For a moment, he did not listen. He went further, his grip on me being the only thing keeping me steady. Finally, his fingers dragged down my legs and my bare skin lit up with goose bumps in his absence. “As you wish, milady.”
And the dress came off. Entirely naked, real and raw. I faced Laken, free of my filthy clothes. He studied every curve,every dip, every stretch mark until his eyes met mine in a ruinous death stare. But I grew impatient.
“Either fuck me now or don’t fuck me at all.”
He didn’t hesitate, waver, or falter. Laken lifted and carried me to the bed, laughing sheepishly with an airy whisper, “There she is.”
I could’ve rolled my eyes, I could’ve argued, but my desperation felt too heavy as he laid me down. Stepping back, he undid his belt and unbuttoned his shirt. His vest came off first, followed by his tunic slipping over the mess of his hair. And I watched every second, soaking it up and reveling in each exposed muscle. His fingers unlaced his black pants and suddenly, everything dropped to the floor. Nothing remained on his body.
Laken leaned over me, a knee on each side. The relief I felt from being under him again was enough to turn me into liquid. I’d been here so many times before I could trace his body with my eyes closed and knew where each freckle was.
And I’d learn the new bits, too. My hand glided over the scar on his ribs and he exhaled as if he’d been holding a breath, gazing at me from under his lashes. His heartbeat pounded against my palm. But this was mine now as well. The good, the bad, and the better-left-unspoken.
I cupped his face, bringing his mouth to mine. Harsh and hungry—passionate andstrong. This man fucked me with purpose.
His mouth was on my neck. My fingers burrowed into his back. His hands in my hair. I shoved him over, moving ontop. Lowering myself down his body, I took his length in my hands and in my mouth.Gods, I loved seeing him—feeling him come undone. I wanted to see just how much he missed me, how much he could take. Under me, his body tightened and strained, barely able to withhold. “Fuck, Reece.”
My name on his lips—so vulgar.
I stayed for a moment before going back up, where he met me halfway. Straddling his legs, he sat up and we locked eyes. My mind felt like a blazing fire of bursting stars; I saw spots.
“Tell me you want this,” he whispered, rolling my hips over his length. “Tell me this is real.”
I brushed a hand through his hair and let my thumb run over his cheeks.Do I need to spell it out?“I want this, I want you.” I smiled, gasping into his mouth. “This is real, Laken Augustus.”
This was as real as it gets.
With his mouth back on mine, Laken pulled me onto him. He slipped himself between my legs, rubbing my sensitive bundle of nerves, forcing a deep breath from my lungs as I deepened his reach. His heartbeat pulsed through my body. There wasn’t any more talking after that, not as we moved against each other in a starved rhythm, craving one another. The world went fuzzy; nothing but his body on mine kept me tethered to our reality. This reality.
Oh my Gods, oh my Gods, oh my Gods—Laken fucking Augustus.
It was just him and me, as real as we’d ever been. There weren’t two pigs in our room. There wasn’t a fundraiser tomorrow. There wasn’t a worry in my head, walls surrounding me,or even air to breathe. I didn’t think I needed air to survive anyway—I needed him.
Laken gripped my back fiercely and I rocked over him. He cupped my breasts. I leaned my head back and his lips could move as I wanted them to, trailing down my neck and chest to my nipple. He sucked it, his tongue trailing over me as I pulled my head back up.
I wanted him—and he wanted me. By the way his mouth devoured mine, unraveling me. The grip on my thighs so hard it might bruise. The burning between my legs. My fingers in his hair, my legs around his waist. If the inn caught fire, we wouldn’t even know.
With my fingers entangled in his hair, I drew him in closer and pressed my body harder. I needed him more—faster, harder. My legs trembled at the friction we created. His tongue brushed mine, opening my mouth to go deeper. His teeth on my skin. Between my hips, he rolled against me, each hardened inch rubbing each nerve of mine, forcing me to crave more and more.
Laken lifted me, easing me onto my back.Yes, yes, please, for the love of the Gods.Reaching between us, he pressed into me. Drawing a moan, neither sexy nor desirable, I kissed him again.
“Gods damn it, Reece,” Laken moaned, and my name on his tongue in such a sinful manner could’ve gotten me sent to hell for the way I enjoyed it.
Well, the way we both enjoyed it. Again, again, and again.I should start hating him more often.
Hours after we… made amends, bathed, and made more amends, darkness swallowed our swamped little room and felt too tight around my skin. Too quiet. Too cold. My leg bounced under the blankets; my mind traveled places I didn’t want to go. I’d stared at the stone so long I could’ve sworn it stared back.
I lay on my side. Flipped to the other side. To my stomach. To my back. And back to my side before surrendering.
“Laken,” I whispered, as I didn’t know if he’d fallen asleep yet.
A muffled “Mm-hmm?” told me he hadn’t.
Taking a deep breath and covering myself more with the blanket, I sank into the mattress and prepared for the answer I needed to ask for. “How long are you going to be gone?”
A short silence. His stare burned my bare back, seeping into my spine. “I don’t know,” he said. “As long as it takes to pay my debts.”
“A year? Two? Three months?” I faced the wall, unable to watch the unsteadiness of his chest.
