Prologue #3
I flinch, my skin turning icy, and I spin in search of the door it came from behind us.
Raf’s watching me closely, and that crooked grin tugs at his lips as he runs the back of one knuckle along my cheekbone. “It’s alright, dolce. I can assure you, she wants it.” Then he leans in close. “And I promise I’ll only do the same to you if you beg me for it.”
The resounding moan that follows would confirm his assessment, and my body warms at the overtly sexual sound that unleashes a molten heat between my thighs.
The elevator dings, interrupting my moment of mortifying arousal, and I quickly spin to step inside, pressing my knees together once I’m facing the hallway once more.
Raf follows me in, pressing the button for the top floor, and the doors slide closed behind him.
The oxygen vanishes from the room as we’re left alone together.
Then the doubts start to creep in.
I don’t know what I was thinking, joining a complete stranger in an elevator that’s now taking me ten stories away from the men who are supposedly here for my protection.
Raf could do any number of things to me now that he has me all to himself.
But isn’t that what I wanted?
To know what a man like Raf could do to me?
To understand the hidden pleasures this club can unleash?
Kelly and Hannah must have done the same thing, and clearly, they came out of it safe and sound—and apparently more satisfied than when they had slept with any of the men who work for my family.
So, why can’t I stop my knees from shaking?
Maybe it’s the devil I can see in Raf’s eyes.
He’s watching me like he can see into the very depths of my soul, and the aura that surrounds him makes me feel like he could shatter me with the lightest touch.
“Have we met somewhere before?” he asks, cutting through my scattered thoughts and making my pulse skyrocket.
He takes a step closer, and I can’t hold back the nervous giggle this time. I bite my lip to cut it short and swallow hard. Raf’s eyes drop to my mouth, the heat in his gaze igniting as he crowds me back against the elevator’s mirrored wall.
“I think I’d remember if we had,” I say, my heart fluttering anxiously.
Then he’s trapping my chin between his finger and thumb, and he tips it up as he leans in.
Placing a hand beside my head, his overwhelming presence surrounding me, he cages me in until I can’t breathe.
The rich scent of his cologne teases my nose with each shallow gasp I take—an enticing blend of amber, bergamot, and cedarwood.
It’s fresh, clean, sophisticated, and yet promises he’s capable of doing filthy things to me.
“So, then, you didn’t come looking for me tonight, dolce?”
That unquenchable spark of defiance that regularly gets me in trouble with my parents ignites at the suggestion, and though my brain is muddled with a blend of nerves and arousal, I huff.
“Wow, you’re rather full of yourself, aren’t you? What makes you so important that a girl would come here looking for you?” I challenge, shoving against his chest, and I’m shocked to find just how strong and unyielding it is beneath my palms.
Could he be so good in bed that his reputation precedes him?
After the way Kelly and Hannah were talking about it, that wouldn’t entirely surprise me.
But I refuse to feed his ego.
Raf unleashes a dark chuckle that turns my insides to Jell-O, and he just crowds me further. “It never hurts to ask,” he purrs, his eyes searching mine once more.
Then they flick back down to my lips.
It’s the only warning I get before he closes the last few inches between us, and suddenly, his mouth is on mine, hot and demanding, yet silky soft.
A jolt of energy rushes through me like an electric shock, and my body hums with a tingling numbness that sets my nerves on fire.
I’ve never been kissed before, and the thrill of it alone is enough to blow my mind wide open.
I gasp as a flood of excitement rushes through me like liquid warmth.
Raf’s tongue delves between my teeth in response, taking my stunned reaction for eager acceptance.
And I couldn’t stop him now even if I wanted to because my body seems to have taken on a life of its own.
I’m on fire and prickling with goosebumps all at once.
My hands—still pressed against his chest as if to push him away—slide upward, feeling the iron strength of his lean muscles until my fingers are combing into the dark locks at the nape of his neck.
His hips press forward, pinning me against the elevator wall, and I can feel his hard length digging into my abdomen.
One knee presses between mine, urging my thighs open, and I tremble at the suddenly intoxicating sense of vulnerability this unleashes.
The utter sense of helplessness in the wake of his impressive size and strength.
He might not be brawny, but every inch of him feels like it’s made of cold, hard steel.
I’ve never been so turned on in my life, and I don’t quite know what to do with myself. What to do with the near stranger invading my space with intoxicating confidence.
I’m panting as I register the soft ding of the elevator but don’t realize the doors have opened until Raf pulls back, breaking our kiss to glance over his shoulder.
It would appear his “usual room” is more like a penthouse suite. With floor-to-ceiling windows that look out at the surrounding buildings of Chicago’s downtown, the glass enclosure will put us on full display.
As will the massive, luxurious bed that occupies the center of what looks like a fully stocked torture chamber.
Racks of whips, cuffs, chains, rope—and more than a few alternatives to the bed that someone could be strapped to instead.
There is no way in hell I’m letting him take my virginity in a room like this while all the world can see.
But before I can voice my objection, Raf’s hands are sliding over my ass, his fingers curling around my thighs, and he hoists me up, wrapping my legs around his hips as he captures my lips in another scintillating kiss.
“Raf,” I breathe, breaking away just long enough to whisper his name before his tongue is tangling with mine once more.
A low, rumbling groan issues from his chest, and I gasp as something cold and hard meets my back.
“I love it when you say my name like that,” he growls as he nips playfully at my lips. “Do it again.”
“Raf, wait,” I insist, my body throbbing in protest at my request.
But to my relief, he does, pulling back just enough so he can look me in the eyes. He doesn’t set me down, however, and my heart hammers as I feel the hard length of him pressed against the apex of my thighs.
“I don’t want…” I glance at the windows, and my throat bobs as I realize that it’s one of the massive panes of glass that he has me pressed against—and I can see the streets of Chicago a surprising distance below.
“Don’t want people to watch us fuck?” he suggests, taking the opportunity to lean in and brush a kiss against my exposed neck.
My nipples feel tight and too sensitive against the fabric of my dress as fresh heat pounds through my veins. “Yes,” I breathe, my eyes sliding closed as my body betrays me.
“Don’t worry. It’s one-way glass—meant to create the feeling of exposure. But they can’t see us. It just looks like a mirror to them.”
Heady relief surges through me, followed by a throbbing exhilaration.
“Promise?” I whisper, my heart in my throat.
“Trust me, Aisling,” Raf murmurs against my skin, and the way he says my name completely unravels me.
I shouldn’t, but for some reason, I do trust him. “Okay.”
A low growl of approval vibrates from his chest, sending tremors through my body that make my core tighten.
Then his hips are all that’s keeping me pinned against the cold glass as he yanks open my pea coat, sending buttons pinging across the room.
He barely seems to notice the strapless blue sheath dress I’m wearing underneath as he expertly strips me of the warm coat that I’ve used to shield most of my body.
It falls heavily to the floor as he wraps one arm around me, his other hand exploring me brazenly, kneading my hip, following the curve of my waist to palm my breast.
Then it travels up to my throat. And he squeezes.
My breath hitches, my heart stuttering when I feel his fingers close against my pulse, staunching the blood flow and my source of oxygen all in one go.
My eyes fly wide, my body tensing—until his teeth close lightly on the lobe of my ear.
And I nearly explode.
Being choked should not turn me on.
But the hot wetness that floods my panties completely defies logic, and I shudder violently with the sudden and intense need that pounds between my thighs.
Instinctively, I grind against him and whimper at the sweet relief.
“You like that, dolce?” Raf purrs, rocking forward until my butt meets the cool glass with a dull thunk.
The friction brings me to the brink of climax.
“Yes,” I rasp, even as my fight-or-flight instincts scream for me to get the hell out of here before this goes south. Before I lose consciousness from lack of air.
Raf gives a satisfied hum and releases my neck, allowing a flood of blood and oxygen to flow freely through me once more.
I pant, my head falling back as the world spins around me, and I’m grateful for the iron strength of his body holding me up—even as an unnerving sense of disappointment washes through me at the lack of relief that follows.
I was so close to coming.
And now I can’t suppress the restless, throbbing ache deep inside me.
A groan of protest rushes from me before I can stop it, and when I lift my head from the glass to meet his eyes once more, Raf is wearing a wicked grin.
“Oh, you’re going to be fun,” he says darkly, slowly lowering me to my feet. “As fiery as that red hair of yours.” He gives a lock a gentle tug, then he takes a step back as his eyes drink in the full length of me. “God, you’re perfect,” he rasps, lifting his hand to twirl me.
My hair whispers across the exposed skin of my back as I turn, and a shiver runs down my spine as I wobble on my heels but manage to stay standing, thanks to Raf’s support.