by Ashley Jade
“The woman didn’t deserve your love, Eden.” He touches my elbow. “Sometimes people do shitty things we have no control over, and we excuse it because we love them.” His hand slides around my waist and he lifts me up. “But that’s not a reflection of you. Her problems were just that…hers. You don’t have to keep making them yours.”
I bury my head in the crook of his neck as he walks us over to his chair and sits.
Deep down I know he’s right, but I don’t know how to get out of this cycle. I don’t know how to conquer my past or my disorders and be my own person.
Because of Cain.
I wanted to be loved so badly I ached for it, but I never wanted to be someone’s puppet.
Damien was right. I’m pathetic.
He runs his fingertips up and down my vertebrae. “It hurts like hell right now, and you might feel like your life is over, but this isn’t where it ends. Take your broken pieces and mold them into whatever you want to be. Not what Cain or anyone else wants.”
How can I become something else when I don’t even know who I was to begin with?
Easy. I can’t. I don’t get to start from scratch, because I don’t have anything left that’s worth rebuilding.
My pieces are ugly. Used and manipulated for someone else’s enjoyment.
And it’s not like I can pretend the warning signs weren’t there. Cain’s hurt me so many times I’ve lost count. And each time he’s cut a little deeper.
It was only a matter of time before I’d bleed out.
“I hate him.”
I hate myself for not being stronger.
And for once, my awareness isn’t followed by a swell of love or a trail of tears.
Because there are no more tears left to cry. There’s no more love left to give. There’s no more heart left to break.
There’s nothing but emptiness.
Actually, that’s not quite right. There’s one emotion registering loud and clear.
Rage twists my insides, it’s so intense I shake with the force of it.
I want Cain Carter to burn.
But I don’t want to stand by and watch the flames consume him. No, I want to crawl inside his soul and light the match. I want to taste his pleads and siphon his last breath.
I want to diminish him to a shell of everything he used to be.
“Damien?”
“Yeah?”
I shift myself on his lap so I’m straddling him. “I don’t trust you.”
There’s no way in hell I’d be stupid enough to trust anyone after this—let alone a man like Damien King.
“But I think it’s safe to say you have a partner…for the time being.”
He raises a dark brow. “Ok—”
“A partner, not a prisoner. I refuse to be confined to my room. I want to be able to go wherever I please whenever I please.”
“Fine,” he grits through his teeth.
I’m not done yet. “I’ll also need money. Cain controls every cent I have, and if you want me to parade around on your arm and be your fiancée, I deserve to be paid.”
I might not be street savvy, but I know money is important. Unfortunately, it’s something I don’t have…and there’s no way I can start over without some.
“Consider it done.” His eyes darken. “Is there anything else you want?”
I flash Damien a coy smile as I sink to my knees.
I want to ruin his life...like he ruined mine.
Cain wanted my world to begin and end with him…
And so help me God, it’s going to.
Chapter 21
Damien
“What are you doing?”
She tugs on my belt. “Just because I don’t trust you, doesn’t mean we can’t have fun.”
I’ve never been one to turn down sex from someone I’m attracted to, let alone drawn to like a moth to a flame, but I don’t like not knowing what the other person’s intentions are.
Especially hers.
Eden could be on my side one day…then Cain’s the next.
I grind my molars. I don’t like it.
“You should go to bed.”
Although she keeps her expression impassive, I know my comment stung. Eden’s eyes reveal everything.
They’re little oceans of depth. When she’s happy, they sparkle. When she’s sad, they dim.
And when she’s angry—they’re sharp like razor blades.
Without a word, she stands, dismissing me and my erection without a second glance.
The bulge in my pants grows as she walks toward the door with her head held high.
She wants to make me eat my words…and it’s working. The confidence dripping from her is an aphrodisiac. One that has me yearning to get under her skin so I can find out what it takes to make her bleed, and then fillet her wide open.
See what she’s really made of.
Turning her head slightly, she glances at me over her shoulder. “If you’re worried about me catching feelings...don’t. The only thing I feel right now is anger.” She shrugs. “Having sex with the man Cain hates seemed like a good way to deal with it tonight.”
Her words turn my dick to steel, but it’s that peek of vulnerability lurking underneath all her bravado that does my head in.
And that alone should be enough of a warning to keep my distance.
My muscles tighten. She’s supposed to be Cain’s bait…not mine.
The sound of her bare feet padding out of my office and down the hall taunts me.
The longer you resist something…the more you want it. That’s the way it goes for most people.
But I’m not like most people. I’ve never been good at denying my urges.
It’s far more satisfying to indulge in them.
I’m on my feet so fast I’m certain there’s a trail of smoke behind me.
My dick twitches, keeping in time with my rapid heartbeat as I approach my target.
She’s almost to the end of the hall when I snatch her arm and shove her against the wall.
“What—”
“I like to fuck on my terms.” I tear the thin tank top she’s wearing down the middle and push down her shorts and panties. “Not yours.”
I suck and lick my way down her smooth body. Christ. I should ban her from wearing clothes from here on out. It’d make it easier to taste and fuck all my favorite places.
I bite her hip. “Spread your legs.”
Kicking her clothes out of the way, she does what I ask.
“Good girl.”
Her breathing becomes choppy as I bury my face between her thighs and proceed to make out with her pussy.
Eden’s whimpers fill the space between us as I continue working her over, taking her in long licks that end with a quick flick of her clit.
“I’m coming,” she pants, tightening and spasming around my tongue. “Fuck, I’m coming so hard.”
My dick grinds against my zipper as her climax fills my mouth and she cries out my name.
I nip and lick my way back up her body, pausing briefly so I can suck those pretty peach nipples into my mouth.
She’s still catching her breath when I slide my hands under her ass and stand up.
It’s too dark in this hallway. I want to see her deep throat every inch of me.
She wraps her legs around my waist. “Where are we going?”
“Back to my office so you can return the favor.”
Heat zips up my spine. Her hot, naked body pressed against me makes the short walk to my chair feel like a goddamn eternity.
I bite her bottom lip as we sink against the cool leather. “Show me what this mouth can do with a cock.”
The neon lights from the fish tank illuminate her perfect form as she sinks down to her knees.
She’s tugging at my zipper when I notice a wet spot on the end of my shirt.
Slipping my hand under her neck, I draw her attention back to me. “Open.” When she does, I stuff the damp fabric between her parted lips. “Suck your cum
off my shirt.”
A flush creeps up her cheeks as they hollow.
“You like the taste of your cunt?”
Her blush deepens as she nods. However, there’s no mistaking the naughty glint in her eye.
A grin twists my lips. “I do, too.” Lowering my pants, I give myself a languid stroke. “Now be a good girl and put my cock in your mouth.”
I fist her hair as she wraps her hand around my shaft, her mouth hovering over the tip.
“Such a tease,” I hiss, tightening my grip. “Keep it up and I’ll make you choke on it.”
Smirking, she gives the head of my cock swift feather light licks, intentionally goading me.
Fucking hell. She’s playing with fire.
Instinct takes over, tossing whatever smidgen of conscience I might have had when it came to Eden out the window.
I sit forward and place both my hands on the back of her head. “Take a deep breath.”
That’s the only warning she gets before I drive into her mouth so hard I hit her tonsils.
She gags while I fuck her face. The sound is music to my ears.
I grunt as I pick up speed, lashing my dick into her throat with such vigor my balls slap against her neck.
She takes it like a champ though, attempting to suck me through her gag reflex as trickles of saliva dribble down her chin.
She looks so fucking hot and dirty. It takes some serious willpower not to shoot my load all over her face, then make her motorboat my sac before forcing her to lick me clean.
“Fuck.” I ease up so I can watch my cock glide in and out of her mouth.
It’s not long before my bad girl takes over, sucking me down in deep pulls.
“Faster.”
Grunting, I clutch the armrest. If I’m not inside her soon, I’m liable to kill someone.
Peering down, I crook a finger at her. “Get up here and ride me.”
She claws at my shirt as she rises, running her tongue over my abs. “I need this off.”
I remove it and she climbs on my lap.
“I’ve never done this before.” Her embarrassment is tangible as she straddles me. “I might be bad at it.”
“Don’t worry, lamb.” My hands fasten around her hips, suspending her above my thick crown now weeping with pre-cum. “I’ll show you how I like to be fucked.”
She wraps her arms around my neck. The position feels intimate. Too intimate. But I can’t seem to put my foot on the brake.
I’m not sure I want to.
My head swims with greed as I steadily lower her onto my dick.
Eden became mine the night I took her from Cain.
And I have no intention of giving her back.
“Jesus.” She rests her forehead against mine. “This is…not like the last time.”
It’s almost mesmerizing the way her face changes and her breathing picks up with every inch I sink into her.
It’s as if she’s taking me into her soul rather than her body. Granting me access so I can corrupt and toughen her up.
My lips twitch. We both know I didn’t have to fuck her to do it, but this way is much more fun.
She gasps and holds on tighter as I fill her to the hilt, her tight pussy stretching to accommodate me.
“This is mine while you’re with me.” All mine. I kiss the column of her throat as I lift her hips, steering her movements. “No one gets access to your cunt without begging me for permission first. Understand?”
Her eyelids flutter closed as she matches my rhythm. “And if they don’t?”
I sink my teeth into her collarbone and thrust deeper, causing her to flinch. “I’ll slit their throat…and make you lick their blood off the floor.”
I hold her stare as I pump into her harder.
If she thought I was kidding…she doesn’t anymore.
Loyalty is the most important thing to me. I refuse to be fooled again.
I pull back and slam into her. “Cross me and I’ll spend the rest of my life ruining yours.” I grip the base of her neck. “Consider this your only warning.”
She swallows. “I won’t fuck anyone else without your permission.” Her eyes turn hard. “Except Cain.”
Jealousy simmers in my chest. I’m a second away from shoving her off me and tossing her into the fish tank when she palms my jaw.
“You’re not the only one who wants revenge, Damien.”
She has a point. And if I’m being honest with myself, she deserves it even more than I do.
“He’ll suffer more if you tease him,” I tell her because I know Cain Carter like the back of my hand. “Mess around and bring him to the brink, but don’t let him fuck you.”
He doesn’t get that luxury.
She opens her mouth to speak, but her attention drifts to something behind me.
“Of course you’re screwing the town slut,” Tanya, my soon-to-be unemployed maid shrieks, as though she has any right to question me about my sex life.
She’s been a thorn in my side since the minute I hired her. The only reason I’ve kept her around is because she’s so desperate for my attention she’ll do anything for it. And I mean anything.
I’m about to tell the scat play princess to fuck off, but then I notice the look on Eden’s face.
“You can either stay the lamb…or become the slaughterer,” I rasp in her ear. “If you want something, step up and claim it.” I lean back in the chair. “Because there’s only room for one queen in a castle.”
She worries her bottom lip between her teeth. I can sense she wants to tell the bitch to eat dirt. But she’s not ready yet.
I’ll have to handle this for her.
“You need to go—”
“No.” Eden’s lips curve into a cruel smirk and she rolls her hips in a way that makes me groan. “Let her watch.”
Placing a hand on my chest, she eases back slightly...then proceeds to ride me so good Tanya sniffles behind me.
Lust and pride swell in my chest. She’s practically glowing as she glares daggers at the maid.
A few seconds later, the basement door slams shut.
Blood boiling, I dig my fingers into the flesh of her ass and stand up.
“Wha—”
Papers and various objects hit the floor as I throw her down on my desk. “Queens get rewarded.”
I pin her legs to her chest. “First with my mouth.” She writhes and moans as I take turns sucking her pussy lips before giving her clit the same treatment. “Then with my cock.” Straightening my spine, I thrust inside her in one fluid motion.
She hisses as I quicken the pace, causing the desk to rock underneath her. “Oh, God.”
Her chest heaves, lifting those heavy tits high and I slap one. “That’s not my name.”
“Damien.” Her eyes roll back as I reach down and rub her clit vigorously. “It’s…fuck.” The swollen flesh pulses beneath my fingertips and I give it to her harder.
A hoarse cry rips from her throat and she jerks violently, clamping my cock like a vise as a rush of warm fluid seeps out of her.
Eden looks mortified, but I shake my head, convulsing as I pull out and spray my cum all over her drenched cunt. “I appreciate a good pussy shower.” I reach inside my desk drawer for my cigarettes. “Have a good night.”
She fidgets behind me as I settle back in my chair, focusing on the fish tank.
I expect her to complain about me dismissing her, but she doesn’t.
She maneuvers herself on my lap and watches the fish.
Chapter 22
Eden
“Today is important,” Damien growls, the deep timbre of his voice going straight to my core.
“I know.”
You’d think it would be me giving the pep talk on account it’s his big day, but nope. The second we walked through the back doors of townhall, he grabbed my hand and ushered me into an abandoned conference room.
His expression sets. “Put your game face on.”
I look him in the eye. “It’s on.”<
br />
“If anyone starts with you, make them eat shit.”
I start to smile but hold it in. “I will.”
With that, I head for the door.
I’m almost there when he latches onto my waist, steering me until my spine meets the wall.
My pulse accelerates as he takes in my red heels and black dress. It hugs my curves and shows a tad bit too much cleavage, but I chose it because Geoffrey’s jaw nearly hit the floor when I put it on.
It made me feel powerful and sexy. Intimidating.
The heat emanating from Damien as he lingers on my red lips tells me I chose right.
But I swear to God I’ll put up a fight if he insists I change or cover up.
He tilts my chin. “Stunning.”
Butterflies swarm in my belly when he closes the distance between us. I’m almost positive he only meant to give me a chaste kiss, but what happens when his lips meet mine is nothing short of electric. And I know he feels it too because he makes a noise deep in his throat as he coaxes me to open my mouth wider, teasing me the way a snake would its prey. Slowly and methodically.
The moment our tongues touch, the kiss turns fervent and reckless. I can feel his erection straining in his pants, desperate to be free as he explores every inch of my mouth and I do the same to him, unable to get enough.
I don’t know what this pull is between us and I don’t care. All I know is the second Cain broke my heart for the very last time—Damien came riding in on his dark horse, offering to teach me how to build a stronger one.
Still doesn’t mean I trust him fully. Not until I find out why he killed Cain’s father and brother.
A sizzle of heat zips down my spine when his hand finds my breast and he gives it a firm squeeze. I pant as he sucks the tip of my tongue and walks his fingers down the buttons of my dress…never undoing a single one.
Jesus. His kisses should be deemed a sin.
“Damien—”
The ground beneath me gives way as he lifts the hem and cups me.
Our eyes lock and my breath hitches when he traces the lace pattern of my panties with his thumb, deliberately drawing out my anticipation.
“My mouth will be here later.” A tremor goes through me when he moves them aside and slowly circles my clit. “Remember that if you need something to ease your jitters.”
