Chapter 20
LANTANA
The fabric of his shirt hit the floor with a muffled thud, as I stayed draped across the bed, my breath hitching in my throat, my eyes tracing the line of his broad shoulders.
Legion didn't rush anything. His gaze just locked onto mine as he slowly stripped away layers of his clothing.
Everything about him carried a dangerous sort of confidence, the kind that came from a man who had never doubted his ability to take exactly what he wanted.
He looked like a tall blonde Adonis, only he was real and raw.
His muscles were lean and corded, used for one single lethal purpose.
To drive me to he edge of insanity. Tattoos crawled across his chest and wound around his biceps in intricate, dark ink that seemed to pulse against his pale skin whenever he breathed.
When the denim of his jeans slid down his thighs, his cock sprang free with a sudden, heavy bounce.
It was long, thick, and already fully erect, a vein pulsing along the length of the shaft.
The sight of it sent a jolt of heat straight to my core, a sudden, stabbing need that overrode the dull, throbbing ache in my limbs.
I watched the way it swayed slightly, the head glistening with a bead of pre-cum, the weight of his balls tight against his scrotum.
My mouth went dry, as I squeezed my thighs together, my hands sliding to my breasts as I watched him.
He leaned over me, and I breathed him in.
Sandalwood, leather, and something raw and primal filled my lungs, choking out everything else.
I moaned, the sound vibrating deep in my chest, a confession of want.
He hooked his arms under me, his grip firm and unyielding, and he lifted me from the mattress as if I weighed nothing.
I didn’t complain, my body enjoyed being pressed against the hard planes of his chest. My muscles protested, a sharp, biting reminder of the violence of the last few hours, but he held me tight, his heartbeat drumming against my shoulder blade.
He carried me into the bathroom. The bathtub was a deep, clawfoot basin of white porcelain, already steaming from the hot water. He didn't drop me in. Instead, he set me down in front of the wide, steamed-up mirror, his hands sliding to the hem of my clothes.
"Stay still, Lantana," he murmured.
He began to strip me, his fingers working the fabric with agonizing slowness.
He peeled away my layers, one by one, his eyes never leaving my reflection in the glass.
As the clothes fell, he found a purple bloom of a bruise on my hip.
He paused, leaning down to press a lingering, warm kiss to the damaged skin.
I shivered, my breath fogging the mirror.
"Who did this to you?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave.
"You should see the other guy," I teased.
“Funny,” he licked at my wound as he moved his hands upward, his palms wrapping around my breasts.
He squeezed them firmly, his thumbs circling my nipples through the thin lace of my bra before he flicked the clasp open. He stepped back for a heartbeat, circling me like a wolf assessing a prize, his gaze raking over my curves.
"God, you're perfect," he whispered. "Absolute perfection."
He sank to his knees before me and I watched him in the mirror, my head tilting back, as low sigh escaped my lips as he leaned in.
He captured one nipple in his mouth, sucking hard, his tongue swirling around the peak.
The sensation sent a jolt of electricity straight to my clit.
I gripped his blonde hair, pulling him closer, wanting more of that heat.
"You like that, don't you?" he mumbled against my skin.
"Just shut up and keep doing it."
"As you wish, baby."
He spent minutes there, alternating between deep, pulling suctions and soft, teasing licks that left me trembling, my pussy begging for him. Only when I was nearly breathless did he lift me again and lower me into the water.
The heat seeped into my sore muscles, loosening the knots of tension and pain, washing away the grime of the day and I sank deeper. The water swirling around my breasts, the heat turning my skin a flush of deep pink.
Legion stepped in behind me, and the water splashed against the porcelain. He settled his weight against my back, the rough heat of his chest pressing into my spine, his hard cock resting at the curve of my ass.
His hand reached forward, and he dipped his fingers into the water to swipe a smear of dried blood from my cheek.
He didn't stop there. His hand wandered, sliding over the curve of my breast, his thumb circling the peak with a slow, agonizing pressure.
He pinched my nipple, pulling it firmly, teasing the sensitive bud until I arched my back, my head falling back against his shoulder.
"You're shaking, Lantana," he whispered, his voice a low, guttural grate against my ear.
"I'm cold," I lied, though the water was nearly scalding.
"Now you're lying. You've a terrible liar when you're wet."
"Maybe I just like keeping your cock hard for me."
He chuckled, a dark, resonant sound that vibrated through my spine. He moved his hand to my neck, his grip firm but not choking, pulling my head back so I had to look up at him. His eyes were dark, shimmering with a mixture of lust and something far more dangerous.
"Do you know when I first saw you, I realized how empty my world was. I became obsessed, Lantana. Not with the job, but with you. I couldn't breathe without knowing where you were, or if you were safe. I spent nights memorizing the rhythm of your hips, imagining the taste of your skin."
I closed my eyes, leaning into the touch despite myself, the heat of the water and the heat of his body blurring into one. "You were sent to watch me, it was a part of your job."
"I did. At first. But then I stopped caring about the rules. I never believed you were disloyal. Not for a second.”
“You were playing with me.”
“I wanted to be the only one who played with you."
"And what about now?”
“Now I’m going to enjoy you.”
“Just like that?” I asked. “What about the job?”
“I have to finish it. I need to convince Duchess to let me help. Jameson wants the run completed. He's losing patience, and he doesn't like it when his best assets go rogue for a woman."
“And then what?”
“And then I go home,” he said bluntly.
Knowing he was leaving hurt, and I pulled away, splashing water as I tried to create as much distance between us as possible, the movement sending ripples through the steaming tub. "I don't care about Jameson. I don't care about your runs."
"You should. Because I can't finish this alone. I need back up with the Scorpions, and I need the Harlots’ help to make it happen. It's a suicide mission without the right pieces in place."
I scoffed. "You come back here, tell me you're obsessed with me, and then ask for a favor? You've got some nerve."
"I wasn't supposed to stay this long. I was supposed to be a shadow, but you.
.. you enticed me. You pulled me in with that look in your eyes, that hunger that matches mine.
I couldn't keep away. I tried to stay distant, but every time I closed my eyes, I felt you under me.
I felt the way you'd scream if I actually took what I wanted. "
"Good. Now you know, so get out. You can rot in the dirt for all I care."
I tried to stand, my wet skin slipping against the porcelain.
I didn't get far. Legion's hand shot out, grabbing my waist and yanking me back down into the water with a heavy sthud of my knees hitting the tub floor.
I gasped, my back slamming against his chest, the impact knocking the air from my lungs.
His hand didn't stay on my waist. It glided forward, sliding between my thighs, his fingers finding the drenched, swollen heat of my core.
He rubbed his palm against my clit, a slow, grinding pressure that made my toes curl and my vision blur. I mewled, a pathetic, needy sound that betrayed every word of my refusal.
"You say you want me to rot," he murmured, his fingers dipping inside me, feeling the slick walls of my pussy clench around him. "But your cunt is screaming for me. It's pulsing, Lantana. It's practically begging me to ruin you."
"Stop it," I gasped, though I arched my hips, pushing myself harder against his hand, craving the friction.
"Make me."
I struggled against him, my hands clawing at his forearms, my nails digging into his skin.
I loved the feeling of his strength, the way his biceps locked like iron bands around me, pinning me in place.
I tried to twist away again, a desperate attempt to regain some semblance of control, but he was faster.
Legion gripped my hips and forced me forward, shoving me onto my knees in the shallowing water of the tub. My palms slapped against the porcelain rim, my breasts hanging low, the nipples hard and peaking in the steam. Before I could speak, his hand came down hard.
The sound of the spank echoed in the bathroom, a sharp, wet crack that stung like fire.
I let out a sharp cry, my ass tingling from the impact.
He didn't stop. He hit me again, and then again, his palm leaving searing heat on my skin.
He reached down, squeezing the flesh of my buttocks, digging his fingers into the softness, kneading me like dough.
"My hand print looks great on your round ass, baby," he grinned, his voice dripping with arrogance.
"Fuck you," I hissed, glancing back at him with narrowed eyes, my chest heaving.
“I can do that," he teased.