"Please what?" he asks, fingers hooking in the sides of my panties. "Tell me what you want, Violet. Be specific."
My face burns, but the way I need him overrides any embarrassment. "Your mouth," I manage. "I want your mouth on me."
His grin is wicked as he slides my panties down my legs. "As the lady wishes."
I've barely processed being completely naked in front of him when his mouth is on me, his tongue finding my most sensitive spot. I cry out, my back arching off the bed. One of his arms drapes across my hips, holding me in place as he explores me with his tongue.
It's overwhelming, intense in a way I've never experienced before. He reads my body like a book he's studied for years, knowing exactly when to increase pressure, when to ease back, when to introduce his fingers alongside his tongue.
I'm climbing higher and higher, the tension building inside me ready to snap. My hands itch to grab his hair, to pull him closer, but I remember his command and keep them firmly on the pillow, gripping the fabric so tightly my knuckles turn white.
"Good girl," he murmurs against me, the vibration of his voice sending shivers through me. "You follow instructions so well. Now come for me, Violet. Let me feel you."
His words combined with the curl of his fingers inside me are my undoing. The orgasm crashes over me in waves, and I hear myself crying out his name—his road name—as my body spasms around his fingers.
He works me through it gently, drawing out every last tremor until I'm writhing and panting. Only then does he move up the bed, gathering me against his chest. His hand strokes through my hair as I come back to myself, and I realize he's still fully clothed while I'm completely naked.
"That was..." I trail off, unable to find the right words.
"Just the beginning," he finishes for me, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "But the rest can wait."
I shift against him, feeling him still hard in his jeans. "What about you?"
He shakes his head, though I can see the strain in his face. "Tonight was about you. Like I said, when wereallydo this, I want it to be with clear heads. No alcohol, no adrenaline from running away from dickheads who don't know how to treat a woman."
I should argue, should insist on reciprocating, but my exhaustion is seeping in now that the adrenaline and tequila are wearing off. My cheek throbs, reminding me of everything that happened today.
"Stay here tonight," Whip says, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Rest. In the morning, we'll figure out what to do about your ex."
The mention of Derek sends a cold wave of reality through me. "He'll come looking for me."
"Let him," Whip says, and there's that dangerous edge to his voice again. "I'd like to see him try to get past me and my brothers."
The protectiveness in his tone comforts me in a way I can't explain. For the first time since catching Derek with that woman, I feel safe. Safer than ever, really.
"Thank you," I murmur, nestling closer to him.
His arms tighten around me. "Rest now," he says softly. "I've got you."
As I drift off to sleep, I can't help but think that this day, which started as one of the worst of my life, somehow ended with me in exactly the right place—in the arms of Santiago Mendes, a man I've wanted for longer than I care to admit.
And tomorrow, for the first time in a long time, I'm actually looking forward to what comes next.
Chapter Eight
WHIP
Iwake before Violet does, her sleeping form curled against my chest like she belongs there. The soft morning light filters through the blinds, casting golden stripes across her naked body. As I look at her, I notice the bruise on her cheek has darkened overnight. It's now a purple-blue stain on her otherwise flawless skin.
My blood boils at the sight of it.
I'm careful as I slip out of bed, tucking the sheets around her before pulling on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I check my phone—five missed calls from my secretary and a text that reads:
Court appearance at 11. Don't forget.
Shit. It's already 8:30, and I need to get back to my apartment to shower and change. I send a quick reply confirming I'll be there, then turn back to look at Violet.
Last night was unexpected, but fuck if it wasn't everything I've been fantasizing about for years. The way she responded to me, so naturally submissive, following my commands without question... it was like she was made for me.
