallow it down as I try to wash away her flavor, but it’s no use.

I focus my gaze on the night sky outside the window. It’s too dark to see anything, but in about an hour or so, the light will come streaming in. I’m already regretting what I just did. I lost control. It’s not like me to break my own rules, and what happened threatens to weaken even further the restraint I’ve been desperately clinging on to.

Grecia enters the main cabin, and sitting across from me, she regards me with those hazel eyes that look into the depths of my sordid soul. She doesn’t say anything, merely glares at me. I know she’s angry because I pushed her away, but she doesn’t understand I’m no good for her.

“You’re an asshole,” she informs me coolly. “But I quite like assholes.”

“You’re into anal? That’s interesting. I’ll keep it in mind if I ever feel the need to fuck you.” I’m being a dick, but she’s used to me by now.

Rising from her seat, Grecia leans forward with her palms flat on the table between us and replies, “I wish you’d stop teasing.”

I’m left speechless when she turns and heads back into the bedroom, leaving me sitting alone. The girl isn’t scared of me, which is stupid on her part, but then again, I can’t help feeling I’m the one in trouble, and it’ll be me who ends up crawling back to her.

Shaking my head, I focus on the sky outside. We’ll be back in the States in less than an hour, and I need to prepare for the war that’s coming. I wouldn’t put it past Thane to make his move sooner rather than later, but my uncle underestimates me if he thinks I won’t be ready for him. I want nothing more than to bring this whole shitstorm to an end so I can move on with my life.

The attendant strolls through the plane and informs us we’ll be landing in thirty minutes. Once she’s gone, I rise and go to the bedroom where I find Grecia changing into a short summer dress that does nothing to hide her curves. Her hourglass figure is enough to drive any sane man to madness. And I’ve never once claimed to be of sound mind in the first place.

I’m leaning against the doorframe as I watch her, and when those hazel eyes land on me, she folds her arms in front of her chest and arches a chestnut brow.

“We’re landing soon,” I tell her abruptly before turning and leaving her in the bedroom.

The longer I’m with her, the more I want her.

This infatuation is nothing more than hormones, and those need to be locked down, I admonish myself. What I do need is a hard fuck… with a stranger. I tack on the thought before my mind flits back to the girl who’s now joined me in the main cabin.

She doesn’t say anything. She sits silently and watches the clouds pass by outside the window. Her focus is on the early morning sky, and my attention is on her. Her pout deepens as she concentrates on whatever has her attention.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out to find an email from Heinrich confirming Thane is at his house in New Orleans. My uncle has clearly had enough of hiding and has returned home to face the consequences of his actions. And he knows I’m coming for him.

Heinrich has included photos, taken earlier today, that show my uncle exiting his car and entering the house. Memories rush back as I look at the images of Thane’s home where I spent so many summers. I recall the fight my parents had on the way home to Tynewood after the last vacation we spent there. I never thought I’d be returning all these years later.

We’re heading right for him, and I’m guessing the moment we land, he’ll be waiting.

My uncle isn’t stupid. He knows I’m angry and want an explanation for everything he and my mother have done. I want to find out more about my parents and my family’s secrets, but I also need to discover what Thane is planning. Revenge will have to wait until I get the answers I need.