He kisses me softly. “I’m impressed, and maybe, you’re more ready for this world than I think.” He pulls me into his arms, and I reposition myself on his lap with my legs stretched out to the side. “Trent used to be one of my closest friends, but he was a bastard, and at the time he died, we were enemies. The bomb didn’t kill him. Jackson did.”
I startle, jumping on his lap as shock rams into me.
“It was self-defense,” Charlie explains, “and I have zero remorse for his death, because he tried to kill Abby.”
“But you took the bullet instead,” I say, working it all out in my mind.
“Yes.” He clasps my face in his warm palms. “And I hope you know I’d take a bullet for you too.”
A shudder works its way through me. “I hope you never have to.”
“So do I, but the world I inhabit is a dangerous world, and you need to understand what you are walking into if you decide to continue dating me.”
Now, it’s my turn to cup his face. “There is no decision to be made. It’s already done. I’m yours, Charlie. Whatever is coming, we will face it together because I’m all in, and there is nothing you can say that will make me change my mind.”
Chapter 15
Charlie
I WANT TO believe that so badly, but I’m terrified she’ll want nothing to do with me when she finds out the stuff I’ve done. I’m not giving her specifics, because some of it is too heinous to speak out loud, but I need to tell her enough so she understands the kind of man I am. “I hope you still feel like that after you find out what I’ve done.”
“Hey.” She pins me with those luscious eyes, emotion brimming behind them. “I know there’s a good guy behind that asshole front you like to wear.”
“I’ve done a lot of bad shit, Demi. Things I can’t take back.”
“Tell me about this training. Tell me what they forced you to do.”
I hold her more tightly, nuzzling into her neck and breathing her in as I prepare to tell her things I’ve told no one before. “Training was two-fold. Preparing us to take control of our family business and preparing us to be men of the elite. That involved a lot of physical tasks.” Acid crawls up my throat. “I lost my virginity at thirteen to an older woman who had been assigned as my sexual mentor at age twelve.”
Her jaw slackens. “What the what?”
“Sex has always been a purely physical act for me, and I’ve, ah, got certain tastes.”
“Like what?” Interest piques on her face.
“Bondage. Domination and other kinks.” I don’t want to scare her off by revealing the true extent of my depraved sexual fantasies—especially the ones involving her.
“You say that like it’ll send me running away screaming.”
“I doubt you’re used to the kind of sex I crave.”
She repositions herself on my lap until she’s straddling me. She tilts my chin up. “I’m not, but that doesn’t mean I’m closed off. I’m open to exploring my sexuality with you, and maybe, you could be open to exploring intimacy with me?”
God, she’s sweet but so misguided. “I don’t know how else to be.” I brush my fingers across her cheek. “I want to experience intimacy with you, but I’m not sure I know how.”
“We’ll figure it out together. None of that is a deal breaker, so what else do I need to know?”
“I’ve killed people, Demi. Never by choice and not always out of necessity. The elite live by their own set of rules, and there were times when we were instructed to kill for no reason but to prove they could control us and freely take lives.”
Shock splays across her face as she stares at me.
I go on, needing to purge this. “Some of the initiation rituals were violent and brutal, and it was a kill or be killed scenario. I made my first kill at fourteen, and I had nightmares for months after. Sometimes, when I close my eyes at night, I still see his face.” I squeeze my eyes shut for a moment. “The things I’ve done haunt me.”
“That proves you’re a good person.”
“I’ve just admitted I like to hurt women during sex, and I’ve killed people, and you think I’m a good person?!” I snap, more angry at myself than her.
She grabs my face firmly, staring deep into my eyes. “Don’t act dumb. You know what I’m saying and why I’m saying it. If you were a cold-blooded pervert killer, you’d feel no guilt, no remorse, and show no desire to change.” She runs her finger along my lower lip. “I’m not going to lie. I’m shocked and sickened, but I also understand you were a kid, and they forced you to do things no kid should ever have to do.” Tears pool in her eyes. “Don’t you see how strong you are to have survived that? And you still know what’s right from wrong. That speaks volumes, Charlie.”
“I’ve stood by and watched the elite abuse kidnapped kids. I’ve seen those poor innocents drugged to their eyeballs and then callously disposed of when they were no longer of any use. I’ve watched elite members pass their wives around like they’re candy. I’ve turned a blind eye when those women cried out in pain and shame. I’ve ignored the criminal activities driven by morally corrupt men with a single-minded thirst for power.”
“You were a kid, Charlie.” She grips my chin in her soft hands. “You probably had PTSD. And it’s not like you could’ve done anything to stop it. You were a kid, and they were powerful men with no moral compass. If you’d tried to help, they would have killed you.”
She’s grasping this more easily than I expected, and I don’t think I’ve given her enough credit even though she has proven her inner strength to me over and over. “I haven’t been a kid for a long time, Demi.” I swallow a knot in my throat.
“That saddens me,” she says. “I had no idea you existed in such a dark world. No idea those kinds of things were going on so close to home.”
“If you hadn’t met me, you still wouldn’t know.”
“Living in blissful ignorance is no way to live,” she says. “And I happen to be pretty fond of your grumpy ass, so I’ll take the trade-off.”
I take her wrists in my hands, rubbing my thumbs back and forth across her velvety-soft skin. “Why are you still here? Why aren’t you disgusted with me? Why aren’t you leaving?”
She rests her forehead against mine. “You told me before that you see me. Well, I see you too, Charlie, and I like what I see.” She eases back. “Unless you tell me you enjoy all the things you’ve done and seen, I’m going nowhere.”
“I’m sickened by everything I’ve done and seen, and I want to put an end to it all. Not just for me but for my friends and future generations. The elite has got to be stopped once and for all.”
“That’s what the discussion was about at the table.”
I nod. “We hoped we’d put an end to it before, but we should’ve known the elite would not go quietly. Now, they are more determined than ever. But so are we.” Resolve flows through me. “We won’t stop until their reign is ended.”
_______________
The next few weeks pass by in a blur of activity. Work is busy because I’m project-managing the new regulatory system implementation and spearheading a new workplace culture initiative. Unfortunately, it means working closely with Corrinna Smith, our chief human relations officer. Her constant flirting is a major pain in my ass, so I purposely out my relationship with Demi at the same time I announce we are terminating the no-fraternization policy.
Corrinna didn’t take kindly to it, and now, I’m persona non grata.
Win-win for me.
Demi and I have been dating up a storm, and the more I’m with her, the more I fall deeper in love. I still haven’t told her yet, or taken her to my bed, because I’m trying to rein things in. We’ve been making out like demons, and we’ve gone down on each other, a lot, but it hasn’t progressed any further, because I haven’t let it.
But I’m all out of patience, and I think Demi is too, so tonight is the night.
I light the candles resting atop the table in the kitchen just as the do
orbell chimes. Butterflies swoop into my stomach as I race to the front door, eager to hold my girl in my arms.
“Hey, babe.” I reel her in flush to my body, and her bag drops to the ground, as I dip her down low and plant a slow, passionate kiss on her lips.
“Wow. That’s some greeting,” she teases when we finally come up for air.
“I missed you.” I scoop up her bag and deposit it in the hall. Closing the door, I take her hand, leading her toward the kitchen.
“You saw me at work today,” she says, beaming at me.
“That was hours ago.” I grip her hips, pushing her into the wall as we step into the kitchen. “And every second we’re apart, my heart hurts.” I press an openmouthed kiss to the underside of her jaw, delighting when she shivers.
“That was very romantic,” she pants, thrusting her chest into mine.
“I need to up the romance stakes before I unleash the beast on you later.”
Her entire body shudders underneath me, and I freeze. “If you’re not ready, we—”
She slams her mouth down on mine, biting on my lower lip, and blood rushes straight to my cock. “I’m ready, Charlie. I’m more than ready. I haven’t been laid since Christmas night, and I have the lady equivalent of blue balls.”
I grin, sucking on her lower lip. “I’m so horny for you, babe, and I can’t wait to bury myself balls deep inside you.”
Her lust-drenched eyes meet mine. “So, what are we waiting for? Take me to your bedroom.”
“What about dinner?”
“We can reheat it.”
I need no further encouragement, dashing to the stove and turning the heat off in the oven, praying the lasagna is salvageable later. I throw a paper towel over the salad and garlic bread before jogging to her side and yanking her up into my arms. “Wrap your legs around me, babe, and hold on tight.” She does as she’s told, and I sprint through the house and up the stairs, peppering kisses on her face and her neck, while she giggles and writhes against me.
By the time we reach my bedroom, I’m sweaty and my cock is about to spontaneously combust. I drop her on my bed and drag a chair across the carpeted floor, positioning it in front of my bed. “Strip for me.”
She bites on the corner of her lip, and her cheeks flush, but she doesn’t protest, kneeling up on the bed as she slowly removes her clothing until she’s only in her bra and panties.
“Come here,” I demand, and she crawls into my lap.
I tug the cups of her bra down, rolling her neat pink nipples between my thumbs and forefingers. “Have you ever worn a nipple clamp?” I ask, already guessing the answer.
She shakes her head. “No, but I’m willing to try.”
I pinch her nipples, and a guttural moan leaves her lips. “We can work up to it.” I press wet kisses along her collarbone as I continue to tease her nipples.
“Okay,” she readily agrees, her eyes flush with eagerness.
I unclasp her bra and fling it aside, kneading her firm breasts with both hands, before I dive in, laving, sucking, and nipping at her tits and her nipples until she’s squirming on my lap and there’s a damp patch on her pretty lace panties. “How would you feel about wearing a blindfold and being tied to my bed?” I ask, licking a path up through the valley of her tits.
“I’m up for that,” she rasps in a breathy tone, and my cock strains against my zipper, desperate to get inside her already. I plant my mouth on hers and kiss her deeply. When my tongue slides into her mouth, I groan at the sensations flooding my body and the feel of her tongue wrangling with mine. We devour one another as she moans and wriggles on top of me, and I can’t prolong this any longer.
Not unless I want to come in my pants for the first time in years.
“Sit on the bed with your back against the headboard.”
She does as I command while I open the top drawer of my bedside table. I rummage through the myriad of sex toys, finding a black silk blindfold and matching silk ties.
I undress quickly, loving how her eyes trace over every inch of my skin and how her tongue darts out, wetting her lips, as her gaze lingers on my erect cock. I’m hard as steel and likely to inflict damage unless I exercise self-control and force myself to take it easy.
I don’t want to hurt her.
Not ever.
And I need to restrain my natural urges so I don’t push her too far too fast. To date, she is enthusiastic and willing, and I’m hoping, in time, she’ll come to share my sexual desires. I crawl up the bed until I’m between her legs. “You trust me?”
“Completely.”
I lean down and kiss her. “I love kissing you,” I admit over her lips. “I could do it nonstop for all time.”
“I never thought I could feel so much from just a kiss,” she admits. “But I feel your kisses in every part of me. You make my body tingle all over, and I’m addicted to the feeling.”
“I’m addicted to you.” I ravish her mouth, grinding my pelvis against hers as I hold her arms up over her head. “God, Demi. You make me crazy with desire.”
With gentle slow movements, I tie her wrists to my bed, ensuring they are not too tight. Then, I slide the blindfold down over her head, positioning it carefully over her eyes. “Do they feel okay?”
“Perfect,” she says in a sultry, breathy tone of voice. “I’m so turned on, Charlie.”
“I’d like to prove that for myself,” I tell her, grabbing the edge of her panties with my teeth and pulling it down her body with the help of my hands.
I kneel in front of her, taking in every gorgeous, precious inch of her. The beast roars silently, urging me to take everything, but I draw a deep breath, quelling my baser desires as I nudge her legs wide and part the folds of her bare pussy with my thumbs. “You are exquisite, Demi.” I blow over her sensitive flesh, and she squirms on the bed. “Don’t move.” My fingers creep slowly up and down her thighs, brushing over her mound, but never quite touching her, until I can’t bear to torture both of us any longer, and I lick a line along her slit with my tongue.
She cries out, and the sound is like music to my ears. I destroy her pussy and her clit with my tongue, my lips, and my fingers, and I’ve never tasted anything so tempting or so deliciously sweet. She orgasms fast, and I love how responsive she is. I milk every last drop of her arousal while she’s panting and arching her back. “Charlie, please. I need you.”
I slide my finger into her damp heat and then withdraw it, placing the tip against her ass. I nudge my finger in ever so slightly, and she gasps. “Has anyone ever fucked you here?” I ask.
“No.” Her voice trembles.
“Your ass is mine.” I’m aware how possessive my tone is. “Not tonight, but soon.”
“Okay.” She sounds less sure, and I park that topic to discuss another time.
“Do I need a condom?” I ask.
“I have the implant,” she says, adding, “And I’m clean.”
I press the length of my body down on top of her, kissing her quickly. “I am too, and I’ve only ever had sex one time without a condom.”
Most of the elite men give zero fucks about contraception. The women—and men—they fuck are always tested for STDs, so they don’t care. Unwanted pregnancies are the norm and swiftly dealt with. It disgusts me, and wearing condoms is my one big fuck you to the rules. The only exception is the night I lost my virginity. That was in front of an audience, and I couldn’t refuse. But it was the last time I fucked a woman bare.
“I want to feel you on my naked flesh, Demi. I’ve never wanted to ride bareback with any other woman, but I badly want to with you.”
“I’m okay with that. Just get in me already,” she demands.
I bark out a laugh, lining my cock up at her entrance and slamming inside her in one fast move. She screams at the unexpectedness as I bend her legs back, pressing her knees into her chest. I fuck her relentlessly, pounding in and out of her like it’s a competition and I need to go faster. Her tight walls hug my cock, and it’s the m
ost incredible feeling. I feel every inch of her heat as I thrust in and out of her, and every nerve ending on my body is on fire.
I worship her body with my hands, my lips, and my cock, and I’m drowning in everything Demi. I rip the blindfold from her face, needing to look at her as I slide in and out of her body. Her gaze locks on mine, and there’s no disguising the want and the pleasure gleaming in her brown eyes. I can’t stop kissing her gorgeous mouth, and she’s kissing me back with the same hunger, and I will never get enough.
Sex has never felt this good, and I know I’m never going to stop wanting her.
A familiar tingle zips up my spine, and my balls tighten to the point of pain. “Fuck. I need you to come, baby.”
“I’m close,” she pants as I pivot my hips in deeper.
She groans, rocking her hips up, and I move my fingers down her beautiful body. I pinch her clit hard just as my orgasm hits, and she explodes the same time I do.
I remove the binds from her wrists and pull her into my body, cradling her against me. She curls around me without hesitation, and we wrap our arms around one another, clinging to sweat-slickened skin as we continue to kiss and our hands continue to explore.
I love you.
The words float on my tongue, but I’m too afraid to say it.
Scared she doesn’t feel the same.
I know once I go there, there is no going back, and the fear of rejection has me stuffing the words back inside.
“That was amazing, Charlie.” She dusts a line of soft kisses along my chest while peering up at me, and I grin at her sex-flushed face and her tangled hair.
“You look thoroughly fucked,” I tease, kissing the tip of her nose.
Her eyes glint devilishly as she twists my nipple, and a dart of pleasure-pain ricochets through my body. My cock jerks to life, hardening almost instantly where it nudges against her stomach. She looks at me through hooded eyes, and her lips kick up at the corners. “See, that’s where you’re wrong.” She slides her hand down the gap between our bodies, palming my dick. “I’m nowhere near thoroughly fucked, so quit slacking and get on with the job.”
Bully Me: Class of 2020 Page 14
