Years ago, when I was still a young, dumb teenager, I overheard my father talking about Aureo in his study. It was merely days after Aureo had caught me losing my virginity and I was searching for any speck of dirt I could use against the new rider, regardless of the powershift between us.
He had told my father about me being with a boy.What else could I have done?
During that act of spying, me creeping up to the door and nearly putting my ear against the hard, oak wood, I heard my father call Aureo “odder than others,” and “akin to a goddamn mercenary.” I had tucked it away in my brain as ajust in caseknowledge box.
I had also tucked my tail in between my legs when my dad opened up the door and a tattooed arm jumped out to catch me right when I fell from the sudden disappearance of the wood. A look akin to horrified confusion covered his face. I had lied and told him I was about to knock on the door to ask what he wanted for dinner. While I didn’t know if he bought it, neither of us ever brought up the topic again.
Until now.
Except, no Daddy dearest was in sight to save me now.
Aureo exhaled heavily behind me. The breath forced even more goosebumps to spread over my body, now covering the skin from the base of my neck to the insides of my wrists, and I knew he felt everything. “That’s right. Now, tell me why you called me that, little girl.”
I looked up into the bar, watching the strippers dance, and I heavily wished that I hadn’t walked over here. I would have rather walked into an orgy down the hall than have dealt with that conversation. I kept my voice resilient, though. He may know the effect he had on my body, but I would be damned if he knew the inside of my brain.
“Because you are, aren’t you? I heard my father call you one, years ago. An ex-con. A criminal. A mercenary.” I spit the last part out, unbothered by how angry my voice seemed, even when I was anything but.
Truthfully, I couldn’t care less if he was an ex-criminal. That would almost make me a hypocrite, considering the people I called my friends and family. I just needed to act the part now and having an attitude was the only way I knew how to do that.
Silence met me for a beat. “No, little devil. I am not a fuckingmercenary.”
I blinked. “You’re not?”
“No, I’m not. Nor am I an ex-con.Yet.”
Oh shit.
“Yet?” I breathed out. I swore my heart began galloping to the sound of hooves in war.
Thatstupid,dry laugh sounded yet again as alarm bells blared through my head. I was down for a lot of kinky, disturbing things, but I drew a line at homicide.
He purred, and I swore I felt his tongue brush theunderside of my ear. “I might be by the end of the night. Now, I think you need to get on your knees and apologize. You pissed me off and I’m tired of you wearing my patience down to nothing.”
That indignation I knew so well moments ago hit me again. Who the hell was he to ask me to get on my knees in a public bar? Inmy dad’sbar?
“Excuse me? Who do you think you are? I am not your puppet.”
“Oh, I beg to differ, little one. Now, I am getting extremely tired of repeating myself, but I will one last time. Get on yourfuckingknees.”
Adrenaline traveled throughout my entire nervous system like cocaine traveled through the bloodstream. Between his grip on my throat, his voice against my ear, and the lethality of his words—I was finding it extremely hard to breathe.
Iwasan independent woman, strong and fierce, but I also knew there was nothing wrong with being submissive for the right man. And yet, I still wanted to push his buttons. He expected a form of obedience from me when he hardlyknewme. I wanted to make his skin crawl in the heated way he forced mine to do, and I wanted it to be painful.
I nailed the last headof my coffin.
Or maybe…what I did was exactly what he wanted instead.
“Make me,” I rasped, watching as the clock ticked on the other side of the bar. It looked emptier now than it had just moments ago and I had no clue as to why. People normally didn’t begin leaving until three, sometimes four in the morning. “You won’t. You said it yourself. You’ve kept a distance from me, apparently. You won’t make me do anything.”
Aureo released his grip on my wrist and I moaned softly from the release in pressure. I twisted it back and forth, trying to ease any of the discomfort, but froze again when his now-free hand moved to the base of my hair and gripped it tight, tugging until my head was at a sharp angle on his shoulder. I whimpered loudly as he spoke. “Are you sure you want me to do that, sweetheart? That could be a mistake. After all, I don’t normally fuck childishbrats.”
I seethed, trying to pull away from his grip. He could make me out to be some innocent child all he wanted, but I knew myself better than anyone did. I knew exactly how my thighs trembled when I touched myself. I knew exactly how much pain I could take until I was screaming in euphoria. And I knew exactly how to disassemble a man like him until he was nothing.
“Are you sure about that? It sure looks like you’re wanting to fuck one,” I spit, though smirked as I ran a palm over the bulge in his jeans. He flinched at my touch, his hand going to rub his jaw, only to hit the plastic on his face, making him growl.
He hummed against me, his chest nearly vibrating against my back. My head was still at that odd, almost painful angle, and his eyes danced in the most erotic tandem as they met mine.
I had sealed my fate then.
