I looked up at his mask and let a smile touch my lips.
“Knox,” I whispered. “Are you ready to give me the pleasure I deserve?”
His chest rose as if he were steadying himself before taking what he already knew would be his. He grabbed my hand, drawing me into him, and my body collided with the hard, masculine lines of his frame. Everything about him whispered what I’d begged from my husband for eleven silent months: strength, heat, hunger. With that familiar build, dusky copperskin, and the tattoos carved across his chest, he reminded me far too much of the man I had secretly craved.
But they were still different. I’d never seen my husband naked. I didn’t know what his body really looked like. In my mind, I pictured him with even more ink—tattoos running down his arms, his neck, his hands. And his eyes were a deep, unreadable brown instead of this hypnotic green.
My imagination wanted to make Konflict and Knox the same, but even with the resemblance, I couldn’t ignore the differences.
Maybe that slight resemblance was why I let myself get lost in him so easily. Or maybe it was something else entirely. Something in the way his gaze held me, needy and unashamed of the desire burning inside of it. I felt connected to that hunger. It was as if he had been waiting to possess me long before tonight; as if some part of me had always been waiting for him too.
His hand lifted, tracing along the exposed part of my face where the mask didn’t reach, and his thumb dragged over my lips with a slow, possessive touch that sent heat curling low in my belly. I breathed against his fingers as he parted my mouth gently, already claiming me, and that movement made my pulse stutter.
“If ruining you all night is what you expect from me, then consider every inch of this body owned and taken,” he murmured a few inches away from my lips.
Then he lowered his head and pressed his mouth to mine, guiding me into a kiss so soft and tender my knees weakened. And God—no one had ever kissed me like that.
Chapter Six
KONFLICT KORVEN
Ihad never been that close to losing my fucking mind. Reading Serenity’s letter, then having to stand there while she threw the shit back in my face, fucked me up. I’d spent eleven months threatening my wife because I knew deep down, running my mouth like that was the only way to keep myself from crossing the line between hate and my devastating craving for her. Now the blade had come for me, and damn, it cut deep.
When she looked me dead in the eyes and said she wanted to be fucked, possessed, ruined by anyone but me, rageanddesire slammed into my chest so hard I almost blacked out. I still don’t know how the hell I stayed put instead of giving her exactly what she was begging for, the same thing I’d been secretly dying to do to her.
She had no idea how bad I wanted her; how many nights I’dclosed my eyes and seen her perfect warm skin under my body. We would be the perfect mix of brown shades, skin on skin. I couldn’t stop seeing myself tasting those lips begging to be sucked, feeling that pussy tightening around my dick so sweet and hot I forgot what the war was even for. The thought of some bastard sliding his dick into the pussy I had been starving for felt worse than any bullet I had ever taken. It felt wrong on a level that made my hands shake with the urge to kill something. So when Krash brought Vixen to me right after her little meeting with my wife, I was already one step away from snapping.
She stood in front of me, eyes lowered just enough to show respect without losing her edge. “Mr. Korven, I have done nothing wrong,” she started, choosing her words carefully. It was obvious she already felt the danger in the room.
My jaw clenched. “What did you discuss with my wife?”
Vixen swallowed. “She requested my services. Asked me to prepare an escort for tomorrow. She said she wanted pleasure and that you already knew about it.”
“I am aware,” I replied, jaw clenched “And I have no intention of letting another man touch what’s mine.” I stepped closer, watching her flinch even though she tried not to. “He would be dead before the idea fully formed in his head. And your establishment would be ash by the time his body hit the ground if you were stupid enough to assign him.”
Fear rolled off her. “I did not ask for this. I worked for years to build my house to this level. I don’t create problems for your family. I will cancel everything.”
“No,” I cut her off. “Don’t cancel a damn thing. Give her exactly what she asked for. Prepare the room and bring her in. Make her feel like every fantasy she paid for is about to come true.” I held her gaze until she froze completely. “But the man you send to her will be me.”
Her eyes widened. “Why?”
“Do what I say and don’t ask questions. Empty your house for the night. No one sees her arrive. No one sees me leave.”
I pulled an envelope from my drawer and handed it to her. “This should cover the inconvenience.”
She grabbed the envelope and opened it. The little mask she kept on her face slipped for a second when she counted the money.
Vixen nodded. “She will have what she asked for. Tomorrow night. The room will be ready. No one will see you.”
“Good. You fuck this up and I burn everything you have built to the ground.”
She left without another word. I watched her go and felt my heartbeat pounding against my ribs like it was trying to break out and run to Serenity before the rest of me caught up.
The next day, I handled business on autopilot and stayed tense all day long. When night finally settled over the city, I was ready to meet my wife. I even got nervous picking out clothes, like this was our first date or something. Weird as fuck,I know, but I had no idea what the hell to wear for this. I wanted to look good for her, even though the whole point was not to get caught.
Yeah,very stupid.
In the end I just went with the safest bet: all black shirt, pants, boots. I took off my wedding band and left it on the nightstand. No way was I risking her seeing the ring she put on my finger, even if it would kill me to find out she took hers off just to go get fucked.
