HIS BRANDED BRIDE: Steel Devils MC

by Sophia Gray

I stepped closer. Enzo opened one half of the giant refrigerator/freezer and took out a carton of gelato. He turned to me. “Do you like caramel?”

  I nodded. I wasn’t hungry, but the air was so full of tension that it almost hurt. Enzo plucked a silver spoon out of a drawer and took the top off the carton of the ice cream.

  “Come closer,” Enzo said. His face was the perfect mask of a sex god. Trembling, I stepped nearer to him, feeling the chill from the empty room on my limbs. It felt delicious, like I was experiencing a whole new world of sensuality.

  I watched as Enzo dipped the spoon into the gelato and lifted it to my mouth. When I reached out to take it from him, he shook his head. “No,” Enzo said simply. “You will eat when I offer food to you.”

  Blushing, I obediently opened my mouth. Enzo let the spoon rest on my tongue. The creamy taste of caramel melted on my tongue and dripped down it, rich and smooth as butter. I moaned softly as I swallowed. It was the most exquisite thing I’d ever tasted, aside from Enzo.

  “Do you like that?”

  I swallowed and licked my lips. “Yes, sir.”

  Enzo nodded. He reached behind my head and gently tugged the elastic out of my hair. When I felt it drape over my shoulders, I shivered. Enzo’s hand gripped my shoulder. He began to gently massage me with his fingers until I was putty in his hands, melting and sliding all over the place.

  Enzo grinned. I felt a fluttery sensation in my lower belly as he squeezed my neck. “You’re so sexy, especially like this,” Enzo murmured. Instinctively, I let my body be pulled closer to his. “I love it when you look like this.”

  I swallowed hard. “Thank you.”

  Enzo put his other hand on my shoulder and traced his fingers down my back. As I stepped closer, he took his free hand and tilted my chin up so that I could look into his eyes. It felt sexy and sensual to be standing so close to him in a state of undress, with him still wearing his full suit from work. I felt like I was on display just for him, like somehow, he’d chosen me out of a city full of beautiful women.

  Enzo’s light gray eyes sent shivers of arousal through my body. “Audrey,” he said in a husky voice.

  I closed my eyes and leaned forward, closing the remaining distance between our bodies. Our lips pressed together, and sparks flew between our bodies. My stomach melted and my heart started pounding as the kiss became more intense with each passing second. As Enzo wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close, he nuzzled me and tenderly slipped his tongue into my mouth.

  My breasts were pushing against his chest, and the feeling of the silk against my nipples was almost too much to bear. As Enzo squeezed the bare cheeks of my ass, I felt my skin go hot with a sensual flush. Moaning, I arched my back and threw my head back until the ends of my hair were brushing against the small of my back.

  Enzo grabbed my wrists. “Come to bed,” he ordered in a low voice.

  My mouth was so thick with desire that I could barely speak. “Yes, sir,” I whispered softly.

  Enzo led me down the same hallway but into a different room this time. The whole room was black. The walls were covered with leather wallpaper and the floor with a thick shag carpeting that my feet sank into as I stepped inside. Even the ceiling was black. All of the light fixtures were black and chrome, giving an eerie, sleek look to the room.

  “Get on the bed,” Enzo ordered. He wasn’t smiling.

  I moved forward and climbed onto the bed. The comforter was silky soft and plush down feathers. I moaned softly as I got on all fours and let my hands and knees sink into the soft material. My whole body was alive, every cell tingling and craving Enzo’s touch. I closed my eyes as I heard him step closer.

  “I’m going to touch you now,” Enzo said with a low growl.

  I whimpered as I felt his fingers tangling in my hair and yanking my head back. As he ran his nails down my back and squeezed my ass, I shivered with lust and delight. When Enzo’s fingers gently rubbed the silk material between the cheeks of my ass, I squirmed. There was a pause, and then a short, hard slap sounded on my ass.

  “Don’t move again,” Enzo threatened. “Or I’ll spank you until your ass is so sore you won’t be able to sit for a week.”

  Even though I didn’t want him to do that, my clit tingled at his words. I loved Enzo’s hands on me, his rough touch, the way he made my whole body sing with pleasure and desire. I closed my eyes and resolved not to squirm when he touched me again.

  It was harder than I anticipated. As Enzo’s hands worked all over my body, I shuddered as his fingers grazed my clit through the silken material of my panties. I bit my lip to keep from moaning as he slipped gently inside the crotch and began rubbing me. I was already soaked and when I wiggled my hips slightly, the fabric strained against my pussy and my ass. My whole body was tingling and thumping with arousal by the time he took his hand away.

  “I need you,” Enzo said in a husky voice. I heard the soft swish of him tearing his clothes off and tossing them to the floor. The bed groaned under our combined weight as he crawled towards me and pulled me into his warm, muscular arms.

  Enzo smelled heavenly. I closed my eyes and inhaled as he pressed his lips against mine. His chest was smooth, muscled, and it sent shivers of lust through me as we touched. As we kissed, Enzo reached behind my back and neatly unclasped the uncomfortable silk bra. He tossed it to the floor, and I moaned into his mouth, grateful and relieved to feel my breasts swinging loose.

  “Ride me,” Enzo commanded. He got onto his back and stroked his cock up and down, watching me with an evil gleam of lust in his eye.

  I gasped at the sight of him naked—he was so beautiful; I couldn’t stand it. Just seeing him was enough to make me want to come, and I couldn’t tear the silky panties away from my pussy fast enough. Nervously, I crawled towards Enzo.

  He grabbed my hips and pulled me on top of him, spreading my legs and thrusting upward until his cock buried itself in the warmth and wetness of my pussy. The sensation was incredible. I let out a yelp, then closed my eyes and savored the feeling all over my body.

  As Enzo grabbed my hips and shoved me back and forth on his cock, I moaned. His pubic bone kept rubbing against my clit with every thrust, and I could barely even breathe. The sensation that was building in my lower belly was amazing—like before, when Enzo was going down on me, but better.

  I closed my eyes and ground my hips hard against his muscular body until tears came to my eyes. Beneath me, Enzo was groaning and straining every muscle until he was tense and stiff. His cock filled me so completely that I couldn’t move. I couldn’t think of anything but fucking him: it was all I wanted to do, forever.

  Enzo grabbed my wrists in one of his strong hands and pulled my arms over my head until I was lying flat against him, my nipples rubbing his chest. Every cell of my body was stimulated, everything felt so incredibly good that I didn’t couldn’t handle it. As we moved together, Enzo’s other hand began to roam around my ass. First, he squeezed my cheeks, then slipped a finger between the globes.

  “Someday, Audrey, I’m going to fuck you in the ass,” Enzo whispered into my ear.

  An electric thrill went through me at the sound of his words, and his cock plunged deeper inside my pussy than ever before. The sensation was astonishing, and I held my breath as it grew and grew, feeling like something was gripping me strongly between the legs. Before I knew it, I was crying out and beating my fists against the headboard, coming so hard that tears were leaking down my cheeks. My reaction set Enzo off, and he grabbed me and thrust up inside me harder than ever, bucking and groaning like a prize stallion beneath me.

  When it was over, Enzo gently pushed me to the side. He lay on his back, staring straight at the ceiling. “All of those clothes are yours,” he murmured. “I bought them all for you.”

  I gaped at him. “Enzo, what am I gonna do with all that stuff?”

  He chuckled. “You’ll find a way to use it all, I’m sure. I mean, you’re a woman. You love clothes, right?”

&
nbsp; I frowned, rolling onto my side and staring at the wall. That was just the thing—even though I felt like a real woman with Enzo, I still worried about not being the kind of woman that he’d want to spend the rest of his life with. There was nothing special about me; I was just plain Audrey Turner, twenty-two years old and a tiny mouse in one of the world’s biggest cities.

  “Thanks,” I said reluctantly.

  Enzo didn’t reply. When I rolled back over, I saw that he’d fallen asleep.

  Chapter Seventeen

  I couldn’t sleep. I lay next to Enzo in his silken bed with the lights out, marveling at how much quieter it was up here on the thirty-fifth floor. Back in my apartment in Pilsen, I felt like I was practically outside.

  I couldn’t relax. Even though we’d just had amazing sex following an almost-equally amazing meal, something was ticking like mad inside my brain. No matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t quite manage to turn it off.

  Finally, I slipped out of bed. There was a turquoise silk kimono-style robe on my side of the bed, and I figured that it was meant for me. Slipping it on made me feel glamorous, but I quickly realized how impractical the silk was: the sleeves slipped past my hands and buried them, making me feel like a kid playing dress-up in her mom’s clothes. The material felt good against my naked skin, though, and I belted it closely as I padded out to the kitchen.

  All of the lights in Enzo’s condo had been turned out, and I watched in silent awe as the skyline flickered. It was still pitch-black outside, and Pepper was snoring soundly on the floor of the kitchen, but even seeing her didn’t make me feel confident and better about what had just happened.

  It was impossible to relax or feel like I was at home. After all, I barely even knew Enzo. I had no idea what kind of guy he was. Besides salad and lamb, I had no idea what he even liked to eat. The gelato from earlier was still opened, and the spoon rested on the shiny counter, leaving a sticky puddle behind as I placed it in the sink. There was no sponge or roll of paper towels, or anything even resembling cleaning supplies. I gulped and turned back towards the incredible view from the living room.

  Pepper must have sensed my presence; she got up and padded over to me, gently whining and pushing her head against my legs.

  “I bet you’re thirsty, huh?” I rubbed her ears and started digging around in Enzo’s cabinets for a bowl to use for her water dish. The contents were as meticulous as I would expect: everything facing the front, all utensils grouped together, everything looking as neat and orderly as a model home. Like Enzo didn’t even live here.

  Pepper whined as I finally found a plain-looking white ceramic dish and filled it with water before setting it down on the floor. She nosed the bowl over to the corner, slopping water over the sides, before flopping down on her belly and drinking in long, contented gulps.

  Even knowing that she was better didn’t make me feel relaxed. I felt tense like I was on edge. Like this whole thing was just some kind of obvious, stupid joke. Like I was just waiting for Enzo to wake up and realize that he didn’t actually want to be with me.

  “Pepper, come here,” I said in a low voice, beating my hand against my thigh. But she was still drinking, and I knew that I couldn’t pull her away.

  With a sigh, I walked into the living room and flopped down on the taut black leather couch. The room which had seemed so tense and full of sexuality earlier didn’t seem to be doing much for the way I felt. Whenever I looked out at the huge, domineering skyline, I just felt empty inside.

  I thought about my parents—what they’d say if they saw me in a place like this. The only advice Mom had ever given me—besides “Keep your head down and work harder than you think you need to”—was to find a good man, someone wealthy, someone who’d take care of me. It had never been a priority, but now I wondered if it was something I’d wanted along.

  I swallowed hard. I love him, a voice chimed in from the back of my mind. I love him, and I don’t know what to do about it.

  I was faced with an interesting dilemma: either I could tell Enzo how I felt, or try to assume that he’d just know. But I knew deep down, Enzo wouldn’t know. He was used to women falling in love with him, but I didn’t even know how to show how I felt.

  I finally understood all of the romantic comedies that I’d seen over the years and all the jokes about feeling stupid and breathless around the object of your desire. I’d never thought that would become me. I was flustered and awkward around almost everyone, except for Carl. It didn’t seem right that I would be tongue-tied around someone like Enzo, at least not more so than I already felt.

  My mouth felt dry, and my head was twanging with the beginning of a headache. I thought about going to Enzo’s bathroom and rifling through the cabinets for some ibuprofen, but the mere thought was exhausting. I didn’t want to get up, and I certainly didn’t want to wake him up. He was the kind of man who rarely slept, and I had a feeling this was the first sleep he’d gotten in quite a while.

  Finally, Pepper finished drinking and walked back over to me, her toenails clicking on the hardwood floor. She whined a little and looked up at me with her big brown eyes.

  “Sorry, Pep-pup,” I told her regretfully. “I don’t think Mr. Enzo would like you on his couch very much. This is leather.”

  Pepper made a sighing noise and sunk down on the floor. I could tell that she was anxious, too. What was I doing here? Why had Enzo even brought me here in the first place?

  To seduce me, I realized with a sinking feeling in my chest. He brought me here to fuck me again. The words felt strange and clunky in my mouth, like they were inaccurate. But I knew that I wasn’t wrong—that was exactly why we’d come here. Enzo knew what he was getting into when he’d brought me home.

  I sighed. I wanted to talk to someone, anyone! But I had no idea to whom I could turn. Everything was muddled and complicated. Of course, I realized that the only person I really needed to speak with was Enzo. But he wouldn’t listen. I had a sinking feeling that he’d masterfully shut down any kind of relationship talk before it even had a chance to stick.

  That was the kind of guy he was. I bit my lip, thinking of Karen. Would I become like her? Or would I just be fired?

  This whole thing was giving me a headache. I didn’t even know what I wanted. I thought I wanted Enzo, but I knew that I couldn’t afford to lose my job. Whenever we were in the same room, all I could think about was him and his hands on me, how they were going to make me feel. And then whenever we parted ways, the anxiety and the doubt would begin to creep in almost as soon as he was out of sight.

  I thought of him snoring away in the bedroom, completely oblivious that I was out here and feeling discomfort. But then again, I wouldn’t have wanted him to know that I was hurting. I felt private about my pain, like I didn’t even deserve to wallow. After all, I’d gotten myself into this mess. I’d let him seduce me, and I’d loved it.

  Pepper barked, and I jolted up on the couch. “Pepper!” I scolded. “Hush!” She looked at me and thumped her tail on the floor. I sighed. If we were at home, I’d bundle up and take her outside. But as it stood, I had no idea how to even get back inside Enzo’s condo.

  The inside was almost like a maze, and I had no idea where he kept his keys. I didn’t want to risk waking him up. Would he be mad that I’d slipped out of bed? Would he be grouchy? What was a guy like Enzo even like in the morning? I couldn’t imagine seeing him without his fancy suit and perfect hair.

  I coughed once, then lay down on my back. The silk robe hadn’t warmed up to my skin, and the touch of the fabric against me was startlingly and alarming chill. The couch felt solid and hard underneath me—comfortable to sit on, but not exactly for a nap. There weren’t even any pillows or throw blankets. It was like the most sterile living room that I’d ever seen in my life.

  Suddenly, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to sleep. I sat up and pulled an elastic off my wrist, making a ponytail with my hair and knotting it at the nape of my neck. I motioned for
Pepper to stay, then walked into the bedroom and tossed the silk robe on the floor.

  After a second thought, I picked it up and gently folded it and put it on the bed. The slippery material made it nearly impossible to leave looking neat, but I didn’t want to offend Enzo more than I had to.

  It took me a few minutes to find my jumper, turtleneck, leggings, bra, and panties in the dark. Enzo had scattered my clothes on the floor of the dressing room, and I dressed quickly, feeling a snake slipping back into her old, discarded skin. I set my mouth in a thin line and looked in the mirror. I looked exactly the same as I always had, not trussed up in expensive silk nightclothes like some kind of trophy wife.

  “It’s better this way,” I said to my own reflection, startled at the huskiness of my voice.

  Walking into the living room, I called for Pepper and quickly pulled a leash out of my purse. “We’re going home, Pep,” I murmured, rubbing her ears. “We don’t belong here.”

  Chapter Eighteen