Quintessentially Q

by Pepper Winters

  “Sit on me now, Tess. Or I’ll hit you until you do.”

  She bowed her head, sending curls over her face. “I want to taste you. Like you did for me.”

  The thought of her lips around my cock was too much. I still hadn’t forgiven her for making me come so violently before. Shaking my head, I hauled her upright, straddling her over my thighs.

  “Not today.”

  Her eyes snapped closed as I pushed her down. Her wet folds connected with my hot cock, sinking deeper, hugging me with all that delicious fucking darkness.

  I groaned as she slid lower. My cock swelled with the urge to jet into her already.

  The moment she’d fully impaled herself, I flicked my wrist and struck her lower back with the belt.

  She gasped as her inner muscles gripped me deep inside.

  “Shit, do that again,” I growled, smacking her with the leather.

  The same reaction—the instant the belt connected with her skin, she clenched hard around me, milking me with strong muscles.

  I thrust up once and Tess fucking detonated. Her hands wrapped deep in my hair as she pushed up and down, fucking me as she rippled, shuddered, unravelled.

  Her pleasure almost made me lose it. I gritted my teeth, fighting off the urge.

  The moment she stopped coming, I ripped the bandage off her neck. She winced but I muttered, “Just let me see while I make love to you. Let me know you’re mine.”

  She nodded, twitching in aftershocks around my cock.

  “I’m going to take you hard. I’ve missed you so fucking much.” I looked deep into her eyes. “You should’ve waited for me to come. Now I’ll have to make you release all over again.”

  Her lips parted; she trembled as I thrust upward.

  “Goddammit, you feel good.” My eyes latched onto her neck and I purred. I fucking purred in pleasure, seeing my mark seared into her skin.

  Tess’s fingers fumbled with the bandage over my heart and I loved the flash of possession in her eyes when she looked at the brand.

  “You’re mine,” she whispered. Her cunt clenched harder around me and I struggled for breath.

  “Les uns des autres.” Each other’s. Holding her hip in one hand, I struck her with the belt as I thrust upward. Not too hard, but not too soft either.

  “Pain and pleasure, Tess. Remember.”

  Her eyes fluttered shut as I invoked a rhythm: thrust, strike, thrust, strike. She moaned with every rock, grabbing my balls, building my orgasm until it radiated in every part of me.

  My heart raced and I loved the tingling aching sensation of needing to orgasm. When I couldn’t keep up the rhythm anymore, I threw the belt away, and gathered Tess closer. Her breasts squashed against my chest, irritating the fresh burn over my heart. The combination of pleasure and pain undid me.

  My speed increased until Tess bounced in my arms. My eyes locked on her neck. The red, angry ‘Q’ forever seared into her skin gave me the release I’d been looking for.

  This perfect woman was all fucking mine. And now everyone would know it.

  My orgasm detonated, bursting in thick waves, filling her with every stroke. My eyes rolled backward as I existed only to come deep inside her. “Fuck, esclave. Take it. Take all of it.”

  Tess cried out as I stroked her clit. Her second orgasm exploded into reality, the bands of muscles squeezed every last drop I had left, milking me until I flopped in her arms.

  My thighs quivered from thrusting up and I had pins and needles in my calves, but I didn’t give a rat’s ass as my cock was deep in the woman I adored and my come was smeared all over her.

  Tess leaned forward, kissing me ever so sweetly. “I love you, Quincy.”

  My back tensed. Normally, I hated my full name. It was my father’s. A name I wanted to forget forever, but in that moment, I loved it. I loved that Tess loved me. I loved that Tess accepted me.

  I loved her with everything I was.

  “Je t'aime,” I whispered, kissing her back.

  *****

  Hours later, I woke to Tess whimpering in my arms. Her nightmares hadn’t diminished, and every night she woke me with her screams, stabbing a dagger into my heart. I wanted to enter her dreams and slay every last bastard torturing her.

  Kissing her forehead, I murmured, “Tu es en sécurité. Avec moi.” You’re safe. With me.

  When she quieted, I gathered her closer. Pushing my hand beneath her pillow, I tried to grab the item I’d hidden there a few days ago. When I’d designed the poker brands, I knew if Tess let me mark her with such a permanent thing, I would go one step further to seal her to me.

  Ever since I made the decision, my headaches had been miraculously absent. Almost as if the stress I’d lived with melted away, letting me know I’d made the right choice. The only choice.

  No longer would I wait to merge my life with hers. There was no way I would let her go, and it was time the rest of the world knew that.

  Tess mumbled, eyes opening sleepily. “What are you doing?”

  The soft twilight highlighted her grey-blue eyes, glimmering gold in her blonde hair. I wished I had a camera to capture her sleep-warmed and lazy beauty. She looked so fragile and I embraced two urges: one that wanted to see just how fragile she was with the use of a whip, and one who wanted to wrap her in bubble wrap and cover her with kisses.

  My hand latched around the small thing hidden under the pillow and I sat up, pulling Tess with me.

  The sheet fell away from her, exposing her perfect breasts and pink nipples. My cock instantly hardened. I had to look away before I pounced and forgot what I needed to do.

  Tess yawned, fluffing her hair.

  Nerves attacked my stomach, making me second-guess myself. You’re doing the right thing. Man the fuck up.

  “I have another gift for you.”

  Her eyes dropped to the tented sheet between my legs. Licking her lips, she murmured, “A second gift would be nice.”

  I chuckled, shaking my head. “No, you little sex fiend, my cock is not on offer.”

  She pouted, reaching over to grab me.

  A slight thread of temper filled me and I slapped her hand away. Goddammit, she wasn’t making this easy.

  I rolled the gift in my fingers, keeping it away from her sight. “I need you to wear this as much as I needed to brand you. Compris?” Understand?

  She frowned, but nodded slowly.

  It’s now or never.

  I unclenched my fist, shoving my hand toward her. Resting in my palm was a ring I’d painstakingly sketched and ordered the local jeweller to create.

  It represented everything I was. Everything that we were. Everything that I hoped we’d become.

  The same day I went to pick up the finished product, I bought a pair of lovebirds. The lucky things had the entire aviary to themselves, but I planned to add more as I returned to work, doing what I did best.

  Tess shied away from the ring as if it was about to bite her. My forehead furrowed as I plucked it in my fingertips and inspected the jewellers work. He’d got it perfect: two spanning wings, bending into a circlet. Every feather hand-carved with exquisite detailing, inlaid with diamonds. The gold band was extra thick, to allow for—

  “That’s for me?”

  Her eyes glassed with tears, and I snatched her hand before she could go running from the room. Did she not want this? How could she not accept a ring when she let me burn my mark into her neck?

  Anger sat low in my gut, churning with rejection.

  Tess didn’t say a word as I splayed her hand, pushing the ring onto her wedding finger—the one that symbolised commitment and togetherness.

  She fulfilled my humanness. I could never let her go.

  A single tear dripped from her lashes as she held her hand closer to inspect the jewellery.

  It’d taken a nightmare of events to bring us together. Our relationship wasn’t normal, our needs and lifestyle uniquely us, but after everything we’d been through, I wanted more. I never wanted to
wake up without Tess by my side. I wanted her with me when I hunted down all the cocksuckers involved in trafficking and put them into the ground. And I wanted finally to have the courage to show her just what I needed to be completely happy.

  With my heart bucking wild, I asked, “Veux-tu m'épouser?” Will you marry me?

  Tess sucked in a gasp then launched herself into my arms. Her lips crashed against mine, sending us sprawling to the mattress.

  I tasted salt from her happiness and passion from her tongue.

  For the first time ever, I was complete, wondrously happy and achingly content.

  “You don’t have to ask. My answer is already given.”

  I smiled, cupping her jaw. “Now that I have it on your finger, I should tell you there’s a tracking device in there. I never mean to have you far from me again.”

  She laughed. “Consider myself warned.” She kissed me again, but I pushed her back, sliding to the side of the bed.

  She watched as I hoisted on jeans and held out my hand for her to take. “Get packed. We’re leaving.”

  “Leaving?”

  When she didn’t move, I grabbed her ankle and dragged her to the end of the bed, trapping her between my arms. Darkness and light and every fucking emotion bubbled inside me; I couldn’t wait another minute. “We’re going to get married.”

  Tess’s eyes popped wide. “Now?”

  “Now. There’s no point in waiting.”

  I hoisted her into my arms. “I want our life to begin, Tess.”

  Her lips landed on mine. “It has already begun.”

  I kissed her back, making her swallow my words. “Your life is mine. My life is yours. I want it to be official.”

  “It is official. You branded me.” She smiled, touching my cheek.

  “It’s not official until I have you in a white dress, vowing to obey and serve me for the rest of your days.” I was only half joking. “I need to promise my life to you. I need you to be my wife.”

  Tess nodded. “I want you as my husband, now and for always, ‘till death do us part.”

  Note from Author

  I’ve sat staring at this part for weeks, and I can’t wrap up Q and Tess’s story in just one chapter. After everything they’ve been through, it’s only fair to give them a Happily Ever After. Q needs to finally let go and show Tess how dark he wants to take her. Tess needs to realize Q is her monster through and through, and they need to explore their relationship now they’re committed. Not to mention have an amazing wedding and saucy honeymoon.

  When I started Tears of Tess, it was meant to be one book. But Q and Tess captured my mind and heart and kept whispering in my ear.

  So, I hope you can forgive me for writing a third and final book in the Monsters in the Dark series.

  Twisted Together will be the Happily Ever After for all those twisted individuals who found their perfect other. The ones who can’t breathe without consuming the other… the ones who live slightly in the shadows.

  Set for release early 2014, updates will be announced via my newsletter. You can sign up here:

  Pepper's Newsletter

  Mark Twisted Together on your Goodreads list here.

  Sneak Peek into Twisted Together…

  “After battling through hell, I brought my esclave back from the brink of ruin. I sacrificed everything—my heart, my mind, my very desires to bring her back to life. And for a while, I thought it broke me, that I’d never be the same. But slowly the beast is growing bolder, and it’s finally time to show Tess how beautiful the dark can be.”

  Q gave everything to bring Tess back. In return, he expects nothing less. Tess may have leashed and tamed him, but he’s still a monster inside.

  The third and final instalment in the Monsters in the Dark series.

  *Prologue*

  “I’m not marrying you for the pleasure of calling you my wife, esclave. I’m not marrying you because it’s the evolution of a relationship. I’m marrying you so I have claim on you forever. Your soul will be mine for eternity. In sickness and in health, in life and death you will belong to me. And I will belong to you.”

  Q brought me closer, whispering his passion into my mouth. “Don’t think this is a contract between two people in love. Don’t think this legal document is something flimsy and unpowerful. By marrying me you’re taking all of me. Everything I am. All that I will be. You’re accepting my lightness, my darkness, my fucking eternal spirit. By signing your name to mine you are no longer Tess Snow.”

  “What am I?” I murmured, accepting his feather-soft kiss.

  “You’re Tess Mercer. Now and for always. Forever and ever. It’s done.”

  *Chapter One*

  Yesterday, Q proposed.

  Today, we’d flown by private jet to a landing strip in the Canary Islands.

  Now, we were being driven by high speed boat to an island Q supposedly owned.

  Tomorrow, we were getting married.

  My mind hadn’t stopped spinning and I needed off this crazy whirlwind ride. I needed time to think. To plan. To have a moment to breathe. But Q was possessed. The moment his ring noosed my finger, and his mark burned my neck, he’d taken complete control.

  It didn’t take long for the boat to pull up to a tiny jetty. As far as the eye could see turquoise ocean surrounded us.

  The island we docked beside was tiny. Wild, rugged, completely unmodernized. I didn’t know what I’d been expecting, but the thick palm trees and foliage reminded me of a perfect home for a beast.

  My eyes darted to Q. He jumped off the bow with the rope, ready to tie us to the jetty. His beige slacks and white shirt looked perfect for this bright, sunny weather.

  When he bent to tie the knot, his loose shirt gaped open, showing me the red burn of the T above his heart.

  My own heart swelled to suffocate in my chest. I suddenly didn’t care that this was crazy. That no planning or time had gone into it.

  I twirled the ring on my finger and knew this was perfect. In every way.

  While Q discussed provisions being sent to the island with the captain, and made arrangements for who knows what, I opened the well-read letter Q gave me the night he proposed.

  The sharp thrill of fear and passion once again threaded around my heart, heating my blood with expectation.

  Esclave…Tess

  Once you are truly mine and I’m satisfied you’ll be with me forever, I’m going to show you what I’ve wanted to show you for a while. I’m going to bring you into my world. I’ll share everything. Treat you to every desire.

  This honeymoon is going to be for us. We’re going to find each other in the dark.

  Until our wedding night, mon amour.

  Q

  Pepper Winters wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex…her books have a lot of sex.

  She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends.

  Her books include:

  Tears of Tess (28 August 2013)

  Buy HERE

  Quintessentially Q (15 December 2013)

  Add to Goodreads HERE

  Twisted Together (Coming early 2014)

  Add to Goodreads HERE

  Last Shadow (Coming early-mid 2014)

  Add to Goodreads HERE

  Broken Chance (Coming early-mid 2014)

  Add to Goodreads HERE

  To be the first to know of upcoming releases, please join Pepper’s Newsletter (she promises never to spam or annoy you).

  Pepper's Newsletter

  You can stalk her here:

  Pinterest

  Facebook Pepper Winters

  Twitter

  Blog

  Facebook Group for Monster in the Dark Lovers

  Goodreads

  She loves mail of any kind: pepperwinters@
gmail.com

  I always freeze up when it comes to acknowledgements. I’m afraid I’ll forget a fabulous blogger, or dear friend. My brain becomes a sieve and I don’t want to leave anyone out who has been so important to my journey and success as an author. So, this time, I’m not going to name names. I’m going to thank every single reader, blogger, cover designer, tour operator, beta reader, writing partner, and amazing friend who has helped me in this process.

  I love each and every one of you and thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know it’s cheesy but I honestly could never have done it without the amazing support network offered by you amazing people, and I’ll always appreciate you, more than you know.

  xxxxxxx Thank you xxxxxxx

  *Songs for Quintessentially Q*

  My personal favourites are Demons and Monster by Imagine Dragons.

  Followed by reader suggestions:

  Monster by Rihanna & Dr Dre

  Move like a Sinner by What Now

  Deep Inside by Third Eye Blind

  Everlong by Foo Fighters

  My Immortal by Evanescence

  Do What You Want by Lady Gaga

  Pictures of You by The Cure

  Closer by Nine Inch Nails

  Dark Horse by Katy Perry

  Cold by Crossfade

  Die for You by Megan McCauley

  My Last Breath by Evanescence

  Hurt by Nine Inch Nails

  Forever by Fireflight

  Moondust by Jaymes

  Skyscraper by Demi Lavato

  The poem verses used at the header of each chapter came courtesy of a fantastic author named Ker Dukey. She penned the poems after reading Tears of Tess and I asked to use them in this book. Here are the lyrics in their entirety.