“Must I remind you who owns your gorgeous body?” Bastian straddled me as he pulled on the next rope. “I will do whatever I want with you.”
“I thought we were finally getting somewhere. Why bother showing me the other side to you if you’re going to turn back into a monster?”
He dropped the rope onto the bed and sighed. “I never claimed to be anything else.”
I sat up, shaking out my wrists, rubbing them softly to take away the sting. Bastian moved to the foot of the bed to free my legs, taking his sweet ass time.
“You could have shown this to me last night. When I was awake!”
“Noted.” He glanced over his shoulder and winked. “So you’re cool with bondage when you’re awake?”
“No, absolutely not.”
“Wait until we fuck.” Bastian untied the last rope, and I fought the urge to kick him in the face. He crawled up to me and dropped onto his side. “You’ll enjoy having your wrists bound behind your back. Your ankles tied together. Oh, the things I’m going to do to you, my queen.”
“No, you won’t.”
“Try it before you knock it, Cherry.” He nibbled on my earlobe. “Pain heightens the pleasure.”
“I’m not ready for hardcore, Bash.”
He moved his hand to the back of my head and brushed his lips against mine. “I’m going to blow your mind, baby. Wait until you see what I have planned for you.”
“If it’s anything like this, you can keep it.”
“Damian wants to talk to you.” He tucked my hair behind my ear. “I know you’re still pissed at him and have every right to be. But you can’t hold a grudge forever.”
“Your brother scares me.”
The truth.
“Just hear him out.”
Bastian slid off the mattress and disappeared into the walk-in closet. He hummed a tune that sounded like the song he’d been writing. I smiled as I listened to him, wondering if there was hope for Bastian. Was it possible for someone like him to love a woman?
I was an idiot for wanting him, for giving in to him so quickly. But after seeing his softer side, I was desperate to learn more about him.
Bastian emerged from his closet, dressed in a black suit with a red tie and black wingtips. He always looked like a billion dollars.
I let my legs dangle off the side of the bed and waited for him to close the distance between us. “I’ll talk to Damian. But you better keep your promise not to let him near me when you’re not around.”
He nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
“Fine. Give me a minute to get dressed.”
He grabbed my ass as I bent over to collect my clothing from the floor. After I changed into my pajamas and fixed my hair in the mirror, Bastian opened his bedroom door.
“D, get your ass in here!”
Damian strolled into the room, dressed in a black suit and tie, his entire wardrobe devoid of color. Clasping a bundle of flowers in his hand, he walked past Bastian, who patted him on the shoulder. He dropped to his knees in front of me and offered me the dark burgundy flowers.
“Black dahlias?” I took them from his hand and looked over at Bastian. “Interesting choice.”
A flower that signifies betrayal.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered, unable to meet my gaze. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Bastian tipped his head, gesturing for me to touch his brother. After how he treated me, I wasn’t so sure he deserved any form of comfort from me. But since this was important to Bash, I placed my hand on Damian’s shoulder.