“Have you ever loved someone so much that you placed their happiness above your own?” she asked in a voice thick with emotion.
I swallowed hard. The truth was that I’d never felt that until Rosy herself had come into my life. But now that I’d experienced it once, I knew I couldn’t live without it. I couldn’t live without her – I needed her, like a drug.
“Yes,” I said slowly. “I have.”
Rosy clenched her fists.
“I spent my entire life trying to make my dad happy. He never really liked me though. I was a liability to him.”
“Yeah, but you’re his kid still.”
Rosy shook her head and turned around.
“No, I’m just his biological daughter. He sees me as a problem. When my stepmother left, he blamed me. He blamed me for so much, yet I still did everything I could to make him happy. And you see how that worked out for me,” she added with a touch of sarcasm.
“He didn’t deserve you,’” I said savagely.
Rosy bit her lip. “I don’t know about that,” she said in a soft voice. “I think I could have tried harder, to be a better daughter. But either way, no matter what, I bet he’d still have wound up selling me to the first man willing to pay.”
Rosy walked closer to me, her arms wound tightly around her middle as if it hurt.
“Are you going to let your past determine your future with me? Because if so, then you really don’t care about me. If so, you’re just as selfish as my father,” she said slowly.
Her words were painful as they sliced through me. I took a deep breath as I thought over what I’d have to do in order to convince Rosy that I would do anything to make it work with her.
“No. I’m not going to let my past dictate my future. But I know that I’m not willing to hurt you. I can’t do that.”
Rosy’s fingers squeezed mine. “Good,” she said. “We’re getting closer then.”
I pulled the woman to me, until her frantic heartbeat was thudding against my neck. I wanted her to be proud of me and trust me. I wanted her to know that as long as she was in my arms, she’d always be safe. My history with women haunted me like a disease, but I was looking forward to discarding it for good. I was ready to be cleansed of my sins.
I had suffered my sentence indefinitely. I’d put myself through pain and torture for years, and I knew it would take more time before I was able to finally forgive myself.
Rosy was my primary focus, and I had to be sure I did everything to protect her.
We fell into silence and I kissed the top of Rosy’s head, wondering what she was thinking.
“How many women did you hurt?” Rosy asked suddenly. I cleared my throat and drained the rest of my water, swallowing tightly.
“Rosy, this doesn’t matter anymore,” I said. “Those women are my past. You’re my future. You said so yourself.”
But my girl is stubborn. “I want to know,” Rosy insisted. She pursed her lips. “And I know it’s going to hurt,” she added quickly. “I hate thinking about you with other women. But I love you, and if we’re going to make this work, we need to be honest with each other from here on out.”
“It doesn’t concern you,” I said flatly.
“Steele, if we’re going to be together, everything concerns me.”
“I really never kept track Rosy,” I lied. In truth, there had been dozens and dozens of women. But Rosy didn’t need to know that. She was mine, my girl forever, and I had to protect her from the horrors of the world.
“You’re lying,” Rosy stated, her voice wooden.
I shrugged. “They weren’t important to me. Not like you.”
“Do you ever think about them?” she asked. I shrugged, anxious to get off of the subject.
“Only briefly.”
“You see how uncomfortable you are speaking about it? That’s how uncomfortable you should be when you think about cheating.” Her words were edged with anger and her brown eyes were intense and dark as she took my water glass into the kitchen and left me alone.
My heart was still beating like crazy. Rosy washed dishes in silence for a good ten minutes before coming back into the living room. She stood in front of me, her brown eyes boring into my own.
“You have given me so much to be thankful for, so I’d be stupid to not want something with you, Steele. But I want you to want to be better. That’s the only way I can stay with you.”
“Rosy, that’s all I want too. Please teach me how to be better. I want to trust myself. I need to trust myself.”
Rosy walked over to me and sat in my lap, resting her head on my chest. I leaned back on the couch and cradled her gently. It felt so damn good to have her back in my arms again. Her hair smelled like fresh jasmine. My favorite. Her skin as soft as silk, and her body was soft and luscious pressed against mine. I smoothed her curls down with my hand, and leaned close, bringing her in for a light kiss. As soon as our lips touched, I felt awakened. She was pulling me in, but this time I was staying. I held her tighter than before, kissing down her neck, savoring the sensation of her. I needed her. And this time, I gave her the answer.
“I’ve hurt so many women, that I’m ashamed to admit how many,” came my low voice in her ear.
She paused. “How many?” she breathed, trembling on the brink of my secret.
And this time, I let go, hurtling over the edge. “Probably at least fifty,” I spoke softly. “It’s too many. I’m ashamed, and I won’t ever do that to you.”
But instead of berating me, or scolding me, or jumping away as if she’d been scalded, Rosy merely pulled my face to hers, gazing at me with those caramel eyes.
“See, it wasn’t so bad, was it, Steele?” she asked. “I know that wasn’t easy for you, but none of this is going to be easy. Because what’s worth having never comes easy. All those realizations about my dad? I had to work hard at it, with your help. And all these realizations about your past? You had to work hard at it, with my help. But now that it’s out, it’s lost its power over us. We can move on, whole and unscathed.”
And I almost cried then. I’ll admit it. This teen girl was so wise that my heart cracked open fully then and there, hers and hers only.
“I love you, sweet girl,” I rasped against her lips. “Never leave me again.”
And this time, she smiled at me, light shining in her eyes.
“Mr. Steele, don’t you ever leave me again,” she admonished sweetly before pressing her lips to mine in a kiss. And as our mouths fused, the sun broke through the clouds with a bright ray, lighting our hearts. Because we’d overcome the unthinkable. A sweet girl had been sold by her scumbag of a father for a month of physical pleasure with a ruthless billionaire. And yet, that billionaire lost his heart along the way, placing it into the hands of the princess. And now, with our past behind us, we could finally move on. Because with Rosy, I was whole … and I was never letting her go again.
Epilogue
Rosy
Two years later …
Light streamed into the bathroom, reflecting on the glass and marble. The steam from the shower filled the space with a hazy mist that was scented with jasmine and honey.
These lazy Saturday mornings were my favorite because they were full of laughter, love, and happiness.
I had woken up early, as usual, and decided to take a hot shower before making breakfast. I had been craving chocolate waffles with maple sausage all night, even in my sleep. My back was aching and my ankles were slightly swollen, but I ignored the pain because I was full of joy.
Two years had passed since Steele and I had committed to each other, and I was growing happier and bigger every day.
I turned the shower on and waited for the stream to fill the entire bathroom, delighted that I had been able to slip out of bed without waking my husband.
A smile stretched across my face as I stepped into the shower, letting the warm water soak my body. As always, I couldn't help but admire the gorgeous pearl-colored walls of the shower. The ceiling had
shimmering crystals scattered over a mural of the ocean. This was Steele’s personal touch. He said he had always wanted to live in the ocean, so he decided to paint it.
Because I encouraged him to start painting a year ago, and he flourished like a natural. He even opened an art gallery filled with his paintings. There were oceans, parks, mountains, and my favorite: a painting of me sleeping in his arms.
The Grand hosted an exhibition of his work two months ago, and aside from our wedding day, it was one of the only times I’d seen Steele show so much glee and happiness. He was elated with the way things were going with both his business and his art flourishing.
I was flourishing, too.
I rubbed soap all over my body, cradling my belly. I was in my eighth month of pregnancy, and we knew that the baby would be a girl. Both Steele and I were ecstatic at the thought of becoming parents. He wanted our daughter to look just like me, with brown curls and brown eyes, although I secretly hoped for his blue eyes. I was about to grab the shampoo when I felt Steele’s warm, strong arms clasp me from behind.
“A shower without me?” he growled in my ear.
I giggled and turned to face him, kissing him softly on the lips. He grinned and tucked my wet hair behind my ears.
Steele pressed his body against mine, admiring my dripping wet breasts and cunt. I could feel his cock getting hard as he ran his hands up and down my chest. The sensation of his hands on my skin had me trembling and gasping and I spread my legs, eager for him to take me.
He pushed me back against the wall and slid his fingers down onto my swollen clit. They massaged my pussy, and finally rubbed over my clit, gently teasing me. I purred as the sensation grew more intense with Steele’s ministrations.
“I know you like that. You’ve been wanting me to play with this pussy, hmmm?” Steele whispered. “Is it even more sensitive because you’re pregnant?” I nodded my head quickly, biting my lip.
“Yes,” I whimpered. “Yes, yes.”
Steele slid his middle finger inside my hole, causing me to gasp. It felt so goddamned good.
“Do you want more baby? You want me to fuck you?” He kissed me hard, slipping his tongue in my mouth. I pulled away and ran my fingernails down his chest.
“I want you inside me, please,” I gasped. After two years of passionate sex, I’d learned to be more vocal about my needs and Steele always rewarded me with his hard cock. It never got old – I always craved him.
Steele pulled away, taking his fingers out of me. His black hair was drenched from the water, and completely slicked back. In the morning light of the bathroom, his eyes looked brilliantly blue, so handsome that I almost cried.
Steele caressed my cheek and gave me a wicked smile.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he said with a glint in his eyes. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him into an embrace.
Our warm, wet bodies were pressed together and for a second, I felt like we would never come apart.
“Thank you for being so good to me,” I whispered as tears sparked in my eyes. “I love you,” were my words. “So much.”
Because two years ago, I was lost. I thought myself indebted to my evil father while stuck in a low paying job at the Flamingo. But all of that changed after I met Steele. My husband showed me what it meant to be loved, and my confidence skyrocketed as a result. How did I get so lucky?
I pulled away from Steele and blushed hotly. The water drummed on my back and I smiled as a blend of arousal and happiness swelled inside of me.
Steele gently took me by the arm and gripped tightly. “I need you,” he growled. With his free hand, he traced my bottom lip with his thumb, looking me up and down hungrily.
“The only question is, how should we do it?” he asked with a mischievous look in his eyes.
My pussy was soaking wet, and my ass needed a good pounding. I shivered as I thought about Steele’s cock plunging deep inside of me and taking me for his own.
“Take whichever one you want,” I managed. “I’m here for you, big boy.”
Slowly, he maneuvered me around before pushing down on my back so that I had to brace my hands against the wall. I looked over my shoulder and saw that Steele was licking his lips at the sight of my open holes.
He smacked my ass hard and rubbed the tip of his cock on my asshole, teasing me.
“Are you ready baby girl?” he asked breathlessly.
I placed my hands on the shower wall and spread my legs.
“Yes, big boy. Now.”
Steele placed his hands on my waist and pushed the hard tip of his cock into my tight hole. I groaned as I felt my back door stretching to fit him. He felt so amazing, every single time.
I moaned, tingles already running through my pussy.
“Yes, just like that!” I cried out. Steele grabbed my ass, squeezing it hard and then slid his hard cock all the way in, my bottom swallowing him whole.
“Unnnh,” he grunted. “Fuck, this feels so good.” My eyes rolled back as he stretched me back there. I cried out with pleasure and took a hand to my pussy, rubbing my clit hard and fast. Tears filled my eyes as intense sensations flooded my body.
My legs shook as I continued to rub my clit. Steele began pounding my ass hard. He spanked me and slapped me, riding me against the wall of the shower. When Steele took my hand in his and held me tightly, I grunted and pushed my ass against him. I wanted every inch of his powerful manhood deep inside of my dark star.
“You’re so tight!” he groaned loudly. I could feel his balls slapping my ass as he thrusted, and I flushed at the taboo sensation. Who would have thought that shower sex could feel so good?
Steele’s grunts quickly turned to soft moans as he pounded his hard member into my bottom. I arched my back to allow him to him deeper access. When he was buried to the hilt, we cried out in tandem ecstasy.
“Unnh!” I screamed. “Oh god yes!”
His shaft convulsed before shooting loads and loads of virile cum, the big man roaring with ecstasy. “FUCK! Shit fuck shit!”
I closed my eyes as my body went limp. I could feel myself descending into another world as the love surrounded us, pulsing in waves as his ejaculate filled me to the brim.
“Yes, just like that,” I moaned again, almost collapsing onto the tile floor. “Unnnh.”
And finally we were done. Steele kissed the back of my neck softly, his breath misting against my nape.
“Are you ready for our long weekend?” he growled into my ear while pulling out. I shivered a bit, the sensation of his exit so good. But finally, he was out all the way and I turned, still licking my lips with satisfaction.
“I am ready,” I giggled. “But where are we going, husband mine? You know we can’t go too far. This baby is going to come any minute.”
Possessiveness flickered in his eyes as he eyed my full belly, trailing one hand over the big bump. But then those blue eyes caught mine. “Sweetheart, we’re going to where this all started,” he said. “Back to the cabin.”
My eyebrows flew up. The cabin? We hadn’t been there since our fateful departure two years ago because bad memories lingered in the woods. Sure, that was where our love ignited. But the cabin was also where Steele left me, breaking my heart without a backwards glance.
“Are you sure?” I breathed, cupping my swollen belly. “It’s not the best place for us.”
The Dirty Hotel King Page 26
