Wicked Love

by Michelle Dare

  “Nine of pentacles, mon cherie. My naive little bird is trapped by something or someone and is too timid to free herself and fly away. What traps you, love?”

  My heart hammers inside my chest. The animated street below is alive with people moving and swaying to the music. Even from so high above, I can smell the promiscuity in the air. Feel it in my bones. Women revealing their breasts. Men exposing themselves. They dance and drink, celebrating life and death.

  Cool air glides over my heated skin as he leans us farther over the edge. “What confines you? Fly away, Katie. Let go of the hurt you harbor, and in its place will come the luxuries you desire. Become the falcon and find your wings, enjoy the fruits of your labor. Fly, cherie.”

  I shake my head. I can’t. I’m too afraid of falling. Getting hurt again. What if I’m not strong enough to take this flight? “I can’t.”

  His lips press against my earlobe, and my eyes flutter. “So beautiful when you’re scared. I can smell the fear on your sweet skin. Makes me curious if you taste sweet in other places. Does fear turn you on, cherie?” His fingers grip harder at my waist. He could drop me at any moment and I would freefall to my own death. But something inside me tells me not to be afraid. “Or is it excitement? The thrill that I can release you at any moment? What if I took back my promise and touched you? Here, possibly…” His fingers journey lower, and my eyes fall shut as he grazes too close to my sex. I’m still hypersensitive from the scene at the club and I would instantly combust.

  “So tempting. You know what you want, Katie. Ask for it.” He pushes my boundaries even further and caresses my sex over my jeans. I hate the material standing in his way of what I really want. His hands inside me. His tongue tasting me. I want to rid myself of all past evils and soar into something new and wickedly dangerous.

  “If I released you, would you fall or fly, love?” Before I have a chance to answer him, he lets go. The heat of his finger disappears. My eyes widen and my lungs tighten as a scream expels up my throat. Everything rushes by in a blur. The intense speed constricts my throat. I can’t breathe. The warm night air pushes against my face, and I close my eyes, preparing for the devastation.

  Be the falcon, Love. Embrace the unknown.

  Macareus’s voice vibrates inside my mind. A buzz of electricity jolts though me, his words sending fury through my veins. This isn’t the end for me. I refuse to let James win.

  I want to be free.

  I blink, awaiting my pending doom, when suddenly, time rewinds and I’m back in Macareus’s arms. My chest constricts, trying to get air into my lungs. He flips me, cradling me in his arms. His silvery gaze is cool and calm as I stare back, panicked.

  My voice shivers. “How—how did you—?”

  “What do you want, Katie?”

  My entire body is on fire. My breathing won’t settle, my heart hammering like a heavy drum inside my chest, my mind jumbled with the chaos of the night. “Is this real? Are you real?” I can’t explain what’s happening, and I’m not sure I’m prepared to hear his answers.

  “I can answer that, but I would be breaking my promise.”

  “How?”

  “Because I told you I wouldn’t be the one to touch you, but I’m going to break that promise and kiss you. And you’re going to feel more alive than you ever have.”

  My breath hitches. I can’t will my eyes away from his as he leans into me, his fingers digging deeper into my waist, capturing me tightly against him. His lips fall to mine, and he doesn’t just kiss me, he consumes me, possesses me, smooth and cool to the touch, balancing out my overheated skin. My body becomes not my own as his fingers journey to my butt, leaving streaks of heat in their wake. He presses me to him, and the feel of him hard against me threatens to bring me to my death.

  When he slows and pulls away, I’m convinced I’ve already died and gone to heaven.

  “How do you feel?” he asks.

  “Like this is all a dream,” I confess. “That you’re not real and I’ve completely lost my mind.”

  “Maybe it’s the death of your fears. Because you’re very much alive, cherie.”

  A bell rings in the distance, stealing his attention. “We need to go.” He grabs my hand, hurrying us off the roof. We hustle through the courtyard and down another alley until we reach an old cemetery.

  “What are we doing here?” I ask, curious how we got here so fast. We were just in the French Quarter. There’s no way…

  “Dance with me,” he says, avoiding my question. He pulls me into him.

  “In a dark cemetery? Seems kind of creepy, don’t you think?”

  He laughs, planting his hands around my waist. “I find it quite intriguing and romantic.” He slides them to my butt cheeks and retrieves another tarot card out of my pocket.

  “I swear to God, where are those coming from?”

  “The mystery of it all…isn’t it exhilarating?” I give him my crazy eye. “Are you curious what it says?”

  Yes. No. Each card so far has brought clarity and excitement. What do I have to lose now?

  “What does it say?”

  He flips the card, revealing the drawing of the man holding swords—the same card the tarot reader showed me earlier. “I know this one.”

  “You do. There’s not only lust and desire burning in your veins, but revenge, cherie. Confess to me your darkest thoughts. Wish away the evil of lovers past and whoever has wronged you.”

  My mind goes to James, and it angers me that instead of basking in the gorgeous man in front of me, I’m thinking about him. All the hate burns like a wildfire inside me. I hate him for what he did to me. Or maybe I hate myself for allowing it. I just want him to pay for the pain he caused. Suffer the same way I suffered. Destroy him so he can never hurt me again.

  “So loud are your thoughts. I fear I may have miscalculated you from the beginning. You’re not a little bird at all, but a fierce warrior, ready to slay her demons.”

  I’m not going to bother asking him how he knows what I’m thinking. Drugs still flowing through my system sounds more realistic, and I’d rather play ignorant to the misconceptions of real and unreal. I’m just going to go with the flow and not question the unquestionable.

  “Maybe that’s true. Maybe I’ve been the evil one the whole time hiding behind this mask of innocence.”

  Always so cool, his eyes spark with fiery desire. “Go on,” he says. His thumb caresses my inner thigh as we slow dance to a soundless rhythm over a grave. He twirls me around in the darkness, the dew from the grass tickling at the bare skin around my heels.

  “Okay, what would you say if I told you I wish for very bad things to happen to someone—someone who’s not a good person, who’s taken a lot from me, a part of me I’ll never get back?”

  He spins me with ease, my feet leaving the ground as he takes the lead. “I would tell you to confess all. Let me make your demons disappear.”

  At that, I laugh. “Whatever you say, Romeo.”

  “Ah, so you’re claiming me as your lover?”

  My cheeks grow brightly flushed. “Well, you did claim we were star-crossed lovers—as were Romeo and Juliet. So, I’m just curious, are you willing to sacrifice your life in order for me to get my happily ever after?”

  His grin is anything but innocent. It’s wicked and sinful and creates an electric wave of desire to flow through me.

  “Fine, glad you find my evilness so attractive, here it is: I wish my ex would go swimming with the alligators in the Everglades and never return. He humiliated me in so many ways, I just want him to suffer the same pain. Hope they chomp off his penis, then work on each finger and toe. I want him to know how it feels to have everything ripped away from him. And I want his last thoughts to be of me, knowing I was the best thing to ever happen to him.” I blow out a breath of air. As terrible as that sounded, it felt exhilarating to admit.

  My back is suddenly pressed against the trunk of a tree. He’s so close, his lips a sliver away from mine. My heart pou
nds in anticipation of another kiss. I watch in fascination as they part. “Is that your final wish, love?”

  I can’t fight the way his consuming stare ignites this power inside me. He’s feeding me the strength I need to finally stand up for myself and fight my battle. “Hate runs deep, and clearly so does my need for revenge. I mean every word.”

  He drops his lips to mine, yet doesn’t kiss me. His torment is almost worse than anything James has ever done to me. I beg and plead to all that’s holy for him to kiss me again. “Be careful what you wish for, wicked one. It may come true.”

  When I wake up from this strange night, I’ll blame it all on the drugs and go on living my mundane life. Do I believe what I just confessed will come true? Wishful thinking. But right now, I want to ride the unknown. Lose myself to my curiosity. Confess all my evil thoughts. My desires. Offer myself to him without restraint.

  I press my chest out, my breasts snuggling perfectly against his pecs. “Same goes for you. Make sure when taunting the wicked you can handle what she brings.”

  The ground beneath me rumbles. A light flares behind his eyes. At the beginning of the night, it may have scared me away, but now, it challenges me to push him harder.

  “You’re going to wake the dead with your thoughts, cherie.”

  I lick my bottom lip, capturing it between my teeth. “Then maybe you should do something about that. You should know exactly what I want to keep me quiet, mind reader.”

  There’s a sudden shift in the air as his body becomes stone against mine. My skin vibrates where his palms grip my waist, and for a moment, I fear I’ve pushed him too far. There’s no longer any trace of the gentle man he’s been presenting himself to portray. In front of me, I see a lion, ready to slay. “Offer yourself to me,” he growls.

  “Excuse me?”

  His voice is laced with urgency as he demands again. “Offer yourself to me. Grant me permission to have you.”

  I stare back at him, willing to sacrifice my entire being just to have his lips back on mine. “I grant you permission to have me. All of me.”

  He steps back and releases me. I lose my balance and stumble forward, my eyes scanning the darkness in search of him. Suddenly, everything begins to glow around me. Fireflies spark to life, creating a luminescent path through the cemetery, leading to a large, above-ground mausoleum.

  Macareus reappears and captures my hand, guiding us along the path. The night air is thick. My skin prickles with excitement. I’m dizzy with each breath I take, and without hesitancy, I enter the burial chamber. The tomb is dark and invitingly cool. My eyes search the stone walls until torches appear alongside, fire creating a dim path for us to see.

  “What is this place?” From the outside, it’s simply a tomb, but I find myself being guided down a long, narrow corridor. We come to a set of stone stairs that lead us underground. Aside from the glowing light from the torches, it’s too dim to get a good look at my surroundings. He holds my hand and helps me down each one, until we come to another sooty tunnel.

  This may be the craziest thing I’ve ever done. I can’t believe I’m allowing someone, gorgeous or not, to lead me down an ancient underground pathway with no idea what’s to come. But it’s not fear I’m overwhelmed with, it’s excitement for the unknown.

  The pathway becomes too tight, and I’m forced to walk behind him. We suddenly come to a stop, and Macareus pushes open a large, vaulted door. Long, scintillating bursts of light flash before me. When my sight returns, I can’t take in my surroundings fast enough. We’re no longer bordered by darkness and cramped walls, but in a room, clean and spacious. A sweet-smelling scent surrounds me as I circle around, taking in the jeweled green velvet cloth draped across the vast, high ceiling and falling in waves behind a regal size bed. This isn’t a grave, it’s a bedroom fit for a king.

  Strong hands wrap around my waist, locking me in place. His cool breath fans against my shoulder blade. “Tell me, cherie, what is it you’re fantasizing about?”

  My eyes get lost on the velvet material decorating the large bed, curious how my bare skin would feel draped across it. My nipples harden through my thin top, and I bite down on my bottom lip. I twist in his hold, bringing my eyes to his. “I want to undress you.”

  A shiver races down my spine at the intensity of his hard stare. I sense he wants to rip my clothes off thread by thread, but he’s allowing me to be in control. “I’m all yours,” I say, provoking him to make his move. He releases his grip on me and raises his arms to offer me free rein of his body. My nerves spike, and for a minuscule of a second, I wonder what the hell I’m doing. I’m in a strange city, an even stranger place, embarking on a crazy sex escapade with a stranger. “’Tis impossible to be strangers when you’re meant for me.”

  I cut him off by throwing my hands against his chest. “Shut up. No freaky mind reading.”

  His devilish grin almost causes me to back out. Maybe I’m not as confident as I thought. Maybe I’m actually—

  “Stop thinking. Undress me. Take what belongs to you.”

  He’s right. I want this. Bad. And I need to take it.

  I shut my brain off and lock away any lingering doubt. My hands are on the move, working the buttons of his dress shirt, exposing his chest, inch by glorious inch. How can one person be so painstakingly beautiful? Everything about him is like marble—smooth to the touch and solid rock. Muscular and lean, just as I imagined. I grow braver with each touch, and slide his shirt down his arms, indulging in his strong biceps, exposing an intricate tattoo covering his entire right shoulder. I get lost in the diabolical design, my fingers grazing over the initials ML.

  “What does this stand for?” I ask, my curiosity getting the best of me.

  His hand reaches out, forcing my fingers away from his tribal marking. “Someone who holds a lot of power over me.” The stormy gaze in his eyes warns me against asking any more questions. I want to kick myself for being so nosy. I bite down on the inside of my cheek, pretending my nerves aren’t starting to fray. He’s this perfect man, dominant and confident. He’s gorgeous in a sense I don’t deserve, and I’m scared I won’t be enough for him and ruin it by opening my stupid mouth.

  His hand extends forward, taking hold of my neck. His thumb rests against my pulse as he tilts my head to face him. “I only worry you will be too much for me.” He leans forward, using his lips to calm my overworking mind. His kiss is soft and painstakingly slow. He breaks the barrier, and I weaken at the knees when our tongues collide. He dances with ease around me, his tongue greeting mine with pleasure. My fingers claw into his arms, needing to hold onto him for balance. “That’s it, love. Fight. Show me you’re not fragile anymore.”

  His challenge ignites this fierceness inside me. My nails claim his flesh, clasping harder, and I take his mouth deeper. I kiss him, taking control until it’s me who has to break apart in need of air. My hands shake as I undo his pants, exposing how aroused he is. Like a feline in heat, I lick my lips at the thought of him, long and thick, filling me to the brink. A white spark ignites from the torches behind us, and a blast of light flashes inside the room.

  He claims my neck once again. “I am not a gentle man. Heed that warning. I am the danger you seek and the retribution you deserve. Accept what’s to come, and I promise you this will be a night that will haunt you for a lifetime.”

  I angle my neck, allowing him to do his worst. I’m so aroused, if I didn’t walk out of this place tonight, I would be content.

  “Enough talking,” I reply, my voice dripping with purpose. I stare into the heat of his eyes, knowing he hears my thoughts loud and clear.

  I’m not scared of your threats. I relish in them. If I’m choosing my own path, I choose you.

  He throws me onto the bed, no gentle petting or foreplay, just primal desire as he tears at my clothes. My shirt is gone, then my jeans. He stalls to drink in the sight of me before he rips at my bra and thong, leaving me completely bare for him

  I should feel too expo
sed, shy that this stranger is seeing such an intimate part of me, but I’m done fighting to understand this dangerous pull between us. I’ve never felt so alive. My skin is on fire, a blast of heat between my thighs causing me to mark his sheets.

  He stands above me, soaking me in, his cock hungry and waiting. He knows he doesn’t need any more permission from me. If he’s in my head, he knows exactly what I want. My body hums with such an intensity and thankfully he doesn’t make me wait any longer. He spreads me wide and drives into me.

  The large bed rattles as a growl so unhuman echoes through the room. I’m not even sure if was him it came from. I quickly become crazed by the way he opens me up, filling me. He pulls back and takes more of me, powering in and out, as if his sole mission is to truly break me. I moan and whimper, cry at each thrust, this savage beast inside me demanding for more.

  No less affected, he’s far from gentle, and I welcome it, spreading my legs wider, offering all of me. My hands latch around him, breaking skin on his back.

  “Wound me, love. Show me hurt. Show me pain.” He drives back into me. My back arches off the mattress, and I throw my head back. This is too much. Not enough.

  “Fuck,” I moan, my nails digging deeper.

  “I want to ruin you. Scar you. Break you.” A deep moan expels from my lips as my sex clenches around him. His lips suck, his teeth scrape, his hands consume. No part of me is untouched, bruised, tortured as he grazes across my skin, leaving a permanent mark on every inch of my flesh.

  I finally break, every part of my being exploding into a million tiny pieces. I squeeze my eyes shut, the burst of light from the torches blinding me. I call out his name, a desperate plea as he releases a growl and detonates inside me.

  Everything goes black.

  6

  I blink, my head shooting up. Everything spins, the rapid effects of a hangover coming on. Shit. I squeeze my temples, looking forward, when my breath catches. I’m sitting at the table of the tarot reader. “Wait…how did I…?” My eyes bounce around the room. Where is… “Macareus?” I call out his name, but I’m met with silence. This isn’t possible. He was just here…we were…. I search my arms for proof—any sign this wasn’t a dream. My skin still tingles from him, but there are no marks. This can’t be happening again.