1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Fourteen

by Kristen Ashley

  Without warning, she launches into me, our lips fusing together in wild passion. Her tongue slides into my mouth along with a soft moan that shoots to my throat. I tilt her head to plunge in deep, walking her backwards to the closest lounger. I crave Raven in a way that makes the dozen yards to the house seem like miles.

  Laying her back, I brace my body above hers to keep from crushing her. I flex my hips into the warmth between her legs. She grinds into me, and I fight the urge to claim her here by the pool. Not like this. She deserves better.

  I move to my spot at her neck and feel her racing pulse against my tongue. Her hands slide from my lower back to my stomach where she runs her fingers along the waistline of my shorts. She pulls at my zipper.

  “Not yet, baby. Soon, but not tonight,” I whisper against her skin before nipping at her earlobe.

  Her hands fall away on a hopeless sigh. I nuzzle her neck to avoid the look of rejection that I’m sure colors her face. My body screams to join with hers. To show her how deep my feelings run. But I’d never forgive myself for taking her in my backyard like a cheap party date.

  “Baby, I’m sorry. I want you, I do. But you deserve—”

  “It’s okay. But you said soon. Promise?”

  I grimace at the dejected sound in her voice.

  My lips skate along her jawline to her mouth. “Yes. I promise.”

  Sliding my hand against the smooth skin of her belly, she writhes against me. I pull her shirt over her head and take in her bright green bra. My thumbs make firm passes over the sensitive tips through the silk. Feeling isn’t enough. I need to see them. I tug the fabric down, releasing her full breasts to the tepid night air. Fucking gorgeous.

  I kiss the valley between them, breathing in her subtle sweet fragrance. She arches her back in a silent plea. I smile against her eager little body before taking her breasts into my mouth, first one and then the other. The sweet taste of her delicate skin increases my appetite for more.

  I pop the button of her shorts, and she lifts her hips for me to slide them down her legs.

  “Good girl.”

  “Jonah—”

  “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll take care of you.”

  Her eyes flare and she bites her lip. I take a deep breath and remind myself to take it slow. This isn’t the get in, get out operation I’m used to. For the first time, I’m not thinking of my own needs. Only about taking Raven’s body to new places, to express what I feel emotionally through loving her physically.

  Her lips curl in a wicked grin as she shimmies off her matching lace panties. I watch in awe as she reveals her perfect body to me. Sitting up to unhook her bra, she removes the last scrap of covering, my gaze held firm by her seductive show. She’s completely exposed, and I stare in wonder as she falls back on the lounger, legs parted.

  “You’re stunning.” My voice sounds heavy and rough with desire.

  I rip my shirt off over my head and toss it behind me. My lips ache with the urge to taste every inch of her olive skin.

  “Hmm, I was just thinking the same thing.”

  I run my hands along her thighs, her knees falling wide open in response. “Raven, I need to taste you.”

  She nods her head once, her body yielding to my every touch. Perfect.

  Taking my time, I kiss the tender skin of her inner thigh. With teasingly long swipes of my tongue, I give her a sample of what’s to come. Her heels dig into the lounger, and she pushes her hips up, searching for contact. Just the invitation I need.

  I take my first taste and growl in pleasure. So sweet. I fight the urge to devour her, wanting to take my time and make it last. She moans and rolls her hips. I look up the length of her toned stomach to see her eyes squeezed shut. That won’t do.

  I back off. “Baby, look at me.”

  Her eyes lock on mine, passion swirling in their blue-green depths. I slow down, but maintain eye contact. Every hitch of her breath stimulates my need to please her.

  This is so different. And more arousing than anything I’ve experienced in the past. My love takes a front seat to my body’s desire for release.

  I stare, absorbed in the visual of her mouth dropped open as she pants for breath. Her bare chest heaves with every flick of my tongue. Moans turn into desperate cries and her legs quake. Slow is no longer an option. I want nothing more than to hold her, to feel her against my lips while she falls apart for me. Her hips push and roll, seeking. I lock my hands on her hips, holding her still, and give into her body’s demands.

  She grabs a fistful of my hair, holding me to her, pressing me deeper. Her voice catches and she calls out my name in release. Moans of pleasure fall from her lips, and the sound sends shockwaves straight between my legs. My stomach tightens, and I flex my hips into the lounger, groaning at the relief in the friction. I continue until she squirms, unable to give her up. With a final, tender kiss, I pull away. She falls back, her body sated and limp.

  My girl. Her eyes are closed, and I’m entranced by the rise and fall of her breasts as she breathes. I gently press her legs together, removing myself from in between, to climb in next to her. Moving her hair from her damp face, her eyes flutter open.

  “That was amazing.” I marvel in the beauty of her satisfied expression.

  “I thought that was my line.” Her sexy post-orgasm voice vibrates in a way that I feel in my shorts.

  I grab a towel from the table next to us and cover her naked body.

  “Do you want to go inside?” I trace the delicate angles of her face with my fingertip.

  Her mouth tilts to a grin. “I have a better idea.”

  She pushes herself up off the lounger, leaving the towel behind. With her back toward me, I admire the luscious curves of her bare flesh in the moonlight. She winks at me over her shoulder and, with a small bend of her knees, she jumps into the pool. Skinny dipping? Hell, yeah!

  Kicking off my shorts, I jump in after her, keenly aware of my killer hard-on that even the cool water won’t tame.

  She floats on her back, and I shamelessly gawk at her perfect breasts poking out from the water. Catching my stare, she swims over to me in the shallow end.

  “It’s your turn,” she says as she pushes me back to the steps of the pool.

  My heart pounds in my chest. Does she mean what I think she means?

  “Sit.” She directs me to sit on the top step where the water is the shallowest.

  Eyes still locked on mine, she pulls my legs apart and crawls between them. Her soft, slick body brushes the insides of my thighs, heating my oversensitive skin. With her knees on the step below me, she props herself up to meet my eyes. Her breasts drip with pool water and sex appeal.

  “I’ve never done this before, so don’t expect much.” Even in the dim light, I catch the red that colors her cheeks.

  “Raven, you don’t have to do this.”

  She places her finger against my lips, silencing further protest.

  Was I just talking her out of giving me a blow job? That’s a first.

  “I’ll just, um, go for it, but if I do something wrong, will you show me?” Her innocent eyes implore mine.

  “No way you could do it wrong, baby. I’m almost there just listening to you talk about it.”

  With a nod and a smile, she sits back on her heels. Her wet sexy body glistens in the dark, and I know I’m not going to last long. She looks down and licks her lips, then takes me into her mouth. Sucking in a breath, I dig my teeth into my lower lip to keep from groaning in pleasure. My hands fist in her damp hair, not to control her speed or caress, but in pure animal possession.

  To think that I could experience this all-consuming lust, as well as the soul-shackling love that I would die to keep, is life changing. This tiny girl who works on cars, laughs at stupid jokes, and blushes at the slightest flirtation is mine. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for her. I would spend the rest of my life making her happy if she’d let me.

  So this is love.

  My life will never be the sa
me.

  I pull her hand from my thigh and wrap it around myself, guiding her strokes before leaving her to it. Her velvety touch striking deep in my core, my hips push off the step. She leans in, the silky push from her breasts at my thighs dropping my head back. Sensations combine with hunger and love, and fuck— My stomach tightens, my release coiling in my abdomen. I’ve got seconds.

  “Baby, stop.” I lose her mouth as a delirious groan falls from my lips. I unravel in her hand. Her tight little fist continues to pump and the euphoria intensifies. What the hell? I’m panting, colors swirling behind my eyelids. My legs tense as I’m rocked with aftershocks. “Oh shit.” I blink open my eyes, fascinated that Raven’s first blowjob is the most consuming sexual experience I’ve ever had.

  “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?” Her arms are wrapped around her chest, a concerned expression on her perfect face.

  I fight what could very well be a goofy smile, and lose. “Hurt me?” I lean in, elbows to knees. “Does it look like that hurt me?”

  Pushing off from the step, I meet her in the shallow end. I walk her back to the side of the pool and gather her in my arms. Her muscles relax against my own.

  “Baby, this has been the most amazing night of my life. Everything about it is perfect, including that kick-ass blow job you just gave me.”

  Her giggles erupt against my chest, and I kiss the top of her head.

  “I love you, Raven,” I say into her hair.

  She tilts her chin up, resting it on my chest. Her wet hair is slicked back, black eyelashes thick with water, and her lips deep red and swollen from taking me. Her stare bores into mine, and I watch something heavy working in her aquamarine eyes.

  “I love you too.”

  Thirteen

  Raven

  I’m pulling out of Jonah’s garage at exactly nine twenty-eight a.m. I’m second-guessing that third cup of coffee, my hands shake on the steering wheel, and my empty belly churns. There’s no way I can eat until this meeting with Dominick is over. Trying to calm my angry stomach, I roll down the window for some fresh air. My mind wanders back to last night in an attempt to soothe my nerves.

  Lying in bed, wrapped in Jonah’s arms, I found the courage to tell him why I have to meet with Dominick. As a little girl, I’d daydream about him pulling up to our house. He’d have a big box in his hands, wrapped in pink paper. I pictured him kneeling down and telling me how much he missed me. That he’d made a huge mistake in severing himself from my life, and that he was going to make up for lost time. He would beg for forgiveness. I’d finally get the dad I needed.

  It’s because of that dream that I have to meet with Dominick. Even if it’s on his terms, I’ll do it. I owe it to that little girl.

  Lux, the high-rise condominium just off the strip, comes into view. I take a right into the circle driveway. A valet scurries to my door. On his heels is a tall, broad man, in a black suit. His formal attire at ten in the morning is unusual for a summer in Las Vegas. Is he a lawyer? He looks more like a hit man.

  I ignore the valet’s proffered hand and step out of my car.

  Suit guy steps to me, a forced-looking smile plastered across his wide face. “Good morning, Miss Morretti.”

  My eyes narrow at him. How does he know me? “Um, good morning.”

  “Mr. Morretti is waiting for you.” He motions for me to follow him into the building.

  Pushing through the rotating door into the lobby, the smell of floor wax and fresh flowers fills my nose. The intricate-carved, dark wood reception desk and marble floor scream money. I smooth my cotton shirt in response.

  We reach the elevator that has only one button with the letters ‘PH’ on it. As we ascend in silence, I take in the man in front of me. He must be a bodyguard. He isn’t as tall as Jonah, but he’s almost as wide. Every one of the light brown hairs on his head is stuck in place by a decent amount of hair product. The diamond earring in his left earlobe is far too big for a man’s ear.

  The elevator comes to a stop and the doors slide open.

  “After you.” He says it in a way that would be polite if his tone wasn’t so condescending. Without reason, I’d say this guy doesn’t like me. Now I’m really nervous.

  “Thanks.”

  Stepping through the elevator doors, I find myself in another lobby. This one is smaller, but no less extravagant. At the opposite end is an enormous double door that probably cost more than my car. As I walk towards it, I notice the etched glass doors depict a holy war with angels and demons swirling in a vicious battle. The visual puts a looming dread in the air.

  Bodyguard guy knocks twice on the thick glass, making me jump. Calm down, Raven. I’m freaking myself out. The door opens, and a petite blond girl wearing a skintight tank top dress and no shoes lets us in. I try to greet her, but her gaze is locked on her feet. I’m taken to an office where I’m told to sit and that Mr. Morretti will be with me shortly.

  A large desk looms in the back of the room, only one chair in front of it. Guess that’s for me. I sit and stare out the floor-to-ceiling window behind the desk. I bet the view from here at night is one of the best in the city.

  Minutes pass and my knee bounces. The heel of my foot pounds a fast, rhythmic beat into the floor. It seems like I’ve been waiting an eternity. My nails are chewed to the quick before I hear the door open behind me. The air gets heavy and the room seems smaller. I don’t have to turn around to know that Dominick is walking in behind me.

  I haven’t seen him in five years, and even then, it was only for the minutes it took for him to drop off a package to my mom. I expected him to look older, but he’s exactly the same. His blond hair and familiar aquamarine eyes are set off by his dark tan. A radiant smile lights his face, a charming façade that manipulates without effort.

  “Raven, darling, you look exquisite,” he says like a proper gentleman.

  Warning signals blare in my head, but I brush them off as nerves. “Thank you.”

  He walks around his desk and sits in his chair opposite me. “You met Vince?” He nods toward the man over my shoulder.

  I turn and see bodyguard guy standing in front of the closed doors, blocking any escape. My pulse races.

  I should have listened to Jonah. Unease advances into fear. But why? He may not know me, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s my biological father. I’m safe. Then why do I feel like running?

  I need to get to the point so that I can get the heck out of here as soon as possible. “You wanted to see me?”

  “Yes.” He clears his throat. “I have a job offer for you.”

  “I have a job, but thank you.” I stand to leave.

  “Sit!” he barks, making me feel like a misbehaving dog.

  Oh God, this is bad.

  “I have a job offer for you, Raven. And you can’t say no.” His previous soft tone is now forceful.

  “I don’t understand.”

  Everything I know about Dominick is corrupt. What could he possibly want with me?

  “You know, Raven, when I first started in this business, I was around your age. I was young, rich, and drunk with power.” He rolls a gold pen between his fingers. “I got bored easily. I knew from the moment I saw your mother she was something special. Everything about her screamed sex: the way she moved, the way she spoke. I’d never met anyone like her. It’s as if she were made for the singular purpose of pleasing men. I had to have her.” Depravity shines in his eyes.

  Saliva rushes into my mouth and panic grips my insides.

  “I had to have her, Raven, for two reasons. First, to capitalize on her God-given gifts for profit.” He spears me with a glare. “And second . . . to breed.” The last word he stretches out as a snake would if it could talk.

  Breed? Like a dog? I know then I’m looking into the eyes of the devil himself.

  “So that’s what I did. I used your mother to create another like her. The next generation, if you will, to meet the growing demands of my business.”

  I don’t
want to hear anymore. Tears pool in my eyes as I realize what kind of job he’s offering me.

  “You want me to be a hooker for you.” This can’t be happening. He wants to sell my body for sex? My own da—no, I can’t bring myself to think of him as that.

  “Hooker is such an ugly word,” he tsks. “I prefer escort. But, yes, that’s what you were created for. That’s why I made you. It’s time you fulfill your purpose.”

  “No! I won’t do it. You can’t make me do it!”

  Tears trail down my face, and I’m pissed he sees me weak.

  “I can make you do it and I will. I’ll give you a couple weeks, say, until your twenty-first birthday. That should give you enough time to tie up any loose ends. Then you’ll be moved into one of my apartments,” he declares with a wave of his hand like a king on his throne of immorality.

  “Fuck you!” I’m scared out of my mind and a little bit crazy, because as the fierce curse flies from my mouth, I can’t help but think Blake would be proud.

  “Hmm, you’re feisty. You must get that from me. Your mother never argued, never fought, and never said a word really.” He thoughtfully rubs his chin. “Let me put it to you this way. You will do as you’re told, or I will slowly pick off every single person you love.”

  No, no, no, no!

  “You’re a monster.”

  An evil smile curls his lips. “I’ll start with that sweet little friend of yours, Eve.” My hands and feet tingle and then go numb.

  “Then, I’ll work my way to Guy and your mother.”

  Numbness moves up my arms and legs to my abdomen.

  “And last, but not least,” his voice carries a sing-song tone, “I’ll end with that Neanderthal you’ve been living with, Jonah.”

  The final blow.

  Heart, mind, and soul. Numb.

  I’m no longer crying as my body and mind assimilate information. His words spin in my head over and over like a tilt-a-whirl: breed, hooker, everyone I love.

  The predicament hits me like a hurricane. In danger of passing out, I grip the arms of my chair. This isn’t happening. I lean forward and put my head between my knees, hoping to gather my bearings.