Chapter 23
Fleur
“Don’t you fucking touch her.”
“She’s my fiancée, Dan. I’ll touch her any time I want. Now, be a good little boy and get the fuck out of here.”
“Leave him alone, Zane. I’ll talk to him. Come on, Danny, just walk with me.” I touched his arm, trying to steer him toward the door. In doing so, I threw Zane a nasty look. Tears were already fogging my eyes from the pain, my cheek starting to swell.
“Yeah, sure,” my brother growled, taking a step back. Then Zane made the mistake of laughing and that was all Danny could take.
He threw himself at Zane, tackling the man to the floor.
“Stop. Danny, please just stop.”
Danny threw a punch, catching Zane in the nose, but my fiancé was too strong, pitching my brother halfway across the room. That didn’t stop Danny.
“Stop it. Both of you.” As soon as I threw myself in the middle of them, I was tossed aside.
“Don’t you dare touch my sister!”
I slid to the floor, winded from the hard blow, yet I fought with everything I had to scramble to my feet. Zane would hurt him.
It was too late. Zane had him by the throat. “Let me tell you something, kid. If you dare walk into my office again, I will kill you.”
Gasping, I threw my arms out, fighting the horrible man as he squeezed my brother’s neck. “No. No…” Seconds later, the images in my mind began to fade as light pulled into my periphery of vision. My breathing continued to be labored and every muscle in my body was clenched tightly.
As I slowly glanced around me, it took a few seconds to realize what I was looking at.
The light was bright enough that the shadows from the horrible nightmare began to fade, leaving the sight drab and ugly.
A strange giggle formed, which was completely out of place.
A horrible sense of loss tumbled through me and I realized almost instantly why.
Danny was dead. Zane had made good on his threat.
After taking another deep breath, the fog began to lift, exposing the full ugliness of the motel room. At least we were safe.
Only where had Montgomery gone?
An instant sweep of terror forced me half off the bed.
There were bags in the room, a liquor bottle on the table.
A chair had been propped up in front of the door with the old-fashioned security chain in place.
I planted my feet on the floor, feeling both unstable and full of anguish.
What if he’d left me here? Did I have my phone?
Would he do something like that?
No, he wouldn’t. Montgomery was many things, but a cad wasn’t one of them. No. Not him.
Panic swept through me and I rushed to the window, peering out around the drapes. Where the hell had he parked? There was almost no light in the parking lot and what there was created ominous shadows.
Just like the motel where Danny had…
A sob erupted from my throat before I could stop the noise. The anguish was real and raw, nausea furrowing with knots in my stomach. Then I heard a noise and stifled a yelp.
Wait a minute. The sound was coming from the bathroom. With tentative steps, I moved closer, finally noticing Montgomery’s clothes in a pile in the small vanity area. The door leading into the shower area was partially closed. Keeping very quiet, I pushed it open with a single finger.
The shower curtain was opaque, allowing me to see his huge figure inside. He was standing with his palms on the front wall, his head under the showerhead. The water was already running.
Maybe later I’d question my reaction, but right now, I needed this. I peeled away my clothes, tossing them aside and standing only a few inches away while I gathered my nerve.
I had mentioned I’d wanted to take a shower. Right? Why not conserve water.
As soon as I peeled back the curtain, he reacted on instinct, grabbing the weapon he had placed on the shelf.
His eyes opened wide, staring at me with a mixture of malintent and shock. But his angry gaze was quickly replaced with one so heated the water wasn’t needed.
He took a deep breath, trailing a look down to the chipped nail polish on my toes. The rush of embarrassment was stifling. But he didn’t seem troubled in the least, reaching out and grabbing my arm. As soon as he pulled me inside, he yanked the shower curtain closed, crowding my space.
His nostrils were flared and with his chest heaving, he was a silent threat that should terrify me. His reaction didn’t, instead creating a wave of desire. I ran my hands along his back, lightly brushing the tips of my fingers across his heated skin.
“You could have gotten yourself killed, lady. You should know better than to sneak up on a man taking a shower.”
He seemed amused when I rolled my index finger down the barrel of the weapon.
Casually. Without fear. With my eyes darting every few seconds, I could see the hunger building from the darkest reaches of his soul.
I was surprised when he allowed me to take it from his hand, gingerly placing it on the back of the toilet.
I couldn’t tell if his grunt was one of approval or irritation, but at that moment, I just didn’t care.
“Mmmm… And you should know better than to leave a woman alone in a motel room.” The touch was electrifying, the longing rapidly increasing. “You wouldn’t hurt an unarmed woman. Would you?” I lifted my head, studying the lines in his face, smiling as the tension faded.
“No, but I would punish her for disobeying me.”
I moved one hand between us, crawling my fingers down from his carved abdomen to the deep V cut leading to nirvana. He growled, the sound low and throaty. “You’d punish a woman hoping to give you pleasure?”
“With no hesitation.” His fingers touched my face, the touch so delicate I found myself leaning into his hand. He took the time to caress my skin, building the heat between us to a combustible level.
“Then why don’t you do it?”
He seemed surprised by my request, lowering his head even more until our lips were almost touching. I pressed my body against his, quivering in a way that I hadn’t expected. We were in danger, yet I couldn’t seem to get enough of the man.
Or he of me.
His laugh was subtle yet with enough sound that the deep baritone echoed in the dense space. “Be careful what you ask for.”
“I don’t want to be careful. I want to feel the same thing I have with you before. Alive.” I brushed my lips across his, tempting him in a way that I hadn’t done before. This changed nothing. We weren’t in a relationship and the danger would remain like wolves knocking at the door.
But the moment was ours. Ours to take and taste, to experience a bonding that couldn’t come in any other way.
This time as he fisted the back of my hair, his fingers dug into my scalp. The electricity was all consuming, threating to spiral out of control and that was everything I’d ever wanted.
“Damn it, lady. I can’t get enough of you.
” With his cock pressing between my legs, throbbing as my pussy was doing, he captured my lips.
Even the way he held them in place, neither one of us moving, was so passionate.
He had a way of creating a perfect bubble of protection around us even while engaging in carnal sins.
I’d never felt so protected or cared for. The taste of bourbon hit my senses much like the intoxicating scent of his masculinity. The kiss lingered, a mere taste yet with every passing second, the hunger continued to build.
I was lightheaded, keeping my eyes cinched closed as he explored my lips, nipping the bottom one then pressing his tongue inside. There was no need to fight his domination. I wanted nothing more than to give myself to him.
Every inch.
Every breath.
Every kiss.
Everything I had.
The passion roared until the moment of intimacy left me breathless. There was something special about shoving the world aside if only for a little while.
As he explored my mouth, he pulled me tightly against him, the crushing weight of the powerful man exactly what I needed.
One hand rolled down my back, cupping my bottom. With the heavy throb of his cock, my mouth watered from the thought of tasting him, drinking every drop of his sweet cream.
As always, he knew me well, able to sense my increasing desire. He finally broke the kiss, tracing the line of my jaw with first his tongue then his teeth. His thumb pressed under my jaw, holding me in place while he dragged the tip of his tongue around my pulse of life.
His hot breath cascaded down my neck creating a wave of shivers. Being here with him in a tiny place in the middle of nowhere was perfect, better than being in some fancy hotel. The thought was silly, but as real as the moment we were sharing.
He pushed me away, slowly shaking his head. Within the confined space, the water splashed over us, adding to the sinful moment. When he cupped both breasts, my body swayed, and I was forced to grasp his arms to steady myself. Although I doubted he would ever allow me to fall.
Another rush of heat swept through me as he flicked his fingers across both nipples. They were already hard, aching just like my pussy. Panting, I squeezed his arms as if to beg him not to stop.
His laugh was a husky reminder of how much control he had over me. The moment his lips wrapped around one hardened bud, I was thrown by the jolts of current. They were different than before and even with the increasing heat, my arms were covered in goosebumps.
With a few flicks of his tongue, he brought one nipple between his lips, even biting down until I cried out in blissful pain. He knew exactly what he was doing to me, increasing the sexual tension by sliding one hand between my legs. Now I was swaying back and forth, struggling to remain upright.
“My little flower is wet.”
“Uh-huh,” I managed, licking water off my lips. “I need you.” I finally opened my eyes, barely able to focus.