by Coralee June
And suddenly, I didn’t want to play the game anymore.
My hands moved up to her face, and I stopped her before her mouth could continue its tempting attentions. She huffed with annoyance at my interruption, but I forced her to look at me. “Tell the truth,” I demanded, my eyes locked on hers.
Her blue eyes turned to steel. “No.”
I sat us up so quickly that she would have fallen off if it weren’t for the grip I had on her. With her in my lap, I wrapped my arms around her middle to keep her pressed against me. “Yes. I’m done playing the game against you, princess. So make up your mind. Do you love me or do you hate me? Tell me right fucking now because I need to hear it.”
Her lips pulled up in a sneer, and I could see in her expression that she wanted to rage. She wanted to bury her pounding fists beneath my skin and bruise me from the inside out. She was angry. So fucking angry at the world. And she had every right to be.
I’d let her bruise me. I’d let her hate me, if that’s what she really wanted. But I was done with the lies and the games. I wanted her to cradle my twisted, darkened heart in her hands and never let go. I wanted her to be consumed with me as much as I was consumed by her.
“They aren’t unconnected,” she shot back, her hands coming down to start undoing the buttons of my shirt. “I hate you as much as I love you, and that’s the only way for us.”
I shoved her hands away so quickly that she gasped, and then I pinned her wrists against her back. I held her firmly, but tenderly, running my fingers across her wrist. Her eyes darkened, and her nipples pebbled beneath her dress. “Stop lying,” I told her.
“I can’t,” she said, her cheeks red with fury. “I already told you, I can’t!”
“Yes, you can,” I told her calmly, using my free hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. I loved the jagged ends of it. I loved every rough corner and sharp point on her.
“I can’t,” she said again, this time without the fire behind her words.
Dropping her hair, I brought my hand up to cradle the back of her head, and her breath caught in her chest at the gesture.
“Just give me this,” she said quietly, her eyes filling up. “I need it, Godfrey.”
Her face had lost all trace of its anger as I watched her, our breath mingling between us. Seconds passed. Eternity ticked by. I could see in her eyes the war that went on inside of her. The hate and the love. The fury and the elation. The fear and the courage. And even as I studied her every mini-expression, monitored her each blink, she didn’t shy away from me. She didn’t try to look away or hide or leave. It was like I finally cracked the code to Rachel Nomar, and I knew exactly what she needed. She felt safe with me, and that filled me with more pride than I could explain.
After another long moment, I nodded. “Okay, princess. Let’s fucking hate to love.”
Her lips spread into a smile. “And love to hate.”
And then our mouths met.
Her hands undid the buttons on my shirt while mine unzipped her dress. Our lips broke apart only to strip each other down. She shoved my shirt apart, and I helped her by yanking it the rest of the way off and tossing my shirt on the floor. I stood up to undo my pants, my eyes taking her in. I’d seen her before, but this was different. We were different. I felt the shift like a star exploding in the cosmos.
“You’re fucking gorgeous,” I said, letting my eyes trail up from the way her ankles were tucked under knees, to her lacy black thong, to her matching bra that was sexier from how fast she was breathing.
Her eyes were leisurely sweeping across my abs and biceps, down to my toned thighs. “You are too,” she said quietly, and then her cheeks instantly flushed with embarrassment at what she’d said.
But I didn’t want that. I didn’t want there to be shame between us, ever. “Thank you, princess,” I told her without a single trace of mockery. Her innocent words were sweet, and dammit if they didn’t make my chest constrict. I took a condom out from my pants pocket before tossing them to the floor.
With only my boxers on, I kneeled back on the bed, cupping my hand around her jaw and neck. I didn’t speak until her eyes met mine again. “You take this however far you want. You want to stop, and we stop. You have the power. Okay?”
She let out a shaky breath. “Okay. Just...I need to always see you.”
My lips tilted up at the corners. “Don’t you worry, princess. I’m gonna stay right like this, my eyes on yours, because I don’t want to miss a single fucking thing.”
Using my other hand, I slowly trailed a finger up her arm and neck, across her collarbone, and down between her breasts, making goosebumps erupt all over her. “I’m going to watch you when I flick my finger against your nipple, like this,” I said just as I did it, making her nipple harden through the fabric of her bra.
“And I’m going to watch you when I take them out and hold them in my hands.” With deft fingers, I unclasped the back, and her bra fell off. My hands were on her in an instant, letting the weight of her sexy as fuck breasts fill my palms as I kneaded them. Her eyes were hooded, and her mouth parted as she continued to breathe in short bursts.
“And I’m going to watch every second that I touch you here,” I said, bringing one hand down to cup her pussy. It was scorching hot, and when my thumb circled her clit, she moaned against me. I could feel that shit in my gut, and my hips moved involuntarily, grinding up into her.
“And when I slip my fingers into you to feel how wet you are, you can bet I’ll be fucking watching,” I said just as I pulled aside her scrappy lace and found her wet and waiting. I went slow, teasing her folds and playing with her clit, getting her wetter and wetter. My mouth descended on her nipples, and when I sucked one into my mouth and gently nibbled, she rocked against me in pleasure.
“Please, God, don’t stop.”
I chuckled. “You’d better be praying to me, princess.”
As soon as I sunk a finger inside of her, she came slowly, a rolling orgasm that seemed to start from her head to her toes. It passed through her like a sigh. Head tilted back, breasts shoved further into me, her eyes went dazed with pleasure—it was the most beautiful fucking thing I’d ever seen.
“You ready, princess?” I asked, sinking my teeth into her bottom lip lightly before kissing her.
“I’m ready.”
I reached down and freed my dick from my boxers, and then I waited. I watched. I was fully prepared to stop.
Rachel looked down between us, and my cock jumped at the attention. I watched her throat bob up and down. “You’re...big.”
“And you’re in charge,” I told her again.
Carefully, her small hand came down and wrapped around me, and I let out a groan. Her touch was soft at first—testing. It was all I could do to stop myself from thrusting, but I knew she needed to do this at her own pace and be in control. The way she watched herself stroking me was making me so hard, it was painful. But when she shifted away from me, I bit back my disappointment. She was going to stop. It was too much for her. I shouldn’t have—
“Fuck.”
She’d bent over and put her mouth over the head of my cock before I could blink, taking me totally by surprise. Her tongue did this little swirl that nearly made me buck off the bed. Just as her hands had, she licked over me slowly, like she was learning every curve and line of me. She didn’t suck—but it didn’t matter. Just having her hot, wet mouth on me was better than any mindless, meaningless sex I’d ever had before.
When her mouth came off of me, I leaned back on the bed, letting my back hit the mattress as she climbed on top of me. My thumb went to circling her swollen and needy nub, and she looked down at me from her seat of power, and I swear to hell, she looked like a fucking goddess. Swollen lips, heaving breasts, a flush on her pale skin in contrast with her dark tattoo. Her eyes weren’t scared or timid. She looked at me like she’s been wanting me for as long and as badly as I’d been wanting her.
I grabbed the condom and ripped it ope
n, rolling it over me. “Ride me, princess.”
With a nod, she rose up on her knees and lined up with my cock. Slowly, inch by fucking inch, she lowered herself on top of me, and my hands dug into her thighs like I was gripping life itself. I wasn’t about to fucking let it go.
When she was fully seated on top of me, I had to grind my teeth to keep from jutting my hips inside of her. She felt fucking amazing. Tight, wet, hot. But it was even more than that. It was just because it was her that made it so much more.
With her eyes centered on me, she started to move. Her spine swayed like an ocean’s wave as her hips curled in and out. “That’s right, princess. Just like that.”
My hand moved up to dig into her ass, while I switched off on her clit. With every second, she grew more confident, more sure of herself, and I loved watching her take control of her own pleasure as she rode me.
“Kiss me,” she demanded, and it was music to my fucking ears.
I dragged her down against my body and devoured her mouth. Her hands scraped down my chest as my hips thrust into her. When her moans grew louder, she wrenched away from my mouth and braced her palms against my pecs. She started bucking on top of me, making her tits bounce with every move.
“God, yes,” she said, repeating it over and over as her voice turned into whimper.
“Come with me, princess. Let me feel you.”
Like she was just waiting for me all along, her pussy constricted around me, making me explode right alongside her. I came so fucking hard that I was forced to close my eyes for a split second while she milked my cock and drained me of every ounce of ecstasy I was capable of feeling.
She came loudly, her lips crying out my name right before she collapsed against my chest. We were both out of breath, sweaty and sated, and it took me a couple minutes to even be able to form cohesive thoughts, let alone talk. I was still inside of her as I held her against me, my hand sweeping away her sweaty hair so I could kiss the top of her head. But when I felt a tear drip onto my chest, I froze.
“What’s wrong?” I asked with rising panic. “Are you okay? Did I hurt—”
She quickly looked up and slapped her hand over my mouth, cutting off my words. “No,” she said decisively, shaking her head. “No. It was...perfect.” Her hand was still over my mouth, but she could see the question in my eyes.
She smiled through the second teardrop that fell across her lips. “I just wish this was how it had been for my first time. I wish he wouldn’t have taken that from me.”
Her hand dropped away, and I reached up to hold her cheeks. “This right here? This is the one that counts. This is the one that matters.”
She smiled at me, and right there, I knew that I’d love to hate Rachel Nomar for as long as she’d let me.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Rachel
I woke up to the sound of my dad cocking his shotgun.
I was wrapped in a tangle of limbs with Godfrey’s raspy breath in my ear, a semblance of comfort ruined by the deathly noise. I knew right off the bat that Dad was here, could feel his disdain rolling over my skin even before my eyes opened. Shooting up in bed, I wiped away the sleep and then stared in horror as Dad put the sawed off barrel against Godfrey’s skull. “Get up, boy,” he growled while gnawing on the inside of his cheek, likely wishing he could cut Godfrey’s skin instead.
“Dad!” I yelled while gathering my blankets up to my chest, making sure my nakedness was covered.
Godfrey shot up in bed, his sexy hair ruffled and messy, and his wide eyes took in the gun my father had aimed at him. It took him by surprise, but in usual Godfrey Fucking Taylor fashion, he slipped into an easy expression the millisecond the shock wore off.
“Outside, now,” my dad ordered. He was pressing the gun so hard into Godfrey’s chest now that I was certain he would leave a bruise.
The confident Heir yawned while bunching up the comforter in his lap to hide his impressive morning wood, and it was taking everything I had not to stare. “Can I get dressed first?” he asked in a lazy drawl, and I knew then that the boy had a death wish. Rocco Nomar was notoriously overprotective, and walking in on his baby girl in bed with a boy was bound to have consequences of the killing kind.
“Dad, put the gun down,” I said while shifting out of bed and grabbing the first article of clothing I could find, which just so happened to be Godfrey’s shirt. I slipped it over my shoulders and it fell to my mid-thigh. Godfrey, however, didn’t have time to put on his black boxers. Dad was shoving him out of the room with a scowl the moment his feet touched the floor. He cupped his junk with his hands while walking down the stairs and heading outside. I followed after them in a hurry, trying to figure out how I could stop Dad from shooting him in the front yard. We passed by Dad’s guards as we went, who tried and failed to hide their smirks as they catcalled behind Godfrey’s back. He tossed them a cocky grin in reply.
“Dad, might I remind you that I saw you pounding Dr. Taffy just a couple weeks ago?” I asked in a shrill voice as I followed behind them. I couldn’t help but stare at God’s bare ass. While Dad was preoccupied with pushing open the screen door leading outside, Godfrey glanced at me from over his shoulder and winked. Yep. He definitely had a death wish.
Soon, we were all outside, the morning sun beating down on our heads, making Godfrey’s bare ass glare at us. It was a sight to be seen. I was clinging to Dad’s bare arm, tugging his aim away from my...boyfriend? Friend? Fuck buddy?
“Put the gun away, Dad. You’re being ridiculous,” I said while trying not to stare at Godfrey’s hot-as-sin body on our front yard. There were more guards outside, some of them chuckling from their spots. “I’m not a little kid anymore!” I yelled as he spun around in front and aimed the gun at Godfrey’s feet.
“You damn well are,” my dad snapped. “And you sure as hell won’t be doing any of that under my roof!” Spit gathered on the corner of his lip as his face turned red with anger. All the while, a naked Godfrey still looked cool as a cucumber. I made a mental note to talk to him about at least pretending to look scared when a gun was aimed at him.
“Understood, sir,” Godfrey began while using one hand to scratch the back of his neck. His other hand was barely covering his junk, and it took all the willpower I could muster to not stare and lick my lips like a hormone-crazed idiot. Now is not the time, Rachel Nomar! Godfrey spoke again, putting the last nail in his coffin. “Next time, I’ll bring her to my place.”
I looked up at the sky and begged the world to just swallow me up. I was mortified.
Dad didn’t waste a second longer. A loud boom erupted, and the ground at Godfrey’s feet exploded around us from the force of the shotgun’s bullet shooting at the dirt. Godfrey didn’t move a fucking inch. Didn’t flinch, didn’t scream or run away. My mouth dropped open in shock as he brushed some grass off his forearm and took a step closer.
“Do you know what Godfrey was sent here to do? The Macon Mob hired him to kill you, Rachel. You literally slept with a glorified hit man!” Dad was staring at me now, his accusing tone sweeping around me in waves. At the word slept, Dad’s face scrunched up in disgust.
“I know all about what Godfrey was supposed to do,” I replied with a sigh, but instead of calming his nerves, Dad simply grew angrier.
“You knew!”
I cringed, not sure how I could make this better. “Godfrey would never hurt me, Dad. That’s why he disappeared. He was trying to protect me!”
“I know damn well why he disappeared, Rachel,” he growled, and every little piece of the puzzle clicked into place. So that's why Dad flinched every time I mentioned Godfrey. That was why security increased tenfold once Godfrey ended things with me. He knew Godfrey wasn’t really a threat, but he still didn’t want him around. Too bad. It wasn’t his choice to make.
“You knew? And you didn’t tell me?” I yelled, and Dad at least had the decency to look guilty.
“I was trying to protect you,” he mumbled.
Godfre
y took another step closer. “Some job you’re doing,” he said loud enough for us all to hear. At that, Dad lifted his gun up again and readjusted his aim.
“You better keep your damn mouth shut before I blow a hole in your head.”
I watched their standoff and tried to piece everything together. “What does he mean, Dad?”
“I warned him, told him to get the hell out of Savannah and save you, but the fucker didn’t listen. He even let you sneak out to that damn poker ring and nearly get killed last night by Eddie. She should never have to be around that piece of shit again.”
“I did not allow her to waltz into that lions’ den,” Dad growled at Godfrey in defense before turning to me. “What is he saying, Rachel? Is Eddie the one…” he trailed off, and I let out a tense breath. I tried to fight back the residual tremble in my bones from hearing Pick’s true name. I’d been hiding in Godfrey’s comfort all night, but it was time to finally face the music. It was time to tell Dad everything.
“Yeah. It was him. He saw me and… Godfrey saved my life last night, Dad.” At my admission, I saw him swallow hard, the anger slowly deflating out of him.
Naturally, not one to be outdone, Godfrey interrupted our moment. “I love your daughter, Rocco. So if I have to dodge bullets in the fucking yard to earn your respect, that’s what I’ll do,” he said before taking another step closer to him. My breath caught at the blunt honesty pouring from Godfrey’s lips, and I noticed my own father’s bravado falter.
I swear, only Godfrey Fucking Taylor would declare love for someone whose father just fired at them with a shotgun while he was buck ass naked on the front lawn.
My dad cocked the shotgun again and lifted the barrel until it was pointing at his chest. “You wanna try that again, boy?”
“Nope,” Godfrey said, still not backing down. “I’m not a fucking boy, and I meant what I said. You can either accept it, or you can shoot the ground a few more times.”
My dad studied Godfrey as he chewed on the toothpick that was in his mouth. “I think I’d rather shoot again.”
