by Alexa Riley
I go to respond, but then all the hairs on my body stand up at the sound of a loud growl. I grab the box from the postman and turn around and run into the house. Moments later I hear squealing tires and I know the postman just booked it out of here, too. I dart into our bedroom, looking for somewhere to hide the box, but Carver is on me.
Panicked, I toss the box. It hits the wall and drops to the floor.
“What did that little prick give you?” he growls, going for the box. I step in front of him.
“Mail. He’s the mailman.”
“We have a mailwoman.” He picks me up and I wrap my legs around him.
“Not today, it seems.” I rest my hands on his shoulders, hoping he forgot about the box.
“I can’t leave this house for five minutes without someone sniffing around you. Maybe my princess needs a tower,” he growls before tossing me on the bed. He goes for the box and I’m no match for his speed.
He rips it open easily and peers inside. He pulls out the straps and tosses them on the bed.
“This will work too.”
I have no idea how long I was in those straps. I only know that I came so many times I passed out in them.
Epilogue
Carver
Seven years later…
It’s been a long day at work, and I’m ready to get home to my Lainey and the boys. Not to mention today’s my birthday. It’s weird because normally Lainey makes a really big deal about birthdays, especially since we’ve had kids. But this morning when I woke up, she was in such a rush she didn’t even mention it.
I let the crew off early today thinking I could make it home before the kids get finished with school, and have some alone time with my wife. But the guys are dragging me to a bar for a beer in celebration of the end of a long project. I thought for a minute they would say it was for my birthday, but nobody said anything. And it’s not like we go around celebrating them for everybody anyway. I agreed to one beer, and then home, and they all seemed excited. Overly excited even.
When we get to the bar off Route Nine the guys pile out of the truck. Bill’s is about a halfway point to home, but it’s a dive and not a place I usually visit. Every now and then I’ll grab a beer with the guys after work, but it’s rare. I’m always so excited to get home to my family after a long day that I’m kicking up dust as soon as it’s quitting time.
Another truck pulls up beside us and the guys from my other crew get out. There’s about fifteen of us going in at the same time and a few of them are giving me looks and slapping me on the back. I’m confused because I don’t understand why everyone is so amped up, but I shrug it off and put it down to finishing up the project we’ve spent the past year on. We’re all ready for a week of rest before we start the next job.
Bill’s is dingy with no windows and little lighting. I don’t want to think about what this place would look like with the lights on. There are a few pool tables in the back and some of the guys head over to them A couple of tables and chairs are against one wall and the bar is lined with stools. The place is basic, but it’s just a pit stop on the way home to Lainey.
Thinking about her alone at home right now has me adjusting my cock. I want her bent over with my dick buried in her cunt. But that’s pretty much how I feel about her every day.
“Here you go, boss,” one of the guys says, handing me my beer. He grins at me when I nod in thanks and take a drink.
“What?” I finally ask when another one of the guys joins him in staring at me with stupid expressions on their faces.
One of them laughs and shakes his head as he goes over to the pool table area. I look around and see that all the men have ended up in that corner and there’s no one else in this bar but us. It’s a Friday afternoon, but there’s usually one or two regulars in the place.
I shrug and walk over, thinking I can probably down this beer and get out of here in about five minutes.
When I walk over to where they are, someone puts on music and the sound fills the empty room. A few of the guys bring chairs over and put one down for me. I sit down wondering what the hell is going on, because Bill’s never has music like this playing.
Suddenly a spotlight comes on from out of nowhere and the guys start cheering. I look around and see that one of them is pushing a cart with a gigantic cake on it, and my chest tightens.
“Happy birthday, boss!” someone shouts over the loud bass.
Fuck, they got me a goddamn stripper. All of the guys are shouting now, catcalling and getting loud. Have they been drinking since before we got here?
I’m about to get up from my seat and get out of here as fast as I can, but they all crowd around me as the cake moves in front of my seat. The music gets heavier and more seductive as the top pops up and more cheers erupt from the crowd.
I don’t want to see this. I don’t want anything to do with a stripper and these assholes. I’m sure they did this as a surprise for my birthday, seeing how they are all in on it, but I’ve only ever wanted one woman and it’s…
“Lainey?” I ask, standing up from my chair so fast it falls behind me.
I see the top of her head rising up with her arms raised above her. The seductive music pounds in my ears, drowning out the screams of all the men around me as she stands and the cake in front of her opens up, revealing all of her.
She’s in a bright yellow bikini that’s so tiny her breasts are spilling out from under the small triangles. Her pussy is covered by a strip of fabric that only goes over the top of her lips, revealing hints of it on either side of the material. It’s a shoe string around her body and I’ve never seen her look hotter.
I blink as she moves her hips, rocking them back and forth as the music continues to sound in my head. Her hair is wild and falls down her back, and as she turns, I see her round ass has a tiny yellow ribbon going down the crack.
It’s then I glance around and see the men have grown silent. Hungry looks have replaced the smiling cheerful ones that were there before. One of them is even openly rubbing his crotch as he stares. I see another lick his lips and a few of them move closer, wanting to touch her. Wanting to touch what’s mine.
Rage like I’ve never felt erupts in my chest and I see red. Adrenaline pumps in my veins as I shove them out of the way and make my way to Lainey. She smiles brightly at me and reaches her arms out as she sees me approach, but the look on my face must shock her because the smile is quickly replaced by panic.
I grab her up and throw her over my shoulder like a rag, swinging around and shouting at anyone that dares to look at her, “Close your fucking eyes! This is my wife!”
I see an open door in the back, which is where she must have come from and where her clothes must be. I stomp in that direction, feeling the old wood floor bend and creak as I go.
“Carver, honey, don’t be angry,” Lainey says from atop my shoulder.
“Angry?” I shout again. “Angry?” Is there another word for anger that means the world is going to explode, because I’m past that.
When I get inside the little room, I put her down and kick the door closed behind us. I stalk over to her and watch as she takes a few steps back, holding up her hands to try to stop me.
“This was supposed to be a fun surprise for your birthday,” she says.
“Fun? You came out of a cake practically naked and every guy in there saw it. Did you see how they looked at you? How every dick in this place got hard and ready to fuck you? Every one of them was picturing their cock sliding past that yellow ribbon and into what’s MINE.”
I reach forward, grabbing the offending material and jerking it from her pussy. Her pink lips are glistening and the fabric is wet.
“Did that turn you on? Dancing for all those men to see?”
“No!” she snaps and straightens up to her full height. “I was turned on thinking about showing off for you. It’s your birthday and I wanted to surprise you.”
I make the mistake of inhaling, and the smell of her cunt hits me. My m
outh waters and some of my anger dissolves.
“I wasn’t naked. I was in something a little revealing, but I thought you’d see it and carry me out of there. I didn’t think you’d actually be angry.” She crosses her arms over her chest, and it causes one of the triangles to move, exposing a pink nipple.
“Get over here,” I order, reaching out and snatching her arm, pulling her flush with my body.
“Don’t be bossy,” she says, and I can see the playfulness in her eyes.
“Is this what you were after?” I spin her around and push her against the closed door, lifting her up so she’s almost eye level with me. “You wanted a hard fuck after that little show. Didn’t you?”
I reach down, pulling out my dripping thickness.
“Maybe,” she says defiantly and raises her chin.
“Well, you’re going to get it. Just know that every one of those roughnecks out there are listening to see what happens next. To see if they can hear how wet your cunt is when I fuck it.”
I thrust into her hard and she cries out, but not in pain. Her creamy pussy wraps around me tight and I ride her hard against the door. The sounds of sex fill the room, and she claws at my neck and shoulders. The thin boards rattle against the frame and bang out the rhythm of my cock as I fuck her.
I can hear shouts on the other side of the room, and I growl. I thrust harder, trying to stamp my ownership into her and remind myself that she’s bound to me by God and law, and none of them will change that.
“Carver!” she shouts as her pussy tightens and she comes on my dick.
The warm release flows down my length and it’s fuel on the fire. I grip her ass harder as I pound into her with full force. I grit my teeth and grunt as my release shoots from my cock hot and fast. It’s not enough to satisfy my possessive need right now, but it’s enough to hold me off until I get home.
Slowly lowering Lainey to the ground, I pull my sweat-stained shirt off my body and put it on her. It comes to her calves and covers nearly every inch of her. I look around and grab her bag from the corner and stalk back over to her.
“This isn’t over. Not by a long shot,” I warn her, and grab her by the waist, hauling her out of the room.
The men are quiet as I exit, and as I look down at Lainey, I notice a hint of a smile. Could this have been her plan all along? My cock is too concerned with fucking her again for me to have a straight thought on it. Right now, my only plan is to get her home and get her under me.
“The boys are having a sleepover tonight,” she casually mentions as I jerk the truck into drive. “So we’ve got the house to ourselves.” I glance over at her and she’s looking up at me with innocent, fuck-me eyes. “You know, so we can talk about tonight. Alone.”
“Convenient,” I growl as her hand moves across the distance between us and then to my hard length.
“Isn’t it?” she says, and the smug hint of getting her way is heavy in her words.
THE END
Pound of Flesh
by Jessa Kane
Beast saw Beauty. And the hunt was on.
A beast has just kicked down my front door.
He’s massive, scarred, just out of prison and refuses to budge.
Unless I go with him.
He’s made it clear what he wants—my untouched body beneath his giant, damaged one.
If I run, he’ll hunt me down and take it.
But when he slips and shows me his desperation…
I’m no longer sure whether I want to run to him or away from him.
Chapter 1
Delilah
So. He’s not how I pictured Prince Charming.
Oh no. The terrifying giant who just kicked in the door of my house is more like the Prince of Death. Or an ogre escaped from a dungeon. His head is shaved, giving the world a perfect view of the scars bisecting his cheek, the crooked angle of his nose. There he stands, ducked below the splintered doorjamb, his lips peeled back in a snarl. Hulk fists curled and shaking. His eyelids are hooded, but the twin slivers of glittering green that zero in on me start my knees knocking.
My brother and his current girlfriend dove behind the couch when the Prince of Death entered the house by incredible force, but I froze. The closest hiding place is the laundry room behind me, but it’s too late. He’s seen me. And I doubt there’s a lock on the planet that could keep this man out.
What does he want?
Very aware that I’m the center of the giant’s intense focus, I cut my gaze toward Roger, my brother. As he peeks over the top of the couch, recognition dawns in his expression, and now I’m really scared. This isn’t just some random robbery; this is yet another person my brother has screwed over. When is he going to learn?
Judging the situation, he might not get the chance. Because we’re all about to be savagely murdered by someone who usually only exists inside nightmares. How unfair is that when I just graduated high school last month? I’ve recently been made a manager at the frozen yogurt shop, guaranteeing I’ll be able to pay for community college classes come fall. My life has barely begun, and now I’m going to be eaten alive.
Figures.
“Are you going to stand up and face me like a man?” The giant roars the question at my brother, but he’s still staring at me. “Or leave this little girl to fight your battles?”
Roger winces, looking to his girlfriend for guidance. She shakes her head and motions for my brother to stay down behind the couch, earning a scowl from me. Oh, real nice. Shows up whenever she pleases, runs up the water bill and eats the food I buy, but now that I’m fixing to get slaughtered, I’m no longer useful.
Resigned to an early death, I figure I might as well go out with some dignity.
“Are you going to pay to fix that door or what?” My voice is shaking, so I lift my chin to compensate. “Our security deposit on this place probably could have covered some cheap funeral expenses. Now the landlord is going to keep the whole darn thing to cover the damage you did.”
Prince of Death’s head tilts so slowly, I swear I hear his neck joints groan. “You’re so sure I’m going to kill you?”
“Well I don’t think you’re here to make me a sandwich.”
Is it my imagination or does the corner of his mouth twitch? “I don’t kill little girls.” He grunts and rests a hand on the broken jamb. Apparently, this is going to be a casual triple murder. “Speaking of which, why are you dressed like a boy?”
Is he trying to make me drop my guard? Seems like a futile exercise since he could snap me like a twig. Glancing down at my navy-blue Dickies work pants and hoodie, I shrug, wishing the ball cap hiding my long, blonde hair was pulled lower so he couldn’t see my self-consciousness. “It’s easier when men come into the shop. They don’t look as much.”
Oh Lord. His frown is so thunderous, my knees start knocking again. In a swift movement, he rips off a chunk of the doorframe, crushing it in his enormous fist, forcing me to trap a scream in my throat. “What. Shop.”
“I’m the manager at Swirly Betty.” Out with some dignity. Out with some dignity. “Best frozen yogurt in the county.”
Nice one, stupid.
“Roger!” the giant shouts. “Why is she working when you stole enough money from me to live comfortably for a fucking decade?”
My brother is now pale as Casper. His girl is definitely contemplating a sprint for the back door. Neither one of them speaks up, though, so once again I fill the silence. “Roger isn’t very good with money management.”
With a look of disgust on his scarred face, the giant scans the living room, taking in the giant flat screen, the collection of gaming consoles, three fish tanks, the lines of cocaine on the coffee table. “I can see that.”
“How do you know I stole your money, Raider?” Roger calls. Finally. “Could be I was just waiting for you to get out of the pen.”
A convict named Raider. Well at least I know the identity of my murderer. Sure, he claims he doesn’t kill “little girls,” but forgive me
for being a little distrustful of the devil’s henchman.
“If you had my money,” Raider intones quietly, still watching me under heavy brows. “You wouldn’t be hiding behind a couch right now like a bitch-ass. You’d be handing it over.”
“Look, man. I just need some time—”
“Fine. Two days.”
My brother laughs shakily. “Shit. That was easier than I thought.” Cautiously, he gets to his feet. “Prison has been good for you, Raider. Made you a lot more reasonable.”
“Wrong.” The giant advances into the living room, the floor creaking violently as he approaches me, his muddy boots leaving tracks. My stomach has twisted around in a full three-sixty, my neck already sore from tilting back to keep him in my line of sight. And he’s still ten feet away. Maybe he’ll spare me if I show respect. Bowing down isn’t my usual MO, but this monster is a far cry from the rowdy teenagers I kick out of the shop sometimes.
No, I’m way out of my league, so I bow my head, clasping my hands together and whispering the word please on an endless loop.
When the Cowboys hat is ripped off my head, allowing my hair to spill out, all the way down to mid-thigh, I beg harder. “You said…please, you said two days. I have a savings account, and you can have it all. Just don’t hurt me or my brother.” I pause. “Do whatever you want with his girlfriend.”
“Hey!” the person in question says across the room. “You little c—”
“Watch it,” Raider growls, whipping his head in the couch’s direction, thus taking his attention off me for the first time since kicking down the door, giving me time to run eyes over his at least seven-and-a-half-foot frame. His black, short-sleeved shirt looks ready to burst open from the pressure of keeping his bulk contained. Tattoos rip down his deeply tanned biceps and forearms, culminating on his bashed-up knuckles. He smells like sweat, cold metal and leather. But none of those details make me whimper.
