Chapter 16
CHAPTER 16
M allory
I’d never known a man like Beckett. He was a slick combination of brawn and intelligence wrapped in a rugged costume. But that’s all it was, a costume. I sensed a slight teddy bear nestled inside, or a golden retriever.
Although the exterior package was as rugged as I’d ever seen.
The thought brought a smile to my face and I was the one to beckon him this time, encouraging a man I doubted needed any.
Devour.
My pulse thrummed wildly, my breath catching as his gaze traveled over me, his expression dark and unyielding. He was different than before, invoking a rapturous set of sensations as he prepared to ravish me.
There was no mistaking the fact he wielded all the power while we were here. I should feel vulnerable, yet the vibrations dancing down my spine were full of as much self-confidence as longing.
The word ‘devour’ reverberated in my mind, the singsong reverie pulsing in my ears. The way he was looking at me was like a wild beast who’d just captured his prey. A part of me wanted to race away from him, but most of me was filled with a longing that baffled me. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He didn’t just exude power. He created it with every action he took, including at this moment.
The man had torn away a part of my defenses, forcing me to face not only my darkest fear, but my deepest desire. What little romance I’d experienced in my life had been cold, a practiced response to several dates and nothing more. What I hungered for I’d given up on finding, focusing on work and little else. Now a man who knew very little about me had unearthed the kind of sensations that had obviously been lurking under the surface.
Yet he’d also tried to terrify me, keeping me on edge. That’s what predators did, stalking their victims then breaking them down both mentally as well as emotionally. He had no idea just how strong I’d become. My demeanor had been programmed to act professional at all times, but on the inside, I was a tiger longing to be freed from her cage.
But every question, albeit limited in number that he asked required a thoughtful answer, a delving into a portion of my psyche that I’d never been required to face.
Until now.
I was almost drunk off his scent alone, every nerve standing on end. As the seconds passed, I knew his patience was all but gone, a man prepared to take what he wanted. Beckett’s nostrils were flared, his breath skipping as he stared at me. Every muscle in his body was tense, just like they’d been when he was kissing me.
And disciplining me with the cane. Although I’d sensed he could have been more forceful, making the moment extremely painful if he’d wanted. The act had been about taking full control as much as punishment. That was something he required in his life with everyone. Not just me.
I could still taste my own sweetness on my lips mixed with the hint of bourbon, his drink of choice for the long winter’s night. There was something entirely different about the look in his eyes, as if the man wanted to consume me.
He chuckled in such a dark manner that for a few seconds I was paralyzed, my heart racing.
A part of me continued to find it difficult to believe that I was inside his home, toying with him as if this moment in time was anything but what it was. An unlawful experience. He’d all but kidnapped me. At least that’s what I was trying to tell myself.
“Come to me, Doc. I won’t ask you again.”
“I don’t think so.” I was playing with fire, both in tempting him with whatever game I’d suddenly started to play and with allowing him to learn anything about me. I knew that. I backed into the shadows and attempted to run. Where?
There was no use in what I was doing, even if for a few seconds I felt like a kid again. With Jax barking from the couch, eager to see who won, Beckett didn’t waste any time obtaining his prize.
He drove me against the front door, laughing as he allowed his gaze to fall. I was crushed by his weight, going nowhere. Not that there would have been anywhere to go. “You’re right. I underestimated you.”
“Most men do.”
“You’re safe with me, to be free if that’s what you want.”
To be free. He had no idea what he was asking of me. The hurt was still there, so often rubbing me raw that I was numb inside. But here I was tingling all over, feeling sensations that I hadn’t believed existed.
He took a deep breath, holding it as he brushed his knuckles across my cheek and down the side of my neck.
As he brushed his fingertips down my arms, moving ever so slowly, I was forced to take shallow breaths. Goosebumps had already popped along every inch of naked skin, the moisture between my legs increasing. He allowed his gaze to trail just past the actions his fingers were taking, cocking his head as if studying me intensely.
The man was more than just mesmerizing. He was enigmatic, drawing me into a heightened level of darkness. I shouldn’t crave him, but so much of me wanted to let go.
He knew that of course. He’d captured that in me the moment on the lonely side of an icy road. I’d seen it in his eyes then just as I did right now.
The man was hiding a secret, not only surrounding his appearance, but regarding his entire life.
And I knew in my heart that he was playing a vicious game, this moment nothing more than a test of my resolve. I refused to fail at anything I did, which was what had made quitting my job so gut-wrenching. He’d already known that before requiring me to testify to my fears. I was able to control my breathing, but not the continuous quivers dancing from the tips of my fingers to my toes. He knew that. He’d anticipated exactly the way my body would betray me, hungering to the point I was willing to push aside all thoughts of sanity. Damn him.
After murmuring under his breath words that I couldn’t understand, he gingerly raked his fingers along both my sides, barely brushing against my breasts. Every seductive action he took was just his method of foreplay, further igniting the fire I’d already seen in his eyes. He pulled me even closer, sliding his hands to my breasts as he stood slowly. He towered over me by several inches, making me feel tiny.
“Passion is about letting go of everything tangible around you, opening yourself up to new experiences. Do you enjoy trying something different from time to time, Mallory?”
“Sometimes.”
When he flicked his fingers back and forth across my aching nipples, I bit my lower lip to keep from moaning.
His upper lip curled, his eyes narrowing. “It’s not about making love, Doc. It’s about hard fucking, the kind of rough sex that leaves you wet and sweaty, filthy from head to toe. It’s about every muscle in your body aching from the time spent engaging in a carnal activity. And it’s about pain as well as pleasure, taking you to the very moment when you reach pure ecstasy. Have you ever reached ecstasy, the hard and sweaty kind that left you in awe for days?”
I swallowed hard, shaking my head, no longer able to put a coherent sentence together. A laugh bubbled to the surface soon afterward. Was he kidding me right now? “You can’t understand me.”
“Are you certain about that?”
At this point, I couldn’t be certain of anything, but I just didn’t want to think any longer. I wanted to feel, to burst with excitement from a man’s touch.
“No man has ever made you orgasm before our time together, have they?”
A rush of embarrassment flowed through me like a blast of heat, staining my cheeks. I knew it would be useless to lie to him. “Once.” What Beckett had offered was more than sweet release. It was a taste of the past without the strings of the future.
“Once is never enough, or at least it shouldn’t be. Then it will be a sheer joy to bring you to the very edge of nirvana.”
As he rolled the tips of his fingers around my hardened buds, I realized I was arching my back, clinging to his silky white shirt. He was so handsome and muscular, the two-day stubble covering his jaw only adding to his sex appeal. I felt as if I’d been pulled into a vacuum, unable to catch my breath.
“However, as I mentioned,” he half whispered then pinched both my nipples savagely, pain immediately shooting down the length of my arms.
“Oh. Oh…” I gripped his arms, digging my nails in, blinking several times. Holy crap, it hurt like hell, but the heat between my legs was building, my inner thighs slickened from the previous orgasms.
“Only by experiencing the joys of agony can you reach true ecstasy. Passion. That’s what it involves, Doc. Is that something you choose to have in your life?”
I knew exactly what he was doing, seducing me, but was that such an issue? I was a grown woman, for God’s sake, and while I hadn’t achieved passion, the admittance difficult to take, I’d had sex before. I’d had two boyfriends prior to believing Damen was the one. I’d pretended I’d enjoyed their company, laughing at their jokes and trying to find the right excuses to keep the dates limited. I’d called myself a failure at love, but my friends had reminded me dozens of times that the moment I found the right man, my entire being would change.
As if I should be allowed to find one a second time. There was only a single chance to find Mr. Right and fate had been ugly and unkind. I glanced over his shoulder, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe.
“It’s just us here, Doc. No one is going to break through the barriers.”
There was a sudden shift deep inside me, a need unlike anything I’d felt or had ever wanted to feel. I’d been looking at anything and everything but him. Now I locked eyes as we’d done in jest and anger before, nodding as if giving permission.
Not that he needed it. We’d already become entangled in another, more caustic wave of fate. Whatever she had in store for us was out of our control.
So I did what I’d set out to do.
I let go.
He lifted me off my feet, driving the entire length of his cock inside. I threw one arm over my head, slapping the door while I gripped his shoulder with the other, panting as if I couldn’t catch my breath. The truth was that the feeling of my muscles stretching, taking every inch of him was incredible. How could anything so bad for me feel so damn good?
I was suddenly a crazed woman, wrapping my legs around his hips, bucking against him as he pulled out. When he plunged into me again, he drove both of us against the door. The entire doorframe made a sound.
Jax woofed.
The sound somehow matched the moans that continued to push up from my throat. Meanwhile, Beckett was laughing in the dark chuckle that had turned me on before. He pulled out again, taking his time to drive the thickness inside.
That didn’t seem good enough for me. I dug my knees into his sides, clawing at his shoulder.
“Such a wildcat. Aren’t you?” he muttered.
“Uh-huh.”
He swung me around, pushing me against the wall closest to the door, this time jarring a picture until it fell to the floor.
Jax jumped off the couch, barking as if we had an intruder. I laughed as I looked at him. Never had a jolt of electricity felt so damn good. I was riding high, flying with stars in my eyes as he continued fucking me.
The sex wasn’t about romance. There was no softness to what he was doing. Even the intense expression on his face held a reflection of the man buried deep inside.
The one who’d never take no for an answer, but… Also, the one who’d rarely if ever let go. He’d forced himself to live behind closed doors just as I’d done. We were two peas in a snowy pod where tomorrows weren’t part of the equation.
I dug my knees into him, fascinated by the beads of sweat rolling down both sides of his face. His expression was carnal, something you’d see in a gritty barbarian movie.
My pussy muscles ached from his roughness, clenching and releasing every time he thrust brutally. The thick cords in his neck appeared strained, his entire face highlighting the exertion and pleasure. He wasn’t content with fucking me against the wall, dragging me against the heat of his body and taking long strides from the room.
I wasn’t expecting him to clear the kitchen table, raking everything positioned on top to the floor. The clangs and sounds of breaking glass brought laughter to both of us. He was in his element, taking full control while letting go at the same time.
The combination for both of us was powerful, so much so I was having difficulty breathing.
Or thinking.
Forget focusing.
He slowed his actions as he eased my feet to the floor, taking his time to roll the rough pads of his fingers down my right leg. His gaze trailed behind as his chest rose and fell. It was almost as if he was seeing me for the first time.
“The most beautiful creatures are often the most dangerous.”
The statement brought a smile, a nervous laugh. “You think I’m dangerous?”
Beckett intertwined our fingers, bending my arm so he could bring my hand to his lips. His eyes were half closed as he rolled them back and forth across my knuckles. “The most dangerous creature of all, Doc. Too perfect. Too soft. Too enchanting. Too desirable.”
He twisted his head as he gazed down at me, his chest heaving. There were no words that needed to be said as he lowered his head an inch at a time until our lips were mere centimeters apart. I quivered all over, finally unable to resist touching him.
I thought he would recoil at first, his body tensing as I crawled my fingers down the length of his chest. The roughness of his skin indicated a scar mottling his skin, the ink from the various stunning tattoos covering his arms and chest hiding the injury beautifully. Tensing, his breathing was ragged, but he didn’t pull away, nor did he chastise me for breaking the rules.
I wasn’t certain what to make of the words. Was he trying to tell me that he could see himself involved with me, but in doing so, it would challenge everything he’d become?
I opened my mouth to protest when he claimed it just like he’d done before. Only this time, there was no sense of urgency, more a need to capture my essence before it became too volatile.
The rugged man held the position as he gently opened my lips, darting his tongue just inside. I was drawn to him even more than before, finding myself lost in the moment. There was suddenly no light or sound, just the quiet we shared between us. Somehow, he’d managed to break through several other defenses, causing my guard to fall.
Allowing him to seduce me with his actions as well as his words.
He hadn’t forced me into anything, yet his act of seduction was meticulously played out. As the kiss became more passionate, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, entangling my fingers in his hair. I was perplexed by his tenderness, uncertain if he was Jekyll and Hyde himself. Yet as the moment of intimacy continued, all thoughts about business faded away.
A single growl indicated his hunger was increasing, his need to devour every inch of me becoming difficult to control. He dominated my tongue, wrapping one hand around my throat as the kiss continued. When he squeezed, I pushed hard against him, the little voice inside my head reminding me I was at his mercy. He could do anything he wanted to me. Could I trust him? Hell, I couldn’t even trust myself or my judgments as of late.
He raked the same hand down my side, lifting my leg and tossing it around his hip. Then he shifted hands, easing my other leg into the same position. At that point, our combined passion took over, my desire exploding deep inside.
I slid my hand down his chest, wrapping my fingers around his thick, throbbing cock. He was huge, large enough I wasn’t certain his shaft would fit. As I stroked up and down, every muscle in his body tensed.
After breaking the kiss, he took several gasping breaths before issuing another command. “Slide my cock inside of you. I need to fuck you just like I promised.” He bent me over until my back rested on the table, lifting and opening my legs as he continued to peer down at me.
I shivered in response, longing to reach out, yet knowing that was not what he wanted.
The moment I pushed the tip past my swollen folds, he took control, thrusting the entire length inside of me.
“Oh. Oh!” I was shocked at the intensity of the electric current racing through me, igniting every cell. My blood pumped wildly as he pulled almost all the way out, slamming into me again.
He planted both palms on the table, able to observe my facial expressions. As he plunged deep inside, thrusting hard and fast, my breath was stolen, my mind a huge blur. I clung to him, the force he was using brutal enough something else crashed to the floor, the jarring effect only adding to the building desire.
Growling, the sound savage in nature, he never blinked as he watched me, his eyes darkening. The pleasure became so intense, I was thrown into a fog, but within seconds, an orgasm rushed into my system. I wanted so much to be able to read his thoughts, but he remained an enigma.
The man was closed off, his emotions locked down. Just like mine.
I couldn’t believe the way my body was responding. It was as if I was his little puppet and he was playing me perfectly. Every tingle, every moan I whispered he owned.
His smile proved it.
I locked eyes with his as the climax exploded, surprised by the wry smile crossing his face. Unable to hold back any longer, the wave of rapture spilled over me, encompassing every inch of my body.
“Yes. Yes!” I tossed my head back and forth, gasping for air as the explosive moment charged through me.
Beckett continued pumping, yet he’d slowed his rhythm, drawing the single climax into a second. Then a third. I lolled my head, unable to keep from moaning softly. When my body finally stopped shaking, I realized I was purring like a cat, completely and utterly satisfied. I was blown away as he pressed kisses against one cheek then the other, dragging his tongue across my jawline then to my lips.
“I’m not finished with you yet,” he whispered before nipping my earlobe.
I was lost in the moment of ecstasy, trying to comprehend what he was saying.
My mind was slow to react as he moved off the table, but when a cold chill shifted down my spine, I reached for him, the ugly realization he’d crawled off the table disturbing.
He took several deep breaths before snapping his hand around my ankle, jerking me down then off the table, flipping me over the edge.
“Oh. God. Yes, I…” Nothing I said made any sense. I clawed at the surface, struggling to catch my breath, shuddering when he rolled his fingers all the way down my spine. When he slid a single finger down the crack of my ass, another whimper escaped my mouth.
“Now, I fuck you in your tight little ass.”
His tone was even more gravelly, his hot breath adding gasoline to the raging fire. He fisted my hair, yanking until my head was pulled off the table. Then he rammed his cock inside, my pussy muscles clenching and releasing immediately as they stretched to accommodate his girth.
I was shocked at the difference, the man pounding into me like a wild beast, my body turning into a ragdoll.
He didn’t stop, the force he used shoving my waist against the edge of the table. My breathing came in pants, my heart thudding to the point echoes were in my ears. Every grunt and growl he issued pushed me further into a rush of euphoria, the sound of skin slapping against skin replacing the music. Somehow, the noise made from our carnal fucking was even sweeter.
Every action he took was predatory, the brutal nature of our coupling what fantasies were made of.
He slowed his actions and I found myself bucking against him. Hungering for more.
Needing more.
His chuckle sent another thrill through me and when he pulled his cock free, smacking my bottom with it, I dug my fingers into the table. He was prepared to make good on his promise.
I cinched my eyes shut as he toyed with my asshole, rolling his thumb around the tight enclosure. When he finally pressed it inside, I pushed up from the table.
There wasn’t pain, but the discomfort was unnerving. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
But dear God, I wanted it to almost more than anything. As if I’d waited my entire life for a man to claim me in every hole.
His exhale was deep and raspy. “My good little doctor. Are you eager for me?”
“Yes.” How could I lie? He’d awakened something I prayed would never return to its prison.
He patted my bottom before placing the tip of his cock against my asshole. I felt every muscle in my body tense, the anticipation adding to the rush of adrenaline. Yes, I’d been fucked in the ass before, but the experience hadn’t been satisfying in the least. But with this man, I knew his control also meant care and gentleness when needed, pure and very raw roughness when required. I wasn’t afraid. In fact, as strange as it might sound later, I trusted the man.
With more than just my sex.
Was that possible with what I knew about him?
He took his time pressing an inch at a time inside, allowing me to get used to his huge size. His breathing remained as ragged as mine, the pulsing rhythm only challenged by his occasional guttural growl. The man was truly primal in nature.
Another wave of discomfort shifted into a moment of pain, but the second my muscles started to relax, sheer pleasure took over. He pushed another two inches inside, even taking a few seconds to roll his fingers up and down my spine.
I was suddenly drifting into a moment of bliss that was entirely different than before. No longer was I clutching the table. I eased down, pressing my face against the cool surface and opening my legs even wider.
Offering all of myself to him.
He responded by driving the last of his cock inside, roaring in appreciation as soon as he did. We were both shaking, both gasping for air.
And both of us were sweating. I’d seen beads of perspiration on his face and chest. I felt it along my upper lip.
As soon as I pushed up from the table, he wrapped his arm around my neck, holding me in place as he methodically fucked my darkest hole. The feeling of his hot breath on my skin was delightful, creating a wave of goosebumps.
The man was possessive in every action he took from the way he’d challenged me on the side of the road to the method he’d used in saving my life. This was even more powerful, his entire body oozing strength.
I was lulled into a sweet moment of ravishment, my back arched so I could meet every brutal thrust.
“So beautiful. So vulnerable.”
His words caused me to laugh. “I’m much stronger than you think.”
“Of that I have no doubt. As I said… dangerous.” He nuzzled into my neck, tightening his hold on it as he fucked me. There was a strange level of peace to what he was doing, an understanding shifting between us.
Whatever this was would soon become a distant memory, but one that would last for years to come. Perhaps it would be sad or even morbid to think about, but it was our reality. Everything about the experience was memorable, including his savage sounds as he slapped his groin against me. We were both out of breath and I could feel him straining, struggling to hold on. His stamina was incredible, a man determined to finish what he started.
As the passion continued to roar between us, I could feel myself letting go, surrendering if only for this magical moment in time. Somehow, I knew this was just the beginning.
This wasn’t just about molding me.
This was about breaking me until I was prepared to surrender.
When I sensed he was ready to come, I squeezed my muscles and closed my eyes, smiling as beads of perspiration trickled to the table. My mother had warned me about playing dangerous games. What I’d come to realize was that the one he’d created wasn’t just risky.
It was going to be treacherous.
But it had nothing to do with the danger we’d faced or could in the future.
It had to do with the connection we shared, chemistry that refused to be denied.
What would happen when the dark cravings could no longer be satisfied?