Chapter Eighteen
Romy
I ’m stunned and terrified, but I sense more to this interaction than Caius wanting to pay me back for trying to escape. Had he wanted to rape me, he’d have done it plenty of times before now.
He’d mentioned him and the dangerous warning in his tone chilled me to the bone.
Was he talking about his father?
My skin is tingly, and I realize he’s reverently stroking my ass cheek. What’s alarming is it sends jolts of pleasure spiking through me.
Is it the pill he gave me?
I cry out in shock when he flips me onto my back. The hard planes of the metal hood bruise my shoulder blade and spine that press against it. Fear keeps me immobilized as I take in the monster before me.
Wickedly handsome is a phrase that perfectly describes Caius. A malevolent glint flashes in his dark eyes and his nostrils flare as though he can smell the fear on me.
Or maybe it’s my arousal he picked up on.
Shame fights for the forefront of the feelings coursing through me. I truly hate this man—this entire family—and yet I find myself attracted to him in such a horrifying moment.
If you convince yourself you want it, it won’t be so traumatic.
I doubt the pill has had a chance to infiltrate my consciousness, but my brain has sedated me into relaxing and accepting what’s to come.
“This will be quick,” Caius purrs, voice deceptively calm. “I need to feel you, love, and stake my claim. You know how jealous I get when you flirt with my brothers.”
I frown at his words. He’s not jealous because we’re not really dating. This is most definitely all an act for an unseen audience. I’m jolted from my inner thoughts when he starts unbuckling his belt. His calculating gaze devours my nakedness between my open thighs. A tremor of desire ripples through me.
I’m unable to look away as he unzips his pants and then pushes them, along with his boxers, down his thighs. His thick, veiny cock bounces out once freed, and he immediately starts stroking it. I’m both in awe and freaked the hell out by the sheer size of it.
It’s long and incredibly thick.
The biggest I’ve ever seen or imagined.
Not that I have any real experiences to compare to.
“Caius,” I whimper.
His lips press together and his eyes narrow. A warning burns hot in his stare. I bite on my bottom lip to keep from crying.
Fight him off, stupid!
All I can do is gawk, paralyzed by warring emotions that deeply want this and also strongly want to resist.
He spits into his hand and then goes back to stroking himself. Another whimper crawls out of me. A tear races down my temple. Caius tracks it with keen awareness.
Then he bends over me. I feel the thickness of his hard but somehow velvety smooth cock press against my pubic bone. I gasp at the strangeness of the touch.
“Such a good little girl,” Caius croons, bringing his lips to mine. “It’ll feel good. I promise.”
His mouth crashes onto mine and I let out a small yelp. When his tongue presses into my mouth, I momentarily forget who’s kissing me and get lost in the minty taste of him. He kisses me expertly like a man who’s done this a thousand times before. A flare of jealousy sparks hot through me, and I silently berate myself for it.
He’s a monster, remember?
As he kisses me possessively and as though he’s attempting to own me with just his tongue, his hips start moving. A zing of explosive pleasure detonates from my core.
All he’s doing is rubbing his cock against my clit and it’s the single most wonderful sensation I’ve ever felt in my life. It doesn’t help that his cock is slick from his spit, making it slide smoothly against my tender flesh. A long, needy moan pours out of me, echoing in the cavernous garage.
Caius latches onto my bottom lip with his teeth, tugging just enough to bring me a zap of pain. Then he sucks away the sting. His hips start moving faster and I can’t help but hook my legs around his waist, aching for more.
More what?
Why isn’t he pushing inside me?
Am I craving for him to rape me? Is it rape when I want it so freaking badly?
I’m no longer being kissed by the wicked man. Now I’m actively participating. My hands have finally remembered how to move again and I’m stroking my fingers through his thick, dark hair. With each buck of his hips, more and more delicious pleasure spikes through me, drawing me nearer and nearer to something wonderful.
More.
I want more.
His large, firm balls thump against my core each time he thrusts. It’s not enough to feel his warmth there. I want him to slide his cock inside of me, stretch me to limits I’ve never known before. I’ll hate myself tomorrow for it. Right now, I desperately want it.
Caius pulls away from my mouth to start kissing my neck. With each suck and nibble, I damn near lose my mind. Why does it feel so good?
“That’s it,” he murmurs against my earlobe. “Let the ecstasy do its job, little girl.”
Ecstasy?
That explains a lot.
Rather than being angry at this piece of knowledge, I sink further into the desperation of needing Caius inside my body.
“Please,” I beg, “I need…”
His mouth is back on mine, silencing me. The thrusting intensifies until he rubs me right into oblivion. Stars glitter all around me as my climax seizes every cell in my body. I cry out in pleasure, shuddering violently from the sheer magnitude of delight coursing through me. Caius jerks away without warning and then I watch as he strokes his cock, eyes boring into mine. A splatter of heat hits my tender flesh between my thighs. More hits my lower, exposed belly. Another jet of it hits my butt cheek. When his cock finishes pulsating, he squeezes it, pushing the rest out of the tiny slit on his crown. Then he wriggles his dick, flinging the last few droplets off.
“That felt so good,” Caius growls, flashing me a sexy half grin. “I almost forgot to pull out. One of these days, you’re going to get pregnant if we keep tempting fate like that.”
I shudder at his confusing words.
He wasn’t inside me.
All he did was get me off by rubbing his dick on my clit.
Him .
He’s saying and doing all this for him .
I want to look around for this mysterious person, but Caius locks his eyes on me. I’m unable to tear my gaze from his, instead getting lost in a silent conversation. He’s trying to tell me something. Play along? Whatever it is, for once since I’ve been in this horrible place with these horrible people, I feel like I might actually be in on a secret.
Too bad I can’t exactly decode what he’s trying to convey.
Caius steps away from me and then bends to pick up my thong. I watch with rapt attention as he cleans off his cock and hand with the silky material. Then he uses it to mop up the mess he made on me. Once he’s done, he pockets the soiled pair of underwear and then sets to putting his outfit back to rights.
I’m too shaky to move.
Gently, he pulls my dress down to cover me. Then he grabs hold of my wrists, tugging me into a sitting position. I’m shocked once more when he steps between my spread thighs, tangles his fingers in my hair, and kisses me with the passion of a thousand fiery suns.
It’s all a ruse.
But it feels so good.
I kiss him back because the pill is effectively doing its job, and I want each and every delicious ounce of pleasure he offers me. Someone clearing their throat interrupts us.
“Not to be rude,” a man says, “but I’d like to leave before I get stuck watching round two.”
Caius pulls back, flashes me a warning glare, then turns to look toward the sound of the voice. “The garage isn’t where you usually like to play, Solomon. My apologies. I thought me and my girl were alone.”
Liar.
I don’t rat him out, though.
Glancing toward Solomon, I’m shocked to see the state of him. He’s no longer put together. Blood splatters his face and he’s wearing claw marks on his cheek. In his arms is a young woman—possibly younger than me—limp and also bloody. Bluish bruises form along the side of her face. She’s also completely naked.
My heart leaps into my throat. Caius, though seemingly unbothered by the bloody couple, nods at Solomon. I notice the tenseness in his shoulders, though. He’s unnerved or maybe even afraid of this man. If Caius is afraid, I should be terrified. It’s strange that I’m thankful for Caius’s protection in this moment. I truly am getting my mind warped in this place.
“I like to spice things up every now and again,” Solomon reveals. “I’ll need help with this.”
Caius nods again. “I’ll call Theo. There’s a janitor’s closet down the hall. He’ll meet you there.”
“Much appreciated,” Solomon says, eyes darting my way. “And if you ever get tired of that one, let me know. She’s a little older than I prefer, but I do like the sounds she makes. So fucking needy.”
Disgust roils in my gut, making me recoil from the man. Caius chuckles as though Solomon’s telling the funniest joke. I want to spit at the horrible man carrying the unmoving girl.
“Man, I think she’s a keeper. Dare I even say ‘the one’?”
Solomon smirks. “That only makes me want her all the more. Perhaps we can broker a deal. You know I’ll pay anything for what I want.”
“I’ll think about it,” Caius says with a grunt. “Better get going before rigor mortis sets in.”
His words have me freezing.
Wait…
The girl is dead?
Bile rises in my throat and my skin breaks out in an oily sweat. Solomon begins whistling a cheerful song as he heads toward the door that goes into the lodge. I track him as he makes his way through the door. Long after he’s gone, I continue staring at the closed door.
“Janitor’s closet,” Caius grunts into his cell phone. “Yeah, she’s with me.” He pauses and grits his teeth before saying, “She’s fine.”
Theo.
He’s worried about me.
Gareth may have sold me out, but Theo still seems to care.
“You can text her later,” Caius mutters. “I’m taking her home now.”
Caius hangs up the phone and then picks up my clutch from the garage floor. I didn’t even realize I’d dropped it. The past twenty minutes or so have been a whirlwind. He hands me my purse and then locates my missing shoes. I can’t help but fixate on his messy hair—hair that I ruffled with my fingers only moments ago—as he kneels before me to put on my shoes.
While still crouched down in front of me, Caius turns his gaze toward me. He studies me intently for a beat and then rises to his feet. “You did well, little girl. Better than I expected.”
My cheeks burn hot. I don’t know if he’s indicating I did well with keeping my mouth shut around Solomon or by letting him get me off. I sure as hell didn’t fight him off one bit. I’d damn near begged for him to do more than he did.
“He killed her,” I manage to croak out. “That sick asshole killed that girl.”
Caius doesn’t gaslight me like he’s done a thousand times before and I’m not told I didn’t see something when I most certainly did. Instead, I’m graciously given the truth.
“He did. Be lucky it wasn’t you.”
Caius hooks an arm around my waist and pulls me to my feet. I’m unsteady between the pill and drinks from earlier. I can’t help but fall against his solid chest. His grip around me tightens, not allowing me to collapse. I inhale his familiar, masculine scent, letting it comfort me.
“You did that to protect me?” I ask, voice stupidly hopeful.
“I did.”
“Why?”
Because he likes me?
“I did it because we don’t need problems from your father. I simply did my job.”
His words sting. I shouldn’t be shocked by them, but I am. Caius has been nothing but a drugging, kidnapping, molesting prick since the moment I met him. Did I really think his feelings for me changed and that he now cares about my well-being?
He doesn’t.
All he cares about is protecting the Crowne name.
I’m a pawn and he used me as one.
With his cruel words, though, he gave me the validation I need. He admits this relationship is a fraud and I’m not losing my mind.
“Take me home so I can shower your disgusting stench off my body,” I choke out, fighting tears. “Touch me like that again and I’ll cut your cock off.”
He snorts with dark amusement. “Perhaps next time I’ll let you die instead, hmm?”
“Death would be preferable to spending another second with you.”
I hate that we both know I’m lying.