Chapter 30
CHRISTOPHER
I think it was Jasper who said I’m a sucker for punishment.
Words that have never really sunk in until this moment.
“You’re a fucking idiot.”
The endearing reminder gets blown away by a bitter wind. Darkness encompasses the cloudless sky, the arch of Drache Manor soaring high above me.
And here I am, staring at the only bedroom with a light on.
Like the fucking chump I am.
My dress shirt flaps uselessly against my skin as I start to climb. Windows are a bitch to clean but a blessing to mount because it gives me a ledge every few feet to scale like the world’s most reckless free climber.
The guards make their rotations beneath me, their guns resting casually on their shoulders in case a threat makes itself known. A couple of them chat and laugh as they pass each other, their night vision goggles trained on the horizon instead of the figure perched two stories above them.
Who the fuck puts a bedroom on the fourth floor?
Cursing the architect and myself in tandem, I continue the climb. The steel window frames are fucking freezing against my fingers and my toes, both doing their damn best to keep me from falling to my death.
My mum’s choice of dress shoes and socks lie thirty feet below, idling peacefully in a bush somewhere. I couldn’t risk having my shirt blow away and alerting the guards, so its stuck on my body until I can find somewhere to ditch it.
A muscle-up gets me another story closer to my goal. Cramps in my fingers have my movements growing clumsy and unsteady as fatigue sets in.
Too bad I’ve already reached the point of no return.
The sound of muffled music drifts through the air. It’s indistinguishable at first, a heavy bass and a few guitar chords strumming their way through the night sky.
By the time I reach the open window, soulful lyrics are crooning with the breeze brushing my skin.
“We’re caught in a trap. I can’t walk out... because I love you too much, baby.”
Slipping my hand through the slit, I slowly push the window until there’s enough room for my body to slide through.
“Why can’t you see what you’re doing to me.”
The drums kick in as I throw myself headfirst through the gap. Fabric rips and tears as my dress shirt catches the lip of the frame and gravity finishes the rest.
I duck my head and roll out the landing, hoping like hell I just broke into the right bedroom.
“We can’t go on together... with suspicious minds.”
Running water trickles through the bedroom, the slight hiss of the shower almost masking the growl coming from my left.
Peeling my face off the hardwood, I lift my head and see a set of snarling teeth.
Gums pulled back, drool dripping from Ronan’s mouth onto the floor.
“I missed you too.”
He growls again, his nails clicking against the floor as he steps closer.
My fingers feel blistered and raw when I shove them into my pants. Fumbling for the makeshift pocket I’d sewn in earlier, I wiggle around until the napkin slips free.
Ronan tilts his head, his death glare transitioning from me to the piece of uncooked steak tumbling across Calista’s bedroom floor.
“A peace offering. For the skin you took off my ankle.”
He eyes the meat wearily before bowing his head to take a sniff. Mistrust must run deep in this family because it takes another sixty seconds for him to eat it.
I back away slowly, sliding my aching body to the nearest wall before climbing to my feet. Ronan continues to snack away, his attention wholly taken by the piece of meat not attached to my body.
Once I’m certain he isn’t going to lunge for my throat, I finally take a breath and look around the room. Black and silver remains the theme here too – elegant mirrors set up on every wall so there isn’t a single section left unseen.
Long, thick drapes hang near the windows, their velvety texture a lovely pairing for the duvet covering a queen sized bed. A wall-mounted headboard covers the entirety of the far side, an intricate and complex design that complements the aesthetic perfectly.
It’s a sensual setup, one that teases a woman confident in all aspects of her life.
My thoughts are interrupted by a muffled pop. Crackling ensues, the vinyl spinning in the corner cueing up another track as the bathroom door opens.
Steam billows into the open space, slapping me in the face with a scent of amber shampoo. Wet blonde hair is brushed back from a makeup-free face, water droplets still clinging to the slick surface of her skin.
A white towel is wrapped around her torso, it’s flimsy presence covering the dragon but not its spirit.
I could feel that from a million miles away.
“Devil.”
Calista tilts her head, regarding me eerily similar to the way Ronan did. Her eyes skitter across my face, their vibrant colour dimmer than usual.
“I don’t recall sending you an invitation.”
“Didn’t think I needed one.”
Her lips quirk into a smile, a small smile that has my stomach tightening unexpectedly.
She looks tired.
Whatever fire lives inside of Calista Drache must have clocked out for the night because the woman in front of me looks emptier than I remember.
“What are you doing here?”
“I have no fucking idea.”
The truth slips from my lips.
“I was having dinner with your mother and...” I swallow, feeling the words cling to my throat, “I decided climbing a four-story building was the perfect way to end the night.”
She lifts a brow, “Thought you’d get a kiss for your efforts, did you?”
“I mean, I did almost die making it up here so...”
I trail off, listening to the laughter explode from her chest. Harsh and unforgiving, it rebounds off every reflective surface and crashes into me.
Knocks me right off my feet until all I can do is stare.
Stare and fucking marvel at the woman in front of me.
Life creeps back into her eyes, and just like that, Calista outshines every star in the night sky. She’s a blessing after a long night of torturous conversation, and I’m more than ready to drink from her holy grail.
“Are you asking me for sexual favours, Devil?”
“No.”
My lips split into a grin, a stupid fucking grin because Calista Drache has her eyes on me.
“I’m offering to repay a favour.”
Elvis starts singing about rocking a jailhouse while I’m waiting to be released from my own.
“And which favour would that be?”
She licks her lips, watching me track every stroke of her tongue.
“The one from White Castle.”
“You’re going to have to be more specific.” Her eyes fucking gleam as they dance across my ripped dress shirt, “I find it so hard to keep track of little details.”
Little details, my ass.
“The one where you went down on me, darling. Sucked my cock so dry I get hard every time you put something in your mouth.” My brow lifts, “Was that specific enough for you?”
“Now that you mention it, I do remember something similar.”
She pauses, letting the tension thicken between us.
“But I’m afraid it’s your turn to remember one teeny tiny detail.”
And with that thought, Calista lets her towel fall to the floor.
Causing my dick to swell like a fucking balloon.
A dragon wraps itself around her body, coiled from the base of her left hip to the curve of her right breast. Vicious teeth sink into her modest bust, it’s serrated wings encompassing her ribcage like a lover desperate for comfort.
A spiked, deadly tail completes the piece with a kiss to her pelvis, a fatal tease that finishes me off right then and there.
It’s an art piece painted on the most beautiful canvas I have ever seen. A lithe body that doesn’t need voluptuous curves to be sexy. Scars that don’t need to be hidden by a dragon’s fury because the woman wearing them is strong enough to carry their weight.
Even if you took away the heart-stopping face, I’d still be on my fucking knees.
“Do you remember what I told you that night?”
Her sultry purr is making it hard to focus, as is the way her ass bounces when she walks over to the bed. Perches on the edge like a queen I’d very much like to worship.
“You like to take turns.”
“That’s right.” A genuine smile lights up her face, “And I believe you’ve already had your turn.”
She wants to be in charge.
If it were anyone else, I might balk at the idea. Laugh a bit and suggest we try something else first.
But if that’s what Calista wants then I’ll make sure that's what she gets.
“I’m all yours.”
The words sound truer than they should.
Green eyes take their time roaming over me, picking apart every knot until I’m an untangled mess at her feet. She stays quiet for a while, studying and admiring the torn state of my attire until she finally gives an order.
“Take off your clothes.”
My dress shirt falls to the ground.
Calista watches me strip from her position on the bed, her lips tilting a bit higher with each discarded item.
“No socks?”
“Didn’t want to risk losing them.”
She laughs again, a hideous cackle that feeds my fucking soul.
“You are a rare find, Devil. I didn’t think men knew how to take themselves anything less than seriously.”
I’m not entirely sure it’s a compliment, but the thought of outperforming other men has my dick standing to attention. Calista casts her eyes over the shiny addition, the piercing that has her tongue making another pass over her pouty lips.
“Get on your knees.”
I do as I’m told, sinking to my knees with a wince. My body is still shot from the Seaborn Mansion fiasco, and scaling the side of a building tonight did not do me any favours.
Fucking worth it.
“Now crawl to me.” Canines flash as a wide grin spreads across her face, “And maybe I’ll let you have a taste.”
Mirrors cast back my reflection, every angle of my face and body on display as I slowly place my hands on the floor. Tattoos ripple along my back as I start moving, dragging my knees along the hardwood like a pet returning to its owner.
It probably should be humiliating, watching a grown man crawl to his waiting lover. Knowing I’m the sucker on the ground, slowly handing my pride and dignity over to a woman fully intact.