Page 84 of Bound in Ruin

She clings to me, pulling me impossibly closer, and kisses me back just as ferally, matching my desperation with her own fierce heat.

We both fall onto the bed.

As I reach to push the strap of her nightdress down her shoulders, she reaches to unbuckle my pants. Neither of us speaks, but we both know exactly what the other needs.

When she wraps her fingers around my cock, I let out a sharp hiss and press her into the mattress, sinking my teeth gently into her already hardened nipple.

She lets out a soft whimper, her hand sliding down to guide me to her entrance. I plunge in with a single, deep thrust, pulling her nipple back into my mouth as she gasps.

Wet and eager for me, she yields instantly to my depth. She wraps an arm tightly around my neck, anchoring herself as I establish a relentless, pulsing rhythm against her.

"I'm sorry," I mutter against her skin, the words breathless and thick with emotion between deep thrusts. "God, you're so beautiful... so fucking beautiful."

Her moans shatter through the quiet room, loud, uninhibited, and driving me past the edge of control. I lean down again, my mouth closing over her nipple to lick and tease it hard, matching the punishing pace of my hips.

Sliding one hand down between our bodies, my thumb finds her clit, flicking it in sharp, precise motions that send a violent shiver straight through.

"Dominic..." she chokes out, my name a shattered plea on her lips as her head falls back into the pillows.

I don't slow down. I pound into her harder, driving us both to the absolute brink, but it still isn't close enough. Needing more, needing all of her, I hook my hands under her hips, flipping her over onto her hands and knees in one fluid, urgent motion.

I pull her up against me and drive back inside her from behind, raw and ferocious. She arches into the impact, completely feral, pushing back against every thrust with a desperate, wild heat of her own.

We're tearing into each other, starved and breathless, both of us consumed by the undeniable truth that we need this—that we need each other—to survive the night.

I reach around her waist, my hands finding her breasts, molding and lifting them as I continue to fuck into her without mercy.

Every slide of my body against hers is pure, unadulterated friction, driving the pace until the tension snaps entirely. The climax hits us at the exact same moment—a numbing, electric shatter that tears through my veins and pulls a ragged growl from my chest as she tightens violently around me.

When the waves finally subside, my legs give out, and we collapse together onto the tangled sheets. I pull her into my arms, gathering her flush against my chest. I can feel the lingering tension in her muscles, the slight stiffness remaining in her frame, but I hold her anyway. I'm just grateful she's letting me. For tonight, for right now, this is a win.

I press a soft, lingering kiss to her forehead, resting my chin against the top of her head. I don't move an inch, holding us both perfectly still as our ragged breaths slowly begin to calm in the dark.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

ROSALIA

I wake up trapped in the suffocating warmth of Dominic’s arms.

For a second, I just stare at the ceiling, the full weight of last night crashing over me. I can’t believe I actually slept with him. I mean, I know I’m attracted to Dominic—at this point, pretending otherwise is a lost cause, and staying away from him feels almost impossible—but damn, that quickly? I let my guard down the second he pushed, and now I'm left dealing with the aftermath.

Carefully, sliding out from under his grip so I don't disturb him, I slip out of bed. My body aches in places that remind me far too vividly of every single thing we did. I head straight into the bathroom, turn the shower on high, and let the hot water wash over me, trying to scrub away the lingering sensation of his hands on my skin.

When I step back out into the bedroom, drying off, Dominic is still fast asleep, completely sprawling across the mattress.

My eyes drop to the rug beside the bed. Yapper is curled up right there, fast asleep, tail occasionally stirring against the carpet. Poor thing slept on the floor all night because I crashed hard right after sex with Dominic and completely forgot to take him back downstairs to the little corner Helena set up for him.

I pull on a simple dress, quiet as a mouse, and scoop Yapper up into my arms. We slip out of the room, leaving Dominic to his rest.

When I make it down to the kitchen, the house is quiet, and the only person there is Helena.

The moment she hears my footsteps, Helena turns around, her face lighting up with a wide smile. I don't return it. Instead, I fix her with a sharp glare.

Her smile falters instantly, a little taken aback by the ice in my eyes. "If this is about what Dominic did," she says quickly, putting her hands up defensively, "I swear I had no idea."

It’s hard to completely believe her, especially with how things operate around here. But damn, I really want a friend. I need someone in my corner, and holding a grudge against Helena isn't going to help. So, pushing the doubt aside, I force my expression to soften and let a faint smile touch my lips.

“I’m happy to hear that. I’d have been so disappointed. I like you, Helena.”