Rise (Dark and Dangerous Book 2) Page 10

  I could see her consider it, see when she decided that she wouldn’t.

  “What?” I asked.

  “That is an excellent question, Aras,” she said.

  The look in her eye was wild, dangerous, and I could see that she had started down a road that she didn’t plan on stopping.

  “Go ahead, Lake. Clearly, there are some things on your mind.”

  She glowered at me, then practically snarled.

  “You’re treating me like I’m a repulsive invalid!”

  “What the fuck is this nonsense, woman?” I said, confused.

  “Don’t woman me. And it’s not nonsense. Ever since I got out of the hospital, even before, you’ve been looking at me with pity and, if I’m not mistaken, disgust.

  “If you don’t want me around, just fucking say so and I’ll figure something out. You can’t keep me here, babying me one moment, and the next treating me like you would rather touch a dead opossum. It’s stressing me the fuck out. And I don’t need any more stress in my life!”

  By the time she finished, she was practically shrieking, her chest rising and falling with the weight of her breaths.

  Clearly this had been pent up for a while, and she needed a release.

  I could give her that.

  “Strip,” I said.

  “What?” she asked, blinking, her eyes wide.

  “You fucking heard me,” I growled.

  “What—”

  She cut off when I curled my lip then stared at me.

  She swallowed thickly, and I studied her, watched as her breaths came heavily, her eyes wide as she reached for the waistband of her pants.

  At first glance, she might have looked afraid, but I saw through that. I’d spent countless hours watching her, learning all there was to know, so I saw what was behind her wide eyes and shocked expression.

  Desire.

  It was there, stamped on her features, present in every shaky movement as she pushed her pants down her legs.

  And I’d missed it. Missed it more than I’d known until that very moment.

  She stepped out of her pants and then looked at me, her expression telling me she didn’t think I was serious.

  I was.

  “Finish,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

  She swallowed again and then reached for her shirt, peeling it up and then off. She kept going, did the same with her bra, leaving her in panties and nothing else.

  My cock surged, the ever-present need for her still there. But I reined it in and stared at her, wondering how she could make simple white panties the sexiest thing on the planet, some deeper part of me wondering how she had so effortlessly captured my heart.

  I pushed both thoughts aside, focused on her.

  “Strip, Lake. I won’t say it again.”

  Her eyes flashed, that defiance that was such a part of her rearing its head. But she pushed it down, just as she pushed down her panties, leaving herself bare in front of me.

  It was my turn to swallow thickly, an effort to get control of my own desire.

  I breathed deep, ignored the persistent throb of my cock, and focused on her.

  “Face the wall. Hands next to your head.”

  She gave me a hard look but then complied, moving with her usual elegance. She faced the wall, then gingerly placed her hands against it, clearly waiting for what I would do next.

  I let her wait.

  I stayed where I was, watching her, trying to decide what part of her I wanted to taste most. I stayed so long that she turned her head.

  “Face forward,” I said in a guttural voice.

  She jumped but then faced the wall, her fingers curling slightly.

  Something about that simple gesture drove me, and I walked toward her, discarding my clothes as I went.

  I could tell she wanted to look, but she kept her eyes ahead, her fingers gripping the wall.

  When I reached her, I trailed a finger down the curve of her back, smiled when she moaned and then arched toward my hand. I flattened my palm just above the curve of her ass and pushed her closer to the wall.

  I stepped behind her, bracketing her body with mine, the places where we touched sending out waves of pleasure that had my already heated blood set to boiling.

  I ran my finger up and down her back until she was breathless, and then went lower, tracing the split in her ass cheeks, moving forward across her slick lips until I reached her clit.

  I swirled my finger around her hard bud over and over until she was arching into me again, her hands clenched into fists.

  When she huffed out a breath, I moved, dipping my fingers into her sopping-wet sex, letting her honey coat the digits.

  Then I moved back farther, letting my fingers linger over her tight back hole.

  She exhaled hard again but kept her hands against the wall, her back arched.

  An arch that got deeper when I brushed my fingers against her puckered opening. I toyed with her, moving my fingers slowly and gripping her full tit with my other hand.

  Her nipple was hard against my palm, a sure sign of her desire, along with the little panting breaths she tried and failed to control.

  She curled her fists tighter when I edged one finger into her back entrance and started moving ever so slowly. She was squeezing me so hard, her ass gripping me so tightly I couldn’t help but imagine how it would feel around my cock.

  That image was so potent, I released her breast and squeezed my shaft, trying to stave off my own orgasm.

  Once I had regained control, I went back to work, easing my finger in deeper, then deeper still. She opened for me, took me so beautifully, as I had known she would.

  “Aras,” she whispered when I added another finger.

  I pumped faster, opening her for me as I used my other hand to tease her clit. She was near breathless, moaning now, and the sight of her, desperate for me, looking almost as needy as I felt, pushed me.

  I notched my cock at her back opening, then pressed my face into her neck, the shiver that racked her body spurring me own.

  I pushed into her, the precum that was furiously leaking from me and her own juices easing the way. Still, I moved slowly, letting her open for me centimeter by centimeter.

  The sensation was intense, almost overwhelming, but I bit my lip and kept pushing, stretching the tight ring of muscle, pushing deeper still until I was completely inside.

  I could have cum, the feeling of her ass squeezing me, her body soft against mine, her harsh breaths against the wall all creating the most erotic and enticing sensations I’d ever felt.

  But I had a point to prove, wouldn’t end this until I had. So using every ounce of control I had, I stayed still and reached between her thighs. I gave her clit a few teasing strokes, then buried two fingers in her pussy, rocking them slowly so she could get used to the stretch.

  “How do you feel?” I whispered, my voice low, hoarse.

  She murmured something incomprehensible, and I stilled my fingers, abruptly ending the gentle rhythm she had started to sink into.

  “Full,” she finally said on a tortured sounding breath. “So full.”

  I might have wondered if that was a good thing or not, but she tightened her ass and pussy, squeezing my fingers and my cock. I slammed my fist against the wall, determined to keep control, something she was testing.

  “I…” she started, trailed off.

  “What?” I growled.

  “I need you to move,” she said, her voice low, the need in it curling around my spine and threatening to break my control.

  I smiled, my face against her neck, but didn’t speak. I did move, though, rocking my hips, slow at first, moving faster when she creamed around my fingers and began rocking her hips in time with mine.

  My heart was thundering, what bit of rational thought I had left telling me this woman would be my undoing. But all thought soon fell away, and there was nothing but need, connection, emotion I refused to give a name.

  I held her as long
as I could, fucking her with my fingers, my cock, kissing and sucking any patch of skin I could find.

  I couldn’t hold out, so I squeezed her clit, knowing the rough handling would send her over the edge.

  “Aras!” she cried as she climaxed, her body clamping down tight.

  At the very last second, I pulled out of her, spun her around to face me, and came, spraying her pussy, stomach, and thighs with my cum.

  I thrust my hips against nothing, the sight of my seed on her skin driving this already intense moment that much higher.

  Emotion clogged my throat, made words impossible, so I grabbed her and hugged her to me, not leaving an inch of space between us.

  Aras

  Lake and I showered together, me doing my best to keep my hands off her, her doing her best to make that impossible.

  But when I finally laid her down, she drifted off, and I held her, that connection between us there as always.

  My guilt there as well.

  When she woke, she stayed silent at first, staring at me with questions in her eyes.

  I didn’t encourage her to ask what she was thinking, but I didn’t need to.

  As the sun gave way to the moon, she stroked a hand along my jaw, down my chest, and interlaced her fingers with mine. Then, after a deep breath, she spoke.

  “What’s going on, Aras?”

  The understanding, the patience in her voice was like a knife against my guilty soul.

  It also gave me the strength to speak the words I had been avoiding.

  “I thought…” I trailed off, searching her eyes. “I thought you blamed me for what happened. Hell, I blame me for what happened.”

  “Why would I blame you for something someone else did?” she said.

  She asked the question, her eyes brimming with curiosity, like she couldn’t think of anything sillier.

  “He—”

  She shook her head, gave me a smile.

  “You have a real hero complex. Not everything is your fault, Aras. Certainly not this. I don’t blame you. I put the blame squarely where it belongs, and nowhere else.”

  She trailed off then looked at me tentatively.

  “So you don’t think I’m repulsive now?” she whispered.

  “If the cum on your thighs didn’t convince you, I should try harder,” I said.

  She smiled, the first genuine smile I had seen from her in weeks.

  It was like air, water, the most beautiful ray of sunshine ever.

  “I missed that,” I whispered, my voice only revealing a fraction of the reverence I felt.

  “What’s that?” she said.

  “Your smile. It’s beautiful. Just like you,” I said.

  “There’s no need to flatter me,” she said, her expression bashful.

  “I’m not. I’m telling you the truth.”

  I held her gaze.

  “Thanks,” she finally said, though I could see she was little bit embarrassed by the words.

  That shocked me, that Lake, so beautiful, so gentle and kind, was embarrassed she was so.

  I’d make it a point to tell her until she wasn’t.

  To tell her until she believed it.

  Aras

  I had left without checking on Lake again, but that had been intentional.

  The place I was going now, the path I had been set on when Ezekiel told me he had Vlad, was one I didn’t want her to see.

  The ride passed in silence, and much to my surprise, my brain was calm.

  Perhaps I’d spent so long preparing for this moment that now that it was here, I couldn’t get excited about it.

  I had known that Vlad would die by my hand, known it with certainty, and now that that eventuality was close, I didn’t feel excited. It was simply something that was going to happen, just like the sun was sure to come up in the morning.

  “Good location,” I said, idly noticing where we were.

  Which was well out of the city, deep into the woods.

  “I know you enjoy nature, and it’s a good place,” he said.

  Some part of me was marveling at the somewhat gallows humor, but I chose not to express that.

  It was strange. I felt like I was almost outside of myself, watching something happen.

  Ezekiel parked, nodded at the two guards who were at the front. I didn’t see them, but I knew there were at least four more on the property and in the surrounding areas.

  “Inside. Take whatever time you need,” Ezekiel said.

  I sat for a moment, lingering, not sure why I didn’t immediately spring into action.

  Anticipation was building, and I felt a tingle at the back of my brain, no doubt a reaction to being so close to fulfilling such a long-standing quest.

  Still, I waited until all emotion was completely gone.

  Emotion would cause me to be reckless, and worse, would give Vlad the satisfaction of knowing how much he had affected me.

  In many ways, he had been the most influential person in my life. Everything I was now, everything I had done before, and would do in the future, was because of him.

  I hated that, but also couldn’t deny it.

  I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing it, though.

  When I was finally ready, I walked into the cabin.

  I knew it well.

  It was single room with a small bathroom, unfurnished, save the tools necessary for this kind of job.

  I would have to thank Ezekiel for selecting the perfect location.

  But for now, I was ready to end this once and for all.

  Twenty

  Aras

  My gaze landed on Vlad the instant I walked into the room.

  He was sitting on a sturdy chair, his ankles tied to the legs, his hands tied in front of him.

  His suit was rumpled, stained with blood, though I wasn’t sure it was his. But otherwise, save a few bruises, he didn’t look too much worse for the wear.

  Until I saw his eyes.

  I had watched him from afar, had seen him in the townhouse, but I’d never seen him like this.

  He looked utterly broken, all the bravado, the menace that had been like a part of who he was, gone.

  The change was almost startling, and I stayed still, making sure I didn’t react to it.

  But though he seemed so changed, some instincts were hard to let go of it.

  So even in this state, I could see that he had assessed me, and as he watched me, I saw the hatred bloom in his gaze.

  “You took her,” he said.

  “Yes,” I said, though he hadn’t asked the question.

  At my confirmation, his face hardened and an instant later seemed to collapse.

  He fell back against the chair, his eyes locked mine.

  “Why?” he asked.

  “You took from me. I had to repay the favor,” I said.

  “Repay the favor? No, you made me hurt her. I loved her, and you made me hurt her,” Vlad said.

  To my surprise, his words were getting to me, but I ignored them, trying not to think about her.

  Lake was a victim of this, already too caught up in his twisted game.

  I didn’t want to bring her in further, wouldn’t bring her in further, so instead I stared at Vlad.

  Kept my eyes on his until he seemed to pull himself out of his emotions.

  When it looked like he had regained some semblance of control I said, “Do you recognize me?”

  He studied me, even though I knew he had done so the moment I come in.

  “Should I recognize you?”

  “Maybe not. Maybe what you did to me and my family wasn’t memorable to you,” I said.

  My emotions were strong, almost overwhelming, but I again pushed them down.

  They would do me no favors here.

  In fact, none of this would do me any favors at all.

  I knew exactly why I was here, what I was going to do, but for some reason I was compelled to have this conversation.

  I didn’t want to, not really, but I
couldn’t walk away until I did.

  For so many years I had thought of little but him, had wanted to understand why he had done what he did.

  Now was my only chance.

  “What can I say?” Vlad said. “I’ve had a long career.”

  “Indeed you have. An impressive one by some measures,” I said.

  “Some measures? Do you have any fucking idea what I’ve done?” he asked.

  This was the Vlad I recognized. He still looked hurt, broken really, but his arrogance, that air of superiority, were quintessentially him.

  “Why don’t you tell me?” I said.

  “I was born into nothing. No one ever gave me shit, not even when I was a kid. But did I let that stop me? No. I fought, made something of myself. Sure, I did some fucked-up shit along the way, but that’s life,” he said, shrugging.

  He went quiet then, seeming to reflect.

  “You know the score. There’s no way we’d end up in this room with me tied to the chair and not you if you didn’t. So whatever I did, I did. I’m not going to say I’m sorry. Because I’m not,” Vlad said.

  “Was that you begging for your life?”

  Vlad smiled, leaned back against the chair.

  “Did it sound like me begging?”

  “It did.”

  “Then you need to clean your fucking ears out. You and I both know I’m not walking out of this room. It is what it is.”

  “So why the speech?”

  The real question was why I indulged it, but maybe that was something I would think about later.

  “You needed to hear it. You’re after something, but I don’t think it is what you think it is.”

  In that moment, I felt like something in me changed.

  I’d thought about this so many times, fantasized about what I would do him, how I would do it.

  The scenarios had been endless, as had my enthusiasm for all of them.

  But now…

  Now I had him at my mercy, had the object of my desire at my fingertips, ready to receive whatever punishment I could mete out.

  Except I didn’t want to.

  Rather than excitement, anticipation at the thought of hurting him, I felt irritated, anxious to get back to Lake.