Chapter 2
Two
Mason
T hese last few years have taught me the patience it takes to wait for the prey to come to me. A year ago Savage Ink went public and I’ve had wolves at my door ever since. Wolves with teeth like my little angel’s uncle.
Blackmail is no new game to me. I’ve had my run-in with a few dirty politicians and corporate powerhouses. You don’t get this high on the food chain without having a few aces in your back pocket, and even more enemies.
Word to the wise, try and pull something on me, well good luck, because you’ll need it. Don’t confuse me with a saint. I hate underhanded tactics, but that doesn’t mean I won’t do what I have to in order to get the job done and protect what is rightfully mine.
Like now. Everything I’ve done for the last three weeks has led to this moment.
I’ve been waiting for my angel to come and now that I have her, I almost want to thank her uncle for being the worthless piece of shit that he is. And, I might add, for sending the curvy beauty dressed as Heaven’s most sinful angel into my home.
Just like I planned.
I bet the devil himself would have a hard time keeping his devilish hands off this sweet creature. Can’t say I would blame him. I’m suffering the same fate.
Curves in all the right places, legs made to wrap around my waist, and only mine, and pouty lips painted a deep Christmas red that make my cock ache for her touch and harden in my slacks.
Standing pressed against the bookcase I raise one arm and then the other, pinning her in place.
“Not that I mind but, mind telling me what you’re doing in my library?” I knew the answer. But she didn’t. Not the truth anyway.
I heard the footsteps before the interruption came from the parted doors behind me.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Savage. This one must have slipped past the security. I’ll have her removed immediately.”
Her eyes go wide and her body stiffens as my identity is confirmed, and it pulls me in so hard I nearly lose my focus.
I’ve spent the last several nights staring into those beauties wondering what had caused such pain and sorrow and swore to myself I’d find out.
I loosen the mask from my face and toss it over the back of a nearby couch.
Fuck, they were big and the most beautiful shade of green offset by the white of her mask. My cock throbs from the sheer beauty. No picture would ever do her full justice.
I rope my control back from the edge.
And innocent, I remind myself. And still untouchable. I might be many things but a monster isn’t one of them despite the rumors spreading around the corporate world about me.
I hold up a hand and speak to my butler. Without breaking eye contact with her I say, “No, O’Bryan, that won’t be necessary. Please tend to the guests and give my apologies for not attending the ball.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Thank you, O’Bryan. That will be all.”
I hear the snick of the lock as my butler quietly closes the doors to the library, shutting out the rest of the world.
It’s just me and my virgin angel.
The idea of having her all to myself made thousands of possibilities play out in my warped brain. Scenarios I had no business entertaining because they all led to my little intruder under me, her legs spread and me watching her pussy eat my thick cock.
For the next fifteen minutes or so I had to play nice.
I turn my full attention to Allison, those powerful green eyes taking in my every move. Their allure sucks me in and I want to shield her from the dark, ugly world forever. But first I have to convince her she can trust me. That I would never hurt or betray her the way so many have in her short life.
Dark bruises color her neck and it takes me a moment to push aside the rage.
She thinks the shawl she keeps tugging at and the long wavy hair she has pulled to the front cover the dark markings, but her creamy, delicate skin reveals her uncle dared touch what is mine by marking her tender flesh. A crime he’ll pay for.
But I don’t tip my hand. Instead, I stand there drinking in her quiet, subtle beauty, waiting for her to make a move. She’s uneasy and I can tell she’s debating on whether or not she wants to go through with the plan she’s been tasked with. Her inner battle played out in her taut expression and like everyone else on the planet, once faced with the harsh reality the brain shuts off and the heart takes over. Manipulating someone as innocent as her is easy, but that’s the furthest thing from my mind.
“I’ll ask again, this time I want an answer. Why are you in my library? Looking for a little trouble?”
She swallows and her breath catches on my last word and she doesn’t know how hard those lips of hers makes me when the tip of her tongue peeks out to lick them.
“I, uh?—”
She cups a hand around her neck and works the tender flesh of her lower lips between her teeth.
I reach between us and gently pull her lip free with my thumb as I lean closer. I can feel her body tremble under my heavy gaze. Her scent like a fresh, powdery snow.
“Answer me, angel.”
Silence met my words.
“Should I have O’Bryan escort you out?”
She shakes her head. “No, please, don’t. I didn’t mean to intrude, Mr. Savage. Honestly. Or cause a problem.” She presses her hands against my chest as she speaks and I grab her hands in mine. She lets a faint gasp slip from her perfect lips.
If that didn’t clue me in on how turned on by my touch she is, I see her pulse spike and eyes dilate.
“I was waiting for my uncle to arrive,” she continues in a soft voice. “As time passed and he didn’t come, I got bored waiting. I thought I would find a quiet place and enjoy the snowfall.” She tipped a chin toward the window looking out over the city from twenty floors up.
Each lie falls from her sweet lips effortlessly. But I didn’t blame her.
The little angel standing in front of me was a pawn in a very dangerous game her uncle wanted to play. One he would lose. Unlucky for him, I’m very good at games.
I’ve stared at pictures of her for the past three weeks. Planning and waiting. She’s too damn young to be caught up in such ugly shit. Too innocent and too fucking off limits. But none of that quieted a loud voice in my head.
The longer I stared at her picture the more determined I’ve become to erase the pain I see in her eyes. Whatever her secrets are I’ll find them out and replace each bad memory with something she can cherish for the rest of her life.
Like every angle in my life I stood back, calculated and measured before I swung. It was no different with Allison. From the first time I saw her picture I knew what I wanted. I wanted her. Need morphed into an obsession to have her and I always get what I want.
It didn’t take much effort to stand back and watch as her uncle buried himself in debt as he gambled away his fortune. I watched from the fringes as the greedy and broke man schemed with fellow board members to overthrow me and eliminate me from my own company. Naturally, he’d planned to become Savage Ink’s new CEO and earn the bigger lion’s share.
A fool’s move.
It’s my guess Shade couldn’t get enough members to flip on me so he stooped to sending in a minor for a little dirty blackmailing. It’s a good plan. One I planted in his head using my man on the inside.
But there’s no denying one fact. She was just shy of being legal and I still needed to be careful. God help me, the closer the hand on the clock got to midnight, the harder my cock got. Hell, a lesser man wouldn’t care about a few minutes, but I didn’t build a corporate empire to see it crumble at my feet no matter how tempting the virgin pussy.
Scarlet paints her cheeks and the book she clutches to her chest does nothing to hide the creamy curves of her breasts peeking out from a low-cut neckline that barely covers her nipples.
I trail a gentle finger down her cheek and watch a hint of heat come alive in her eyes. “Do you always sneak into strange men’s homes and raid their libraries? Or is there something special about me, angel? Something you have planned, perhaps?”
The thought of another man touching her sparks a fire of possessiveness in my gut and my fingers bear down on the hard shelf.
God, she’s beautiful and will be all mine.
I watch her as she gathers her scrambled thoughts and I hold my laugh at the tiny wrinkle that pops up from shock between her eyes at my question. She tries to harden her expression into a scowl but it just makes me want to kiss her more.
I keep that little fact to myself as she chews at the plumpness of her bottom lips and my gaze darts to the tiny movement. Her little tell gives away her nerves, but I’m not going to share that with her.
“Not normally, no. In fact, this is my first semi breaking and entering. If that. I mean I did come with an invitation, just not to your library.” She gives a tiny shrug of her delicate shoulder and sighs.“But special?” She considers me for a few moments and the skittishness melts away as she takes in my appearance.
“Maybe.” She finally offers with a tiny smile.
And here it comes. Time to play.
She clears her throat and turns in the tight space between us and returns the book to the shelf with one fleeting glance of appreciation. I catch a glimpse of more bruises on her arms when her wrap slips.
Fuck.
Ready to break something, anger burns through my veins, but I keep my outer appearance one of calm for her sake.
With a nonexistent social media to track her through, I turned to my personal lawyer for a little snooping and to dig up intel on short notice. I found her love of books and thirst for knowledge on par with my own. Instead of partying like most women her age, she preferred the solitude of the library. Graduated high school a year early and is sitting on a full ride to Brown University no less. Fucking impressive in anyone’s books.
I also noted she has no love interest. It wouldn’t matter if she did. A night with me and anyone else would be forgotten. I’d make sure of it.
It might make me no better than a rutting animal and I don’t know for sure, but I suspect she’s a virgin and for the last three weeks the need to be the one to stretch her pussy, claim her virginity, and mark her sweet, delicate body as mine has been the sole force fueling me.
She’s everything that makes up sweetness and sin. Fire and ice. And from the moment she steps into my home, my only thoughts are of never letting her go.
I want nothing more to see her belly grow with my baby, pump her full of my seed, and watch my cum drip from her newly fucked hole, and it makes my cock throb with the need to do it now.
I growl, my cock pulsing when her gaze flicks over me and lands on my massive hard-on.
I glance at the clock, and for the next thirteen minutes she is off limits.
After that…
I take a deep breath. At nearly twice her age, I had no business entertaining the ideas in my head even if she was legal.
But like I said, I’m no saint.
“My uncle has told me all about you. I’m happy I ran into you before I left.”
She wraps her fingers around mine where I still hold her hands against my large chest. Her sharp green eyes flick over our connected hands and her lips peel back in a warm, knowing smile. As though she likes the small connection as much as I do.
I tighten my grip slightly and pull her a few inches closer. “Is that a fact?” I growl. “You are in my house. The odds are pretty high.” I lean in until my lips are next to her ear. I swear I can almost smell her sweet innocence.
“Do tell me, Ms. Allison Shade. What exactly do you know about me? Or better, what is it that you’ve heard?”
I know I should focus on why she’s really here, but I love the sound of her soft velvety voice and watching her all-too expressive eyes light up with her emotions as she speaks.
I didn’t think my question was difficult but her pinched brows tell me she’s having a tough time coming up with an acceptable answer.
Lucky for me every breath she takes causes her peaked nipples to press into my muscled chest and I catch the soft gasp slip from her parted lips and each one is like her silk fist wrapped around my cock, stroking it from base to tip.
“I’m pretty sure you never want to know what others think about you?” she says playfully and treats me to a full smile that leaves a faint pink color on her cheeks.
I retreat but only far enough to look into her eyes and keep me from ripping off her clothes so I can lick every contour, crevice, and hole until juices run down my chin. I have to focus on her words and pull myself back from that ever-encroaching gray line I’m about to cross.
I let my gaze caress over her soft skin before I draw my attention back to her eyes. She’s watching me drink her in and I can feel her gaze on my body just the same.
I know I shouldn’t push my luck, I haven’t won her over on my side yet, but I want to see how far she’s willing to go to carry out her uncle’s deceit.
“Humor me. I like the sound of your voice.” I can see the glint of surprise in her eyes as she stares up at me. She reclaims one of her hands from mine to play with the ends of my tie.
I feel the stroke of her gaze as her attention travels to my chest. She trails a finger down the soft silk of my dress shirt, her kitten nails a playful rake against my big chest. I tower over her by a good foot or more and I know I can be intimidating, but she’s playing it cool.
She clutches that damn shawl and it drives me fucking crazy that she thinks she needs to hide the truth from me.
“Really, Mr. Savage. I’m not sure you’ll like what you hear. Rumors are nasty. Are you sure you really want to know?”
I reach between us and stroke a finger along her cheek to move a small wisp of hair and I see a hint of color on her cheeks. “I’m a big boy, angel. I can take a few mean words.” I tilt her chin with a gentle touch until she raises her eyes to mine. I see a sadness cross her expression and I can’t help myself. I rub my thumb across her knuckles and bring her hand slowly to my lips. Gently, as I hold her gaze, I kiss each knuckle. She watches in fascination, her full kissable lips parted just enough to fuel my fantasies of seeing my dick slip past those lips.
My voice is low as I lean into her.
“Trust me.” I hold her hand to my chest just over my heart, trying to calm her nerves.
“I just met you,” she counters, but I can tell she’s just as affected as I am.
My eyes lock onto her pouty lips as she speaks and every syllable has my cock throbbing between my legs.
I growl when she steps out of my arms and away from me to retreat deeper into my library. With her back to me, I adjust my hard cock, but I’m so damn big and hard there’s no hiding what she does to me.
No better than a caveman, I stalk forward, following her, wanting to roar my dominion over her.
Truth be told, she owns me.
Trailing a finger over the soft leather of another book left out on a table, she’s matter-of-fact with a boldness that has my attention.
She turns back just as I find a more comfortable angle for my dick and her eyes drop to my hand.
For a moment she does nothing but stare at me, but I see the hunger in her eyes. The way she licks her lower lip and nibbles on the plump flesh tells me her thoughts are just as dirty and wrong as mine.
“What can I say, angel? I like your touch.”
She takes blushing to a whole new level as her face turns red.
“There’s not a man on this planet that wouldn’t be affected by your beauty, sweetheart.” I don’t know how long I hold her gaze. Her body shivers and her eyes slip closed for a moment before speaking.
She turns from me, breaking whatever dark arts or voodoo has a hold of my sense and sanity. I can’t remember the last time I ever felt so drawn to another human being. Never is more like it.
“Mr. Savage,” she continues as if she didn’t catch me with a massive hard-on, albeit her voice quivers. “I’m telling you this because you asked. If rumors are to be believed, you’re a vicious animal and no better than a criminal.” Her emerald gaze pierces my heart as she turns away from the book and looks into my eyes.
Fuck me, that one look has the power to drive me to my knees.
I cross my arms over my massive chest and peer down at her as she continues. That or I won’t be keeping my hands to myself much longer.
“You’re bloodthirsty, a ruthless jackal in the boardroom, cutthroat when in contract mode and… a greedy son-of-a-bitch that needs to be shown a lesson.” She throws up air quotes around that last part.
The last word comes out no more than a whisper. “Not my words.”
“Greedy,” I repeat, the word heavy on my lips.
She cocks her head to the side with a small smile on her lips. Faint as it was she still smiled and right then I swore I would do anything in the world within my power and then some to see all the evil erased from her life.
“You don’t deny the other rumors?” No judging in her tone, just curiosity.
“Not when they are the truth. Except the taught a lesson part. That’s horse shit, but I appreciate your honesty,” I answer with just as much honesty.
She deserves that much from me and more. “I fight for what is mine and for what I want.” I don’t let her look away from me when she tries to step out of my reach. I anchor her to the spot with a hand on her shoulder and another under her chin, tilting her gaze toward mine.
“Ask me if I always get what I want, Allison Shade.”
Her throat works a couple of times before she complies. “Do you, Mr. Savage. Do you always get what you want?”
“Every. Fucking. Time,” I growl, and I know she understands my meaning. Despite her age, her wisdom is beyond that of her young years.
“Good to know,” she says in a soft voice just above a whisper. The sound of her breath hitching is almost too much as the tiny sound sends a rush of blood to my already aching cock.
I take a step back or risk throwing her over my shoulder and whisking her off to one of my towers like the caveman I’ve become in the short time being around her.
“You still haven’t told me why you’re here and not your uncle.”
“Because I don’t have an honest answer.”
Her play on words makes me smile.
Heat blooms across her cheeks and her lip slips between her teeth again.
A whimper falls from her pouty lips as I pull the wet plumpness of her lip from her self-torture and this time I don’t hold back. I glide my thumb between her lips.
“Suck it, angel, like you would my cock.”
Holding my gaze, she wraps her lips around my thumb and hollows her cheeks as I pull it out.
“Just as I thought. Pure sweetness.” I taste the peppermint she must have eaten from one of the several candy dishes O’ Bryan keeps around the house during this time of year as I lick her taste from my skin.
I catch her wrist when she reaches out to touch me. Tremors rock through her, and I didn’t miss the moan she tries to hide behind a gasp of surprise. “You’re in over your head, angel. Run along home before you get fucked under my Christmas tree.”
I raise her wrist to my lips and press a chaste kiss to her hammering pulse.
She’s standing with her legs pressed together and her arms by her tiny body. I know if I were to lean in, whisper a few sweet words to my angel, and trail my tongue along the pillowy mounds of her breasts, I could get her to open for me.
“I can’t. I’m… I’m here to blackmail you.”
Jesus fucking Christ. My pulse did a jackhammer in my chest. I wanted the truth as she knew it, but I didn’t expect it dropped on me like a nuke. I had to appreciate her honesty.
Her big, beautiful green eyes hold my attention. I see her fear, the need to run for safety, yet she stands her ground and my respect for her triples.
When I notice a hint of tears rimming her soft eyes, I somehow manage to restrain myself from pulling her into my chest and wrapping my arms around her until she knows how safe she is with me. But just barely. I imagine the tightness of her pussy like a fist around my cock once I claim her and making the ugly outside world disappear. The thought of sinking into her and fucking her long and hard as we get to know each other’s desires clouds my judgment for a moment.
I clear my throat and step back to give each of us a moment to breathe.
Not yet, I tell myself.
She wraps a small hand around my arm. “Not yet. Please, hear me out.”
I turn to walk past her but she catches my arm. I slide my hand across hers where she has it resting on my big biceps. “You should leave before it’s too late, angel.” It physically hurts to turn my back on her and walk away. I can hear every fucking second that ticks by like I’m Father Time himself. But no matter how I feel, for some crazy reason something inside forces me to offer her a way out.
“My chauffeur will take you home and no one will be the wiser of what didn’t happen here this evening.”
My words hang in the air between us. The only sound is the fucking clock.
Tick tock.
Tick. Tock.
“I don’t want to go home. And I’m not going to do it. I can’t. I wanted to for all of half a second when I first heard my uncle's twisted plot to ruin you. I refuse to lie. But I can’t. I’m not like you or my uncle. I’m not coldhearted enough to play these corporate games you two like so much. Using people, playing a proverbial game of chess… ugh… don’t you guys ever get tired?”
The heart on her sleeve swelled and for a moment, her words drop in my mind like tiny droplets of dew, each heavier than the last. She had a point. I did get tired, but I knew from day one when I set out to bring my sorry ass out of poverty and into the dominant world of corporate life it would lead to daily fights to maintain my power. No different from when my father worked three jobs to put me through school. Just a better view from here and now my father didn’t have a damn thing to worry about.
Allison needed someone willing to fight just as hard for her. But, maybe I am wrong. Maybe the man she deserves isn’t me. Or shouldn’t be me. I don’t live in the black and white world she’s talking about.
I lean in and press a soft kiss to her jaw and shove down my filthy, dirty desires for her sake and move to walk away. “Leave before it’s too late, Allison. Do us both that favor.”
She steps closer and entwines her fingers around mine and tugs until I turn. I could have pulled free, forced her to leave, but I don’t. I can’t.
No, I do the opposite of what I know I should do and keep her soft, tiny hand in mine.
“He’s out for blood, Mr. Savage. I can’t let that happen. I won’t. He’s ruined enough lives.”
“And what do you plan on doing about it? Shake a finger at him and say, bad boy?” I taunt.
She parted her lips with what looked like the beginnings of a smile. “Not exactly. As pleasurable as your company is, Mr. Savage. I do have a plan as you can see and I didn’t exactly pussyfoot around it either. You will offer me a job with your company before I leave here.”
Her bravado makes my chest swell with pride. My angel was willing to tarnish her halo and step into the gray zone a little to set some wrongs right. Interesting.
My brows furrow and when I only hold those gorgeous eyes of hers, she huffs out her frustration and continues.
Her lip catches between her teeth again and she eliminates any space between us. “I admit, I thought you would be a little more enthused since it is your company on the line.”
“I have my plan, but I do want to hear yours.”
She went completely still next to me. “You knew about my uncle?”
“Since you’ve been direct with me, I’ll return the favor. Yes, my angel.” I say and tap the small cleft on her chin.
“You see, my associate, Mr. Larson, works for me. You’ve probably seen him in your home speaking with your uncle. He planted the idea of your uncle trying to blackmail me as I instructed. I originally wanted your uncle to offer you as payment for me turning a blind eye to his crimes within my company given he cease his activities, but he did one better it seems and walked you through my door himself as jail bait. The second I saw your beautiful green eyes and angel face from your file I did everything in my power to make sure you would be mine. And make no mistake, Allison. You are mine.”
Confusion runs across her face. Her shoulders slump slightly in what looks like defeat and disappointment. “Oh. Then I guess you don’t need me after all and I’ve wasted both our time.”
I tighten my grip slightly when she tries to step away.
“Uh-uh. I gave you a chance to leave. That window has closed, angel. You’re not going anywhere until I say. No, tell me more of the dirty little plan that mind of yours has cooked up.”
I grin to soften the blow of my dominance. I know I can be controlling and I don’t want to scare her away before I win her over completely. In the time it took to build Savage Ink I’d hardly ever had time for women. But suddenly I had all the time in the world on my hands.
“Hire me. Use your own company rules against my uncle. That and the proof I have…let’s just say we’ll both be safe from his nasty vengeful tendencies.”
“Meaning?”
Her movements quickened as she paced a step away and then turned on her heel to face me.
With a raised finger she ticked off her points.
“Your company has a policy. Right? Right.”
Up went another finger.
I nod once.
“If an employee within Savage Ink can prove foul play to a fellow board member or employee of the company, that proof is immediately reviewed. Right? Right.”
She added a third finger.
“And offending board member is placed on unpaid leave, during said review time. Right? Right.”
“I applaud your dedication to learning the inner workings of the company. Hell, you probably know more than your uncle by the sound of it, but what is your point here, sweetheart?”
A tight smile pulled at her lips and I loved the spark of a challenge that lit her eyes. At the same time her expression grew stern and the amount of concentration drew my full attention. She’d obviously put a lot of effort into her actions.
“Hear me out. All petty cash and company credit cards are frozen pending said investigation and if legal action is required, then you pass all documentation of the crime against your company and its employees and charges are pressed. Right?”
She straightened her shoulders and if I didn’t know I already was falling for her, the woman standing in front of me would have won my heart in that instant. Damn, I was so fucked.
“Hire me as a trash collector, window wiper, hell stuff me in the mail room, I don’t care. I have the proof you need to show malicious intent against you and your company. Together we can take down my uncle and he can once and for all release the hold he has over me.”
She has spunk and drive, I’ll give her that. “No one in their right mind would shove you in some basement with no windows to sort mail when your beauty should be seen by all. Seen, not touched,” I reprimand.
For a second she looked confused but hopeful.
“But no. I’m not about to paint a target on your ass. I can handle Shade on my own, but I’m intrigued by the way your mind works, nonetheless.”
With a half frown, half scowl she crosses her arms over her ample chest and I didn’t want to be the one to tell her it didn’t have the effect she’d wanted.
Warm light from the fire casts a soft glow of light around her and for a second I’m tempted to do anything she wants if it keeps her close to me.
She pulls her phone out of some hidden pocket in her costume and her delicate thumbs fly over the screen. In the next instant, she looks up at me with an accomplished smile and dread of what she’s done grips my balls.
Now look who’s playing chess.
“There. Now you’ll have no choice in the matter. Either accept my terms or the audio I just sent to the cloud gets sent to local news stations. Remember the comment of fucking me under your Christmas tree. Nice one. That should get the attention of a few people. Plus, I just messaged my uncle that I’m out. He can do his own dirty work. That target you spoke about has been firmly painted on my ass. Now it’s all on you. What’s your move?” She wasn’t playing chess anymore with strategic moves and well-laid plans. No, a game of chicken was more like it.
She bites her lip, giving away the nervousness she tries to bury under a false bravado.
“The only thing that is going to touch that ass is my hand.” The little minx wants to blackmail me like this is some game of double jeopardy? I grit my teeth and narrow my eyes, my expression stone-cold.
“You don’t know how to play the game you’ve started, angel.” I growl, feeling my anger rush to the surface. Not the same anger that fuels my aggressiveness in business. I could never direct my wrath her way. No, the anger that has me clenching my fists and making my back molars ache from me gritting my teeth is toward anyone who would want to hurt her and the asshole that put her in this predicament in the first place.
Seeing my anger, she tries to pull away and retreat.
I refuse to have her fear me when so many others do. Like a wolf hungry for his mate, I prowl closer and don’t stop until I have her pinned to the back of my couch.
“What the fuck have you done? What gives you the right to put yourself in danger like that?”
“Umm, me.” She hooks a thumb at herself. “I don’t need your protection. I haven’t hit send yet. And I don’t care what kind of connections my uncle has. I refuse to run in fear of him and be under his thumb anymore.”
“You’re pushing me. Why?”
“He needs to be stopped.”
I raise a hand between us to shake a finger and she flinches away from me.
“Fuck,” I mutter and cup her tender face in my hands, pulling her to me. Rage for the danger she put herself in spikes my blood and urges my possessive streak. Her uncle was a desperate man, which made him unpredictable. “You’re too sweet to get drawn into such darkness and greed. Walk away.” But even as I say the words, I already know it’s too late. I’m not letting my angel go.
She settles her hands on my waist and something in me roars to life in that one soft, simple touch. A flood of possessiveness claims my senses, and from that point, I’d happily add murderer to the list of adjectives used to describe me in order to protect the woman in my arms forced into adulthood way too fast.
Being with her brings about a calm I’ve never felt before.
“Either you help me or I do it on my own, which will only make things ten times harder. For you and for me. Maybe even dangerous. Living under his roof, there’s no telling what he’ll do to me, or let happen to me under his watch.”
I don’t need it spelled out for me but she’s doing a damn fine job of making my gut tighten with anger and my heart rip with panic I’ve never felt. Shade is enough of a piece of shit to let his anger and bitterness toward me devour anything remotely good in his life.
Her hand goes to her throat again.
There’s no love in her eyes as she speaks about her uncle. My determination and my respect grows immensely for her desire to see justice served.
I lean in and press my lips against her forehead softly. “I’ll do it on one condition.” Over her shoulder I catch the glimpse of my clock and hold my smile in check.
She mimicked my earlier response.
“Oh? And what’s that, Mr. Savage,” she whispers sweetly, knowing damn well her soft voice drives me wild. If she doesn’t she’ll find out soon enough. She clutches that damn shawl, her big green eyes on mine.
“Say my name again,” I demand. “I want to know you can scream it when I part your creamy thighs and stretch your dripping virgin pussy with my big cock.”
Her voice shakes when she speaks. “What’s your one condition, Mr. Savage?” Damn, my name on her pretty red lips makes my cock throb.
“Mason,” I correct her as I lean close to her ear and purr, “Be mine and stay with me tonight.”
She trembles in my arms and tenses, her nails digging into my waist.
Reluctantly I pull away from her until she answers. My lips lingering near hers where I can feel her warm breaths.
It doesn’t take long.
Her eyes slip shut and her lips move with her answer. “Yes, Mason.”
Our gazes lock.
Her lips part and the tip of her tongue slips out to wet the plump, sweet flesh.
One word, one second and a single chime of the clock and I’m tasting heaven.