Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Gideon
Imogene blinked repeatedly as she floated her stare between my torso and my face, clearly taken aback by what she’d discovered.
Hours ago, the skin was unblemished, apart from my scars.
Now, black ink covered the angry mark where Brian McGuire patched me up after removing the bullet, the symbol of unconditional love in the same place as the one on Imogene’s body.
“I don’t…” She shook her head. “When did you do that?”
“Tonight.” I laughed under my breath. “It’s why I was so late getting home. I wanted to do something to prove I’m finally done pretending to be someone I’m not.”
“By getting a tattoo?”
“Exactly.” I cupped her face, needing to see her eyes. “I’ve let my past dictate my life since I escaped. Wore these scars like a badge of honor. I didn’t realize the control I’d allowed them to have over me. I refuse to give them that power anymore. Refuse to pretend to be someone else anymore.”
She peered at me for several long moments. Then she flung her arms around me, pressing her mouth firmly against mine. As I lost myself in her kiss, it felt like a huge weight had finally been lifted off my shoulders.
She moved from my lips, trailing kisses along my jawline and down my neck, kissing each and every scar as she slowly made her way down my body.
When she lowered herself to her knees, my pupils flamed, jaw ticking. But instead of ridding me of my shorts, she focused her attention on the new mark on my skin, torturing me even more.
With gentle fingers, she traced the familiar design over the clear bandage protecting it. But as she admired it, a small furrow creased her brow. Now that she saw it up close, she realized it wasn’t an exact replica of her tattoo. Instead, woven into the symbol was her name.
“You’re it for me,” I exhaled, touching my hand to her cheek.
Her eyes met mine. “And you’re it for me, Gideon.” She pressed her lips to the tattoo, her touch light and sensual. “Samuel.” She dragged her tongue along the waistband of my shorts, causing a groan to vibrate in my throat.
Looking up at me with her doe eyes, she pushed my shorts down my legs and my cock sprang free, already throbbing with a desperate need to bury myself deep inside her. To finally let loose and succumb to the urges I’d tried to lock away in order to be the man I thought she deserved.
“Imogene,” I growled when she wrapped her hand around my erection, sliding it up and down in a slow rhythm. Every stroke was fucking torture.
After the restraint I forced myself to exhibit over the past several weeks, I didn’t want it slow or gentle. I knew she didn’t either.
Grabbing her head in my hands, I dug my fingers into her hair, my grip tight.
“Open.”
One word. Two syllables. Four letters.
But by her response, you’d think I just whispered my most lewd and offensive thoughts. It left no question in my mind how much she loved when I was like this. When I told her what to do. When I took complete control of her.
With her gaze locked on mine, she moistened her lips with her tongue. I tightened my grip on her head even more, the anticipation of that tongue being on my dick driving me fucking crazy. Then she opened her mouth, eagerly awaiting my next order.
“Good girl,” I praised in a low, husky voice. “Now taste.”
She didn’t say anything in response. Instead, she did as I requested, bringing her mouth up to my erection. As she ran her tongue along the tip, tasting the bit of pre-cum, I released a hiss, my fingers digging even harder into her scalp. I needed to hold on as tightly as I could in order to keep myself grounded when I felt like I was ready to lose my damn mind. Especially when she teased my length with her tongue before taking me completely in her mouth.
She attempted to move, but she couldn’t, my hold on her too firm. My god, she looked fucking beautiful on her knees with my dick in her mouth, her expectant eyes locked on mine.
“Do you want it?” I ground out.
She managed a subtle nod.
“Good. You know what to do if it becomes too much. Three taps on my arm.”
She nodded again.
“Show me,” I told her, as I always did before doing this.
Blinking, she gave my forearm three taps.
“Good.”
Holding her head in place, I started moving in and out of her, slowly at first, savoring the sensation of her lips wrapped around me. But within seconds, I picked up the pace, leaving her completely at my mercy. Using her for my own pleasure.
And when a moan fell from her throat, I knew she loved everything about it. That she wanted even more.
“Relax your jaw, baby,” I grunted as I continued thrusting into her, making her eyes water. “Let me in.”
She blinked, relaxing her jaw. When I drove in again, I hit the back of her throat, the sensation almost too much, especially when I noticed her struggle to breathe. But she still didn’t look away. Still didn’t tap out.
“Touch yourself,” I demanded, my own breathing growing ragged.
Without hesitation, she leaned back on her heels and spread her legs, bringing her finger to her clit and rubbing.
“You can do better than that,” I panted. “Fuck your cunt while I fuck your face.”
She whimpered, but like the good girl she was, she followed my instructions, inserting a finger, then another, the sound of her slickness echoing in the room.
“That’s it. Let me hear how wet you are. How turned on you are with a mouthful of my cock.”
She moaned again, the sound intermingling with my ragged breaths. I didn’t know how much longer I’d last, but I’d be damned if I got off before she did.
“Faster,” I demanded, and she thrust her fingers in and out of her pussy with more intensity. I increased my rhythm, too, pushing into her mouth with a wild urgency, continually hitting the back of her throat.
Then I drove into her one final time, keeping her head locked in place as I buried myself deep in her throat.
She darted her wide eyes to mine, obviously having trouble breathing.
“Keep going, Imogene. Don’t stop. Let me hear that slick cunt.”
She obeyed, plunging her fingers in and out of herself faster and faster, the lack of oxygen propelling her higher and higher. I kept my eyes trained on her, ready to pull out if I felt it was too much. Finally, her body climaxed, the vibration of her whimpers against my cock nearly setting me off, too.
I quickly pulled out and yanked her to her feet, crashing my lips to hers. Covering her heart with my hand, I breathed into her like I always did. Our kiss was desperate and hungry as we both used the opportunity to get our labored breathing under control.
Once I felt her pulse slow, I finally pulled away, grabbing her hand in mine. With my eyes locked with hers, I brought it to my mouth, sucking on the two fingers she just used to get herself off.
“Fucking delicious.”
She moaned as I swirled my tongue along her fingers. Then I stepped back, hardening my expression once more.
“Get on the bed. Hands and knees. Face forward.”
She instantly did as I asked, willingly obeying my command.
I didn’t approach her right away, even though the mere sight of her like this made me want to explode, especially when I noticed how slick with desire her thighs were. Instead, I took a moment to appreciate how beautiful she was. How perfect she was.
How mine she was.
After several long moments, she glanced over her shoulder. “What are you?—”
“I told you. Face forward. Unless you want to be punished.”
She snapped her gaze forward once more. But I could see the effect my words had on her, a shiver rolling through her body.
My steps echoed in the room as I moved closer before crawling on the bed behind her.
“You like that, don’t you?” I curved toward her, biting her neck as I ran my hand up her leg. “Like the idea of being punished.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, remaining silent. I shouldn’t have been surprised. I knew how much she struggled to give voice to her darker desires. I wanted her to be free with me. She was willing to accept the darkest parts of my soul. And I was more than happy to cater to the darker parts of hers.
“It’s okay,” I murmured. “Don’t fight it. Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not.”
“Y-yes.”
“Yes…what?”
“I like the idea of being punished.”
I moved my hand down her thigh, slipping it between her trembling legs and pinching her clit. As I did, she moved against me. I immediately stopped, landing a hard smack to her ass.
She yelped, but based on how wet she was, I could tell she enjoyed it.
“You want me to spank you?” I leaned closer again, rubbing my hand along her ass. “Do you think that’s an appropriate punishment for failing to follow orders?”
“Yes,” she moaned, grinding against me, desperate for my touch.
“Good girl.” I nibbled on her neck once more. “But that leads to another question… Do I spank your ass?”
Straightening, I reeled back and landed a blow to her ass, eliciting another yelp, which turned into a moan when I caressed the reddened skin.
“Or your pussy?”
She sucked in a breath, but didn’t do anything to put an end to our game. Instead, she spread her legs even more, inviting me to do as I pleased.
I licked my lips, praying I’d last long enough to get through this when my cock was practically begging for me to finally thrust into her. Then I landed a soft slap against her pussy. She didn’t even flinch or show any sign of discomfort. Instead, she rocked into the sensation, burying her face in the pillow as if overwhelmed.
“Mmm…,” I crooned, leaning over her and taking her earlobe between my teeth. “Seems you enjoy that one even more. And like I just promised… I’ll always give you exactly what you need.”
Leaving her with one last nibble on her neck, I straightened again, lightly hitting her pussy with my hand, starting her out easy. But as my own desperation to get off increased, so did my rhythm and intensity. Her moans mixed with yelps and groans until she couldn’t control it anymore, her screams filling the room as another orgasm ripped through her.
I didn’t give her a chance to come down. I couldn’t.
I grabbed her hips and thrust into her, relief consuming me from the feel of her still clenching walls around me. I didn’t take it slow. Instead, I went after her like a man obsessed. And that was exactly what I was. I was utterly obsessed with this woman. With the way she made me feel.
With the way she accepted me, regardless of my faults.
Or maybe she accepted me because of my faults.
I hated that it took me this long to finally realize this.
I tried to hold on, tried to prolong it, but it had been so long since I allowed myself to give in to my needs like this. Before I could stop it, I spilled into her, my body jerking and spasming through my release. I moved my hands down her arms, linking my fingers with hers as I struggled to come down from the high only this woman could give me.
Gradually slowing my movements, I showered kisses all over her skin.
“I love you.”
“And I love you.” She looked over her shoulder at me. “Samuel. Gideon. And all the pieces of you.”
I pressed a soft kiss to her mouth, our tongues briefly tangling.
Carefully pulling out of her, I helped her onto her back and wrapped her in my arms, basking in the unwavering devotion she had for me.
Since the accident, I tried to bury Gideon Saint. I thought that was the only way I could do right by her.
It took almost losing her again for me to admit the truth.
Gideon Saint was a part of me. As was Samuel Tate.
Instead of pretending to be someone I wasn’t, it was time for me to embrace all parts of myself —the good and the bad.
The dark and the light.
Just as Imogene had.