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CHAPTER15
Cassidy
Pain.
I’d experienced it during several periods of my life, gut-wrenching sensations that I’d believed to be the worst thing I’d ever experience at the time. Nothing had compared to the emptiness and dull ache boring into me. I sank further into the tub, finding some solace in the simple peace the bubble bath allowed me, even though the sting across my bottom was a reminder of the depths of hell I’d been forced into.
Not because of being abducted or because I’d almost been killed, but because there was no possible way of breaking through Valentin’s shell. He’d shut down the day Danielle had died. I was a poor substitute to soothing the savage beast.
I closed my eyes, trying to pretend that the luxurious bath complete with several candles was a small part of a fabulous weekend, but my nerves were far too frazzled. Visions of Molly’s little face rolled in through one part of my brain, more passionate ones of Valentin through the other. The combination left me feeling anxious, my heart racing.
As I swirled my hand in the steamy water, I said another prayer that everything was going to be alright. While I trusted my girlfriend, the rest of the world I was no longer certain about. Even my family continued to drive a wedge between us by interfering in my life. I almost laughed, realizing that maybe, just maybe, Josh was trying to make certain the city of New York was free of pariahs like the Adamos family.
Shit.
And the Vincheti organization. I had to keep reminding myself that Valentin wasn’t a hero no matter if he’d saved my life. He was a killer, cold-blooded and heartless.
Even if I’d seen the agony in his eyes one minute, hunger and deep passion the next.
A sudden splash pushed a wave of terror into my system. I jerked up, gasping.
Then I was frozen in time.
Valentin.
The warm glow of the candles didn’t do his exquisite, muscular body justice as he eased into the water, immediately sliding his legs against mine. I took a deep breath, my heart thudding for an entirely different reason. Just the way he looked at me indicated exactly what he wanted.
All of me.
My full surrender.
The light contact of our skin sent a shower of shivers dancing throughout my body. I was breathless, blinking several times in order to capture every inch of him that remained visible. From this vantage point, he exuded a different level of power, still commanding yet the passion we shared the only thing on his mind.
As he cocked his head, a slight smile curling across his mouth, I involuntarily licked my lips in appreciation. My action seemed to delight him, his eyes luminescent, twinkling even in the dim lighting.
“I want you.”
The three simple words were full of meaning, a statement telling me in no uncertain terms that I belonged to him. And at that moment, I wanted nothing else. While he remained leaning against the tub wall, his arms over the sides, he beckoned me with a tip of his head. For some crazy reason, I allowed my gaze to lock onto his voluptuous lips, the thought of kissing him for hours firmly planted in the forefront of my mind.
When I shook my head in a crazy moment of denial, he issued a low but husky growl. Then he grabbed my arm, sliding me toward him, forcing me to wrap my legs around his.
“You should know better than to try and push me away, sweet angel. I will never let you go.” He tugged me further until I was sitting on his thighs, his cock pressing against my stomach. He was hard as a rock, his extreme hunger driving me to madness.
He had a gentleness about him when we were intimate, showing me by brushing a single finger down my cheek to ignite the sparks, the electricity shooting toward the stars. I shivered even in the heated water, goosebumps appearing over every inch of skin. My mouth was suddenly dry, my mind a blur. He was far too irresistible, pushing me to accept that we’d been driven together by unknown forces, and no one would be able to tear us apart.
No matter how much danger we were required to face.
“What do you want?”
He chuckled, the deep baritone washing over me like smooth velvet, creating a firestorm deep within. “I think that’s evident. All of you. Every. Single. Inch.” He cupped the side of my face, lowering his head and when he pressed his lips against mine, I felt myself falling into a peaceful abyss.
He would protect me at all costs, ensuring that the joy and passion we shared would go on for a lifetime. While a part of me knew that was a fantasy, I was willing to accept whatever fate had in store in order to share whatever blissful time we had left together.
Maybe I would be damned for my desires, but I no longer cared.
He’d broken through all my barriers, stripping away every inhibition. I was no longer a good girl, but a woman who craved everything the man was capable of giving.
The kiss became a passionate roar, a testament of our connection. As he swept his tongue inside my mouth, I couldn’t stop tingling. Even the way he held me close, ensuring I couldn’t get away, enticed the wicked woman inside of me.
