by Sophia Gray
“When did you start to suspect he wasn’t who he said he was?”
Torque gave me a long, hard look. “Are you calling me stupid?”
I shook my head. “Not at all,” I said quickly. “I wouldn’t have gotten it either. But the timing is crucial, don’t you think?”
Torque looked away. “Sometimes I think I’m too late,” he said quietly. “I didn’t catch on for so long. I didn’t start to have any idea until he wanted to always meet in this bar downtown. It was always empty and deserted, and I didn’t feel safe having private conversations there.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Do I even want to know where you guys were meeting before?”
Torque shook his head and gave me a dark look. “No. But anyway, this bar was a total shithole. I figured that the only reason he’d want to go there is because he spotted someone else going in. But Peyton was the only guy who ever sat at the bar. I bribed the owner into calling me when The Manticore stopped in.”
“And that’s how you found out?” Despite myself, I was getting wrapped up in the story. I couldn’t believe that I’d been on the edge of something so… sordid for so long.
Torque nodded. “Yup. That’s when I started to suspect something wasn’t right. It was hard to believe that this bar was flooded with The Manticore and his cronies every time I wasn’t around. It could have only been Peyton; there was no one else.” He raked a hand through his short crop of hair. “And once I realiTorque what was going on, it was too late.”
A chill ran through my body. “You didn’t leave me alone with Peyton after you started to suspect anything, right?”
Torque shook his head. “No, Lily,” he said patiently. I was surprised; based on his temper, I expected him to really act like a shithead if I accused him of something like that. “No, when I went back to get you, that’s when I started to know.”
I thought back to that night and everything that had happened—our faux date at the restaurant, and the waitress unable to take her eyes off of Torque. I’d been jealous for one of the first times in my life. Remembering it didn’t exactly make me feel any better, but a mirthless giggle escaped my lips.
“And then?” I looked up.
“And then all the pieces started to fall into place. That old man and I made a bargain. He sold me a gun. I drove out to the warehouse where I knew Peyton was hiding. I was ready to ambush them, but then one of his thugs attacked me from behind. Before I knew it, I was tied up and helpless.”
“Wait,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “How do you mean you just went out there? If you knew about it before, why didn’t you check it before now? Don’t you think that would have helped you find out about Peyton?”
Torque gave a jerk of his head. “That’s not exactly it,” he admitted. “I… I got a phone call from Peyton. He said that he had you.” Torque made eye contact with me, then looked at the floor. “I went ballistic, I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it, Lily, but it felt like I had no other choice.”
I felt like someone had dropped me into a lake of ice water. Another chill ran down my spine and through my limbs. Tears came to my eyes, and I felt as though my heart was going to stop beating.
“They threatened you with me?” I whispered, finally. Torque nodded. He looked ashamed. “And what did they say about me when I got there? Why did you believe them?”
Torque looked supremely uncomfortable. “They had a recording,” he said in a low tone. “It was your voice. They must have been spying on us at some point. They had you calling my name.”
I shook my head. “That n-never happened,” I stammered. “I’ve never even seen one of them before!”
Torque shook his head. “It doesn’t matter,” he said, his tone as hard as stone. “They had you.”
The tears that had welled up in my eyes now threatened to spring unbidden down my face. Torque gave me a strange look, and it took a few moments for me to realize that it was sympathy. The attention was too much to bear; tears started rolling down my cheeks, and I covered my face with my hands.
“Don’t cry, Lily,” Torque said in a strangled voice. “It’ll be okay. It’ll be okay, I promise.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
My body was racked with sobs, and I could barely breathe through my tears. Torque came over and sat close to me, wrapping his arms around me and holding me tight. I kept crying and crying, unable to make myself stop no matter how secure he was making me feel. I closed my eyes tight and buried my face in his chest. Torque wrapped his arms around me and stroked my back.
“Are you gonna be okay?” he whispered in my ear, nuzzling me softly.
I didn’t know if it was the fact I was already upset or the fact that it had been weeks since we’d touched, but between my legs started to grow warm and tingly. I swallowed hard, feeling confused by the flood of emotion in my body. Part of me wanted to keep sobbing on Torque’s shirt, and the other part of me wanted him to carry me back to my bedroom and rip my dress off.
“I’ll be fine,” I said through sniffles. Torque exhaled and put a hand under my chin. He tilted my face up, so I was looking right at him. “What?” I asked softly.
Torque bit his lower lip. “Lily,” he said in a gruff voice. “I really am sorry about this. More than you know. No matter what happens, I promise I’ll always keep you safe.”
A hot tear squeeTorque out of my eye and rolled down my cheek. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” I muttered. “You don’t have to keep me safe, Torque.”
“Yes, I do,” Torque growled out in return. He leaned in close, and I smelt a hint of beer and tobacco on his breath. It was like the return of an old friend, and I closed my eyes in happiness. I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against his.
“I’ve missed you,” I admitted in a soft voice without opening my eyes.
Torque sighed. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to his chest. Through my thin dress, I felt his heart beating. I closed my eyes and tilted my face up for a kiss. When our lips touched, it was like they’d never been apart.
Torque kissed me with urgency. He slipped his tongue between my lips and caressed my own with his. I moaned into his mouth, and Torque grunted and picked me up. Without breaking our kiss, he set me back down on his lap and pressed into my back with his hands.
The itchy material of my dress scratched against my skin and made me squirm. Torque grunted softly and pulled the hemline up, spreading my legs on his lap and wrapping them around his torso. I felt his muscular body pressing against the sensitive spot between my legs, and a wave of desire pushed through me. I groaned softly as Torque’s hands slid down to my ass and squeeTorque each cheek.
“I missed you, too,” Torque whispered in my ear when we broke apart. “But don’t tell anyone or I’ll have to do some awful things to you.”
Shivers ran through my body when he said “awful things.” I looked up at him with a blush on my face.
“Don’t be too awful,” I teased. “I might not survive to tell the story.”
Torque growled. “I’ll do anything I want. And you’ll still enjoy it, Lily. I know you always like what I do to you. You love it, Lily.”
Torque buried a hand in my hair and yanked my head back, so we were gazing into each other’s eyes. His bright green orbs penetrated my whole body, and I felt as though I couldn’t move. I bit my lip, unable to speak. Everything Torque had said to me was the truth. I loved everything he did, I loved every way that he touched me. I could never manage to think about it afterward, but he knew how to turn me on like no other. With a smirk, I thought about how Mark’s touch would have left me limp. This dress would have been wasted on him.
As if reading my mind, Torque nuzzled my shoulder. “No one can please you like me,” he growled out in a low voice. “No one can make you come like I can, Lily,” he murmured into my body. “You’re all mine, forever.”
I shivered as Torque’s hands slid over my body. “I know,” I whispered. My own pleas sounded weak in com
parison. “I’m yours,” I told him. “And I think you know that.”
Torque growled in response. He leaned forward and kissed me savagely, parting my lips with his tongue and shoving it in my mouth. I melted against him and moaned. Torque reached around my back and ripped my dress apart with a practiced hand. The tearing of the fabric sounded incredibly loud and desire pulsed between my legs as I realiTorque soon I’d be naked on Torque’s lap.
With careful hands, he tugged the shreds of fabric away from my skin and tossed them on the floor. The air inside was chilly, and my flesh was instantly pimpled all over. The rough material of Torque’s shirt scratched against my nipples and sent a whole new frenzy of pleasure through my body.
I was clad in only panties and a stick-on strapless bra as Torque moved his hands down my chest. When he felt the gummy material covering my breasts, he frowned. “What is this?”
I laughed nervously. “It’s for performing. It’s so a bra doesn’t show under my dress.”
Torque ripped it off, and I cried out in pain. He cupped my breasts in his rough hands and massaged the nipples until I was howling with pleasure on his lap. When I looked down, my skin was bright red from the force of him removing my bra.
“I like you better like this,” Torque informed me. I could only whimper in response as he caressed my most sensitive areas. “You’re more vulnerable.”
Between my legs, my pussy was throbbing underneath my thin cotton panties. Eagerly, I squirmed and shifted on Torque’s lap, desperate for some pleasure or release. Torque sat still and watched me. His green eyes were blazing with desire, and I shivered when I imagined the final moment of our lovemaking.
Torque shifted, and I slid further down into his lap. His belt buckle rubbed against the crotch of my panties, making me gasp. At my reaction, Torque let out a deep chuckle. He grabbed my knees and pushed his hips against my crotch. Pleasure radiated through my body in hot waves, and I closed my eyes, feeling sweat bead on my forehead.
Torque growled under his breath and leaned forward. I felt his teeth nip at my neck and I shuddered with a loud groan. Between my legs was pulsing and hot. Torque picked me up with one hand and lifted me off his lap, so I was standing in front of him. I felt even more exposed since he was fully dressed; my thin panties were soaked with my arousal, and I wiggled, feeling the material slide against my sensitive skin.
Torque looked at me and licked his lips. “You’re perfect,” he said under his breath. “You’re a fucking angel, Lily.”
I blushed. “I’m not,” I said quietly.
Torque shook his head and held his finger up to my lips. Slowly, he traced it down my neck and over my collarbone. When he got to my breasts, he circled my nipples with his index finger until I was moaning in pleasure. A hot blush spread up my neck and over my cheeks and forehead as he teased me relentlessly.
Just when I was about to cry out in agony, Torque stood up and walked into the kitchen. I heard the freezer door opening and then slam shut. When Torque returned, he was carrying an ice tray. My heart started to pound even faster, and I shook my head from side to side. Torque gave me a wicked grin and cracked the tray in his hands.
Cubes of ice jumped to the floor; one landed on my foot, and I shivered at the cold sensation on my hot skin. Torque reached down and grabbed a couple of the ice cubes. He held his hand out close to my face and caressed my cheek with the frozen cube. I shivered instinctively; it was cold, but it felt amazing against my overheated skin.
Torque grinned as he slipped two of his fingers with an ice cube into my mouth. “Suck,” he commanded. “Show me what a good little girl you are.”
Blushing furiously, I locked eyes with Torque and began to suck and lick his fingers. He bit his lip and groaned in pleasure as I flicked my tongue over the rough skin and smooth ice. Torque’s hands were so big that my jaw was straining almost immediately, but I kept sucking, pulling his fingers so far into my mouth that I was almost gagging.
Drips of water and saliva ran down my chin, and Torque gently wiped them away with his free hand before pulling his fingers out of my mouth. He tossed the almost-melted ice cube on the carpet and grabbed a fresh one out of the tray. Without removing his eyes from me, Torque reached out and stroked the cube down my neck.
I shuddered at the sensation; unlike on my face, I felt goosebumps where the ice touched my skin. Torque slowly stroked his hand down my torso and wiped my breasts with the ice. I moaned loudly, and Torque grinned. He reached over with his free hand and squeeTorque one of my breasts. His other hand was remarkably warm, and I purred as the hot and cold sensations rocked my whole world.
He slipped the ice cube over my nipple and traced a torturous circle around the areola. My nipple puckered and stood out painfully hard. Torque removed the ice and leaned close to my body. When he was only a few inches away from my bare skin, he gently blew. His warm breath felt amazing, and I shivered as my skin began to thaw.
Torque grinned at me and slipped the ice cube down my belly. He traced a little wet circle around my belly button, and I shivered again. When he got to my panties, he looked up at me with his green eyes blazing.
I bit my lip, unsure of what he was going to do. Torque slipped a finger inside the waistband of my panties and tugged them down just a bit. He reached forward and poked at the little tuft of pubic hair that poked out. I blushed and looked up at the ceiling, but a sharp tweak to one of my nipples made me cry out and look back down at Torque.
“You keep your eyes on me,” he instructed. “You don’t ever look away from me, or I’ll punish you.”
I nodded solemnly, feeling a warm gush of arousal between my legs. Torque licked his lips and leaned closer. Before I knew what he was doing, he slipped the cube of ice into my panties. The cold sensation against my pussy shocked me; I cried out and wriggled, trying to move the ice cube away from my clit.
Torque grinned and stuck his finger out, tracing damp circles on the cotton. I felt the ice melting but the water was incredibly cold, and I began to plead with him to touch me.
“Spread your legs,” Torque commanded. “And if you let the ice out of your panties, you’ll regret it.”
I murmured obedience and gracefully tried to widen my stance. As I did, the ice cube shifted. Cold water leaked through my panties and streamed down my leg. The sensation felt remarkably like I had pissed myself and I blushed a furious crimson red. Torque’s grin widened, and he growled at me.
“More ice,” he commanded. “It melted too fast that time.”
“No,” I begged. “Please. Please, Torque. Please fuck me right now!”
Torque shook his head. He reached into the ice tray and pulled out two big cubes, slipping them into the crotch of my panties. Even though my skin felt frozen, to begin with, the new addition of more ice was almost painful. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I thrust my hips forward in an attempt to get the ice away from my sensitive pussy. Soon, the two cubes began to melt, and I felt their hard edges soften inside my panties. Every time I moved or wriggled, the wet fabric brushed against my clit and made me pulse with desire.
Torque got to his hands and knees and crawled between my spread legs. When he kneeled on the carpet, his face was eye-level with my pussy. Licking his lips, he leaned forward and tongued my little strip of pubic hair. I shivered at the feel of his warm, rough tongue against my bare skin.
Torque reached up and planted his hands firmly on my ass cheeks. He gripped the flesh tightly between his fingers and wrenched them apart, so my labia was parted. I shrieked as the ice cubes slid down in my crotch and made contact with my exposed and swollen clit. Pleas and cries escaped my mouth and tears rolled down my cheek with the unexpectedly intense sensation.
With a growl, Torque nipped at the inside of my thigh. He licked some of the water that was dripping down the side of my leg and then placed his mouth over my crotch. Through my soaked panties, he began to suck and lick at me with his hot mouth. I felt the remnants of the ice melt almost instantly as he ravis
hed my pussy with his tongue.
Moaning, I leaned down and rested my hands on his head. Torque tightened his grip on my ass and buried his face in my crotch, snuffling and licking and sucking with abandon. The sensation was incredibly intense, and soon I felt small shocks of pleasure in my crotch. I moaned Torque’s name loudly and threw my head back. My cries echoed off the ceiling and thin walls of my apartment.
Torque pulled away and yanked my sodden panties down with one hand. The lukewarm air of the room felt chilly against my wet skin. He slid his hands down my legs and grabbed my ankles, making me spread even farther. The muscles in my thighs ached almost at once, and I shuddered knowing that Torque could see every inch of my exposed pussy and ass.
He nipped at my labia, and I shrieked with pleasure. Without warning, he plunged one of his fat fingers inside of me. He began to pump it in and out of my pussy, and soon I felt my arousal dripping down onto his hand. My legs felt weak and shaky, and I moaned even louder, digging my fingers into Torque’s scalp.
