Chapter Four
Lily
I stepped out of the shower and winced at my reflection in the mirror. Not only was my eye turning a colorful blend of green, yellow, and purple, my ribs looked like I’d rolled in a primary color sampler. I wrapped a towel around me and reached for another to dry my hair. It felt good to be clean.
I’d closed the door to the ensuite completely when I’d headed to the shower, and then promptly opened it again when a panic attack set my heartbeat racing. It felt too cut off in there, as if someone could sneak up on me without me knowing.
Panic attacks. Great. One more thing to contend with, as if the paranoia wasn’t enough.
I dug down in the backpack and pulled out the gun.
Checking to make sure the safety was still engaged, I tucked it in between the towels.
Hopefully, Rattler would be back soon. His solid presence helped quiet my nerves, although if I was honest with myself, the sight of his muscular, tattoo-covered body set my heart racing for a whole different reason.
As if summoned by my thoughts, the door to the room opened and Rattler stepped inside. He paused, and we stared at each other.
“Sorry. I can leave.” He made a move to back out the door.
“Don’t.”
He stilled, his gaze raking over my towel-clad body. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”
I took a deep breath. “Yeah. I do.”
He narrowed his eyes, not saying anything.
I let the towel drop to the floor and took a step toward him. “I’m asking for someone to touch me without hurting me. Just this once, touch me like I’m special. Make me feel like I’m worth something, even if it’s just for a couple of hours.”
He quickly slammed the door shut. “You gotta know you’re worth looking out for, worth protecting. Your ex is a certified asshole. He didn’t deserve you.”
I crossed my arms on my chest. “It doesn’t change the fact that I want you.”
His eyes glittered with suppressed lust as he stalked toward me. “You’re too young to know what you want.”
“I know I want you, and that has nothing to do with my age.”
He stopped directly in front of me, his hands on his hips. “Hell yeah, I want you. I’d be crazy not to. I’m trying to be a gentleman here, and you’re making it damn hard.”
I parted my lips, wetting them with the tip of my tongue. “Looks like you’re the one that’s hard.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Hard as a rock and trying to keep my hands to myself. You are not helping my self-control.”
“Screw your self-control.” I crossed the distance between us and dropped to my knees.
I didn’t care about the age thing. I needed to feel like a woman who could make a man want her, not an object to be used. When I caught Rattler looking at me like he wanted to eat me up, when he thought I wasn’t paying attention, I felt like a desirable woman.
And seriously, the man was hot. As in my pussy was dripping wet and I could barely contain myself. Sleek, hard muscle covered every inch of him. He wasn’t handsome in the traditional sense but there was a wildness about him that could melt the ice off a glacier.
I reached for his pants and popped the snap open before sliding the zipper down. His cock sprang free, unhindered by boxers or briefs.
The man went commando. Why wasn’t I surprised? My breath caught in my throat as I reached for him. Taking his length in one hand, I cupped his balls with my other, squeezing them gently.
His cock jumped in response, and I circled it with my fingers, stroking it from tip to base.
He sucked in a ragged breath through clenched teeth. “You’re going to be the death of me, woman.”
I smiled, enjoying the effect I had on him. “You’re not dying yet. I’m not finished with you.”
Rattler groaned as I closed my lips around his shaft and sucked.
He tasted good. Damn good. I swirled my tongue around the head of his cock, then traced the thick vein that ran the length of it.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him reach out and brace his arm against the wall.
I closed my eyes and gave myself over to the feelings racing through me.
His cock was long and thick. I almost gagged when it hit the back of my throat, but I tilted my head and took it all in.
Rattler fisted his hand in my hair, holding my head in place as he slowly rocked his hips.
I used my lips and tongue, teasing his cock while he fucked my mouth.
I could feel the tension in every muscle in his body, and I loved that I could have this effect on him.
“Enough.” Much too soon, he stopped moving and tugged gently on my hair. “If you keep that up I’m going to come, and I want to be inside you when I do.”
That sounded like the perfect way to end this day.
I let his cock slide out of my mouth and took the hand that he held out to help me to my feet.
I stood, throwing him a look of sensual invitation as I crossed to the king-size bed.
Sprawling my naked body across it, I posed in what I hoped was an inviting position.
By the way Rattler’s eyes darkened, it definitely was.
Without breaking eye contact, he shucked off his clothes, leaving them where they dropped. Sliding the drawer in the bedside table open, he reached in and fished out a condom. His eyes glittered with promise as he ripped the foil packet open with his teeth and sheathed himself.
Naked and magnificent, he crawled onto the bed and loomed over me. “You sure?”
I replied in a breathless whisper. “You already asked that. Yes. I’m sure.”
He didn’t move, his brows furrowed as he gazed down at me. “Once we do this, there’s no going back. You’re mine.”
That should have sounded like a threat, but I preferred to think of it as a promise. I stared up at him and ran my tongue across my bottom lip, where the faint taste of him still lingered.
His attention dropped to my lips, and he lowered his head to sear a kiss across them. He devoured my mouth, his tongue pushing its way inside to explore every corner it could reach. I parted my lips, and our tongues tangled in an erotic duel that sent waves of desire sizzling down my spine.
He shifted position, leaving my mouth and moving lower, trailing kisses down my neck to my breasts.
Sucking one nipple into his mouth, he grazed his teeth across it, sending ripples of pleasure racing across my skin.
He worshipped my breasts with his mouth, first one, then the other, licking and nibbling until I could barely contain myself.
“Please,” I begged. “Oh God, please!”
As he lifted his head, his scruff rubbed over one sensitive nipple. Moisture leaked from my pussy in anticipation.
His eyes glittered darkly with lust. “What do you want? Tell me.”
“I want you.” I stared up at him, at his ruggedly sexy face, his eyes darkened with desire. “I want you inside me. Now. Fucking me.”
“Atta girl.” His nostrils flared as he reached down between us and positioned his cock at the soft folds guarding my entrance. “Hearing you talk dirty turns me on.”
I whimpered, and tried to buck my hips up, tried to impale myself on his glorious cock.
He held me down with one hand, careful to avoid the bruises. “Not yet. I want to hear you say my name.” He growled it out like an order.
I drew in a ragged breath. “Rattler. I want you inside me, Rattler.”
With a triumphant grunt, he buried himself balls deep in a single thrust. “God, you’re tight!” He pulled almost all the way out and then thrust back in again.
I wrapped my legs around his waist and closed my eyes, matching him thrust for thrust as he drilled into me with that big, beautiful cock. It had been so long since sex had been about me, about my feelings, my wants.
I couldn’t pace myself, much as I wanted to, I couldn’t make the glorious feelings last. Pleasure raced through me, wiping out everything else. I felt my orgasm building as we moved in step with each other, each thrust faster and harder than the last.
Rattler circled his hips, hitting a spot inside me I didn’t even know existed, and I let out a shriek as my orgasm exploded across every nerve in my body.
Seconds later, he followed me, his body tensing as he shouted his triumph, before collapsing on the bed and rolling over so I landed on top of him.
We lay there for what felt like an eternity, wrapped in each other’s arms. I buried my head against his shoulder and wallowed in the aftershocks rushing through my body in waves.
It felt so good, so right, lying here with Rattler’s muscular arms wrapped around me. I felt safe and cared for. I didn’t want to ruin the moment by thinking too much about the past.
Or worrying about what the future might bring.
* * *
Rattler
If I had any hope of keeping Lily with me, the first order of business was to make sure she was safe.
That meant telling her she needed to stay put, although I doubted that was going to be a problem.
Right now, she was curled up by my side, then stirred restlessly as I disentangled myself from her, murmuring grumpily in her sleep.
I pulled the sheets up over her and watched her snuggle down into the soft mattress with a contented sigh.
She had to be fucking exhausted, and I saw no reason to wake her up.
We’d have plenty of time to figure things out later.
I needed to go talk to Shadow and see what he’d found out about the asshole who’d had the nerve to lay a hand on her.
My first instinct was to unalive the guy, but that wasn’t how things worked.
First, we needed to know who he was, and what connections he had.
Lily said he wasn’t mafia or cartel, but maybe he hadn’t told her everything.
If he had those kinds of connections, I’d need to be careful not to incite a war when I dealt with him.