EcstasyEntwined (9 page)

Chapter Nine

Elena bit her lip, wondering what on earth had happened in
the time she’d drifted off into a teeny-weeny slumber.

He’d come when she’d asked him, all right, but anyone with
half a brain could see he’d rather be anywhere but here. The observation
shattered her hopes. Uncertainties crowded her brain, eating away at the
confidence he’d instilled in her. She’d lived her life in fear of her voice, in
fear of everything that made her the siren she was.

How could he unlock her fantasies only to run away when she
thought she could have a life with him? Who the hell did he think he was, to
waltz in and out of her life as he pleased?

Worming his way into her lackluster existence, he’d touched
her heart. She should probably thank him for that and let him go.
When hell
freezes over,
she decided.

“Thanks for coming back to finish this discussion.”

He flinched at her statement as if she’d stuck him. Was he
that afraid of her? Even the concept seemed laughable; though laughter was the
last thing she had in mind. Maybe he’d changed his mind and didn’t want anything
to do with her.

His tension rolled off him in waves, threatening her
threadbare composure. And the instant he averted his gaze, her suspicion blew
into certainty.

He cleared his throat and she beat him to it. “Is this where
you’ll say, we had earth-shattering sex, but it’s not you, it’s me?”

“I— That’s beside the point.”

The low growl, as usual, fired up her insides, and she
furiously tamped down her unbidden reaction. He’d shaken her world, literally,
and though she hadn’t expected flowery descriptions and declarations of love,
she hoped they’d connected on a fundamental level.

Wasn’t she more the fool for allowing the sex-starved parts
of her body to do the thinking instead of her brain?

That and then some
, chided her mind.

She straightened up, not willing to budge from her stance.
“Oh, then what
is
the point that I’m obviously missing here?”

His eyes narrowed at the sarcasm she’d injected into her
voice on purpose. Good, at least he wasn’t as cold as he seemed.

He took a deep breath. “I came here hoping to persuade you
to live, let down your hair and embrace your passions.”

Her heart crumpled, even as she took in a shuddering breath.
“And apparently I failed.”

“No!” His dark eyes blazed with passion, as if he meant his
words. “You’re passionate, giving and too good for me.”

The way he sugarcoated the truth didn’t soften the blow of
his rejection.

She sighed. “I guess you earn brownie points for coming up
with the cheesiest bullshit I’ve ever heard.”

If anything, his posture became rigid, as if he was steeling
himself, when it was the other way round. She’d never found a person who made
her heart and body sing, and most importantly, who didn’t fall dead by the time
she got to bed with him.

And the only problem? He didn’t want her. Had she misread
his passions? No, she hadn’t. The answer stood half-naked in front of her and
she blinked, the desperation giving way to determination. She wasn’t ready to
let him go without a fight.

She covered the distance between them, one hand grabbing his
slacks while she pulled his shirt open with the other. Buttons flew and one of
her nails broke. But his bare chest, showcasing his flexing muscles, was so
worth the broken nail.

He caught her wrists and pinned them loosely behind her.
“What the hell are you doing?”

“Fine person you are to talk.” She punctuated each word with
a kiss—one on his hard jaws, one at a spot in his neck and another on his flat
nipples. “Have you thought to let go?”

“Let go?” His lips drew back in a snarl. “Do you realize I
almost killed you in there?”

“You didn’t.”

In the blink of an eye, he caught her arms, advancing until
her half covered butt bumped the wall. His hands curled over her nape and
lifted her head for a kiss. Her toes literally curled at the way his mouth
manipulated hers, his teeth gliding over her lower lip before nipping. His
fangs elongated, and mesmerized, she ran her tongue over his sharp points. He
hissed and stepped away, breathing as hard as she.

“Don’t ever do that to me.”

The hard edge to his voice snapped her out of the blissful
state she floated in.

“What—” She tried again. “What did I do?”

“I told you not to tempt the beast.”

“I’m fine, Gregory.”

“I’m not talking about now.”

She placed her palm on his chest, relishing the way his
heart thundered under her fingertips.

“Even then, I didn’t even feel a pinch.”

“I drank more blood than I intended. And I lost control.”

His grouchy voice made him as endearing as a small kid and
she stared into his face, half expecting him to be pouting. The glint remained
in his gaze, along with a puzzled frown.

“Like hell,” she retorted.

“Don’t goad me, Elena.”

“Or what?”

She pushed him toward the bedroom, struggling to remove his
pants. He didn’t lift a finger to help her, but she managed to remove them and
tossed them aside. Once he was gloriously naked, she nudged him until his legs
bumped the bed. One hard shove and he fell backward, allowing her the leverage
to scoot on top of him.

He looked ready to murder someone and she wondered if that
someone might be her.

Why did the thought send a heady dose of delight instead of
fear?

Gregory stared at her, clenching his hands instead of
reaching out for her. She didn’t know if he’d pull her down for another kiss or
smack her for arguing with him. Making light of the situation, she gave him an
impish smile. “That was the best orgasm of my life. Don’t you dare make it a
mistake.”

His nostrils flared. “That was a mistake.”

“No damn way.” She resisted the urge to shake him, make him
see sense. “You didn’t allow anything to happen to me.”

“Are you crazy? Most women would have run from me if that
had just happened.”

She wriggled on top of him, trying to get him up. His
semi-hard cock prodded between her thighs, eager for whatever action she had in
mind, and she smirked.

She bent forward, caught his face between her hands. “For
the record, I’m not most women. And I trust you.”

“Trust?” He sneered. “Given the situation, even I wouldn’t
trust myself.”

She ignored his taunt. “I also believe you’ll keep me safe.”

Emphasizing her point, she bunched her T-shirt and tossed it
away. She bent face down on the bed beside him, wriggling her ass in the air.

“If you use the paddle now, you can find out what I already
feel for you.”

He trailed his hand over her back, plunging a finger into
her tight ass. She clenched around him.

“Do you want me here?” He let out a broken grunt.

She stilled, contemplating. “Yes.”

Positioning himself behind her, he dipped the head of his
cock into her core. Pleasure ratcheted up and he pulled out, jerking upward.
Toward her virgin asshole.

“I’m going to fuck you ’til you’re sore.” He growled and
gripped her harder. “And then start all over again.”

“Please.”

Her whisper went straight to his head, as potent as a shot
of whiskey. His blood rushed south and Gregory forgot what he was about to say.
Her words were muffled, potent darts filled with an aphrodisiac. His brain all
but shut down; his cock woke up.

He’d prove to her how dangerous he could be. “Damn you.”

She turned her face, eyeing him from the side. “No. Fuck
me.”

Her submission proved the final straw. He allowed a few
seconds to calm his erratic breathing and pushed himself into her tight hole,
one excruciating inch at a time.

“Breathe out through your mouth. Relax for me.”

Her tightness gripped him, and then yielded way. He grunted
and pushed forward, watching her tiny opening swallow him whole. Blood rushed
to his crotch as his cock jerked inside her snug confines, ready to spill.

He wrapped himself around her waist, relishing her soft skin
and inhaling the mixed scents of feminine arousal and her trademark cinnamon.
Her presence calmed him down and yet aroused him beyond imagination. How had he
gotten himself into her bed again?

Thoughts seemed hazy, out of reach, and when she moved,
pushing against him, he could do nothing but follow her unspoken command.

The darkness he’d managed to keep under wraps broke free.
Dark desires swirled within him as he spanked her ass again and pushed deeper.
Control was his and his alone.

He bent forward, cupping her breasts, and trailed below, to
the soft curls of her wet sex. With each thrust, her clit plumped up and
swelled under his fingers.

She tensed, going taut beneath him. “I’m going to—”

“No. Not until I give you permission.” He removed his hand,
watching her sag, feeling strangely bereft, as if he’d snatched a toy from an
eager kid.

Not willing to think, he slapped her ass cheek. She sighed
and let out a muffled curse.

Undeterred by his reminder of who was in charge, she jiggled
her cute butt and moved faster against him, pulling him along for the ride.
Breathing hitched as pressure built inside him. With each bounce, she pulled
him harder, deeper, threatening his hold on control. He grabbed her hips, his
fingers bruising her satin skin in an effort to slow down. To prolong the
moment.

His fangs ached to bite, to sample her sweet, addictive
blood again. To his eternal amazement, the hunger didn’t override his
sensibilities.

The darkness he’d expected to surge out of control in fact
purred and remained under the surface, as if completely under his will. Tamed.
Obedient. Giving an additional edge to his pleasure. Nothing else. No
out-of-control taunts or the insane urges that’d gripped him since their phone
sex, though every bit of him still wanted her.

Firmly grounded in the moment, he smacked her ass for the
sheer joy of watching her tingling flesh redden beneath his palms and not due
to dark desires clouding his brain.

He groaned, feeling the weight of the world lift from his
shoulders. She’d done it. She’d not only calmed the bloodlust, but also made
him feel things he’d long forgotten. Dare he hope for love? He wouldn’t let her
go, no matter what. She was his and only his, in bed and out of it.

He spanked her again, wanting to own her as she owned him.
She yelped this time and he soothed her butt cheeks, moving his palm to rest on
the small of her back.

“Ouch. You better be ready to kiss and make it better.”

The way she growled the command made his cock swell inside
her gripping ass. He picked up the pace, desire crashing within him and rushing
toward the point of no return. She pushed back, matching him thrust for thrust.
Bliss clawed at him, consumed him, as his spine tightened. He plucked her clit
between his thumb and forefinger, leaning closer to her ears.

“Come for me. Now.”

She thrashed on the bed, his name a broken cry on her lips
while her orgasm drenched his fingers.

Overwhelmed by her response, he skyrocketed into ecstasy.
Groaning her name, he erupted inside her, drowning in undeniable lust and
something so much more. He kept pushing, until he poured the last drop of
himself into her as she convulsed around his cock and digits.

They crashed as one to the mattress while he tried to bring
his breathing to some semblance of normalcy.

She winced when he pulled out of her and his gut clenched in
response. He rushed to bring a warm towel to soothe her aches, calling himself
all kinds of fool.

Hissing when the wet cloth touched her sore back, she gave
him a shy smile. “Don’t worry, Gregory. It’ll get easier with time and
practice, I suppose.”

He should’ve been more careful when initiating her into such
pleasures instead of lording it over her body in the grip of madness.

Unshed tears burned his eyes and he choked on his words. “We
didn’t even decide on a freaking safe word for our rough play.”

“Next time,” she muttered and he stilled on her, silent.

Did she mean…? He stared at her as she smirked. “Now that
I’ve gotten your attention, I need you to do something.”

“Anything, my love.” This time, the endearment felt natural,
as if meant to be.

She motioned him near. “Shut up and kiss me.”

He moved to hug her close when his mobile phone chimed. Who
was calling him so early? He frowned when he saw Leon’s number.

He strode to the table and flipped the phone open, giving
Elena a flying kiss. She pouted and blew a raspberry at him.

He bit back laughter. “Greg here.”

“Something has come up. I need your help to locate a woman.”

For a moment he wondered if his earlier words were echoing
back at him, or was it Leon speaking, asking for repayment of the favor. He
listened as his friend outlined his request.

“I’ll be there,” he promised and hung up. He’d check with
his friend and get back to her within a couple of hours. Would she need him?

He turned to find her sitting uptight on the bed, covers
pulled up to her chest.

“You’re leaving,” she said.

A statement. Not a question. Was she expecting him to stay?

His pulse picked up speed at the thought. With a shrug he
hoped was casual, he moved toward his strewn clothes, attuned to the rustle of
movement on the bed as she squirmed and adjusted herself. He waited for her to
make the first move, his heart galloping as though it were a wild horse.

“It’ll be dawn in a few hours. Won’t the sun harm you?” she
asked.

She was concerned for him. Hiding a smile of satisfaction,
he sat beside her, tugging on his briefs. “I might get a nasty sunburn, but
don’t worry.”

“Why shouldn’t I? Do you always carry a sunscreen with SPF
70 or so with you?”