King's Harlots 1-3

by J. M. Walker

  Grabbing a cloth, he shoved it under the water, and before I knew what was happening, he was on his knees in front of me. “Clean.”

  What the hell is going on?

  “Evil. So stupid,” he continued mumbling to himself, rubbing the cloth over my skin. “Clean.”

  “I’m clean. Don’t worry. I am,” I insisted, kneeling in front of him.

  “No,” he snapped, attempting to force his hand between my legs. “Blood. Not clean.”

  “What are you talking about?” I followed his gaze, my eyes widening at the streak of red leaving my body and flowing down the drain. Oh, God. That was why. Shit. “Asher, I’m fine,” I insisted, grabbing his hand from between my legs.

  “No,” he shouted, wiping the cloth over my aching core. “I hurt you. I made you fucking bleed.” Although his words held an edge, his touch was gentle. So gentle it brought tears to my eyes.

  My throat burned. “I’m fine, baby. I am. I promise you.”

  “I hurt you.” His eyes shone. “I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

  I didn’t care that I had bled; I was more worried about the man breaking and losing himself before me. Throwing my body into his arms, I reached behind him and turned off the water.

  He kept mumbling about cleaning and hurting me all the while holding me tight against him.

  Never in my life had I thought his control over me would become a trigger for his past. The blood set him off but I wasn’t upset with him. It happened. Asher needed me, but I didn’t know how to make him see that I was fine.

  Lifting me in his arms, he grabbed a large towel from the linen closet.

  “Put me down. I’m fine to walk by myself.” Although I was sore, it was the best feeling I ever experienced.

  “Not gonna happen,” he bit out, wrapping the terry cloth around me and carrying me to his bed.

  “Asher,” I squirmed in his arms. “I’m fine. Put me down.”

  But he ignored me and sat me on the edge of his bed. Brushing the soft material over my skin, Asher’s brow furrowed in the middle. His big body, still completely naked, held no hint of the intense delicious sex we just shared. His cock was flaccid. I was tempted to touch him to see how he would react. When he knelt in front of me, taking my foot in his hands, I just sat there. Watching. I was confused as to what was going on and why things suddenly changed but after dealing with him for years, I knew to be patient. But it was different.

  “I never meant to hurt you,” he finally confessed, breaking some of the tension that had built up inside of me.

  “You didn’t. Yes, it was intense because you’re—”

  “I’m what?”

  “Huge.” My cheeks burned.

  A hint of lust flashed in his eyes. “I should have waited. I should—”

  “No.” I took his hands and slid from the bed, straddling his lap. “I told you to fuck me. I wanted everything you had to give me. Nothing more. Nothing less. I wanted you.” I jabbed a finger into his chest. “You gave me you, Asher.”

  “But I made you bleed,” he cried, slamming his fist against the ground.

  “And no matter how many times we have sex, you could still make me bleed, Asher,” I told him. “I’m not fragile. I may be small, but I won’t break. You have to see that. I loved everything that we did. Everything we shared because I knew it was meant to be.”

  He sighed, leaning his forehead against mine.

  “Why does it bother you so much?” There was an underlining reason as to why he freaked out.

  “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” He rose to his full height, pulling me up with him. “We have another long day tomorrow.”

  I shook my head, shocked that he could go from upset to withdrawn in a matter of seconds. “We need to talk about this.”

  “I said, I don’t want to talk about it.” He raised an eyebrow, daring me to argue with him. His words lacked any emotion, any hint of the pain I had seen in his eyes just minutes before.

  In a huff, I walked around the side of the bed and threw back the covers. He did the same but kept his gaze on me the whole time.

  “Get in the bed, Meeka,” he demanded, waiting.

  Crossing my arms under my chest, I braced myself. I enjoyed challenging him.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Do I need to repeat myself?”

  I swallowed hard at the underlining threat in his voice.

  “I will tell you, if I repeat myself, my dear Hummingbird, I will spank that beautiful ass until you soak my hand with your delicious cum. And after that, I won’t stop.”

  Oh, gosh. A shiver rippled over my body. “I just want to make sure that you’re okay,” I said, sliding under the covers.

  He joined me, wrapping his arm around my waist. “I know I need to talk about it. I get that. But right now, I want to enjoy this. I’m tired, Meeka. Help me sleep.”

  “Okay.” I reigned soft kisses on his face. “Just promise me that we’ll talk.”

  “I promise, baby.”

  ***

  (Asher)

  Never in my life had I experienced what I just went through. The sight of the red crimson blood set me off. It was a trigger that I never knew would happen. It upset me to the point I blacked out, mumbling words that weren’t coherent.

  Meeka’s wide eyes stuck with me. It would be engrained in my skull for the rest of my days. I didn’t want to worry her. It was something I had dealt with for years, pushing feelings to the side like they weren’t important. Triggers? Please. I was Asher-fucking-Donovan. I didn’t have triggers. The Navy psychiatrist tried diagnosing me with PTSD and a whole bunch of other shit. Apparently, I had abandonment issues and social anxiety. It wasn’t true. I just hated people. My brothers and Meeka were the only ones who could get into my heart, but even I knew it had never been completely. Until her.

  With Meeka’s sleeping form lying beside me, she breathed slow and deep. Content sighs left her lips every so often. She pushed her bare ass into my semi-hard erection that wouldn’t go down since the first kiss we shared.

  I pulled her closer. I knew I should be sleeping. I knew I should give into the dark slumber of rest, but I much preferred to stare at the gorgeous woman beside me.

  “Sleep, Asher,” Meeka whispered, snuggling into my arms.

  “I prefer to watch you.” I kissed her forehead, inhaling the sweet scent of her skin.

  “Okay.” Her eyes fluttered closed.

  I smiled, placing a soft peck on her mouth.

  She told me I was good enough for her. Although the words had left her mouth, I didn’t believe them. I couldn’t get over the fact that I would ruin her. I would destroy her soul and make her constantly worry over me. I didn’t want that. She deserved better. A good man. As much as it pained me to say, I would give up everything to see that she was happy. My chest constricted. Just the thought of her being with someone else made me want to fuck her into submission and prove that she was mine.

  The possessive need to control her every move was new for me.

  I pulled Meeka into my arms, brushing my hand up and down her back. After all of the shit with Charles was done, I would end things with her. She didn’t want to be with a broken man. How could she? She didn’t deserve to be with someone who was so damn needy. It wasn’t fair to her.

  My throat burned. Fuck me. The pain threatened to swallow me whole. It hurt worse than getting fucking shot. How could I make her see that she deserved better? A thought came to me. Shit. It would work. As much as it would kill me, I had to do it. For Meeka. My best friend. The woman I loved.

  SIXTEEN

  Meeka

  I WOKE THE next morning wondering if things would be weird between us. You would think if it was going to be awkward, it would have happened already.

  Asher wasn’t beside me, but I heard him moving around on the main level. What we shared the night before changed things between us. It opened up a new possibility. Would this end after the mission was over? I knew Asher cared for me in the wa
y he touched me. The way he handled my body, forcing me to succumb to the greatest pleasure I had ever experienced. But his fear that he wasn’t good enough for me threatened to take over and consume his feelings.

  Running my hand over the empty spot beside me, all I could smell was him. His spicy cologne was intoxicating. Mixed with the heady perfume of sex, it was downright drugging.

  As much as he didn’t want to, we needed to talk. And I needed to know why he freaked out. Blood wasn’t the only reason, and I had to find out more. It was the only way I would understand.

  Rising from the bed, I pulled his shirt over my head. It reached my knees, but the soft cotton comforted me as if the owner were wrapped around me instead.

  With a moment of trepidation settling deep in the pits of my stomach, I trudged down the stairs. Not sure what I would find, I was happy when I saw Asher sitting on the couch.

  He had his cell to his ear, talking quietly to whoever was on the other line. His back stiffened, his eyes looking up to meet my gaze. They roamed down my body, heating with fire.

  My throat went dry at the look of pure lust staring back at me.

  He crooked a finger, indicating for me to go to him.

  My feet moved although I had felt like I was stuck to the ground in a puddle of wanton need. God this man and what he did to me.

  He smirked when I complied, grabbing the hem of my shirt. “You have nothing to worry about, my brother. Yes. I know.” He lifted the fabric, his nostrils flaring when he noticed that I wasn’t wearing anything underneath. “Listen, man, I have to go; I’m about to eat my breakfast.”

  ***

  (Asher)

  Screams filled my ears. They were so loud they pierced into my soul. And that made me even harder. My cock threatened to explode, but I couldn’t let up on the treat riding my face. Sweet juices flowed past my lips, over my tongue, and down my throat. All I could smell was the heady scent, and fuck if it wasn’t divine.

  Meeka’s cries of pleasure were music to my ears and no matter how much she begged, I wouldn’t let up. I was a man of my word when I told Angel that I was about to eat my breakfast. His deep chuckle proved he knew what I was referring to. I didn’t care. I was a man and I loved eating pussy.

  As much as I knew we had to talk, seeing Meeka wearing my t-shirt threw me off. It had set my blood on fire.

  Mine.

  It was the only word I could think of when I threw her down on the couch, practically ripping the offensive material off of her. Control. It wasn’t warranted where she was concerned. All thoughts left me and for the third time, I had her screaming out my name.

  Releasing her with a wet smack, I kissed her inner thigh before sinking my teeth into the flesh.

  She cried out, a surge of wetness coating my fingers.

  Hmmm, my Hummingbird likes it dirty. In a quick move, I had her under me and her legs wrapped around my waist. Her eyelids fluttered closed, a soft sigh of bliss leaving her beautiful mouth. Which reminded me, I needed to fuck it and soon.

  “No falling asleep, baby. I’ve only had my coffee. Now I need my fucking eggs and bacon.” I kissed the side of her neck, rubbing the juices from her body over her soft skin.

  Meeka laughed, wrapping her arms around my neck. Her burning gaze seared straight into my heart. Her mouth brushed along the shell of my ear, causing a shiver to race down my back.

  “Then feast on me and take all the sustenance you need, baby.”

  And I did. Twice.

  ***

  (Meeka)

  He moved from side to side, hopping from one foot to the other. It was a dance but also a battle. It was man versus weight. His fists swung. His legs kicked. He grunted. He swore. And he was all mine. For now, anyway.

  Asher moved with a fluid grace, working out the muscles in his hard body until he was covered in a sheen of sweat. I could watch him for hours. It had been that way for years. I loved watching him train.

  We were leaving to see Charles in an hour and heading to the clubhouse after. For whatever reason, Asher was finally letting me out of his house. Not that I had put up much of a fight. Maybe I had wanted things to change between us from the very beginning.

  Every so often, he would look my way, his face grim and determined. The only hint of emotion was the twinkle of mischief in his gaze. I knew that look. It was the one where he told me to get ready and run.

  “Don’t poke the bear, sweet girl. I bite.”

  And did he ever.

  Bruises marked my inner thighs where he had devoured me until I begged him to stop, telling him I couldn’t handle anymore. But I knew he only let me have a break because he wanted to think I had some sort of control. I didn’t. And I was fine with that.

  There was still the issue of him believing that he wasn’t good enough for me but with Charles being in the way, we had to depend on each other first. Taking the stresses of our jobs out on each other seemed only fitting.

  My phone buzzed, vibrating in my back pocket. My heart jumped when I saw Jay’s name flash across the small screen. “Hello?”

  “Hey,” Jay greeted.

  “Is something wrong?” I had no idea why she would be calling, especially me.

  “No. I will be honest, though; Angel is the one who convinced me to call you.” She cleared her throat. “I’m trying here, Meeka, but with you not around, it makes it hard.”

  “I know.” I sighed. “We’re stopping by tonight,” I continued when she didn’t say anything. “I miss you. All of you. This shit sucks.”

  She laughed. She actually laughed.

  Relief flooded through my veins at the mere sound. I slid down the wall until I hit the floor, curling my knees against my chest. “I’m happy Angel convinced you to call me.”

  “Yeah, well, that man of mine is too fucking smart for his own good sometimes.” She cleared her throat again. It was her signature move whenever she became nervous. “Max wanted to have a party tonight, but I told her to just have the guys and us there.”

  “I agree. I need to see my sisters.”

  “How are things there?”

  I laughed. “I have a dark brooding man who won’t leave me alone, and it’s confusing as hell.”

  “Sounds like you got a problem,” she teased.

  “A delicious one,” I whispered, leaning my head back against the wall.

  “Listen, whatever you do, whatever is going on between the both of you, don’t be stupid like I was and push him away.”

  “Why, Jay, are you giving me advice?” I teased back, the light-hearted humor a nice change for us.

  “Yeah, I guess I am.”

  “Baby, who are you talking to?” came a deep voice in the background.

  “Meeka,” she replied.

  “God, woman, it’s about damn time,” Angel grumbled.

  My heart swelled that he had been rooting for me. Jay and I had a lot of shit to work through but the easy conversation set us on the right path to being friends again. “I’ll let you go, Jay. Thank you again for calling me.”

  “See you tonight.” And with that, she hung up.

  “Who was that?” Asher asked, standing over me.

  “Jay.” I held my phone in my hand, staring at the screen. Did we really just have this conversation? Was it a dream? Was I so desperate for Jay’s respect, that I imagined the whole thing?

  “And?” Asher frowned.

  “It was good. Angel convinced her to call me. It was nice. Really nice.”

  He pulled me to my feet, placing a chaste kiss on my lips. “Good. I’m glad.”

  I sighed, wrapping my arms around his hard waist. The scent of sweat and sex filled my nostrils, making my core clench.

  “When do we leave?” I asked, clearing my throat and stepping out of his embrace.

  “Half an hour, but first, I’m going to fuck my woman.”

  And he did. But the only thing I could focus on was the fact that he said I was his.

  ***

  (Asher)

 
; Everything in me said to tell Meeka that we needed to end things before we both fell deeper into this confusing-as-shit mess. But my body acted before my brain did. The soft curves of her body made every inch of me want to fall deep inside her and never leave. She was my comfort when my anxiety threatened to ruin me and bring me to my knees.

  Charles had one of his men pick us up a half an hour after I made use of Meeka’s body to please my own. God, I was such a dick. I was using her, but I couldn’t stop myself. I tried, fuck me, I tried, but she kept me calm when I wanted to combust. It was about to happen. It would. Eventually. It was like an elastic band being pulled tight until it snapped. I just prayed Meeka wouldn’t be on the receiving end.

  “Are you okay?” Meeka’s soft voice pulled me from my thoughts.

  “It is what it is,” I answered, kissing her forehead.

  “You know the boss would shit if his whore spoke out of line.” The driver frowned.

  “She is not a whore, and I don’t fucking care what your boss says or thinks,” I threw back at him. “My pet is just that, mine. As long as she listens to me, I could give a fuck about anything else.”

  The driver chuckled. “I think that’s the most words I’ve ever heard you say.”

  Shit. I was losing my ever-loving mind. I sure as fuck couldn’t break role, especially where Meeka was concerned. It would be the end of everything if Charles or one of his men found out we were working undercover.

  I harrumphed and pulled Meeka closer to my side.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, chewing her bottom lip.

  My gut twisted, a sharp pain piercing me straight in the heart. What the hell had I brought her into? Was I that fucking selfish that I thought of only myself?

  I was sick of this shit. I needed the mission to be done and over with for fear of blowing it for everyone. My feelings were never worn on my sleeve, but it wouldn’t take a smart person to know that I felt something for the tiny thing sitting beside me.

  The rest of the drive to Charles’ place was quiet. It took everything in me not to tell Meeka how I felt. Even though I had convinced myself that I wasn’t good enough for her, the constant war raging inside of me was enough to drive a sane person mad.