by Piper Stone
A bitter laugh slipped past my lips before I brought the glass to my mouth, running my tongue along the rim. I remained in the darkness, taking comfort in the fact the others were all asleep. I refused to close my eyes. The nightmares would be too violent, only adding to the explosive desires that had continued to build. I wanted to wrap my hands around Carter’s throat, to watch as the life drained out of him, his eyes becoming vacant.
Now the fucker wasn’t likely to show.
I finally allowed a deep chuckle to slide up from my throat. Hell, the chicken shit certainly wasn’t going to come and rescue Delaney in the middle of a freaking hurricane. The radar had been clear, the massive storm heading directly toward us. I shifted my gaze toward the darkened windows, concentrating on the howling wind even as her name rolled across my tongue.
Delaney...
Snarling, my grip on the glass became white-knuckled, another round of fury settling in. I’d been pissed off as fuck after catching Rafael and Jax with her. Fucking her.
Taking her.
Using her.
The woman who belonged to me.
No woman had ever affected me this way. Not a single one including... I held up my glass, saluting my good fortune. I was finally over the bitch who’d betrayed me but couldn’t have the woman I craved more than anything else in life. What a fucking mess.
Goddamn it. I couldn’t get her out of my mind, my hunger to strip her of what was left of her humanity claiming my psyche. She’d managed to get to me, somehow digging her claws into the thick layer of skin I’d used for protection during the arduous months.
I should consider her nothing but my nemesis, a woman who could quite possibly derail all I’d envisioned since my arrest.
Instead? I was fucking jealous.
A hiss left my lips and I gulped the remainder of my drink, determined to finish the bottle of whiskey. Leaning over, I wrapped my hand around the neck, lifting what was left in front of my face. While I couldn’t see shit, I had a feeling I would be searching for a new bottle soon.
When a single bolt of lightning flashed across the water, I almost winced, as if the light was too damn much for me to tolerate. As I poured the remainder of the bottle into my glass, I took comfort in the fact the liquid almost reached the rim. Chuckling, I sat back in the seat, no longer desiring to think clearly. I simply wanted to get wasted in order to avoid the inevitable.
I wasn’t going to be able to keep her. Hell, the woman didn’t belong to me. I had no issue destroying or killing Carter, but there was no way I would allow harm to come to her. But she had to go. I had to figure out a way to free her in case Carter arrived on the scene. She certainly didn’t deserve my wrath. Fuck. What the hell was I supposed to do given a damn hurricane was coming in? Shit. I was a damn fool.
Another bitter laugh was difficult to avoid. Why would I care about her? Maybe I had no right to question anything, including my feelings. They certainly hadn’t been on target over the last few years. I pulled the glass to my lips, inhaling the fumes of the expensive liquor. For the first time in years, sadness replaced the rage.
“I wish we could spend all night here,” she whispered as she stared up at the sky.
Even in the darkness, I could see a shimmer in her eyes. “One day, I’ll give you the world,” I answered.
“I don’t want the world, Sawyer. I just want you.”
My hand was shaking as I struggled to push the memory aside. Nothing would bring her back and I had to face the fact she’d used me. As I shifted forward in the chair, I felt my heartrate increasing. Suddenly, it was difficult to breathe, my mind so damn foggy, another wave of fury wrapping around every synapse in my brain. I tried to concentrate, everything turning into a haze. What I’d experienced before had been nothing in comparison to now. Right now.
I heard my hollow laugh. I’d finally learned what it meant to care for someone, and it was too late.
Exhaustion settled in and as I lifted the glass, determined to finish my drink, the tumbler slipped from my hand. My thoughts drifted to Delaney, images of her beautiful face and incredible body giving me a few seconds of comfort. My cock ached all over again.
She was mine.
Mine!
I couldn’t allow her to leave. No, I refused to allow... her... to...
* * *
What. The. Fuck.
“Wake the hell up.”
I jerked, gasping for air as I tried to figure out who the hell was bothering me.
“What?” I growled.
“She’s gone.”
Hissing, I pulled myself up from the wicked haze, snapping my head in the direction of Rafael’s voice. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Delaney. She’s disappeared.”
The ramifications of what he’d just said finally sputtered into my foggy mind. I jerked up from the chair, my head nearly exploding from pain. “Didn’t you lock her in?”
“Somehow she managed to jimmy the window. We need to find her.”
Almost immediately, I heard the sound of the howling wind, limbs smacking against the building. “There’s a fucking hurricane coming.”
Rafael confronted me, his tone exasperated. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“I noticed it on the radar last night.” I struggled to move away from the chair, swallowing the nasty taste of bile as I glared at the glass that had obviously fallen out of my hand.
“And you freaking neglected to tell us this last night?”
As Rafael got in my face, I shoved him hard. “Didn’t give a shit last night and neither did you or Jax.” The truth was hard to fathom. A part of me didn’t give a crap that we could be stranded on the island. Maybe a part of me wanted that to be the case.
“You’re an asshole, Sawyer. Jax is already searching the grounds. We need to find her.”
I rubbed my forehead then threw out my arm before grabbing my weapon and shoving it into my back. Jesus Christ. What the fuck did she think she was trying to accomplish? “No. I know exactly where she’s gone. We need to prepare for the damn storm. I’ll find her.” I stumbled forward, still trying to get my bearings. I’d been a fool to lose control. Now the woman I adored was trying to get away.
“You better know what you’re doing. This is bullshit.”
Rafael’s nasty words weren’t anything unlike what I was saying to myself. “Find Jax. If the storm is still on track, we don’t have much time.”
As I took long strides to the group of glass doors, I heard his chastising laughter.
“That girl is going to be the death of you.”
His words rang into my ears as I threw open the door. Maybe so, but I refused to allow her to slide out of my grasp.
As I raced down the stairs, I glanced up at the turbulent sky. Goddamn, the horizon was dark, the wind already blowing over the table and chairs surrounding the pool. The storm was coming in faster than expected. As I headed toward the shoreline, I said a silent prayer that Delaney was all right.
But if she was, I’d never forget she defied me, ignoring my rules. So rebellious. So... enchanting. The closer I got to the ocean waters, the more I realized that there was little time to waste, the swells barely thirty feet out already over ten feet.
“Fuck,” I huffed as I moved out of the bank of trees, shielding my eyes from the blowing sand as I searched for any sign of her.
There was nothing but rolling sand, the violent waves already capturing a portion of the shoreline.
“Delaney!” While I knew my call to her was useless, a part of me had to try. Had Delaney been the master manipulator, capable of playing both sides of the cards with such ease? The thought wasn’t far from my mind as I struggled through the driving wind, trying to make my way to the boat. While it was possible that she’d ventured to another location on the island, I would bet she’d become determined to take the boat. Just like she’d attempted to do before.
“Delaney! You can’t hide from me. You know that.”
&nb
sp; The echo of the wind was the only answer.
I remained where I was, scanning the horizon. There was no sight of her. Shit. Shit!
“If you don’t come out, your punishment will be much worse.” I lumbered forward, moving toward the trees. The damn wind was carrying my voice toward the ocean.
Suddenly, a series of odd sensations washed over me. Then I felt her presence. “Delaney.”
A few seconds later, I caught sight of her as she trudged through the trees.
“Come here, little girl. The consequences will be much worse if you don’t.”
It was easy to tell that she was going to refuse to obey. She was obviously heading in the direction of the boat. There was no way I was going to allow her to accomplish her goal. The water was too dangerous and there was nowhere she could go.
I took off running, more exasperated than before. Damn, the woman could run.
Within seconds, I managed to wrap my hand around her arm, giving her a hard yank, the force tossing us both to the ground. As we pitched and rolled, I tried to catch my breath.
“No!” she screeched, trying to get away from me. When she was able to free one of her legs, I was shocked. The second she managed to smash her foot against my chest, even gaining enough momentum to scramble away, I growled.
The force of the action dislodged my weapon, the gun tumbling into the air, dropping several feet away. Now I was pissed. I lunged forward, trying to grab one of her legs.
“No. No!” She managed to get to her feet, tumbling forward in an attempt to get away from me even as she attempted to yank the gun out of my grasp. When she failed, she took off running.
“Come here. Now!” I bellowed, trying to launch my command over the imploring wind. I gained momentum, now only a couple of feet away.
“Fuck!” I roared.
But she kept running. My God, she thought she had a chance to get away. When she almost stumbled to the sand, I knew I had her.
The second I snagged her leg, I threw myself down and over her. As she continued to wrestle with me, I couldn’t believe she managed to reach for the gun, her fingers only inches away from the cold, hard steel. I almost laughed at her audacity.
“You’re not getting away. Not now. Not ever.” The electricity soared between us, the heat building within my body to the point I had difficulty thinking clearly.
“Get off me, you bastard.”
Even as she spouted off the words, I was able to gather a scent of her pussy, my mouth watering at the thought of lapping her sweet cream. I fisted her hair, yanking her head several inches off the terrain.
She gasped, still flailing as if she could best me.
“You disobeyed me again,” I stated in a husky tone, lowering my head until my lips were close to her luscious cheek.
“And I’ll do it again. And again, you fuck!”
“Then I’m going to punish you over and over again until you learn.” I dragged her onto all fours, but not before grinding my hips back and forth. I was shocked how intense my reactions were to her, my desire roaring off the charts.
She hissed, sliding her hands back and forth across the sand, as if looking for some kind of weapon to use. The sensations roaring through me drew out my beast, my desire to take her even though danger loomed. A rush of adrenaline was only matched by a hunger that refused to be denied. I could no longer think clearly, my only thoughts stripping away her last inhibitions, forcing her to surrender.
“I’ve tried to be lenient with you, but you only seem to respond to harsh discipline,” I growled as I fumbled with the button and zipper on her shorts.
She reached back with one hand then the other, as if there was any way she could get me to stop. Every part of her was trembling as I yanked the shorts down her rounded hips. I was consumed by my intense needs, no longer able to rationalize what I was doing.
“I hate you,” she spouted in a nasty tone.
“Yeah? Well, get used to it.” A severe spanking would do her some good.
I brought my hand down in rapid succession, moving from one side to the other, the sound of my palm slapping against her skin powerful. It only added to the fuel that was getting ready to explode.
Every time she tried to crawl away, I yanked her back, continuing the spanking, peppering her bottom. The heat built in my fingers, rushing all the way up the length of my arm.
“Stop. Just stop!” she yelled.
“You deserve to be punished, Delaney, for running as well as risking your life.”
“Asshole. You’re nothing but a monster.”
“Call me anything you want, sunshine, but you know what? I think you like this. In fact, I can tell how much it excites you.”
I refused to stop, smacking her bottom with hard strikes. As she squirmed, the scent of her feminine wiles became stronger. There was no doubt she was enjoying this.
“Fuck you,” she hissed, still clawing at the sand, panting in an exaggerated manner.
“Maybe I should pull off my belt. Is that what you crave, sweet sunshine? A man who knows how hard to discipline you?”
“No. No!”
“Are you wet for me, just like you’ve been before? Are you hungry to have my cock filling that tight little hole?”
“Never.”
Her snarl was almost subdued. Now my cock was aching like a son of a bitch, my balls tight as drums. Without hesitation, I issued several additional smacks, the tips of my fingers catching her pussy lips. Even my heart was racing from the incredible building desire.
“Fuck. Oh...”
“Why don’t I find out?” I growled, barely able to contain my actions.
Unable to stop, I slid my hand between her legs, fingering her mound. The minute she moaned, her sounds those of pure pleasure, I slid my fingers deep inside, flexing them open, pumping several times.
“Mmm... Just as I thought,” I whispered.
Even in the dim lighting, I could see goosebumps popping along her gorgeous, naked skin.
“You’re wet and hot so that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Fuck you.” I gave her four additional strikes, two smacking her pussy.
I could tell she was biting back a scream as she smashed her fist into the sand.
There was nothing that was going to stop me from taking her. I was overwhelmed with the raging desire to make her mine, to remind her that she would never be set free.
I pressed the tip of my cock past her swollen folds, breaching her tight and wet channel. The way her body responded, betraying her nasty words was sweet, further enticing the beast. As the wind whipped around us, I tipped my head back, enjoying the rumble of thunder in the distance.
Then I thrust the entire length of my shaft inside, every sound I made like the savage I’d become.
Her muscles instantly clamped around my rock-hard cock, as if she’d already accepted that she belonged to me.
“So tight. So wet,” I huffed, grinding my hips against her. “I could do this all day long, sweet sunshine.” As I thrust long and hard, the force almost pummeled her into the sand.
She moaned, her body undulating even as she continued to struggle, her breathing raspy.
“Do you want to come for me?” I huffed. “I think you do.” She was so damn tight, her pussy clamping in a way that was likely to make me come too quickly.
When her body began to shake, I fucked her brutally, my heart racing as every cell in my body was ready to explode. I wanted to fill her with my seed.
“So wet. So fucking wet,” I murmured, as I struggled to breathe, my entire mind foggy from the intensity of my actions. Jesus Christ. She was trying to take control as she always did, her pussy muscles clenching around my shaft, drawing me in deeper. My entire body began to shake, my balls ready to explode.
Her soft moans and whimpers only further fueled the fire burning deep within.
I planted my hands on either side of her, folding my body over hers, the heat shared between us explosive. “You hunger more than I do.” When I rolled of
f, I raked my fingers down her arms, my breathing still heavy. “You’re not going to try that again or your punishment will be much worse.”
She threw a look over her shoulder, giving me a nasty glare. Moving quickly, she crawled forward. Before I had a chance to lunge toward her, she managed to grab the gun. I was stunned as she scrambled to her feet, the weapon firmly planted in both hands.
What in the hell did she think she was doing? I couldn’t help but laugh. I’d been stupid enough to allow her to have access to a damn weapon. What the fuck was wrong with me? She was still playing all three of us like a sweet violin and I’d bought it not once but twice. I held out my hand as I laughed. “We’ve been through this before. You’re a sweet girl.”
“Sweet?” she asked as she pointed the barrel toward my chest. “I don’t think you want to find out. Stop. Don’t come any closer.”
While I darted my eyes to the gun, I took a long stride closer. “We need to get back to the house, sunshine. Give me the gun and I won’t be forced to use my belt.” The wind continued to increase, the waves crashing against the shore. We had a few hours in order to hunker down. While I was pissed as hell, I had to get her to safety.
“My fucking name is Delaney. How many times do I have to tell you that, asshole?”
I took another long stride closer, grinning. Whatever game she was playing, there was no way she could win. “Delaney, please give me the gun.”
“I said stop. I will shoot you.”
Snorting, I did stop on purpose, trying to figure out what the fuck to do. I brushed both hands through my hair as I gazed down the length of her, my eyes settling on the weapon once again. If I didn’t get it out of her hands, she could hurt herself. “No, I don’t think you will. You’re not that kind of woman. In fact, you’re far too good. Innocent.”
“You have no idea what kind of girl I am. I suggest you think twice about underestimating me.” Her defiance was even stronger than before, although the nervous tic on her mouth gave away her fear.
She was actually terrified of me, as if I planned on hurting her. The thought was cathartic, allowing me to realize what an asshole I’d turned into. However, now was no time to lament of the actions I’d taken.
