It’s in every point of contact, from his lips to his touch, a contrast to the harshness he’s always shown. This inconsistency surprises me, leaving me frozen. How can he threaten me in one breath and in the next treat me as if I’m precious?
He only kisses me once. Then he’s lifting his head before I’ve thought about pushing him away. He wraps his long fingers around my throat and brushes his thumb over my jaw, making my heart stutter in my chest.
“What was that for?” I ask, my words thin and airy.
“A test.”
I blink up at him in confusion. “For what?”
“Your response. Or lack thereof.”
“Listen, I do?—”
He uses his hand on my throat to silence me. This time when he brings his mouth to mine, it’s different.
The kiss is possessive.
He sweeps his tongue over my bottom lip before darting it inside my mouth, laying claim to every inch.
I don’t even realize I’m kissing him back until he growls low in his throat and rubs his erection against me. He fists the material of my dress before his hand drifts downward…
I gasp at the feel of his fingers on my bare skin as they snake under my skirt. With the same gentleness as before, he trails the seam of my thighs before cupping me fully, his thumb pressing against my clit. Arousal sparks a flame inside that could burn me alive.
The intensity of my reaction causes me to rear back, breaking the kiss. He continues to hold my throat, forcing me to look up at him.
“Stop.” My voice is nothing more than a wheeze. He’s stolen my ability to breathe. To think. Unless it’s about him.
Through my panties, Xavier teases my clit with his thumb, making me clench my thighs. “I will… when you mean it.”
He pinches my clit. It’s the perfect combination of pleasure and pain. I groan. The sound is one of submission, and a plea for more.
“Good girl.” He dips his hand inside my panties, rubbing my tender flesh. “Keep being honest with me, and I’ll give you anything you want. You’re mine. Your body knows it, and your mind will, too. That’s my vow to you, bride.”
I shake my head and pull at his grip on my neck. It doesn’t budge. If anything, he tightens it.
I glare at him. “You’re fucking crazy.”
“And you’re dripping for me.” He presses harder, making me writhe. “Tell me who owns this pussy, and I’ll let you come.”
I shake my head in rebellion, even as my body hums for him.
He dips his head and grazes his teeth over the shell of my ear, nipping at the sensitive skin. “Deny it all you want, but this,”he presses his thumb hard against my clit as I suck in a breath, “belongs to me. Now, you’re going to prove it to both of us. Be a good girl and come for me.”
He tightens his fingers on my neck before working me harder and faster. My body trembles, a physical response to how much his touch affects me. When he grips my throat to the point I can’t draw breath, panic combines with the pleasure, heightening all my senses.
I reach up and yank on his hand to release me even as my orgasm builds. Xavier doesn’t move. He grips me harder, making dots appear before my eyes.
“Shh. Trust me.” He presses a kiss to my temple, a gesture so tender at odds with him choking me. “I’m thirsty, Delilah. I want to you fucking drench my hand.”
My vision blurs from the lack of oxygen, but my need to come has never been clearer. That doesn’t stop my instincts from taking over. I know I’m drawing blood from him as I claw at his hand, trying to wrench it from throat.
Something about the violence spurs him on. As it does to me.
Xavier bites down on my ear, and the pain is the catalyst that sends me over the edge. Only then does he release his hold on my neck, allowing me to suck in a breath. So I can scream.
And come.
Hard.
