Page 32 of Enemy of the Heart

Jace glances around. “I’m taking the one farthest from the two of you.”

I shake my head, trailing after Lou as I leave Jace to explore on his own. Louhi’s on me the instant I shut the door. Her lips crash against mine, and I flip us so that she’s against the wall, my hands clutching her body tightly. I wince at the pain that shoots through my shoulder.

“Never leave me like that again, Sean,” she speaks against my mouth. “I want to kick your arse.”

I chuckle, my stomach aching. “But?”

“But…” She smirks, the expression challenging and seductive, rubbing her body against mine in a shameless attempt to seek relief. “I’ll settle for being a sadist’s little whore.”

Oh, fuck me to hell. She knows how to push my buttons.

“Undress and get on your knees, Lou,” I command, my eyes locked with hers as our souls seem to reach out to one another.

Doing as I ordered, she tosses her clothes aside and falls to her knees, her bare heels kissing the backs of her ankles between my spread thighs. My dog tags are tucked neatly between her full breasts, gleaming in the warm light from the lamps illuminated in the room.

Something dark and dangerous shifts in my chest as I take in the sight of her like this. I shut it down.

The palm attached to my uninjured shoulder glides over the top of her head. “Always so sweet for me, aren’t you?”

She scoffs, recalling how I called her sweet Lou during one of our sessions at Ex-I, despite the dichotomy of that statement.

As she reaches for the waistband of my ill-fitting sweats, I catch her wrist and shake my head. “I didn’t tell you to take me out. Has freedom made you forget how to follow my orders? Clasp your hands behind your back.”

Her pretty brown eyes narrow on me. I watch with amusement as she wages an internal war. But she follows my directions.

“That’s better. I’m glad to see that you haven’t forgotten who owns you.” I smirk, and her jaw clenches. Push me, baby.

I thread my hand into the soft strands of her hair. Looming over her, I extend my other hand, my fingertips grazing the engraved words on the necklace, pinching the thin tags between my fingers before letting them fall back against her body.

“Stay.”

Her nostrils flare, her eyes flashing with fury and lust when I order her like a dog. I slip past and stalk toward the ensuite bathroom. I’d never admit it, but I could use a few minutes alone to try to get my shit together. Plus, I’m dirty as fuck.

My wounds sting beneath the hot spray, especially the burns, but I grit my teeth and indulge. I wash my body three times in a feeble attempt to cleanse myself of that horrible place.

The reality of everything feels like it’s crashing down around me. I don’t know who I am outside of my military career. I don’t know how my piece fits into Lou’s ever-shifting puzzle or how I might slot into her life. Not to mention the way my mind feels…different after my time in that goddamn box.

I drag my hands down my face, the short stubble I’ve accumulated stabbing my palms. I want to show up for Louhi, for myself, but it’s a lot of change and the unknown is swirling like a tornado in my mind. Is the Secretary of Defense going to send in a Ranger team to take us out? Is bunking with the fucking mafia really a great idea?

Despite eating and having some water on the plane, my stomach still feels hollow and I’m bone tired, but my dick is hard when I think about Louhi waiting for me. Once I’m finished, I wrap a towel around my waist and emerge from the bathroom half expecting to find that Lou has disobeyed me and altered her position.

Instead, I find her exactly as I left her: naked, arms behind her back, kneeling for me. That’s my girl.

As I stalk toward the imposing bed centered against the wall, blood continues to rush to my cock that’s hidden behind my towel. Louhi’s combative expression tells me that she’s thinking about how she might kill me. I nearly chuckle, stifling the sound at the last second.

Perching on the edge of the soft mattress, I demand, “Crawl over here.”

From this position, I can’t see the bottom half of her face, but I imagine she’s clenching her teeth as she decides how far she’s willing to go when it comes to doing what I say.

She’s lucky I’m allowing her to crawl to me on her time. I’m tempted to march over and drag her to the bed by her hair. I’d enjoy the way her scalp would twinge and burn with the force of my grip.

After everything I just went through, I shouldn’t be having that reaction. I grind my molars and try to shut those dark thoughts out.

At last, her hands hit the floor. Seconds later, she slinks around the corner of the couch, her breasts and ass swaying, and my dog tags clink softly as she moves.

She looks fucking edible like this, prowling toward me like prize prey inching closer to my snare. The darkness within me begs for control, clawing to break free, but I suppress it.

I can’t let it out with her. Not when I’m so…raw. If ever again.