“I did. I felt cared for.” Tears prick my eyes when I think of my blue vase filled with black roses. Riley granting me the dignity to keep myself while transforming into Drew from Destiny. “Thank you for those. Thank you for these,” I say, sniffling.
He walks me to the bed. “Lay down.”
I do as I’m told, and as he pulls a black rose from the water and dries off the stem, it almost feels like there’s a ghost in the room. The person I thought existed, didn’t. Riley drags the soft petals over my nipples. He twirls it until my nipples harden into peaks and goose bumps break out across my chest and stomach. The rose cuts a trail down over my belly button. “Spread your legs,” he says.
Bending my knees up, I tease my legs open. He drags the rose over my clit. It’s the softest touch I’ve ever experienced. I watch as he rolls the smooth petals across my clit, back and forth. Laying back on the bed, I close my eyes and allow my senses to overtake me. He continues the same pattern, and the orgasm builds deep and strong. He knows and halts when I’m close.
“I want to be inside you when you come,” he says before bending his head forward to lick my folds, avoiding the one place craving pressure. Moaning out his name, he pauses.
“You’re soaking wet for me,” he growls, sliding a finger inside me as I clutch his hair, letting my knees fall all the way open.
I moan again. “I’m only wet for you.”
Riley lifts his head and kisses the bracelet on my wrist before crawling up my body on hands and knees until his face meets mine.
“Only you,” I say, grabbing his cheeks to pull him down for a kiss. I taste myself and it makes my pussy throb with need. “Fuck me,” I say, my teeth gnashing against his. Our breaths are wild, and I’ve lost all self-control.
“I don’t want to fuck you, Drew,” he growls. “I want to make love to you.”
I open my eyes and a tear streaks down my cheek. He kisses it away. “I want that,” I say. “Please.”
Riley kisses me at the same time as he edges the head of his cock into my waiting body. He clenches his eyes closed as the immediate pleasure hits. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I stay glued to his kiss to distract myself from his girth as he slides home and begins pumping into me. Riley only breaks from my lips to trail his tongue along my neck. He groans and in one fluid motion, flips us so I’m riding him, his cock not leaving my body. “Take yours first. I’ll come too quickly if we keep that up.”
He doesn’t have to tell me twice. Hands on his shoulders, I work up and down, leaning forward so my clit rubs every time I move my hips. He keeps one hand on my ass and one on my nipple, rolling it between two fingers. The pleasure builds, and I lower myself so he’s filling me when the orgasm hits, the waves clutching his dick as I come apart. Closing my eyes, I relish my whole body feeling pleasure. As I come down, I kiss him, my lips melting into his. They’re warm. Just like his gaze as he stares at me. He rolls again, pinning my back against the bed, and starts a lazy, Sunday morning pace. It’s a slow dance instead of sex. I match his thrusts, and it’s a thoughtful pace—the kiss always stays intact.
“I’m coming,” he says, his mouth on mine.
He kisses me while he comes inside me. His thick cock jerking over and over. He doesn’t pull out; he stays inside me while we catch our breath. There are a million words and letters swirling in my mind as I try to process the emotions floating around us. Love soaked in sunshine dipped in danger, with an edge so sharp it will always keep me on my toes. I want to convey to Riley how I’m feeling, but I can see it in his eyes that he already knows. His gaze looks dazzled as he looks at me. Our breaths match. “More than love,” Riley whispers against my lips. “Always.”
“More than love.” I nod, closing my eyes. “And forever.” He rolls us onto our sides, but he stays inside me.
We fall asleep, him cradling my back against his chest.
“He was informed more than once that if the product wasn’t delivered seamlessly, it was the end of the road,” Riley says, waking me from the soundest sleep I’ve had in a week. He’s on the side of the bed, feet on the floor, buck naked with the phone pressed to his ear. I hear the buzz of a deep voice on the other end, but not actual words.
I lay a palm on his back. When he realizes he’s woken me, he mouths an apology. Before standing to pace. It’s entertaining to watch his dick swing between his legs as he walks, and a smile slips even though now he’s talking about ordering a hit. It’s easy to forget how much blood is on their hands when you love a person. This is what blinders are. The ease of pushing aside unsavory in favor of embracing the good. I wonder if the normal, beautiful people feel the same or if I’m broken?
Riley turns and grins when he notices me watching. He swings his dick in a circle as he says, “Call the mayor’s office and get it done.”
Laughing, I stand from the bed and head into our bathroom to shower and get ready for the day. Riley hangs up the call and starts another. The tone of his voice changes, and I recognize the difference. This isn’t just business, there are emotions involved with this call. Part of me wants to absorb every syllable, and oddly, the other part wants to hear nothing. Turning on the blow dryer, I dry my hair with one hand while scrolling through emails on my phone with the other. I read an email from Amy. It’s about business, and I answer her, but I also reply asking to get together with PACHA as soon as we’re all in the same place. I also ask her for another favor. Information, and I advise her to keep it secret. At this point, I trust her not to say anything to anyone. We’re kindred. Our bond is stronger than an Astor contract. I hit send, finish getting ready. Riley walks in as I’m leaving.
“I have to skip breakfast today,” he says, cradling my face. “If you’re feeling up to it, we need to consider heading back to the city soon.” He exhales, and the lines on his face seem to deepen. “Just as everything here is secure, too. We can come back after we take care of some business.” The love-hate relationship I have with this place won’t ever change, but the idea of going back home excites me more than it should.
“What business exactly?” I ask, leaving forward to plant a kiss on his chest. Peering up at his face, I see his eyes closed, relishing my touch.
He groans. “I hope you’ll still want to kiss me when I answer your question.”
I hold my breath. “What?”
“The fair punishment needs to happen sooner rather than later. Things are getting messy in the city and it’s because Jesse is slacking.”
I knew it was coming, and his words still steal the air from my lungs. “Tell me.”
There’s not only hesitation in his gaze, but it’s also hardened in every muscle in his body. “Jesse came into the family through a scheduled fight. A gambling debt he helped me repay. I was young and stupid. A rebel if you’d believe it.” He grins, but I can’t return it until I know where he’s going with it. His smile vanishes, and he runs his thumb along my trembling bottom lip. “Lamb, there will be one more fight. I won the first one because he threw it. He won’t be throwing this one, because its winner takes life.”
I stutter, the question on the tip of my tongue. “What’s what mean exactly?”
“It’s a fight to the death.” My jaw drops and he picks it back up with a finger. “It will happen the same place as the first fight.”