Chapter 11 #2
“Ah, brutal honesty.” He put a hand over his heart. “Got a rusty knife that you want to jab into me a few times? Or are you happy enough telling me that you felt nothing when I kissed you?”
“I never said I felt nothing.”
His hand dropped. The mocking smile of his had turned sly. “I know.”
Tricky bastard.
He quirked one eyebrow. “So what did you feel when I had my lips against yours?”
Desire. A dark and twisting need that had slithered through her and tempted her to give in to her hunger. To kiss him ferociously. To not care about anything else.
“I am the best lover that you ever had,” Victor said.
Her eyes widened. “You are one cocky bastard.”
“True.” A shrug. “You’re the one who told me I was the best. The most amazing. The man who utterly rocked your world and ruined you for everyone else.”
Her breath left in a quick rush. “I did not say that.”
A shrug. “How do you know? You don’t remember.”
Anger stirred. “You’re playing with me.”
“Kiss me back and find out. I mean really kiss me. Don’t be afraid. Don’t hold onto your control. Let yourself go and see what you feel.”
Her gaze had fallen to his mouth. “And if I feel nothing? What happens then? You gonna kick me out of your fancy house? Leave me on my own to figure out what in the hell happened to me?” She’d been on her own for the last year. She could be on her own again.
“No.” Flat. “I will stay with you whether your body ignites or if you don’t feel a damn thing. I gave you my word that I would protect you, and I mean that.”
Melody deliberately widened her eyes. “My body ignites, huh? You honestly think you’re that amazing?” Talk about an ego.
“I think we were that amazing together. Half the time I couldn’t wait to even get you home. I’d fuck you in the back of the limo. I’d fuck you in a stairwell. If I’d had my way, I would have fucked you twenty-four, seven.”
She rubbed her sweaty palms on the front of her thighs. “I have no idea how I am supposed to respond to that.”
Another shrug. “Kiss me and let’s see if you respond.”
He kept tempting her. No, he kept pushing her. And this wasn’t going to end well. She wasn’t the type to be swept away by passion. That much, she did know about herself. “I’ve actually gone on a few dates over the last year.” Why did she feel compelled to admit that truth to him?
His jaw hardened. His gaze went even darker. Not a cold dark. Hot. Burning obsidian. “Did you fuck someone else, Melody?”
He sounded possessive. Jealous. Dangerous. “I said I went on dates.”
“That’s not an answer to my question.” His hands fisted at his sides.
“It’s been a whole year since Melody vanished.
” Crap. She’d done it again. Talked about herself in the third person.
When would she stop doing that? When would she stop feeling as if she was a fake pretending to be the other woman?
“A year since I have been gone,” she rushed to correct.
“I’m really supposed to believe that you stayed faithful the whole year?
” No way. “Come on,” she scoffed. “I was gone. You got over me. You found someone else, and I am sure you, ah, fucked the person.” And just why was her heart suddenly aching?
Why was she feeling her own rage starting to build in her body? Talk about making zero sense.
But she ached. And she was pissed.
Victor shook his head. “No.”
No to which part? To the getting over her? Or fucking someone else? Both?
“There has been no one else. At least not for me. How could there be? I knew you were out there. I just had to find you.” He swung away.
She sprang forward and curled her hand around his shoulder.
“I said I went on a few dates. Two of them, actually.” He was rock hard beneath her touch.
“I kissed Lucas on the second date.” A kiss that had left her confused because Lucas Paul had seemed like such a nice guy.
An engineer that she’d met while working at the diner, Lucas had been fast to tell jokes.
He’d had a warm smile. Been outdoorsy. Fun.
The whole vibe had been there for him. But when they’d kissed…
Maybe something is wrong with me. Because she’d kissed Lucas, and it had been nice, but, just that. Nice. No giant sparks. No deep connection. It hadn’t seemed right to keep seeing him when she didn’t even know who she was.
She’d only gone out with Lucas because she’d been so lonely.
But…
It felt wrong.
“Glad you didn’t fuck him.” Rasped. “But you should know, sweetheart, I don’t like hearing about you kissing another man. Makes me want to drive my fist into the prick’s face. I was here, fucking lost without you, and you were out there, you were dating—”
She pulled him toward her. Rose up on her toes and pressed her mouth to his.
Maybe I won’t feel anything intense. Maybe…
His hands clamped around her waist. “You’re gonna do this right,” Victor gritted against her lips. And then he was lifting her up. Carrying her easily and her back soon pressed to the wall as he pinned her there and held her effortlessly. “Let me in,” he whispered. “Open your mouth for me.”
Her lips parted. Her hands remained clamped around his arms. And she let him in.
Maybe I will feel nothing…
One of his legs slid between hers as he held her.
His tongue thrust into her mouth.
She kissed him back, her tongue sliding against his. And…
Lust exploded within her. A savage need that tore past the cold darkness that had held her in its greedy grip for so long. Hunger, desire pulsed in her blood. Her mouth opened wider. A moan rose in her throat, and she kissed him with more intensity. More passion. More…everything.
His hold was strong and sure. His body hard and powerful against her. He kissed her deeply. Slowly. Savoring and taking, and it was like he knew everything about her. How to make her shudder and gasp and…
He does know. He knows my body better than I do.
He lifted her higher, and her legs wrapped around his waist. She didn’t mean to do that. Or, hell, maybe she did. She just wanted to get closer to him. A wildfire had ignited, and Melody wanted to be as close to the flames as she could.
She was so freaking tired of the cold and the dark.
He growled, and she loved the savage sound.
But his mouth tore from hers.
“No! Victor!”
He kissed her neck. Open-mouthed, hot kisses. His tongue licked over her. His teeth bit lightly.
Her eyes closed as another moan broke from her. Harder this time.
His mouth kept moving. To the side of her neck. He licked and sucked and…
She was wet. She knew it. Getting wet and she was rocking against him.
Riding the big, hard cock she could feel shoving at the front of his pants.
She dug her nails into his arms and wanted him so badly that she was ready to rip off his clothes and have sex with him right then and there. Yes, yes, Victor. Now.
Her eyes flew open. Her breath heaved in and out. Her nipples ached, her panties were getting wet, and it was all from a kiss.
His kiss.
A kiss that had just nearly obliterated her. Her legs unlocked from his waist. She pushed at his arms as she tried to lower herself down.
He growled again. His grip became even tighter, and, at first, she thought he wasn’t going to let her go. But…
He lowered her until her boots touched the floor. He didn’t release the hold he had on her waist, and he continued to pin her between his body and the wall. His eyes glittered as they met hers. “Still feel nothing?”
If she said that she felt nothing, they’d both know she was lying.
He had to feel the tight nipples that had been stabbing against his chest. And she’d been rubbing her body against his like some kind of cat in heat.
Even now, she wanted to grab him and haul him back to her.
Press her mouth to his and just give in.
Let the passion take over so that she could stop worrying and fearing and get lost to pleasure for just a little while.
Oh, so tempting.
“I think you feel plenty, don’t you?” Rough. Deep. Rumbling.
She yearned.
“I want to fuck you, Melody.”
Yes, she’d gotten that clue with the giant dick that thrust against her.
“I want your nails raking down my back. I want your pussy against my mouth.”
Oh. Okay. It was way hot in there.
“I want to be so deep in you that I own you.”
That was scary. Intense. Too much. It was—
“Because you own me.” Even rougher. Harder.
“You have for years. And, hell, no, I didn’t fuck someone else while you were gone.
No one else compares to you. It’s you or nothing.
Do you get that? When I say I was searching, I was never going to give up.
I was always going to hunt for you because you are mine. ”
She wet her lips, and she tasted him. His hands around her waist seemed to brand her. Fear and need twisted inside of her.
And then a bell rang. It echoed in the house.
But he didn’t let her go. Victor stared at her with his dark eyes and his granite-carved face. He looked at her as if he truly wanted to devour her.
“You didn’t answer me,” he muttered.
What had the question been? She was really gonna need a refresher on that one.
“Still feel nothing?” A taunt.
Her chin lifted. She could handle his taunt. “I feel like I want to rip your clothes off.”
His eyes widened.
“But I also feel like I should run as far from you as I can.” Utter truth. “Why? Why am I afraid? What is it that makes me want you and fear you at the same time?”
A muscle jerked along his clenched jaw. “I would never hurt you.”
The bell chimed again.
This time, he let her go.
Before he backed away, Victor told her, “But I will kill anyone who ever tries to take you from me again.” He turned to exit the room.
She stood there, frozen.
Someone was at the front door. They had to leave the den and yet… “I didn’t remember.”
“I think we’ve established that.” He kept walking.
“No, I mean…” She surged after him. Caught herself before she grabbed him. “Sleeping Beauty didn’t wake up with a kiss. I told you, it wouldn’t happen.” But hadn’t she still stupidly hoped for something? Some wild flash of them kissing in the past? Of them…having sex?
Or even just talking. Laughing. Being a couple. Being normal.
Just a memory of them.
Victor glanced over his shoulder. “Maybe you need more than a kiss.”
Longing swept through her because his gaze was full of such dark, dark desire.
“You ever think of that?” His deep voice demanded. “Maybe what you need…”
The doorbell rang again.
Her shoulders stiffened. “I don’t think you can fuck my memories back into place for me. But thanks for the generous offer.”
“Maybe not.” Then the man actually winked at her. Hard-faced, intense, scary, dangerous Victor winked. “But don’t you believe it would be fun to try?”
Her jaw dropped right before he walked away.
And, damn him…yes, yes, she did think it would be fun to try. She thought it would be outstanding to try. Toe-curling. Body-melting.
She hurried after him, rushing across the foyer just as he was opening the front door. Hunter waited on the other side of the door. He gripped a black duffel bag in his hand.
Raising the bag, he asked, “Who’s ready to get fingerprinted?”