She chuckles, a sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh. “You’re too damn stubborn and confident for your own good.”
I laugh. “It’s what got me here. It’s what you love about me.” I slide my hands between her legs and rub a finger along the soft material. I groan, then pull my hand back.
Sophie
“GOD, YOU are just breathtaking, Sophie,” Rafael says, his voice so deep and hot it travels down my spine. I shiver. Emboldened by his words, I wiggle on his lap, pressing my core against his hard length. OhGodohGodohGod!
Now. I want him now. I push him back so he’s lying on the couch. His fingers fumble with the buttons on my coat and finally, when they’re undone, he pulls me up against him and starts to grind his erection while one hand grabs hold of my pantyhose, and with one move, tears them off.
“You’re buying me new pantyhose.”
“I’ll buy you the whole damn world, Sophie.” The trench comes off next. He freezes to stare at the little maid costume, all the way down to the boots I’m wearing. He sighs deeply. “Fuck, I guess there’s no time for the boots to come off, is there?”
“Really?”
“Hawk will be arriving soon and I might kill him if he interrupts us. I want to feel you so bad right now.” He braces his upper body on his elbows and starts to kiss my collarbone, my neck, licks and bites and growls while he lifts his ass off the couch and pulls his pants off in one move. As usual, no boxers. The guy thrives on not wearing any.
“Take off the costume and strip the panties and bra, Sophie, or I’ll tear them off you.”
I shiver at his commanding voice. “Well, if you do, I’ll have nothing to wear when we leave. In fact, I have no clothes to wear when we leave. Unless I wear the costume . . .”
“Not a chance. That’s for me. Not for everyone else’s eyes.” He leaps off the couch, naked. Jesus, that’s a god right there. Taut butt, hard stomach, lean arms. Oh my . . . I swallow. Hard. He leans down and grabs his jeans, pulls out his phone and dials.
“Hawk. I need a favor. Could you get Sophie something to wear?” He’s quiet for a few seconds, then rubs a hand down his face before saying, “None of your damn business. Just get inside one of those shops and buy one. I owe you.” Rafael ends the call and tosses it on the couch, then prowls toward me and halts midway. “Come here.”
“You’ll have to catch me, first.”
He lunges, and I duck, but he has longer legs and more agility. He soon tackles me to the ground and flips me on my stomach. He covers my body with his, slipping one hand around my waist to lift my lower body up, and slams into me, the other arm around my shoulders.
“Holy F--Rafael!” I shout his name, my breath jagged against my lips.
“Sophie,” he murmurs into my ear, his breath hot. “Sophie. I. Missed. You. So. Much.” He emphasizes each word with a thrust, and it feels like he goes deeper with every shove. I grip the arm around my shoulder to anchor me as the first sensations blast through me. This is wild, animal sex, and Rafael has got it down pat. Seconds later, he shouts my name as his body trembles above mine. He rolls us to one side, spooning me as he lazily kisses and nips my jaw and neck.
“Breathtaking. Fucking fantastic,” he murmurs, his voice vibrating into my bones.
Rafael
HAWK AND Ben walk ahead of us as we cross the parking lot toward Kravic’s warehouse. I turn to face Sophie, cupping her face in my hands.
“I need you to do something for me,” I say, fumbling around in my pants pockets. “I’ve been holding on to this for a while now, waiting for the right time. Now seems good.” I unfold my hand to reveal a silver necklace with tiny little butterflies and silver stars.
She looks up at me, then down at the beauty in my hands, and wipes the corners of her eyes with her fingers. “Oh my God, it’s beautiful! You’ve just been carrying it around?”
“I had it custom made a month ago.”
She lifts her hair so I can place it around her neck. I dip my head to kiss the little pendants lying flat on her soft skin.
“The minute we walk through that door, I’ll be . . . different. Remember that, okay? I don’t want you to look at me and think you don’t know me. Because you do. No one knows me like you do. No one owns me like you do. All right?”
She nods, her hand tightening around mine. “You have to promise you’ll come back to me.” When I don’t answer, she halts and cups my face, pushing me against the wall. “Promise me, Rafael. Promise me.”
I press my forehead to hers, my eyes tightly shut to block the hope in her gaze. Christ, the way she’s staring at me . . . how can I promise her that, when I have no idea who the fuck I’m fighting behind those doors? How can I give her hope when all I’m holding is my bleeding heart? Her fingers twist in my hair, pulling until my scalp tingles.
“Rafael Arie Van Rees. Will you promise me, or should I beat it out of you?”
I chuckle, and open my eyes to stare into ones more green than brown. Oh yes, she’s pissed and scared. “I will. In fact, I have something better,” I say, wanting to give her anything and everything she wants. Even that sliver of hope she’s holding on to. “I’m adopting Tony.”
“Adopting Tony? Really? When did that happen?”
“I contacted Youth and Families a few days ago. It wasn’t easy, but I got the information I need to start the process. They promised to send the forms I’ll need in the days ahead.”
She grabs me in a hug, and murmurs, “Thank you,” over and over.
“And another thing. I said I’d marry you when I was eleven. I intend to keep that promise, Sophie. The road ahead might be bumpy and imperfect. But our lives have never been perfect. When I walk through that door, that’s what I’ll be fighting for--a fucking imperfect, perfect life with you.”
She digs her fingers into my head, yanking me down, and smashes her lips against mine in a hard kiss that has my dick straining in my pants.
“You’re a catch, so I’d be stupid not to marry you, Rafael.” She winks, grinning at me.
I ruffle her hair, and she ducks, giggling. “I’m one of a kind, baby. So stick with me.”
We round a corner, head toward an entrance to what looks like a hall, and walk in. The smell of sweat, dust and bloodthirst hangs heavily in the air. I glance around, taking in the spectators. Over two hundred people are here. There’s even some in the hallway above us. I turn to search for the person taking over from me and stop breathing when I see the figure in the middle of the makeshift ring, smirking at me.
What the fucking hell?
Sophie sucks in a breath beside me, and clutches my arm tight. “Gustav? But I thought you two were friends . . .”
“Guess our friendship was only skin deep.”
“Be careful, Raf,” Hawk says behind me, handing me the boxing gloves.
I nod as my gaze zooms to the right. Kravic smiles, and starts to clap, rising to his feet.
“Didn’t think you’d show up,” he says, strolling forward with his arms extended toward me. My skin crawls at the thought of touching any part of him. He drops his arms, and folds them in front of him. “We’re ready when you are. And, no gloves.” He looks Sophie over, licking his lips, greed and lust in his cold, blue eyes. I curl my fists, fighting not to punch him. I need my energy to survive this.
I hand the gloves back to Hawk, then press a kiss on Sophie’s forehead. “Take care of her for me.” Hawk nods, his mouth pulled taut. Right before I turn to face Gustav, I rearrange my expression to the one I wear when I’m here. Cold and unreadable. Then I turn and stride to stand in the middle of the ring.
“So eager to be the next puppet controlled by that puppet master?” I spit the words at Gustav.
He sneers. “You’re foolish for giving this up.” He waves his hand around, indicating our audience.
I clench my jaw, and flex my hands. “Let’s do this, so you can win and have all these adoring minions.” I sweep my arm, mimicking him.
The crowd shrieks i
n what I think is euphoria as he comes at me fast, swinging his fist. I side-step him, having anticipated that move. The guy never changed. He’s still the quick kind of fighter who thinks the element of surprise is in his favor. Too bad, I am the element of surprise. I didn’t get to be where I am by sitting on my ass, waiting for things to happen.
He swings his large fist again. I duck, swing around and grab his arm, twisting it behind his back. He drops to his knees, grunting. He jerks his head back, slamming it into my face. I drop his arm and stumble back.
“You think you’re too good,” he says. “Too good for us.” He starts hopping from toe to toe, punching the air. My gaze flickers to Sophie, her hand on her heaving chest, then to Kravic, whose lips are curled in a satisfactory smirk.
Fuck! I’m playing right into his hands. He wants me to win. There’ll be no way out after that, and that realization overrides the promise I made to Sophie outside. Gustav comes charging into me like a bull, swinging a fist into my gut. Punching my face. My head. And I let him. I’ll do everything to lose. Just have to make sure I don’t die in the process. Kicks and punches rain down on me, and I drop to the ground.
Don’t let him kill you.
Gustav laughs, and when I raise my head, I catch a glimpse of Kravic’s face. His lips are pressed flat, his hands curled into fists on his lap. I don’t look at Sophie, because I know what I’ll see, and right now, I can’t stomach it. I stumble to my feet and swing a fist at Gustav, but his connects to my jaw. Red explodes through my vision, and I drop to the ground.
“You promised!” That voice pulls my head up and to the sidelines. Hawk’s expression is grim as he grabs a struggling Sophie, keeping her from climbing over the ropes. Tears fall down her cheeks as she screams to be heard above the roaring crowd. “Don’t do this! Please. You promised to fight, damn it!” She shakes her tiny fist at me.
Gustav continues to prowl the ring, doing some hopping shit and raising his fists to the bloodthirsty crowd. He swings a murderous gaze toward me, and I know if I don’t fight, I won’t walk out of here alive. That’s the rule. Fight until death.
I pull myself to my feet, biting my cheek to stop the pain in my right leg, and take a deep breath. Gustav beats his chest and laughs, then comes charging at me again. Too bad he hasn’t gotten the newsflash on my face that I’m not dying. Not today, anyway.
I block the pain racing through my hand, grab his fist, and slam mine right into his nose, followed by a quick left to his gut. He stumbles back and I’m on him. I grab him by the back of his neck and butt my head against his. He crumbles to the floor. I can feel my demons open the cage in my mind, and I don’t stop them from possessing me. I slam my foot on his chest, lean down, and land punch after punch on any part of his body. The only thing that stops me is Sophie’s voice, calling to me. I swing to face her. She’s shaking her head and waving her hands fast. I can’t hear what she’s saying, and right now, I don’t really care. This pile of shit under my feet wanted to take me away from her and that’s all that matters.
I bend again and throw a punch. I’m about to hurl another one when soft hands grab my waist. I whirl around with a roar. Sophie stumbles back, her hands on her mouth. The horror on her face is like a splash of cold water on my body. I straighten completely and drop my arm.
“It’s enough, Rafael. You won. Don’t kill him, please,” she whispers, taking a tentative step toward me. “Rafael?”
I close my eyes to let the wave I was riding pass. I don’t trust myself not to go back and finish Gustav off. Moments later, I open my eyes, realizing how silent the room has become.
“I’m here,” I finally say, and Sophie lets out a huge breath. God, I love this woman. She’s not afraid to step in the ring and stop me, even when she knows I can easily turn around and hurt her. I stalk forward, and before she can move, I grab her face with my hands and crush my lips to hers, tasting sweat and blood, mingled with the fear and sweetness on her tongue. “I’m here. Thank you. Thank you for pulling me back. God, I was so close, so very close to . . .” I shudder, not letting the words out of my mouth.
“But you didn’t.” She cups my face, and peeks around us. “Everyone’s staring at us.”
“Fuck everyone. You’re the only one that matters.”
Sophie
MY HEART is still racing, and I’m torn between wanting to throw up, and dragging Rafael out of the hall. God, that was horrible! I never want to see that again. Ever. I press my lips on Rafael’s bloody ones. “You won. Now, go scare Kravic with that growl, and let’s go home. You need a doctor.” He winces as I gently touch the broken flesh above his right eye.
He links my fingers with his, glances at Gustav, bleeding on the floor, then to Kravic. “We’re done here.” His voice is cold and final. Kravic would be stupid to counter that statement. He slips his hand around my shoulders, pulling me closer, and herds me toward the door.
“Arie, you won,” Kravic says.
Rafael’s arm stiffens. He drops it and turns around. He stalks forward, and even with his torn and bloody shirt, and what I think is a limp in his right leg, he still looks menacing.
“Never, ever threaten me, or what is mine, Horvath Kravic, ever again. And that includes Tony. He’s mine to protect, now. Touch him, or anything of mine, and this little operation you have going will disappear. I fought, and I won. If you make a fucking wrong move, I swear, my face will be the last thing you see before your final breath.” He jerks his head toward Gustav. “He’s your Master.”
He prowls back, and herds me out of the room, his palm hot on the small of my back. As soon as we step out of the warehouse, we climb into the Chrysler and speed away. Other than a manly hug and a pat on the shoulder, Hawk hasn’t said anything. He keeps his eyes focused on the road ahead.
“Need anything, Mr. Rafael?” Ben asks, looking in the rearview mirror, then back to the road.
“Just Rafael, Ben,” Rafael says with a weary sigh. “Have Dr. Morgenstern come over to the house.” He winces as he shifts, pulling me to him. I go willingly. After everything I’ve seen today, the way he fought so he could be with me, and the sudden shift as he’d looked at me through the distance, I’m still his.
The doctor is already waiting on the doorstep when we arrive, and, as usual, he doesn’t ask questions as he assesses Rafael. It’s strange, but I get it. I wouldn’t be much of a talker either after seeing the way Kravic’s Crowd operates.
As soon as we step out of the car, Hawk once again hugs Rafael, says something to him in a low voice. Then turns to face me and smiles, but it doesn't reach his green eyes. He steps back and gets into the car again. With a final wave, he drives off with Ben.
Rafael winces as he unlocks the door and shuffles toward the flight of stairs, and I rush forward, slinging his arm around my shoulder.
“Hawk’s never seen me fight,” Rafael murmurs as I help him up the stairs to his room, the good old doctor trailing behind us. Now I get why he’d looked so dazed. Rafael is a fucking animal when he fights.
“She stays here,” Rafael says, when Morgenstern asks me to leave the room, much to the doctor’s displeasure. It takes almost an hour before he’s done checking for injuries and patching with waterproof dressing. Rafael keeps his eyes focused on mine the whole time, wincing and clenching his jaw at different intervals.
When the doctor finally leaves, Rafael scoots to the edge of bed. “You okay?” I nod, then wince--although I didn’t mean to--when the flat of his palm presses on my lower back. “Look at me, Sophie.” I do. He studies me, a series of emotions sweeping across his face, then sighs and strides to the bathroom. Seconds later, I hear the shower running.
God, I don’t know what to do with everything I’m feeling right now. That fight was the worst kind of brutality I’ve ever seen. Yes, he’d warned me before we walked into that room. But I wasn’t expecting what I saw, and it was damn scary. He’s still the same guy who’s fought half his life, and is still fighting to get back on track. How can I
let him feel bad about this?
I strip and join him in the steaming shower, slipping my arms around his taut waist and kissing his lower back. I feel him tense. “I’m okay,” I say, pressing my forehead against his skin. “Scared shitless, but okay.” I wait, listening to the water as it hits the glass doors, feel it as it cascades down my back.
“Are you scared of me?” he asks without turning.
“I was scared for you. I thought I was going to lose you those first few minutes. How could you do such a thing? Scare me like that?”
He turns in my arms then, and drops to his knees, looking up at me. He blinks through the hot stream of water. “When I went in, I wanted to lose, so Kravic would leave you--us--alone. And then I looked at you across the room and realized how much I loved you. How much you loved me. How much I wanted to protect you and Lilli from people like Kravic. And I realized, even if I died in there, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t come back for you. But you know what finally pushed me to fight?” I shake my head, the emotions of the last three hours slamming into me. I’m glad water is pouring down my face so he doesn’t see me cry. “You. I saw my future--three kids running around in the house, celebrating Christmas and every fucking holiday with our friends. That moment, I saw heaven. And even though hell was calling to me, I wanted that heaven. My heaven.”
A sob slips through and I drop to my knees, crushing my lips to his, before pulling back. “Thank you for coming back to me.”
I grab the washcloth and squeeze some soap on it. “Turn around. I’ll take care of you.” He lifts a brow at me, one side of his mouth inching up. “Offer going once, twice--”
“Fine, fine. I know you can’t resist touching me.”
I lean forward. “I’ll never get enough of touching you. Never.” He shivers, the muscles on his back tight. “Relax.”
WE STEP out of the shower half an hour later, dry off, and crawl into bed wearing nothing but warmth and shivers and the electric buzz whenever our skin touches.
A Need So Insatiable Page 29
