Her plump lips part. A whimper tumbles from her throat. Savage victory surges through me, and I quicken my own pace, curling my fingers inside her. She shudders against me, and she closes her eyes as she slides slightly down the door.“Look at me.” I place a searing kiss against her ear as I drink in her scent. My free hand fists in her hair. “Open those big, pretty eyes and look at me.”She does as I command, and I see hate burning in her gaze.But it’s not her hate I want. It’s her fear. Her obedience.Her mouth opens in a small O of surprise. I push my wet fingers into her mouth and open her legs with my knees. Instinctively, she sucks at my thick fingers, her eyes narrowing but never once leaving mine.“Look at you.” A cruel smile forms on my face. “You like this. You want this. You can’t get enough of this!”She tries to wrench her face away, but I hold her in place by her hair, my hand twisting again and again until her silken strands are twisted firmly around my fist.And then
Nipping her earlobe until she writhes against my fingers, I nuzzle her jaw. “I don’t care. I don’t think you do either.”She doesn’t respond. I can’t abide by her silence—I crave her voice, even if it’s just her crying out. Yanking on her hair like the reins of a filly that needs to be broken, I begin to move my hips, feeling the tight wetness inside until the first cry of pleasure bursts from her lips.Perfect.Pleasure rages inside me like a hurricane. But somewhere under the potent cloud of lust is the jagged dagger’s edge of reality. Camila doesn’t trust me. She thinks I’m using her … that we’re enemies.Perhaps she’s right.Maybe we always were.“M-mo—” she mewls.“What was that?” I growl into her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. I keep my thrusts nice and slow. My hand reaches down and spreads her pussy lips further apart as my thumb rubs her clit simultaneously. Her muscles ripple and flutter against my cock.“I said … I said m-more.” Camila stands on the balls of her feet, desp
CamilaI’ve never felt so certain that my mind is about to split in two.I want him ... I need him ...I fucking hate him.The things Asher has done to me that merit cutting him from my life are numerous. But with his cock pushing its way inside me, sending waves of pleasure that make my mouth water, it’s easy to justify them.It’s even easier to forget them.Throwing my head back, I dig my nails into his shoulders. His shirt blocks my traction; I yank at it until it’s over his head. With his skin exposed to me, I drag my fingers roughly over his back, creating red rows that make him hiss.I’ve never been elated at hurting someone before. But the thought that I can hurt him is addicting. I can’t focus enough to control it—and why should I try?When his cock forced its way into my mouth, it drove all thoughts out of my mind. When he forced me to swallow his cum, it made me crave more.I shouldn’t feel like this toward him. He’s a monster! He’s been tricking me since day one! Yet I can’
AsherThe ground moves beneath me like I’m on a ship at sea. I sway right, then left, my mind sloshing in my skull all the while. It’s a miracle I don’t stumble over my feet and land face-first in the grass.What have I done?Camila’s eyes enter my memory. They’re darkened by heat … by the filthy way I tainted her. I let out weeks, maybe years, of pent-up anger back there. I couldn’t control myself. Fuck, I didn’t want to. I knew I was a sinner, but to force my corrupt desires upon her was too much. If I could waltz into hell right now, I would.Instead, I storm past Kostya.He eyes me nervously as I pass. “Pakhan,” he starts, but I keep going, not hearing the rest of his words. Like a zombie, I wander until I’m moving through my office door. The correct thing to do—what a man with some goodness left in his heart would do—would be to go back out and apologize to Camila.She deserves that basic kindness.But when I drop into my chair, head thrown back, closing my eyes, I know I’m not g
CamilaI pick up my phone, then set it down again on my bed.Come on. Just make the call!It’s a struggle knowing what you have to do while being unable to do it. After what happened with Asher, I returned to my bedroom with my spine strengthened by determination. But that all failed the second I pulled up Adriana’s number in my phone. Seeing her name made what I had to do become real.Frustrated by my inability to ask for help, I throw my phone down, holding my scalp in both hands. I should be better than this! I’d tell anyone else to fight for their life and escape, to not hesitate no matter what. Annoyed at myself, I head into my bathroom. Dad’s brooch will make me feel better.Opening the cupboard under the sink, I feel for where I placed it in the box of documents. My fingers discover nothing but air. Ice creeps over my heart. I yank out the box, digging through the contents with increasing fear.No! Where is it?“Looking for this?”I shoot my eyes upward in panic. Layla stands i
Asher“Asher Volkov!”My eyes shoot up to see Nikolai rushing in my direction. I was about to get into my car because I’d heard rumblings about strange men being spotted near Camila’s dance studio. My plan was to check it out, if only to distract myself.“What is it?” I ask as Nikolai draws near.He keeps his voice low as he pulls out his phone. “I was reviewing security camera footage. This is from yesterday, around ten in the morning.”Curious, I watch the video. In it, I spot a white van rolling through the gates. It parks close to the side of my mansion by the door that leads to the storage rooms in the kitchen. Two people climb out, open the back of the van, and start unloading boxes, including a large one that seems unusually heavy.“What am I looking at?” I ask. “Danil always gets deliveries like this.”“He gets them on Tuesdays,” Nikolai says flatly.The hair on the back of my neck stands up. Yesterday was Thursday. Gripping the phone, I put it closer to my face, squinting wit
CamilaMy nails tug at the prayer beads on my wrist. I debated wearing them—it felt like the antithesis of my drive to escape Asher to end up with his prayer beads in my possession. But somehow, the sensation of them hugging my wrist brings comfort.His eyes were full of so much torment when he gave them to me. It was overwhelming; I almost backed out of my plan. But he left so quickly that I didn’t have a chance to change my mind.Though he assured me he wouldn’t stop me from leaving, I wasn’t about to get sloppy. The next morning when the van arrived, I was watching for it from my window. Layla had instructed me to work my way covertly down to the pantry once I spotted it.With sweat collecting in every crevice of my body, I tiptoed to the pantry. Layla wasn’t there, but my mother was.“Camila,” she gushed, hugging me tight. “Is this really going to work?”“Yes,” I said, faking my bravado. Helping her into the large wooden box stamped with faded markings from whatever farm was selli
AsherI’m having the nightmare again.Camila’s sweet face, turned pallid from death, stares blindly up at me. I wipe blood from her cheeks, spreading the color until it looks like blush on her dead skin.Whether I’m awake or asleep, I can’t escape the tragedy of losing the woman I love.A hand shakes me roughly and I sit up, coming awake at the sight of Mikhail standing over me in the darkness of my bedroom.“What’s going on?” I demand.“Pakhan, it’s the dance studio.” He shows me his phone. My eyes take a second to adjust, but when they do, I stare hard. Fire twists in a torrid dance around the remaining structure on the screen. The building is blackened by smoke. Red and blue lights from police and fire trucks are flashing. “It’s been burned to the ground.”“When did this happen?” I snarl, throwing my covers aside.“Just twenty minutes ago. I came as soon as I was notified.”“That long?” I snap, throwing clothing on as I speak. “Was no one watching?”“There was a shift change,” he e