AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’ll chain me to your bed?” she purred.
“Absolutely.”
When she wiggled her hips, the electricity crackling between us was intensified, or maybe the water was adding to the level of enticement. Whatever the case, I would do this for hours if it wasn’t for the fact my balls were ready to explode.
Raven pushed against me, drawing me even deeper inside. When she clenched and released her muscles, I sensed I was losing control.
“Only if you can catch me,” she said in a husky whisper.
“Trust me, princess. I will catch you. I’ve already done so. Every inch of that luscious body belongs to me.”
“You might be surprised.”
“Everything about you surprises me.”
She rubbed her hands down the sides of my legs, taking scattered breaths. “Be careful. I could fall hard for you and that scares me.”
“I assure you, princess. That scares me too.”
I thrust more brutally, finally pulling her away from the wall and into the deepest part of the pool. As the heated moment became explosive, I closed my eyes, throwing my head back and issuing a strangled bellow.
And I erupted deep inside.
She trembled in my arms, keeping her eyes closed. My cock remained throbbing, still hard, the ache continuing. I couldn’t seem to get enough of her. As I held her close, taking several deep breaths, my thoughts drifted once again to business. Answers needed to be found. Soon.
It was easy to handle someone who betrayed me, and I’d done so more than once. Fortunately, I’d been lucky in my reign, only a couple of men daring to challenge my authority. I valued loyalty, rewarding it well and my men knew that. All those in my employ did. I couldn’t get over the feeling someone had tipped off the watcher from earlier. Unfortunately, I might never be certain. I also couldn’t help but get the feeling I was missing something significant, blinded by my continued need for answers.
Who the hell was I kidding? I’d tried to stop the need for revenge but bringing Raven into my life had spurred the same anger and resentment, the need for blood more powerful than it had been in a long time. That wouldn’t bode well for handling the next few days, including if I needed to head to Texas prior to having a conversation with Thomas. It was long overdue; the element of surprise was like harboring a grenade, ready to pull the pin.
When she pulled away, I wasn’t surprised. She’d obviously sensed my tension. My ability to relax only for so long was something I’d fought for years. She dunked under the water, popping up once again, raking her fingers through her wet strands of hair.
“You’re so beautiful,” I told her.
“And you’re so sad.”
“I have my reasons.”
“Sophia is the reason. Don’t be angry with me. I’m not trying to hurt you.”
I eased my hand to her face, tracing a few beads of water as they trickled down her cheek. “I’m not angry, Raven. I’ve been closed off for so long that letting anyone inside is almost impossible.”
“What happened? Did she grow weary of the life?”
Glancing away, another stab of pain was a reminder that once again, I had everything to lose since I’d allowed someone else into my life. Maybe there was a code of honor amongst the vilest men to allow the children to remain free of harm, but all bets were off with Raven. There was nothing in any rule book against destroying marriages by the use of any means possible.
“No, princess. She was taken from me.”
Her eyes opened wide. Then she pressed her hand across her mouth, nodding once. “She was killed?”
“Yes.” I pulled away, doing the backstroke toward the set of wide acrylic stairs. She remained where she was for a few seconds, treading water as she waited to see what I was going to do.
When she swam toward me, I knew I’d need to find some level of courage to tell her what happened. I hadn’t spoken of it in years, not to anyone. But I knew it was necessary not only to allow the building trust to continue, but also for her to understand what we would likely be facing.
Was there a part of me attempting to push her away? Maybe. She swam between my legs, remaining on her stomach and peering up at me. Her level of maturity and patience rivaled someone much older. She simply placed her hand on my knee. That was the courage I needed.
“I know you’ll find this hard to believe but Sophia and I were madly in love. It wasn’t an arranged marriage or something I forced. We met in college. She knew who I was. She understood what I was. It didn’t matter to her. Sophia insisted there was good inside of me and through her eyes, I was able to allow that to happen.
“We shared a couple amazing years alone. Then she got pregnant. She was terrified I’d be angry. I was thrilled beyond measure. Zoe was born with no complications, the moment one of the most incredible in my life. And for four more years, we lived in bliss.” I took a deep breath, gazing up at the moon cresting over the horizon. It would be full tonight, the time in a city like New Orleans when crime was at its highest.
