“I can’t control myself much longer, Nika, you feel so fucking good.” The tremble in his voice destroys me. I gasp, arching, as he fills me faster, and the orgasm slams into my mind. I shatter, breaking, cracking into tiny shards as he groans and shudders, thrusting again and again, one hand on my breasts and the other in my hair. I feel him finish, warm and overwhelming between my legs, and he slams his mouth down onto mine in a hungry moan right down my throat.
He stays close to me. His arms wrapped around me. I watch the wall, heart rate steadying. Black spots dance at the edge of my vision. “I nearly passed out,” I say with a soft laugh. “Does that… happen?”
“Sometimes. If it’s really good.” He kisses my shoulder, hands exploring my body. “It’ll get easier.”
“It hurt,” I admit, turning to face him. I touch his cheek. “But you were gentle.”
“I did my best.” He’s smiling and leans in to kiss me. “It wasn’t easy.”
“But it was… I mean, I was…” I look away, feeling exposed all of a sudden. I’ve never done that before and I have no clue if I did something wrong. What if I embarrassed myself? Said something weird? Moved my body in an ugly way or looked gross?
He pulls my face back firmly. “You wereperfect.”
“Come on.”
“No, Nika. I mean it. You are beautiful and you were perfect.”
I can’t help the warm flush that rushes through me. I bury my face in his chest and he holds me tight. “So you’re saying I can’t learn a thing?”
“Well, if you want to learn—“ He squeezes my ass roughly. “There aresomethings you might like.”
“Yeah? Really?” A thrill runs down my spine—but then I feel the ache between my legs. “Maybe another time. I think I’ve had enough for a while.”
“Not too long.” He palms my ass and pats it lovingly. “I’m not a patient man.”
I smile to myself. What the hell is happening? I lost my virginity to my husband, a man who pretends like I mean nothing to him, a man I married purely to save my own life, and now it’s like we’re building something. Like this isn’t as fake as it started.
And that scares me.
Because despite everything, our fundamental deal hasn’t changed. We can fuck all we like, but I’m still the money, and he’s still trying to become the Dragon.
What happens when he gets what he wants?
Where will that leave me?
I push the worries away. The night is still warm, but when I get up to use the bathroom, the air conditioner kicks on. I laugh, hugging myself. “Well, at least one thing went right tonight,” I say, teasing, and he laughs back.
CHAPTER 16
GABE
I’ve done hard things in my life. I learned to kill, to steal, to run a business. I made myself tough. I cut out the pieces of me that cared and loved, all for a greater purpose. All to become the Dragon.
But I didn’t slice deep enough, because there’s still something of the old Gabriel hidden deep in my heart. I saw him briefly last night when Nika was in my arms.
And now, getting out of bed before dawn, leaving her still asleep, I’m not sure I’ve ever done anything so difficult before.
All I want is her body, her mouth, her breasts and moans. I want her like a sickness. I want her like the medicine that’ll fix all the shit that’s been broken in me. All the shit I broke.
But I have work to do.
I can’t lay around in bed with my virgin wife all day.
Even if that’s what I want.
Daniel meets me in the parking lot with coffees. “How was your night?” he asks, and for a beat I think he knows what me and Nika did. But what’s it matter if he does? Like fucking my wife is somehow shameful? “Hear any rats?”
“Even the rats know better than to fuck with my sleep.”
