“Remember there’s nothing you can do without me knowing, Beauty. While I’m gone, youwillbe a good girl and on your best behavior. Do you understand?” Normally he called me Beauty during sex and it sent my body into a frenzy of passion and lust. My clit throbbed and blood rushed through my veins. Now wasno different, it made me remember all the times he defiled my body and how good and dirty I always felt afterward.
Swallowing hard, I nodded. “I got it.”
His thumb brushed over my wrist. “Do not make me regret this.”
I shook my head. “I won’t,” I breathed lowly.
Pushing up on my tiptoes, I pressed my lips into his. His friend made a strange noise behind us, but I ignored him. Grabbing both sides of Kairus’s face, I traced his lips with my tongue and deepened the kiss. I couldn’t get enough of this man and it grew worse with each day that passed.Thatscared me, but I kept pushing the reality to the back of my mind.
“If you’re a good girl while I’m gone, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded at my return.” I should have been offended by his words. He was acting as if I was a dog and he was my owner, but again I couldn’t find it in me. Kairus’s rewards always left me heavily satisfied.
“Okay.” I grinned.
He cut his eyes behind me to his friend. His hand went to my hair and he gripped it tightly before reangling my head and taking possession of my mouth once again. This time he controlled the kiss. It was hunger-filled, savage, and domineering. A puddle formed between my legs and a moan escaped my mouth. I loved when he felt the need to stake his claim over me. It lit up every atom inside of me.
Kairus pulled away from me and licked his lips. From the look in his eyes, I could see he wanted to take things further.
“Give me fifteen minutes,” he told Nolan suddenly, grabbing my hand. “I’ll meet you in the car.”
While I was caught off guard by the gesture, I didn’t protest.
“You’re changing, my friend,” Nolan mentioned once we were in the air.
I kept my eyes on my tablet in front of me, mentally running the numbers on my screen.
“Are you gonna tell me what you mean or just keep staring at me?” I didn’t have to look at him to know he had an obnoxious grin on his face.
“I’ve never seen you so protective of a woman before. Hell, we’ve shared our fair share over the years.”
That statement made me snatch my eyes up and glare at him. “Azeira is not up for sharing.” I shut him down, in case that was where he was headed.
He smirked. “Of course not, but you’re proving my point. You care for her?” His head tilted. He studied me as if I was a foreign creature he’d never seen before. “I’ve never in our thirty-two years of life seen you act like this with a woman. Even beforethe accidentyou never cared to get too close to a woman, only using them as something to get off with.”
“She’s mine,” I stated.
Nolan waved me off. “Yeah, yeah I get it. She’s yours. Growl, growl. No one else touches her. Save the barbarian act because we both know that’s not what I mean.”
I didn’t consider myself to be friendly. Nolan was the closest thing I had to a friend. We grew up together, learned the business together, and caused a lot of havoc together. He knew more about me than anyone else so hearing his take on Azeira wasn’t completely off base.
I cleared my throat. Suddenly my tie seemed too tight around my neck. I adjusted it and shifted slightly.
“What’s your point?”
He shrugged. “Just want you to admit it. You have feelings for her, don’t you?”
When I didn’t respond right away, Nolan continued. “She asked me about your past, more specifically about your mom.” My body tensed and my jaw clenched.
“What did you tell her?”
“Nothing. You came in before the conversation could go further.”
Most people didn’t know about my mom. She was the queen trapped in the tower, never to be seen by the public. Most people didn’t even know she and my dad were married or that she was around. They also didn’t know my dad wasn’t the only abusive parent in the household. As a child I used to justify my mom’s actions because I knew she couldn’t help how she was. Still, never having that nurturing love from her I saw other kids experience, hardened me more than my father’s heavy hand could ever.
“Good. Some things are better left in the past. As for my feelings for Azeira…” I paused, attempting to gather my thoughts. “It’s complicated.” Suddenly I felt uncomfortable in my skin. It was tight and prickled as if bees had stung me over and over.
“Complicated you say? In what way?” His smile was taunting, causing me to grit my teeth. He knew feelings were something I didn’t make use of. I surely didn’t discuss them. “You know once her dad pays you back, you gotta send her back, right?”
I narrowed my eyes. “I don’t have to do shit.”
