I smile in the dark. “Good boy.”
Reid all but melts against me. I’ve found his trigger and I’m the bullet.
After that bone-melting kiss, Reid is easy to maneuver into the house. The lights are off and the house is quiet when Reid unlocks the door. He gathers himself enough to press a slim finger to his lips in the universal sign to shush. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. Reid points at my shoes, then points at his own as he carefully takes them off and places them on the mat by the door. I didn’t have to do this last time but who gives a fuck. I copy him, toeing my shoes off and leaving them on the mat.
I follow quietly behind Reid as we climb the stairs to his room. I like being in his house better this way. My eyes trail from the top of his head, down to the perfect curve of his ass. We sneak quietly into his room and Reid shifts behind me to close the door, locking it before pressing his forehead against the wood. He stays quiet as he moves around the room, clicking on the fairy lights pinned to the ceiling. The room glows to life, dark blue walls and a large queen bed piled high with comfy-looking blankets.
Reid fiddles with his phone before tossing it onto his desk as music softly booms from the speakers in the corners of the room. It’s a sensual beat, undoubtedly meant for fucking. But I don’t need a soundtrack when I fuck.
I nod toward the rug in front of me. “Get on your knees.”
Reid’s jaw firms up and I half expect him to argue. But that kiss earlier must’ve rattled his brain enough to make his normal argumentative nature calm. He falls to his knees in front of me, eyes hooded as he lifts his gaze to meet mine. Fuck. He’s so pretty. I clench my hands at my sides to keep from reaching out yet. Not yet.
“I’m not normal,” I say softly.I never know how to explain this part well. How sometimes I like to cause pain to my hookups, sometimes I like to make them cry, and that’s why I don’t usually have repeats. So, I have to say this clear as day so that Reid understands what I need… what I want from him.
Reid swallows loudly. “Okay.”
“Sometimes I like to make my partners do what I want. I like to make them cry. Do you like to cry, Reid?”
Reid’s chest heaves with each breath. His hands lift from his thighs as if he’s going to reach out, then fall back to his thighs, firmly gripping at the muscle under his tight jeans.
“I’m really bad. All the time.”
Fuck. The way Reid says it breaks my goddamn heart.
I’ve got to do this right.
If I mishandle Reid, I’ll hurt us both.
And something about Reid needs protecting.
I’m the only one who can keep him safe.
4
REID
My heart pounds away in my chest like a runaway stallion. I’ve been chasing danger for years, playing Russian roulette with my life to see how many times I can tempt fate before it finally takes. Now I’ve got this dangerous god standing over me with the fires of hell in his eyes.How did I get so lucky?
Dante screams danger, but something primitive inside me knows that he would never actually hurt me. Not enough to kill me. Maybe just enough to give me unbridled pleasure. I’m rotten to the core. Maybe Dante can replace everything decaying inside me with something good, something worthy of desire.
“I’m not an expert at this,” Dante mumbles, a small sliver of doubt filling his eyes. He rubs his face with one hand while placing the other atop my head, fingers gently working their way into my hair. “Green means good, yellow means slow down or give me a minute, and red means stop. If I do something you don’t like, you say red immediately. I’ll stop everything, no questions asked. Got it?”
“Yeah.”
“Just so we’re clear, you hold the real power here. You know that, right?”
I blink slowly up at him because I don’t understand. I’ve got no power. He’s standing over me, all six foot plus inches of him, two hundred and some pounds, all dark eyes and tattoos, I don’t feel like the powerful one when on my knees.
“I don’t feel powerful,” I mumble.
Dante sweeps his hand down my face, thumb pressing against my mouth until I open it and take his thumb inside. His skin tastes salty and it’s warm when it presses against my tongue until I open my mouth further. My jaw aches a little, but it’s worth it when Dante’s eyes go even darker.
“We really should work this out outside of the bedroom,” Dante says, voice raw and dripped in need. “But I don’t have the patience to wait any longer.”
“Fuck me?” I ask breathlessly.
Dante shakes his head. “Not tonight.”
