It seemed he had an idea who River was and what engaging him in a fight would entail. Damn, I quite liked the man.
“I’m sorry.”
Calvin shrugged like he wanted to put this horror behind him as he scrammed out of the suite.
It was right after the sound of the door being securely shut that River’s antagonizing demeanor shifted back to a normal human being. Well, good for him, because I wanted to fucking murder something. The second his eyes flickered toward me, I threw the nearest thing I could get ahold of—a saltshaker from the room service I had earlier on.
“You fucking maniac! What right do you have to fucking barge in here like you have every fucking right to control my life!”
“Ah, there’s the passionate Cara I know very well. I was wondering when that’d happen.” He actually had the gall to grin.
My entire system went into overdrive, seeing red. Completely going bonkers, I violently chucked my shoes at him, one after the other in hasty succession. But much to my chagrin, River caught both without much effort before dropping them on the floor, unperturbed.
“You bastard!” I screeched, advancing on him, wanting to hurt him somehow.
River immediately took hold of my hand, halting me. “Come here!” He hooked an arm around my waist, colliding my body against his. “Yes, I’m a jealous fool who can’t stand seeing you with another man. It’s fucking me up. I can’t fucking think or sleep. I just love you too damn much … I apologize if my love sickens you.”
Jealous, was he? Well, I didn’t give a damn.
“Don’t give me the same bullshit spiel about love when you’re in love with her, too. That’s what sickens me the most.” The lies, when would it stop?
“I’m not in love with Hailey,” he vehemently stated. He cradled my cheek, beseeching, “I’ve only loved one woman in my entire life and that’s you, Cara.”
“Stop lying to me.” My lips quivered before my tears fell. The floodgate ensued. “I hate you, and I will never forget it.” How belittling and irrelevant he made me feel by choosing Hailey over me on my birthday of all days.
“Baby, please.” There was a tremor in his tone, but I was beyond seeing his hurt.
“Let go of me,” I harshly demanded, almost spitting on his face as I tried to loosen from his tightened grip. “I said—let me go!” I shrieked as our eyes fought, but the man was unyielding, not lightening his shackles.
Consumed by every damning violent emotions, my palm unceremoniously found contact with his cheek. The slap burned my skin and left an imprint on his face, but he remained unmoving, uncaring if I was getting physical.
Pressing my lips together, I huffed air into my lungs, ready to strike him again, before I made a ferocious growl. Then he kissed me.
It was punishing, titillating, a mating of senses as he sought to balm his pain. He kissed me like I held the answer, like I alone could chase his demons away. Like I could make him whole again.
“Mine,” he gruffly stated before delving into my lips again. Gently, he pushed me against the wall, destroying, consuming everything that I was, everything that I had been. He demanded it all. “Mine.”
No, my mind kept responding, wanting to send him to hell, but my body gave him free reign. His touch was my kryptonite.
With a mind of its own, my hand went south, taking control as it hazardously unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. I let out an animalistic sound when my hand grappled his endowed manhood.
“Jesus, I hate how I want you,” I hissed as he let my lips go and began to nip on the skin on my neck, huffing, growling as he felt my hand jerk him the way he loved, hard and tight, fitting like a glove in my hand, just as he had demanded me over the years.
Opening my legs a little wider while my mini dress rode up, rolling over my hips, I led his cock toward my wet crevice, potently out of my mind at the anticipation of him driving his need into my pussy.
I cried out with divine pain and pleasure when I felt him slap my clit, sending sweet tremors all over my body.
“Please, I need you …”To push your hips. To fill me with that cock.
At my unsubtle command, River thrusted, slipping his cock halfway into my juiced-up channel before taking over my lips once more.
Closing my eyes, I became lost as we rutted and mated like animals, making love as I clung to him, gasping, begging for him to end this incessant yearning to feel him come inside my womb. There was nothing more powerful than that very moment; us connected as one, the yin to my yang, the positive to my negative, the ugly to my beautiful, the love to my hate. We were one—one body, one mind—consumed and driven by one greater factor, the essential ingredient in life—love.
I loved him, but I would rather die than utter those words out loud. He was my crucible, but I would rather carry on with my life than surrender to my heart’s primal commitment to him.
After our wild romp against the wall, I was beyond spent as he gently carried me into his room and held me like he didn’t want to let me go. My thoughts ran riot, but my spent body gave in to the exhaustion, submitting to unconsciousness.
Sometime later, I awoke in the same position.