Chapter 36 #3
He told me about his investigative skills behind the pieces he presented on channel seven and how some day he hoped to become a forensic specialist. Given I was a medical geek, I found his desires truly exciting.
In fact, I was pretty sure my lady bits were already anticipating a nightcap with Sean.
Yet when we arrived at my door and I allowed him to kiss me, I felt mildly guilty.
Because one part of me scolded that I was using Sean to dissuade thoughts of Remo while the other part liked his kiss.
Only Sean didn’t make my heart pump so hard, I felt like I was tethered to a bungee rope about to drop.
He wasn’t in my dreams, and he wasn’t the person who I barely knew yet subconsciously haunted every waking thought.
Pulling myself together, I focused on the man in front of me. We stood under the porch light for a moment, breathing in the kiss we’d just shared. “Would you like a drink?” I shoved aside Remo’s warning. He’d already gotten more out of me than I’d bargain for.
“I’d like that.” Sean eyes glittered.
Engaging all my senses to appreciate him and not the other man, I unlocked the door and walked in. Just as I was about to reach for the light switch, Sean slipped a hand around my waist, tugging me into his body. “I really enjoyed our date, Ishika but I enjoyed that kiss more.”
“I did too.” I breathed hard, anticipating his lips again.
“Touch her and you will fucking die,” erupted around us, pulling us apart and dragging my eyes to the corner of the room.
My stomach flipped and I couldn’t breathe. Remo sat on a couch, nearly shrouded in dark shadows cast by the moonlight dripping through the large bay window next to him. The corner lamp flicked on, flooding the room with a warm glow, a stark contrast to icy stare leveled on me.
“What the hell?” Sean yelled, dropping his arm.
Remo’s regal posture reminded me of a terrifying mafia movie, and I half expected him to point a gun at us. With his elbows on the armrests, fingers steepled beneath his chin, he didn’t move.
If we left the restaurant before him, how did he get here before us? How did he get into my house? How did he know where I lived? A second later, the blood drained from my face. He could’ve been in my house at any time, not just now. How long had he watched me?
Sean grasped my hand, his grip firm, protective. “Who are you?”
Remo’s simmering blue eyes were still fixated on my swollen lips, that square jaw so tight, I wondered if he’d crack a tooth or two. “I’m a possessive fucker but I’ll give you exactly ten seconds to walk out that door if you intend having children.” He leveled Sean with a glacial stare.
After Billy, I knew Remo’s insinuation wasn’t a lie. I looked at Sean offering him an apologetic smile. “Please,” I whispered.
Sean studied me for a moment, clearly not planning to move while my eyes implored him. “Are you sure you want me to leave?”
“I’ll be fine,” I lied with a straight face because I only had an inkling of what the other man was capable of. “I’ll call you tomorrow?”
“Okay.” He leaned forward to kiss my cheek and I was sure I heard Remo growl.
“What are you doing here?” I snapped the second the door closed behind Sean.
Instead of answering, Remo stood and took a step forward.
I stepped back. “This is my home, you’re not welcome here,” I gritted, pouring loads of anger into my words.
That dark brow merely went up. “I’m warning you…
” Okay, with what could I possibly threaten him?
He took another step. “Run, little fox.” He winked, that action more ominous than the words he’d just uttered.
Not pausing to think, I turned and bolted.
High heels weren’t the best shoes to run in, but they got me upstairs and only when I gained my bedroom, did I turn around to lock the door.
Chewing my bottom lip, I leaned an ear to the door, listening for Remo then remembered I’d dropped my purse when his appearance startled me.
“Shit.” I’d just trapped myself two floors up without my phone. “Screw that.”
Adrenaline pumping furiously through me, I didn’t think, just acted.
Yanking the comforter off the bed, I grabbed the top and bottom sheets and towels from the en-suite bathroom.
Quickly, I knotted them together, rushed out onto the balcony and secured it to the rail.
Not bothering with a reason why Remo hadn’t appeared yet, I unzipped my heels, slipped out of them and I climbed over the rail.
My body surged with adrenaline, I didn’t question how I knew this would work, I just began. Movies made it look easy enough. Grabbing the sheet rope with my hands and feet, I began the slow descent, trying not to think about the repercussions of me falling.
“Pick up the pace, Ish,” I muttered aware I could fall if I did.
It was only when my legs encountered empty space, did I realize the rope was shorter than I expected.
“Crap.” I looked down trying to gauge the distance.
If I jumped, I’d probably fracture an elbow or ankle, maybe bump my head given gravel covered the one area I needed grass.
Debating my pain threshold, I hung there like a silly monkey.
“Going somewhere?” The cool words had me glancing up at the balcony I just vacated.
Finding it empty, I frowned and looked down. The orange glow of a lit cigarette came into focus first before Remo’s black on black body took shape against the dimly lit exterior. Hands in his pants pockets, he leaned with a shoulder to a pillar.
“Why did you make me run, if you weren’t coming after me,” I grunted, my voice sickly sweet with sarcasm.
A dark chuckle skated through the air, and I cringed at how my body responded. Maybe I was still horny after the kiss I shared with Sean. I ratified. “Yeah, right,” I muttered under my breath. Who was I kidding?
“Let me guess. You run, I chase, I catch you and we fuck?” His tone bored nonchalance, he took the cigarette from his mouth, dropped it to the floor and crushed it with his shoe.
I narrowed my eyes at him when he looked up again.
He merely grinned. “Too cliched.” He pushed away from the pillar.
“When an opportunity presents itself, I like to hunt game, play with its blood before I devour it,” he replied in a voice so calm, it gave me the chills.
“You on the other hand makes me want to push your boundaries, test your limits, patiently wait for you to give in.”
“I’ll never give in.”
Another soft laugh tickled the night air with its disdain. “The only limitation to life is the illusions we create, little fox.”
“What?” I snapped, my arms growing tired.
Instead of an answer, he moved closer, holding out his hands. “Jump.” Stupidly, I shook my head. “I can stand here all night until you tire and drop.”
Rolling my eyes, I exhaled harshly, let go of the makeshift rope and dropped.
One arm around my upper back, the other under my thighs, he caught me effortlessly.
Our eyes locked briefly, mine a glare, and his, a triumphant gleam yet it was his touch that sparked electrical charges to my insanely aroused body
“Let me go.” I squirmed before he mocked the effect he had on me.
“No.” Tightening his hold, he carried me through the open patio doors and stopped in the living room. “I’ll leave on one condition.”
And like a rat to cheese, I fell. “What’s that?”
He neared the couch, set me down on it and stood looking at me. Patiently, I waited for him to speak and when he just stared, I bit my tongue to keep from squirming.
“Either I fuck you or I punish you.”
“Punish me?” I bit out. “For what? I’m still wearing the scars from your last punishment.”
“Scars?” He laughed, an eerily low sound. “That’s a masterpiece.”
The laugh burst out before I could stop myself. “You mean arrogance?”
“No.” He leaned down, his breath fanning across my cheek. “I mean permanence. Scars fade. Ink stays. And so do I.”
The words stunned me.
They settled in my chest, heavier than the adrenaline from the climb, heavier than the guilt still clinging to my skin from Sean’s kiss. I opened my mouth to argue, to tell him he was delusional, but he didn't give me the chance.
His hand closed around my wrist, firm, final, and he pulled.
I stumbled forward, off balance, and before I could catch myself, he sat, tugging me down across his lap.
My dress rode up, cool air hitting my bare skin.
Struggling was a clear waste of time. His forearm settled across my lower back, heavy, anchoring me in place.
Besides, I’d rather take the punishment that let him fuck me.
If only the space between my legs believed that, I’d be safe.
Regardless, I was draped over him, helpless, my legs dangling, my pride stripped away along with the fabric bunched at my waist.
“Four strikes, little fox,” he said, his voice way too calm for my liking. “Four punishments.”
“For what?” I glanced over my shoulder, hating the subservience.
“For the knife that almost pierced me.”
“Wait, what kni–”
His palm landed sharply against my bare ass, a resounding crack that echoed in the quiet room. The sting bloomed hot and fiery, shocking me into a gasp. I clawed the cushion, needing to hold onto something.
“That was self-defense,” I managed, annoyed with how breathy I sounded.
He didn’t reply, his hand resting on the heat for a moment, rubbing slow, unhurried circles that sent shivers racing down my spine. Then he lifted it again.
“For the slap.”
The second strike came harder. My breath hitched.
Not from pain but the shame of it. My body responded before my mind could stop it, a traitorous pulse low in my stomach that I couldn’t suppress.
I squeezed my eyes shut, despising that the sting melting into want, detesting that I leaned into the next strike before it came.
“The tattoo was punishment for the slap and knife, or did you forget?” I assumed he was punishing me for that, then remembered the knife and almost slap at the restaurant.
“I never forget. Besides, you’re enjoying this,” he murmured against my ear, his voice thick with undisguised lust.
“Fuck you,” I hissed before I could stop myself, but there was no heat behind it. Only frustration. At him. At myself.
He laughed, dark and low, the sound vibrating through his chest and into mine.
“Careful, little fox. Keep threatening me with things I already want.” His hand rolled over my ass cheek, in a slow caress.
I shuddered, goosebumps trailing his touch.
I tried lifting my head, the position, however, made it impossible. “For the date.”
The third strike landed firmer, and my moan slipped out before I could stop it, shame and desire tangling in my chest like a knot I couldn’t untie.
The bite throbbed, electric, fading into a warmth that left a tenacious tingle between my legs.
I felt exposed, both physically and emotionally.
He knew exactly what I was feeling, and he wasn’t letting me hide from it.
“Two for the kiss.”
Two strikes landed in quick succession, harder, firmer and more resolute than the others.
My body jerked against his thighs, a whimper escaping before I could bite it back.
Muffling my mouth against the cushion, I breathed hard, unsure I recognized the needy woman in my body, when did spanking become my thing.
My skin burned, alive and sensitive, every nerve ending screaming his name. I felt his cock beneath me, hard and insistent, his breathing no longer calm but ragged, matching the uneven rhythm of my own. He was holding on by a thread, just like me.
“Those lips are mine,” he growled, his tone course, vibrating against my back. The claim was possessive, absolute, leaving no room for argument.
“Remo—”
“Shh.” He shifted then, pulling me up and turning me until I faced him, straddling his lap. His eyes were dark with hunger, but his hands were steady. He wasn’t rushing, he knew exactly what he wanted. My submission. “You don’t get to speak until I say so.”
“I’m not done fighting you,” I whispered, because defiance was the only language I had left.
His lips curved, dangerously amused. “You’re wet, Ishika. Lying to me is one thing. Lying to yourself is another.” His hand slid up my thigh, his touch rough, stopping just where my thigh met my hip. “You’re soaking my pants.”
My cheeks heated. “Go to hell.” I scowled, but my hips tilted back, seeking his touch.
“Already there.” He chuckled and I loathed what that sound did to my already aroused body. “And you’re the devil tempting me.”
He leaned in, his breath fanning across my lips, close enough to taste but not quite touching. “Next time you throw a knife, aim for the heart. At least then you’d have my attention.”
“Next time you break into my home,” I shot back. “Don’t expect me to survive it.”
“You already did.” His thumb traced my lower lip, warm and possessive. “And you’ll survive this too.”
“I could kill you.”
“You could try.” His hand moved further in, skimming my G-string and I held my breath as his fingers slid past the hemline, resting just above my pussy. Stubbornly, my muscles clenched in anticipation. “But you won’t.” His fingers crept closer
It took effort not to wiggle, not to give into the need and beg for his touch. “Why not?” I choked out, clenching again.
He tilted his head, watching me, the smirk suggesting he knew what I wanted but was too rebellious to ask. Irritated, I dropped my gaze to his chin. “Because you like the fire, the heat and everything in between.”
His mouth crashed into mine then, no warning, no gentleness, just teeth and tongue and two months of silence exploding into heat. I fought for a second, maybe less, before my hands were in his hair, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss, meeting his violence with my own.
This wasn’t submission, just war.
When he finally broke away, we were both breathing hard, the air between us thick with unsaid words and unmet needs.
“You wear my name.” His lips brushed mine, his voice ragged with desire. “You breathe my air. And you let another man kiss you?”
“I’m not yours.” My fingers curled into his shoulders, despite my words.
“You are.” His hands moved down to my ass, cupping the cheeks and squeezing hard while he rocked me back and forth over his rigid length.
I gasped, fighting the urge to close my eyes, to surrender.
“And I’m going to destroy you and fuck you back together until this disgusting, sick monster is the only one you’ll hate to want,” he emphasized my name calling with a wink. Any other man and that little gesture would’ve seemed sexy, on him, it was downright charismatic.
Stiffening, I glared at him and pushed off his lap to stand. “You can see yourself out.” I walked out to his agonizingly sexy laugh, begging my body to ignore him.