Chapter 42
Rage froze solid, chest heaving hard beneath his skin, hands hovering useless at his sides, whole body pulled tight with that painful, self-made control. “Danika… sweetheart… you shouldn’t be here…” he rasped, jaw clenched so hard the muscle jumped. “I’m trying… I’m trying to give you space.”
“I don’t want space,” I whispered fierce, staring straight up into his hard, beautiful face. “I want you. Not some careful version you think I need. Do you regret me, Rage? Are you making excuses just to stay away from me?”
I saw the realisation hit him slow, then panic flash fast in his dark eyes. His pulse hammered wild against his throat.
“Danika… please don’t ever think that,” he said, voice rough and thick. He dropped his gaze to the floor for a second, then looked back up, vulnerable as I’d ever seen him. “I was just… trying to be what I thought you were used to. Trying to do right by you.”
Oh, my big, gentle man. He was holding back, changing who he was, just to try and keep me safe and happy.
“Oh, you great big bear,” I breathed, and my voice was raw and honest. “I don’t want that Rage. I want you. I want the wild, fierce storm that is you. I don’t care about anything else – you are my whole world. Every single part of you.”
He stood completely still, like he’d been struck, staring deep into me like he was seeing everything he’d never dared hope for.
“Sweetheart… I don’t want to hurt you. I’ve never done this right… what if I mess up?” The fear in his voice broke my heart.
“Then I’ll put you right back where you belong,” I said steady and sure. “You underestimate yourself so much. Everyone here trusts you with everything – their lives, their families, their babies. You think I wouldn’t trust you with mine?”
All the things neither of us had said hung thick and heavy in the quiet between us.. He just stared at me, like he was trying to work out if I was real. He didn’t speak, didn’t move, just searched my face for any sign I might be lying or unsure. And found none.
Before he could try and talk us out of this again, I stepped in close, planted my palms flat against his broad, hard shoulders. He went rigid as stone, but I didn’t give him time to pull away. I shifted my weight and pushed him right back.
He let out a sharp, shocked gasp, stumbling until his legs hit the edge of the bed, then falling back to land flat amongst the covers.
Before he could even draw breath, I climbed right over him, straddling his hips, knees pressing either side of his waist. I leaned down, took his face in both my hands, and pinned him to the mattress with nothing but the look in my eyes.
The man everyone feared, the one who ran guard in this place, was flat on his back, completely at my mercy.
His dark eyes went black with wanting, a low moan rumbling deep in his chest. The chains he’d wrapped around himself were finally snapping loose.
“I am not fragile, Rage,” I murmured, matching the deep, rough sound of his voice. “My name is Tamer. And tonight, you’re going to stop holding back.”
A low, dark laugh bubbled up out of him, vibrating right through me where I sat. He shifted beneath me, hands curling tight into the sheets, eyes burning bright and wild.
“Tamer, huh?” he rumbled, a wicked, hungry smile tugging at his mouth. “The leash is yours, sweetheart. Take what you want.”
I leaned down, and kissed him hard, fierce and all-consuming, tearing apart every last bit of quiet we’d been keeping between us for months.
There was nothing soft or careful about it. It was a crash of two wild things finally meeting, all the hunger and waiting and longing pouring out at once. I breathed him in, tasted him, and for the first time, he didn’t hold back.
My hands still resting on his wrists trembled with the effort of keeping him there – but then his own fire took over. He didn’t fight my hold, he just turned his hands slow beneath mine, lacing his fingers through mine, pinning me right back exactly where he wanted me.
He let go of the last of his restraint with a rough groan against my lips. He didn’t push me away anymore – he pulled me closer, like he was trying to press us right into one being. His hands roamed over me, hungry and sure, learning every inch of skin he’d only ever dared dream of.
“Rage…” I breathed against his mouth, half plea, half promise. I needed all of him, right then.
“I’ve got you, Tamer,” he growled low against my throat, his voice dark and sure and completely mine. “I’ve got you.”