by Rose Harper
“Two,” he growls, surprising me.
“What?”
His eyes spear through me, causing a warmth to settle in my stomach and what feels like a giant knot to fill my chest.
“You said you only had one boyfriend; you had two, but only one that truly mattered,” he says, confusing me.
Scooting away from him, I rise to my feet. He does the same, and once we’re standing next to each other, it hits me just how big he’s gotten since high school … how devastatingly handsome he is, even if a small part of me still hates him. I can have hard feelings toward someone and still find them sexy, which is how I find Gavino now.
He’s everything I ever wanted, but nothing I could ever have. He was my weakness while being my strength. He brought out hate, while still bringing out love. I’m light; he’s dark. He’s the exact opposite as me, yet we fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.
He’s so tall I have to crane my head back just to stare into his bottomless cerulean eyes. Broad shoulders fill out his shirt, stretching the material until it looks like they’re about to burst. He’s forgone the worn leather jacket he was wearing when he joined me in the shower—the one he wore when we first met.
Blond hair hangs just over his eyes, casting a shadow on his face that makes him appear menacing. Corded muscles grace his chest and ribs where it ends at the top of his low-slung jeans. They hang just off his hips, displaying a v-cut that has me salivating to run my tongue across it just to see if it’s as hard as it appears to be.
He’s pure perfection, and I don’t care if he thinks any differently. To me, he always will be. I may not be able to stand the sight of him because I’m pissed at him, but it would never be because of his imperfections. If anything, the scars that litter his body make him even more delectable. It gives him the façade of a strong warrior who protects what’s his.
“I don’t understand,” I whisper, lowering my head. Embarrassment causes my cheeks to heat. I feel as if I should know what he’s talking about, but I don’t dare hope.
I close my eyes, and I’m shocked when I feel his rough fingertips as he tilts my head back up to face him. It causes my eyes to pop open, pleading within myself to keep the tears at bay. I haven’t cried this much since the day my family passed away, and I promised myself I wouldn’t when I put them in the ground. But, ever since this started, I just can’t seem to turn the waterworks off.
“As much as I hate to admit this,” he says, his voice deep, gravelly, “you’ve only ever belonged to me, Sky. I should hate you, want you dead. And I did, but … something tells me you had no idea what happened to me. That I’ve had it wrong all these years.”
Whimpering, I reply, “I didn’t know, Gav. I swear, if I did, I would have put a stop to it. I would have died to keep them from doing this to you.”
His eyes scan my face, but the only thing he’s going to find is pure honesty. I can lie to everyone but him, and he must know this, because he takes a step toward me, allowing his hand to cup my cheek. I still see the indecisiveness in his eyes, and I would be a liar if I didn’t say I was hesitant in my actions as well.
I’m scared as fuck. This man could snap me in half without a second thought. But something deep down tells me that he’s not doing this to be callous or mean. He’s doing this—allowing himself—to be close to someone he hasn’t been close to in so long.
He’s allowing himself to feel.
“Why didn’t you come for me?” he asks, and I can hear the pain in his voice. His touch grows hard as if to reprimand me for allowing him to show the emotions he’s forced deep down inside of him. To scold me for pulling these feelings from him when he wants to remain indifferent.
“I was just a child,” I retort. “Even if I wanted to come after you, I couldn’t. My parents, they never approved of you, you know that. They always said you would lead me to hell.”
A shaky breath leaves him as he releases my face. “And they were right. I would have led you to hell and locked the gate behind you.”
He’s pulling away from me. I will do absolutely anything to keep him from turning into the monster he was when he forced himself into the shower and acted as if I was nothing more than a speck of dirt on the bottom of his shoe.
I can’t allow that to happen.
As much as this is fucked up, I need him to stay with me. Stay in the present, instead of allowing his mind to drift back to a time I’d rather forget.
Worrying my lip between my teeth, I war with myself. He’s done so much to me since picking me up from the church, but, he did it under false pretenses. He thought I allowed those deplorable things to happen to him, when in reality, I had no idea. And if I’d known, how could I allow it to happen? I loved him more than I loved myself. He was the only boy who stood up for me.
He saved me, goddammit!
Without another thought, I make my mind up. There’s no turning back after this, and I doubt I would ever want to.
He can be a monster, but he will be my monster.
Bending my knees, I jump off the floor right into his chest. A look of surprise flashes over his eyes as I wrap my arms around his neck. His hands go to my ass, the heat from his skin branding me. They squeeze with bruising force, but I do nothing but moan at the contact as I slam my lips against his.
Pure euphoria travels through me, igniting from the inside out. My blood heats inside my veins, making me feel as if I have an inferno flowing just under the surface of my skin. His lips stay locked together, never once allowing me access. As if he can’t fathom what’s happening.
“Open for me,” I brazenly growl against his lips.
His eyes pop open at my curtness. With everything inside me, I plead with him to give me this. To allow me to fall into the nothingness his eyes promise to provide. They flick between mine, questions riddling the surface. Leaning forward, I nip his bottom lip, allowing a small smile to slip free.
Tension charges between us, the only sounds reverberating off the walls is that of our harsh breathing. It’s like our own personal song playing between the two of us. I’ve made my move, now it’s his …
Within the blink of an eye, the breath whooshes from my lungs as my back meets the wall. His lips connect with mine, devouring. Opening my mouth, his tongue slides between my lips effortlessly. A groan resonates inside his chest, almost like he’s growling his approval. His tongue fucks my mouth like a man starving, only making me wetter for him.
It’s sinful. Delicious. So devastatingly perfect, just as I remember.
Oh, yes. I would have definitely allowed him to lead me into hell. He wouldn’t even have to use shackles to get me there.
10
GAVINO
What the fuck am I doing? The fleeting thought disappears as soon as it rears its ugly head. The feel of her lips, the taste, it’s almost too much. My cock is hard as a rock in my jeans, threatening to burst open the seams. But ask me if I give a fuck. It feels too good to stop, too forbidden.
Holding her up with my body, my hands roam over her flesh. My touch drifts across her, feeling her silky skin as I fall even more. I’m supposed to hate her, loathe the very ground she walks on. But I can’t bring myself to think about any of that right now. The only thing blaring on repeat is the fact her wet little cunt is drenching the bottom of my shirt. How her wetness and heat are driving me to the point of delirium.
This is wrong. So unbelievably wrong, I can’t even begin to find a way to make it right. We hate each other. We’d rather see the other dead than alive. I shouldn’t be getting off at how forceful she’s being. Even though it’s completely out of context for someone like Skylah.
Kissing her is like chasing a fire, begging to feel its blistering heat. You know it’s going to burn you, but you couldn’t care less because it feels too good to stop. Even if it’s wrong, to you, it feels so right. Swallowing her whimpers, I caress every part of her naked flesh with my rough, calloused hands. Her subtle curves give under my grip easily.
Ripping
my lips from hers, I inwardly smile with glee when her face follows me. Growling softly, I watch her eyes open, fluttering slowly as if she’s trying to break from some type of spell I cast over her. It’s heady knowing I can still get her to this, even with the way I look.
“You want this?” I ask, to which she nods, heat staining her cheeks. “Because I will tell you now this won’t be making love like your little over romanticized heart thinks it will be. I will rip you apart, then piece you back together just so I can do it again.”
Pressing my forehead against hers, I close my eyes, trying to strengthen the hold I have on my control. I’ve only come this close to being with a woman one time, and it’s with the one I’m holding in my arms. I know nothing will happen this time, but it’s still hard for me to give her pleasure when all I want to give her is pain.
When it doesn’t feel like I’m about to split apart at the seams, I open my eyes and look back at her, finding her eyes locked on mine. Her scalding breaths wisp across my lips, taunting me. But this has to be said before we go any further. I’m already a dumb motherfucker for not throwing her back into the bedroom, but I’m about to go further down the rabbit hole. So far, in fact, I may not find my way back out again.
“I won’t get off on your pleasure, Sky,” I say, watching her eyes imperceptibly widen. “I’m not the man you knew all those years ago. Not even close. You better know what you want before heading face first into this. Because I want nothing more than to watch your soul crack and shatter.”
Silence extends between us as she stares back at me. Her face is nothing more than a blank mask as she ponders what to do. My entire being is on fire, wanting her more than I’ve ever wanted anyone in my life. The need to mark her, make her bleed, is almost too much to withstand.
I give nothing away, merely squeezing her ass when she shifts in my hands. My fingers digging into her backside cause a gasp to resonate off the walls. It’s throaty—a mix between a whimper and moan for more. She leans toward me, and I grit my teeth as she puts her lips next to my ear. Her warm breath cascades against my throat, causing my hair to stand on end. But not more than her words.
“Then break me,” she seductively purrs.
“You’re playing a dangerous game,” I growl, my eyes glowing molten fire at her. “You better think twice. Is. This. What. You. Want?”
Licking her lips, she nods, peeking up at me from beneath her lashes. Slowly, she grinds her pussy against the top of my clothed erection. It’s all I can take. Her taunting; her games. I’m through with it.
Ripping her away from the wall, I make a split-second decision and start walking toward my room. If she can walk after I’m through with her, I wouldn’t even hold it against her if she ran. Because I’m going to pound that pussy of hers, and if I leave it bruised, then so be it. I’m done playing with her. I want what I want, and I’m going to get it.
Kicking my door open, I stride into the room, using strength to toss her right into the middle of the mattress. As soon as she settles, her eyes watching my every movement, I unbuckle and unzip my pants. Allowing my shirt to fall off my shoulders and my pants to fall to the ground, I flex. Her eyes scan the entire length of my body as I steadily remove my shoes, socks, and kick my jeans over to the corner of the room.
Now, standing naked before her, my cock hard, heavy, and sticking straight up, I stalk toward her. Licking my lips, my burning gaze runs along her flesh, watching the way her legs subtly jerk, as if she wants to spread wide for me but doesn’t want to give up her control yet.
Well, she doesn’t have a choice. I’m taking it from her. You can only taunt the devil so much before he burns you.
Placing one knee on the edge of the bed, I cock a brow as I see her tiny hand make its way down her stomach. Brushing against her clean-shaven cunt, she slides her fingers up and down her labia, rubbing the pads in circles along her clit whenever she reaches the top, sparking waves of heat in my body as her back bows off the bed.
My eyes eat her up, with her brazen actions—being so unlike the girl that I used to know, but a woman who makes me salivate for the tiniest of tastes. She’s such a goddamn tease.
Allowing a grin to spread across my face, I lean forward, slowly making my way up the bed. I may be a goddamn virgin, but it doesn’t take a bitch boy to figure out what a woman likes. And this woman, she likes a man on the prowl. A man who takes what he wants and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty in the process.
Her eyes burn into mine as the sensation of her rubbing her clit takes over. Her thighs clench, the muscles of her stomach turning taut as she fights off the impending release she’s been rubbing toward. Just as she gets to the point of no return, I grip her hand, slamming it into the mattress next to her head as I settle between her spread thighs. Her shiny orbs of steel fly open, and she utters a gasp of dismay.
Staring down at her with a combination of fierce hunger and now unrestrained, furious lust, I grind my dick against her slick folds. “You will get your orgasms from my tongue, fingers, or cock—nothing else. If you want to play these naughty games, I promise you,” I grind out, leaning toward her, “I play them far better.”
I grip her throat, and she squirms against me. She’s dripping wet, her neediness sliding down the underside of my cock. From her actions, I peg she hasn’t engaged in this type of attention in months, if not years.
Just the thought makes me burn hotter for her, feeling my blood simmer in my veins. Smiling sinfully down at her, I lick my lips and take the bottom one between my teeth as I wink at her and fill her all the way to the hilt.
Skylah cries out as I slam into her, arching her chest upward as much as she can while still being held down by my massive frame. Fucking hell, she’s tight. I grunt as pleasure consumes me. It’s nothing I’ve ever felt before, and I’m not sure I ever will again. It’s almost too perfect, feeling her walls clamp down around me as I pull out and thrust back inside.
Tightening my hold, I thrust faster and faster, using her aggressively while she writhes on the bed, both seeking relief from my cock entering her and reaching for her own building release. This may be the first time I’ve ever done this, but I’m already attuned to her wants and desires. What she likes and doesn’t like.
My little Sky likes it rough, fast. I’m going to enjoy breaking her.
Gripping the arm still pinned to her throat, she uses it for an anchor as she lifts her hips to meet my thrusts as I slam into her. My cock swells in size at her helpless look of abandon on her face, and I feel her pussy gripping my cock like a vice. Small tremors shoot through her body, and I feel her tightening further around me.
“Ahh, Gavino!” she cries out as she explodes, digging her nails into my arm.
Grunting, I feel the telltale tingle at the base of my spine, forcing me to go faster, the slapping of our skin and heavy breathing being the music that surrounds us.
“Fuck, yes,” I force out, growling as I shut my eyes to the bliss of it all. “Come all over my cock.”
I release her throat, and she gasps for breath. The rush of sweet air causes her release to prolong, milking my cock for everything it has. Pumping my hips, sweat coats my skin as a need for more overwhelms me. It’s like an itch I have to scratch. She’s not close enough. I need her entire body against mine.
Gripping her hair, I pull her toward me at the same time I manhandle her into my arms. Leaning back on my haunches, I grip her hip and pull her down on top of me as I thrust up into her. Within seconds, she’s crying out against me, locking her legs around my back. And when I can’t hold out for another second longer, I slam my lips against hers, biting, then licking the sting away as my climax explodes from inside me like an atomic bomb.
“Fuck!” I roar, my skin tightening as I release inside of her, filling her womb with what feels like a decade’s worth of cum.
As I regain myself, my breath shudders out of me as I allow myself to glance up at the beauty who confuses me more than anything else.
The same beauty who now looks as broken and shattered as I warned her she would be as tears fill her eyes and sobs overtake her.
11
SKYLAH
My eyes drift over his prone form, blushing as I think of all the ways he took me. The early morning dawn light shines through the semi-open blinds, and I can’t even be bothered to pay attention to it. Not when the sight of a sleeping Gavino is next to me.
Trekking my gaze over his half-covered body, I try not to let the sight of his scars get to me. Just knowing this happened to him causes a pang in my chest that almost makes me lose my breath. He went through so much pain. What’s worse, this entire time he thought I was at the cause of it all. That much was made certain with his forceful words.
I wonder what made him think that. It’s confusing, disturbing. There’s no way I would ever allow something like this to happen to him. He was my entire world when we were in school, yet now we’re nothing more than enemies.
Yeah, I had some of the best times I’ve ever had last night, but that doesn’t negate the fact we’re still at each other’s throats. The only thing that meant is that we were so starved for affection of any kind that we allowed the one person we hate most to relieve that ache burrowed deep inside us.
I just wish he would have trusted me enough in school to confront me about this. We could have saved ourselves years of regret and grief. If only he had given me the chance to explain myself. And the comment he made before everything heated up between us—how he would have fucked me if he knew I held such fire. What is up with that? He did fuck me. Trust me, I woke up the next morning still feeling the remnants of us being together. My pussy was so sensitive and sore. There’s no way that night ended any other way besides the way I think it did.
Silently, I watch his chest rise and fall, a soft snore resounding through the room when he inhales. Smirking, I can’t stop the catch in my chest, nor my fingers from touching him. Lifting my hand, I skate my fingers across the letters carved into his chest. Devil? Who would ever think this gentle giant was a devil in school? He did everything for everyone. Hell, he would give up his life just to protect those who were less fortunate.
