11. Eleven
ELEVEN
WRENLY
I didn’t argue with Theo when he told me to get on the back of his motorcycle. I wordlessly followed his instructions, allowing him to put his leather jacket on me before I slipped my legs over the back of his bike. I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist and let the rumble of the engine vibrate through my body. He revved the throttle, and we shot forward, the wind whipping my hair that fell loosely out of the helmet as we sped down the darkened streets.
I had no idea where we were going, but I didn’t care at that moment. All that mattered was the feeling of freedom as we flew through the night. I clung tighter to him, pressing my cheek against his muscular back as he weaved through traffic, taking curves at breakneck speeds. He pulled off onto a tree-lined driveway up to a huge manor lit by lights that cast a soft, golden glow against the stone walls.
Driving into the garage, he killed the engine, kicked down the stand, and gracefully dismounted, holding out his hand to help me off the bike. I took it, my legs feeling slightly unsteady after the exhilarating ride.
“Where are we?” I asked as we exited the garage and I took in the mansion’s impressive facade, which now loomed before us. Warm light spilled out from tall windows, beckoning us inside. I couldn’t help but gape at the majestic architecture, which seemed like something out of a fairytale, with its towering spires, intricate stonework, and sprawling gardens that seemed to stretch for acres.
“This is my home,” he said, leading me up the stone steps to the massive oak doors.
Inside, the foyer was just as impressive as the exterior. A grand staircase swept up to the second floor, its banisters gleaming with polished wood. The air was filled with the faint scent of roses and old books, a comforting combination. He led me up the stairs, through an arched doorway, and into a bedroom adorned with antique furniture, plush velvet sofas, and an ornate fireplace crackling with dancing flames. Paintings in gilded frames hung on the walls, depicting idyllic landscapes and ethereal portraits.
“Make yourself at home,” he said. “Can I get you a drink?”
I nodded, still in awe of the opulent surroundings. He gestured for me to sit on the plush velvet sofa as he crossed to a side table holding crystal decanters filled with amber liquid.
I sank into the cushions, my eyes roaming over the room. I took in the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with leather-bound volumes, more ornate paintings adorning the walls, and the crystal chandelier hanging overhead. It was like stepping into another world, one of luxury and refinement.
When he returned, he handed me a glass before settling beside me on the sofa, close enough that our thighs brushed. I took a sip, the smooth burn of whiskey lit a fiery path down my throat. He watched me intently, his eyes smoldering with an unspoken intensity.
“Why did you bring me here?” I asked suddenly.
“I brought you where I knew you’d be safe.”
I took another sip of the whiskey, feeling its warmth spread through my body. Theo’s word echoed in my mind.
Safe .
After the night’s events, the idea of safety seemed almost foreign. But here, with Theo by my side, I felt this unusual sense of security wash over me.
“Thank you,” I said softly, meeting his gaze. “For bringing me somewhere safe. ”
“I would do anything to protect you.”
The sincerity in his voice made my heart skip a beat. “But why?”
“I can’t explain it. All I know is I can’t let you go.” He reached out, his fingertips grazing my cheek with a featherlight touch that made my skin tingle.
I leaned into it, my eyes fluttering closed. When I opened them again, his face was mere inches from mine, his breath warm against my skin.
“Theo . . .” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the crackling of the fire.
“Tell me to stop,” he murmured as his lips hovered over mine. “Tell me you don’t want me.”
I couldn’t form the words. Because the truth was, I did want him. More than I had ever wanted anyone or anything in my life. His very presence ignited a deep ache within me that yearned to be soothed by his touch. I closed the remaining distance between us, pressing my lips to his in a searing kiss. His mouth moved against mine with a desperate hunger as his arms encircled my waist, pulling me flush against his hard body. I tangled my fingers in his dark hair, kissing him back with equal fervor.
He lifted me effortlessly, not breaking the kiss as he carried me to the bathroom and set me onto the marble counter. His hands roamed over my body with urgent need as he deepened the dance between our tongues, delving deep into my mouth to taste me. I moaned softly, arching into his touch, craving more. He broke away, his lips trailing searing kisses down my neck as his fingers lifted my bloody dress over my head and let it fall to the floor. His hands skimmed over my lace-clad breasts before reaching behind to unclasp my bra. It joined the growing pile of discarded clothing as he cupped my freed breasts, his thumbs grazing over my hardened nipples. Pleasure zinged through me, and I gasped.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he murmured against my skin, his voice rough with desire. He took a nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the sensitive peak. I threaded my fingers through his hair, holding him to me as he lavished attention on my breasts.
Aching need pulsed between my thighs, and I rubbed them together, creating friction and seeking relief. As if sensing my desperation, one hand drifted down my stomach to the waistband of my underwear. He slipped his hand inside, and I cried out when his fingers brushed against my slick folds, my hips bucking involuntarily. He stroked me with knowing fingers, circling my sensitive nub until I writhed beneath his touch, panting with deprivation.
“Theo, please,” I begged, my voice a needy whimper.
He withdrew his hand, and I whined at the loss of contact. But then he was hooking his fingers in my underwear and dragging them down my legs. I lifted my hips to help him remove them fully.
His heated gaze raked over my now fully nude body with blatant appreciation before he dropped to his knees before me. He nuzzled my inner thigh, his stubble rasping deliciously against my sensitive skin. Then his mouth was on me, his tongue delving between my folds to taste my essence.
I cried out, my head falling back against the mirror as he licked and sucked at my most intimate places with skillful strokes. Pleasure crashed over me in intense waves as he worshipped me with his mouth, stoking the fire within me higher and higher.
He added a finger, thrusting it inside my tight walls as his tongue flicked over my clit. I rocked my hips against his face, chasing my impending release. A second finger joined the first, curling to hit that sweet spot within me.
“Let go, baby. Come for me,” he commanded, his voice a sensual growl against my flesh.
His fingers and tongue worked in tandem, pushing me over the edge. My climax crashed over me, and I shattered with a keening cry, but he continued swirling his tongue over my clit, prolonging my pleasure until I was a trembling, boneless mess. Pressing a tender kiss against my sensitive flesh before rising to his feet, his eyes were dark with desire as he gazed down at me, his chest heaving.
Without a word, he turned on the shower, adjusting the temperature before pivoting back to me. He lifted me off the counter and set me on my feet, steadying me when my knees threatened to buckle. Then he undressed, revealing his perfectly sculpted body inch by glorious inch .
I watched, enraptured as he stepped out of his pants, freeing his impressive erection. My core clenched with anticipation, and I couldn’t resist reaching out to skim my fingertips over his chiseled abs, marveling at the way his muscles jumped beneath my touch. I traced across the tattoos that snaked their way across his skin—pictures of angels and demons engaged in a spiritual battle, soaring through intricate spires of gothic cathedrals.
He caught my wrist, halting my exploration, then brought it to his lips to press a kiss against my palm, his eyes never leaving mine. “If you keep touching me like that, I won’t be able to control myself,” he warned. Then he guided me into the spacious shower, the hot spray cascading over our bare skin. The water flowed over my body, turning pinkish-brown as it swirled down the drain, washing away the grime and blood from earlier. But Theo’s tender ministrations made me forget everything except the exquisite sensations he evoked in me.
He lathered soap in his hands and glided them over my skin, his touch both sensual and reverent as he cleansed me. I sighed, leaning into him as his slick hands mapped every curve and hollow. Steam swirled around us, enveloping us in a haze as I reached out to wrap my hand around his thick length, stroking him from base to tip.
He sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth. “Fuck.” His hips flexed, thrusting into my grip.
I stroked him slowly, savoring the velvety feel of him in my palm. Droplets of water glistened on his skin as his muscles tensed under my touch, my hand gliding up and down his shaft as I watched pleasure play across his handsome features.
He let me caress him for a few moments, his eyes drifting closed and his breathing growing ragged. But then he grasped my wrist again, stilling my movements. In one swift motion, he turned me around and pressed my front against the wall. I gasped at the contrast of the chilled ceramic against my heated skin as he lifted my hands and held them against the cool tiles.
“Keep them there,” he commanded.
I obeyed, biting my lip in anticipation.
His hands glided over my slick body as he positioned himself behind me. I could feel the hard length of him pressing against my backside. Anticipation thrummed through my veins, and I arched my back, silently urging him on.
“Tell me you want me,” he demanded, his voice a husky rasp in my ear. “I need to hear you say it.”
“I want you, Theo. Please . . .” My plea ended on a whimper as he nipped at the sensitive spot just below my ear.
His teeth grazed the curve of my shoulder. “If I let you in, there’s no going back. Once you’re a part of my world, you’re in it for life. I’ll never let you go. There will be no escape for you. Nowhere you could run that I wouldn’t find you. Are you sure that’s what you want?”
I froze at his words, their gravity sinking in even through the haze of desire clouding my mind.
His world.
The world of The Brotherhood and whatever came with it.
Death. Destruction. Chaos. Wrath. War.
I knew Theo was no ordinary man. He was something else entirely, a force of nature, and if I gave myself to him, I would be forever swept up in his storm. But even with that knowledge, I couldn’t resist the magnetic pull I felt toward him. It was as if an invisible thread bound us together, drawing me inexorably into his orbit. I was helpless to fight against it, and truthfully, I didn’t want to. I craved the consuming passion he ignited within me. I yearned to be utterly incinerated by him. It was inexplicable, yet I felt an unshakeable sense of safety with him. Never before had I wanted to belong to someone so completely—not even when I’d been with Connor. In Theo’s presence, the world outside ceased to exist—there was only him and this tension that burned between us. It was all-consuming. When he told me he wouldn’t let me go, I believed him. I sensed the goodness he concealed beneath his darkness; it flickered into view when he was with me. A side of him he revealed to no one else—a man capable of profound tenderness and unwavering devotion,a man who had captured my heart so completely. I was ready to follow him to the ends of the earth. He led me into the unknown, and I went willingly. With him, I was whole; without him, I felt an unbearable emptiness. Choosing him was the easiest choice I had ever made.
“Take me. Claim me. Make me yours,” I breathed .
He let out a low growl of approval. Then, gripping my hips, he thrust forward, burying himself to the hilt in one powerful stroke. I cried out, my hands scrabbling against the slick wall for purchase as he stretched and filled me so completely. He stilled for a moment, his forehead dropping to my shoulder as we both adjusted to the feeling of him buried deep inside me. Then he began to move, withdrawing almost entirely before slamming back into me with a force that had me seeing stars. I moaned, pushing back against him to take him even deeper. He set a relentless pace, pounding into me with deep, unforgiving thrusts that had pleasure coiling tighter and tighter in my core. I was not a virgin by any means, and Connor hadn’t exactly been small, but the sheer size of Theo stretched me in ways I had never experienced.
His fingers dug into my hips as he took me with feral intent like a man possessed—a dark angel claiming his mortal lover. One hand slid around my front to massage my swollen nub, his fingers working in tandem with his thrusts. “You feel so perfect wrapped around my cock,” he rasped. “Like you were made just for me.”
I could only whimper in response, too lost in the intense sensations to form coherent words. There was no other way to describe it—we fit together like two puzzle pieces, our bodies moving in perfect harmony as if we’d done this dance a thousand times. He felt incredible moving inside me, hitting that sweet spot within me on every drive of his hips. Pressure coiled tighter and tighter in my core, my inner muscles beginning to flutter around his pistoning length.
As if sensing how close I was, he changed the angle of his thrusts slightly, and I keened, my head falling back against his shoulder as my pleasure crested.
“That’s it, little bird,” he rasped in my ear. “Come on my cock. Let me feel you shatter around me.”
His fingers moved faster over the sensitive bundle of nerves, and that was all it took to send me hurtling over the edge. My inner muscles clamped down on him as I came with a hoarse cry, one that I had never heard come out of my mouth before. He swore under his breath, his hips stuttering as my tight walls gripped him like a vice. A few more erratic thrusts, and then he followed me into oblivion, spilling himself deep inside me with a guttural groan.
He collapsed against my back, his chest heaving as he wrapped his arms around me and held me close. We stayed like that for several long moments, our ragged breathing echoing off the tiled walls. The hot water continued to cascade over our joined bodies, soothing our fevered skin.
Finally, he withdrew from me, and I couldn’t help the small whimper of protest that escaped my lips at the loss of him inside me. He turned me in his arms, cupping my face in his large hands as he gazed down at me with an unreadable expression.
“You’re mine now,” he said roughly. “Do you understand what that means?” His viridian eyes burned into mine.
I nodded, holding his gaze.
He pressed tender kisses along my shoulders and the column of my neck, his hands caressing my skin reverently. “My beautiful little bird,” he murmured. “Mine.”
Something about his possessive words made a thrill go through me rather than causing me to bristle at the claim. I did feel like I was his at that moment, that I belonged to this dark, avenging angel, body and soul. I knew I would follow this man into the very depths of Hell if he asked it of me.
We finished showering, our touches lingering and reverent as we washed each other. Theo dried me off with a plush towel, his hands gentle as he patted my skin. He wrapped me in a silky robe before donning one himself, leading me by the hand back into the bedroom.
In the warm glow of the firelight, he pulled me into his arms, cradling me against his chest. I sighed contentedly, feeling safe and cherished in his embrace. We stood there for a long moment, simply holding each other; no words were needed.
Eventually, he laid me down on the mattress with a tenderness that contrasted sharply with the intense, almost feral passion from moments ago. Pulling back the covers, he slid in beside me, gathering me into his arms once more. I curled into him, fitting perfectly against his side like I’d always been meant to be there.
His fingers combed through my damp hair soothingly as we lay there, our bodies intertwined. “Sleep now, little bird,” he murmured. “I’ll keep you safe.”
Cocooned in his warmth and the softness of the sheets, I let my eyes drift closed, exhaustion finally claiming me. Just before sleep pulled me under, I felt the brush of his lips against my forehead and heard him whisper, “I would burn the world down before I let anyone take you from me.”
With those words echoing in my mind, I slipped into a dreamless slumber, knowing that, for tonight at least, no nightmares would haunt me.