by Shara Azod
“You do realize with this new information I’ll be forced to deal with the remaining Petrics for this grievous misrepresentation?” Nadir kept right along with the line Alicia was feeding him.
Like she cared. That family gave her nothing but grief. Even though those that remained had nothing to do with her own life of hell with Grgur or with him selling Deja, they’d watched their brother torment her for years. They too had women more or less bought, kept against their will. She hated that family, hated their grasping greed, their coarseness, and most of all their cruelty. It didn’t matter if Nadir wiped them off the face of the earth; sooner or later this was bound to happen. They were too stupid not to run afoul of someone more powerful, more ruthless.
“Mr. von Blucher and I will, of course, assist,” Claus added eagerly. There was no doubt he’d probably planned on this course of action anyway.
Nadir’s eyebrow rose once more as he regarded them with new eyes. So, he hadn’t known until now she and Claus were together, but she could see the pieces clicking into place for him. Not that she cared what he thought, but she was willing to bet someone would pay for the oversight. The Duke struck her as a man who liked to be fully informed on who he was dealing with. That dead man’s gaze stared pointedly at Claus’ hand on her shoulder, up to Claus, then finally back to her.
“I’m really going to have to visit America soon,” he murmured more to himself than anyone else in the room. “Such fascinating women.” Catching himself, he straightened, looking toward Claus. “The offer is accepted. Please inform Herr von Blucher I can’t accept his money. The debt, as Madame so aptly stated, is on the Petrics. Their Eastern European operations are recompense enough. Please give Herr von Blucher and his lovely bride my blessings. You seem to have both found priceless treasures in your women.”
He really meant that. There was genuine regret in his voice, though no ire. Alicia felt another pang of sympathy for the man. However, her relief was far greater. Just one more hurdle to jump, and she would be well and truly free.
Chapter Ten
The ride back to the hotel was proving to be hell. Not because Claus felt any anxiety at what had transpired with Nadir; he couldn’t be happier with the end result. No, it was hell because his dick throbbed so hard his head ached from the need. He’d known from the first look that Alicia was one hell of a woman under all the shit life had dumped on her. What he hadn’t quite realized was how fully she’d come into her own. How could he not be proud of her? How the hell could he not be turned on? The way she’d kept her cool and smoothly turned what could’ve been a volatile situation on its head to everyone’s mutual benefit was masterful. Placing the blame on a dead man was something he’d never considered. Both he and Dieter had been prepared for a long, drawn-out conflict.
Thank God Nadir hadn’t wanted Deja as much as street whispers had suggested. But then, street whispers often spewed lies, half-truths and gross exaggerations.
“I’m so relieved.” Alicia sighed happily, snuggling into his side.
Fuck, she was so soft! Thinking of how perfectly those soft curves melted against him, yielding everything to his touch…damn it, he really needed to be inside her soon. Without thinking, the hand that had casually massaged her shoulder moments before drifted down to her biceps, scant inches from her breasts. The most perfect breasts in the world: not too large, not too small. They fit perfectly in his mouth, and he was a greedy bastard. He watched his hand as if it belonged to someone else, fascinated the way the tips of his fingers grazed the sides of her breasts. Sheiße, the way her body shuddered from the barest touch made him throb harder.
“Take the long way to the hotel,” Claus growled at the driver. “If your gaze wanders from the road, I will take your fucking eyes out with a toothpick.”
Perhaps that was too harsh. He probably should’ve just threatened to kill the man. Thank God he’d gotten a car with tinted windows. The idea of killing everyone in sight might not be something Alicia would accept, and Claus simply couldn’t wait any longer to have her.
“You know, one thing I love about you is how subtle you are.” Alicia giggled, climbing over to straddle him.
He loved how she accepted him, how she allowed him to be himself without trying to change him. And thank God she’d understood his need because he couldn’t think straight right about now. All he could think about was being a part of her, inside her, reaffirming his claim. Fuck, he needed her skin on his, he wanted to look into her eyes and see himself reflected there. God knows, she lived inside him, invading every formerly empty space in his heart and mind. Everything he had, everything he was belonged to her. The drive to implant a piece of himself inside her was driving him insane.
“I need you, baby,” Claus growled, his hand snaking up the skirt of her dress. “I can’t wait.” The crotch of her panties was hurriedly pushed aside, his thick fingers shoving insistently into her snug, wet heat. The sound of her anguished gasp made his cock jump. Good girl that she was, Alicia responded by grinding down on him, even with his fingers pushing deep into her cunt. “I don’t know if I can be gentle.” In fact, he knew he couldn’t. Not with the sweet, tangy smell of her desire flooding the confined space.
“Don’t be,” she moaned just before placing a soft, wet kiss on his lips. So very sweet. Best of all, she didn’t stop moving against the rock of his erection. “I need you to stop being gentle, always giving me control. I want you to show me how much you want me.”
Why the hell did she have to go and say something like that? His dick was out of his pants in less than a heartbeat, the thick head pushing to get inside her. Even though she was tight, so fucking snug around his shaft, he was leaking copious amounts of pre-cum to ease his way. Not that she wasn’t wet enough. The way she flooded for him made his eyes cross. Taking hold of the generous globes of her ass, he drove up hard, managing to impale her on half his dick.
“I want to eat you until you can’t do anything more than shake and whimper for me.” God, how he wished there was space. He wished the need to be inside her wasn’t so urgent. “I want to devour every part of you.” Because he couldn’t feast between her legs, he would take her breasts. Tugging down the front of her dress, his mouth fastened down on a dark chocolate nipple as soon as it was bare.
Claus was nothing but ravenous greed as he sucked while he shoved upward in hard, persistent thrusts. With every push, more and more of his cock slowly was sucked into her compact little pussy. The way her nails dug into his shoulders sent shockwaves of raw lust rushing through his body. Every breathy groan was praise to his ears. Planting his feet firmly on the car floor, he thrust harder, harder until he was fully embedded. Only then did he pause, tearing his mouth away from her chest.
“Look at me, Alicia.” While she was the very study of exquisite ecstasy with her eyes closed and her head thrown back, he needed to see her eyes. More than anything, he needed to see what he did to her, needed her to see what she was doing to him. The untamed savagery she inspired in him, it shocked him, scared him, but God he wanted more. “Do you see what you do to me, schatz? I’m nothing more than an animal when I’m inside you.”
Not smooth, certainly not exactly what he’d meant to say, but nonetheless true. But contrary to his words, he didn’t move now that he was completely inside her. Instead, he used the hold he had on her behind to press her more fully into him, not allowing her to move, either. Drinking in the sight of her skin glistening in the dying spring sunlight, he was in awe of her timeless beauty. In this light, the rich earth tones of her skin appeared to glow with golden highlights. There was just something so damn ethereal about her, an agelessness that was so fucking gorgeous, it was hard to believe she was real, that she was in his arms. The way she could get lost in pleasure was amazing. A precious gift he could never repay. She humbled him every bit as much as she made him hungry.
“I need to move,” she begged, her quim tightening around him in delightful little spasms. There was a frantic look in her eyes
, almost feral, as her nails dug even deeper into him. He welcomed the pain; it helped to keep him grounded. “God, Claus, I need you so much. I need to move. I need you to move.”
“I know, I feel it.” After a quick glance toward the driver to ensure the man wasn’t sneaking a peek, Claus guided her body up his shaft slowly before slamming them back together again. “And I will give you what you need.”
He couldn’t allow her to move. There was no way he could handle that. So he set the pace, keeping the glide of his dick slow and measured while watching her intently. The steady pulsations of her pussy grew stronger, increasing in number. He had to stop all movement several times just to hold on. Every ounce of the frantic desire reflected in her eyes, he felt just as keenly. He wanted it to last just a little longer. God knows he was driving himself crazy every bit as much as he was tormenting her, but torture had never felt so intoxicating!
Without warning, he withdrew completely, turning her to face forward before entering her from behind. He couldn’t take it anymore. The plea in her eyes was too much. This time when he entered her, he went in smooth, able to bury himself balls-deep without problem. Pushing her back so that she lay against his chest, he reached between her thighs to press his finger against her clit. Even though she bucked at this new stimulus, he was able to keep them closely locked together.
Waiting until her body ceased shaking, he began to tap against her sensitive nubbin as he began rocking their bodies. With his other hand, he rolled her nipples between his forefinger and thumb.
“Do you see how the driver tries to ignore what we are doing?” he murmured against her ear before tugging the delicate lobe with his teeth. “He wants to look. He wants to see my beautiful woman lost in ecstasy. But he knows I would see him, and I would kill him. You are mine. No one dares look at what belongs to me. No one dares disrespect you as long as I draw breath.” That was perverse of him, he knew, yet he could feel her cunt contracting around him at his words. Fuck, this was killing him. “He can smell you, smell us. He hears the sweet way you cry out for me. I bet he’s rock hard fantasizing, imagining himself where I am now.” More contractions, more flooding. He had to push her forward so he had more room to move. Then he slammed into her as he spoke. “He wants you, but he will never have you.” His hips propelled her forward so hard, she had to brace herself against the front seat. It was sick, so wrong, but damned if he could stop. “You belong to me. Just me. Only me. I claim you forever as my own. My heart, my fucking everything.”
More words than he’d spoken in as long as he could remember. But once he started he couldn’t stop any more than he could stop pounding into her. This was his woman, his salvation. His chest burned, his balls so tight as he drove relentlessly inside her. He pressed on her clit, steadily driving inside until she exploded all around him, her juices rushing through her channel even as her vaginal walls cradled his cock tightly, convulsing all around him until he no choice but to explode along with her.
There was no world outside the car. Not even the driver existed in that moment. There was only this, only them.
“I wasn’t alive until the day I met you,” Claus heard himself say as they collapsed back against the seat, a tangle of arms and legs. “I can’t live without you.”
“The feeling is mutual,” Alicia murmured against his chest, stroking his very soul with her words. “Good thing for us both I am never letting you go.”
Indeed. There would definitely never be any letting go.
Chapter Eleven
South Carolina was beautiful in the spring, yet it depressed the hell out of Alicia just being in the state. Riding on a country road through the dense foliage of evergreens, high green bushes and shrubs, all peppered with an infusion of red, violet, pink and white. Moss-covered branches from twisted pines and spruce trees curved over the road, dripping in Spanish moss as if it were nature’s own canopy. She hated it.
“It’s beautiful here,” Claus offered, quietly taking her hand to give it a reassuring squeeze.
To her, the natural beauty was just a façade. The picturesque exterior hid a very ugly underbelly. The kind where neighbors ignored the neglect and abuse of a helpless child. The kind where teachers and school officials judged a child on who her parents were or what they did. Alicia’s mother had been a single parent with substance abuse issues when she was very young. There were plenty of days when she wouldn’t eat, plenty of nights she shivered under a threadbare blanket with no other heat in whatever hovel they happened to live in at the time. Back then, life was either feast or famine—mostly famine.
Then her mother met Perry Mills. Or rather, the Reverend Perry Mills. To Alicia, he was Satan incarnate. To the outside world, the good reverend had cleaned up Patty Washington, the local junkie slut, made her a respectable wife. Only Alicia knew he weaned her off illegal drugs with legal ones. And as far as being a devoted stepfather to Patty’s little bastard daughter, well, he was far more the monster under Alicia’s bed. The man was a woman-beating, sharp-tongued pedophile. But her mother hadn’t wanted to hear any of that. The one person in the word who was supposed to protect her had shut her eyes and turned her back on her only child. “Be nice to your father” was all her mother ever said. Perry wasn’t her fucking father. He was evil.
Thinking about it now made Alicia want to retch.
“No. I won’t allow ghosts of your past to give you nightmares now in your present,” Claus admonished, reading the direction of her thoughts. “I’m your present and your future. I’m here with you. I’ll never allow anything to hurt you. Not even ghosts.”
Their little trip to Berlin had apparently been more cathartic than she’d thought. Good. She was glad Claus had come to terms with his past. Now it was time for her to do the same, she supposed.
The small town smack in the middle of nothing was slowly coming into view. How ugly it seemed amongst the cypress, pine and oak trees, a sea of lush Bermuda grass and a rainbow of spring flowers blooming proudly from leafy green shrubs. Because she and Claus rode in the back of the town car, the buildings weren’t very clear in the distance, but she could still see everything looked just as old and worn-down as it had when she was a kid. Although their speed didn’t change, it seemed time slowed the closer they came.
Fontaine, South Carolina, population 347 according to the faded painted sign. Alicia’s heart leapt as they drove past it. There was no turning back now. It was if passing the city limits made this trip suddenly all too real. There was a car lot right on the edge of town boasting low, low prices and quality cars. From what she could see, the cars looked like this might be their last stop before the junkyard. There was one supermarket, a Piggly Wiggly, two banks and two gas stations. All in all, she counted two new businesses—the car lot and a McDonald’s.
There was little to no activity on the streets. But of course not—today was Sunday. Most people would still be in church. Not that anyone would recognize her anyway. She’d been fifteen when she ran away with Deja’s father Ray. Two years later, Ray was dead and she was sold to Grgur. Funny how just driving through town made her feel the same suffocation she’d felt way back when. The place was stiflingly oppressive, with an aura of hopelessness thrown in for good measure.
They had to drive through the main part of town before turning on a dirt road about a half-mile out. Perry and her mother lived off the beaten track, which was perfect for the sadist fuck. No one to witness his crimes. The isolation had been horrible, but no doubt purposeful on his account. Alicia found herself hiding her face as soon as the quaint little country home came into view. She felt sick, hot and cold all at once, her stomach roiling thinking about her past here.
“Alicia, you can face this,” Claus prodded quietly. “You must.”
There was no vehicle in the carport. Still. Claus climbed out of the car, pulling her out after him. With purposeful strides he made his way to the door, opening it as if he belonged. Of course it wasn’t locked. Who would come all the way out here just to s
teal? What was there to steal?
Walking in was like walking back in time. The flowered furniture was worn, but well kept, covered in crocheted white throws. Perry’s armchair sat square in front of the old floor-model TV, the couch off to the side. She could see straight down the hall that led to the bedroom and shivered. She wouldn’t be going back there. Not for anything.
“We wait,” Claus announced unnecessarily, sitting in the armchair and pulling her into his lap.
It was a power play, she knew. He chose the chair he knew to belong to the man of the house as a challenge. And she also knew he wasn’t going to move until the man of the house saw him in it. They didn’t have long to wait. Only a few minutes passed before she heard a car pull up. She tried to stand, but Claus held her in his lap.
“Wait,” was all he said.
Heart pounding, she had little excuse not to do just that. The footsteps up the front porch were hurried; she could clearly hear her mother’s voice. “There’s a man in the car behind the wheel, but he don’t look to be moving.”
God, that voice! It made her feel like a scared five-year-old just hearing it.
“I am here, Süße,” Claus murmured. “I have you.”
The door flew open, her mother scurrying inside followed by a scowling Perry.
“Alicia?” The tiny, painfully thin old woman, who looked to be a phantom of the mother she once knew, clawed at the fake pearls around her neck. She looked more than old—she looked worn. Her cheeks were sunken, her eyes tired. Her hands were heavily veined, wrinkles etched deep into her face. “My God, look at you! You look…”
Whatever she was about to say died as soon as her eyes landed on the man who held her. Alicia slowly climbed to her feet as she waited. She could guess what was coming.
