Chapter 9 Mouth
NINE
MOUTH
PATRICK
She swallows roughly as she grabs a single piece of buttered toast.
I tut. “I had three pieces. I expect you to eat at least two. We don’t want to waste, do we?”
And I’d hate to see anything happen to those amazing curves all because being trapped with me put her off her appetite…
A muscle flexes in her jaw, but she grabs a second piece of toast, slamming it down on top of the first one.
I swallow my smile. I don’t want her to think I’m patronizing her, but damn if my erection doesn’t twitch a little to see some of her spunk shining through.
And if that was bad, it’s fucking torture watching her eat her breakfast over the rim of my coffee mug.
As though she doesn’t want to have that conversation with me at all, she takes her time, but I don’t mind.
I like to watch her eat.
I like to watch her sleep.
Fuck, I just like to watch her, and so consumed by allowing myself to do that in person instead of behind a screen, I almost miss the moment when she shoves her empty plate away from her.
Almost, but not quite, and as soon as she’s done, I gesture for her to join me in the front area. I already turned the fireplace on while I was waiting for her to come down. The flickering flames reflect off the shiny wrapping paper, catching her attention.
Her brow furrows. “I know it’s Christmas Eve, but it’s not like Santa’s coming here anyway. Why are there presents under the tree?”
I straighten my tie, shifting my bulk so that I’m standing between Noelle and the gifts. “Santa would never forget such a good girl,” I tell her, “but those are for tomorrow.”
The furrow deepens. “You brought me presents?”
Of course I did. “Why wouldn’t I? Haven’t I told you? When I was still active in the life, my nickname was Saint.”
I wait to see if she recognizes the name. In my experience, only those who are actively involved in the organized crime scene do.
“Because you terrorize women, then bring them presents so that it makes it okay?”
Charming, Noelle. “No, because once the targets realize who Damien Libellula sent after them, they all drop to their knees and start praying.” Damien’s cousin, Vin, gave me the name after my third leaf, when rumors around my abilities started growing in Springfield.
“And now it’s your turn. On your knees, Starling. ”
She blinks, fear suddenly returning to her eyes. “Are you… are you going to kill me?”
Never. “Now that you’ve had a night to think about what I’ve done for you, I’m ready to move on to my second demand. You gave me your lips already. Now, sweet Starling, I want your mouth.”
It takes a moment for it to click. “Oh, you bastard. You’re sick. You know what they did to me, and to thank you for killing them, you want me to show some gratitude in the same way? You want me to blow you?”
Desperately, but I also want her to understand that I’m not like them at all.
“I think there’s a bit of a difference—”
Her eyes flash angrily. It’s better than the fear, but not by much. “I don’t think so.”
“Really? Correct me if I’m wrong, but Marcus Willis blackmailed a drugged-up beauty into sucking his cock.
” I don’t wait for her answer. I don’t need it.
“I’m telling you what I want if you want to consider the matter of my debt settled.
” I pause again, knowing I have every ounce of her attention, before asking, “Do you want me to tell you how he died?”
She takes a few steps back. “What? No!”
Liar. She’s dying to know, but she doesn’t think it would be ‘good’ of her to ask.
“I made sure he knew I did it for you,” I tell her instead.
And though she hasn’t obeyed quite yet, dropping to her knees in front of me, I unbutton my pants, tugging on the zipper, shoving the material down past my ass so that she can see everything from my upper thigh to my obvious erection. “It’s always been about you.”
It takes her a second to notice. I guess I should be proud that her eyes went straight to my cock, lips parting slightly at the sight of it, but as I lower my hand, pointing to the small black tattoo I have on my inner thigh, she gasps when she sees it.
And then, to my amazement, she drops to her knees in front of me to get a better look.
“Is that—”
“A starling?” I ask. “Of course it is.”
“Holy shit.”
Not a bad reaction, if I do say so myself.
“I tried to show you, Noelle. Last night, when you caught me coming out of the shower… if you had let me drop my towel and shown you my starling, maybe you would’ve had an easier time understanding just how much I worship you.”
I worship her. After everything I’ve learned of her…
the strength she’s shown in her recovery after the hell those monsters put her through…
the woman watching me with a touch of defiance and fear even as she mouths off to the man holding her captive this Christmas…
I fucking worship Noelle. She’s the one on her knees in front of me, but if she asked it of me, I’d trade places with her in a heartbeat.
At my invitation, she ghosts her fingers over the tattoo. I have to clench my ass cheeks together to keep from shuddering under her almost touch.
“Just how many starlings have you had, Saint?” she whispers softly.
“Patrick,” I correct automatically. When I killed those men for her, I was Saint. When I put on my suit this morning, gaining some sense of control… I was Saint. Here, vulnerable, my cock out, bobbing in need and want, I’m fucking Patrick. “Call me Patrick.”
“How many, Patrick?”
“One. I’ve had lovers. Girlfriends. One-night stands. Despite my enforcer name, I’m no saint. I’ve had my share of women, sweetheart, but I’ve only ever had one Starling.” That’s all I’ll ever have. “One woman that will always be meant to find her way back to me.”
She hasn’t stopped staring at the small black bird. “I still don’t know why you call me that. This is a tiny bird. Me… I’m the furthest thing from that.”
“It’s because of what starlings do. My Mom was big on birds before she died,” I admit.
“You see, they’re considered to be nuisances, but they’re also super smart.
They always know how to get home again. That’s where I got the name.
Well, that and the way you sing when you’re alone. A starling is a songbird, too.”
Her eyes narrow even as her fingers move to wrap around my length, almost as though she doesn’t even realize she’s doing it. Like it’s habit…
“When I’m alone,” she echoes.
My lips quirk upward at how she still hasn’t released me yet. “I don’t just have eyes on your computer, Noelle. I told you. I knew a year ago that you’d be mine one day.” This Christmas, in fact. “You think I wouldn’t have eyes on you all the time?”
Damn it. I went too far. Leaning back on her heels, she yanks her hand away. “Cameras?”
“Don’t think about it too much,” I grate out, trying to soothe her so that she’ll touch me again. “You said it yourself. I’m a stalker. True, I’ve always thought of myself as a protector… and if you accept anything I tell you as fact, let it be this: I will do anything to protect you.”
“Even tuck your hard-on away so that I don’t feel forced to do this? If you know everything… you know what happened to me. Aren’t you worried this might cause me a setback?”
Partly. That’s why I’m giving her the choice. If I force Starling, I’ll break her. Simple as that.
“He can’t hurt you again. None of them can.
I killed them all, but I need you to understand that I’m not like them.
So here’s the deal. I have you on your knees.
My cock is yours, Noelle. You can kiss it, you can suck it, you can try to twist it off like I did to that perverted fucker, but make sure to spit on it first so it counts for your mouth.
It’s up to you. Just this once, I’m letting you take control.
To show you that everything I am… I want to gift it to you this Christmas.
It’ll count toward your debt, I swear it.
Just take me again, give me your mouth whatever way you want, and that’s number two. ”
I hold my breath. If she twists, I’ll take it for pushing her so hard before she was ready, but when she glares up at me before grabbing my cock and slipping it into her mouth, I’m the one who’s whispering prayers to someone up above.
Her tits are a miracle, and her mouth has me seeing fucking God.
It helps that she doesn’t even try not to use teeth, but she’ll learn before long that the pain…
I like it. The way she twists the base of my cock, bobbing her head on my length as though she wants to show me how much she hates it all while her chest heaves, her tits bounce, and she keeps on sucking rather than shoving me away from her… oh, yes. I won this round.
And I’ll keep on going until I have everything.
I gave her the gift of choosing. She chose me, and I won’t allow her to take it back.
That’s why, as my orgasm creeps up my spine, I make a choice of my own.
From the moment I first decided to make Noelle mine, there were no other women for me.
I haven’t had someone’s mouth on me in more than a year, and while I wanted to last longer, that’s impossible when she seems determined to make me unravel between her lips.
Right before I finish, I tap her shoulder.
She glances up at me, a hard look in her eyes. I look past that, focusing on the way I fit so goddamn perfectly in this part of her, and how she’s still suckling even as her stare becomes a notable glare.
“I’m going to come in your mouth. But don’t you dare fucking swallow. Understand me?”
She blinks, and I lower my voice. “Understand, Noelle?”
Though I can tell she doesn’t want to, she nods anyway, and that’s all I need before my hips buck, shooting my load into her mouth.
A flash of panic crosses her face. Shit.
I gave her too much, and she’s too worried about my reaction to disobey me.
While I’m glad that she’s learning, I don’t want her to choke.
Gripping my dick, I nearly scrape the sensitive skin on her teeth as I pull out.
Then, grabbing her under her arm, I hoist her to her feet, all while she’s holding my come in her mouth.
I’ve never done this before. A kink I’ve always wondered about, but never trusted anyone enough to perform it with, the moment Noelle started hollowing her cheeks like she wanted me to come inside her… yeah. I had to do this.
Slanting my mouth over hers, I kiss her, stroking her tongue with mine as I encourage her to pass the come back into my mouth. I’m thirty-fucking-eight years old, I had no idea what my spunk tasted like, but with Noelle’s taste mingled with it, it’s way better than I thought.
We pass it back and forth until the choice becomes swallow, suffocate, or spit it out on the floor. I swallow, breaking away from her. My smart girl… she does the same. I’m so pleased, I even forgive her when she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand.
Instead, beaming down at her, I say, “We taste good together.”
Better than any fucking cranberry.