Seduced by Pain (17 page)

The
juxtaposition of sensations sent me spiraling out of control. Like the ocean
being sucked into itself as it prepared to send a tsunami of waves crashing to
shore, my body pulled in, waiting, building, adding to the pressure.

When he
pressed his fingers into me, stroking that one spot inside me, that tsunami
unleashed itself.

He pumped me, twisting
my nipple while he did to keep my power fed, then brought himself against me
and bit at my shoulder.

"More.
More. Bite harder. Go deeper. Give me more." My voice came out harsh,
jagged, desperate.

He followed my
commands, slamming his hand into me, digging his teeth into my flesh until I
came so hard I bucked like a wild animal and screamed out his name.

While I rode
the waves of this incredible high, he pulled his hand out, leaving me feeling
empty and shocked, but only for a moment while he slipped a condom over his
impossibly hard cock and eased himself into me.

"Don't be
gentle. Slam into me. Harder."

I needed the
pain. Needed the pleasure. Needed him.

Trusting me,
he shoved his cock completely into me in one thrust.

My mind
blanked.

Pain split me
in two and ecstatic bliss rebuilt me into something new.

He groaned in
my ear. "You are so tight. Oh, God, Rose, I love you so much."

His words
sweetened the moment, but his cock continued to pound me.

Reaching above
my head, he pulled off the belt and freed my arms, which I wrapped around him
as I joined in the rhythm, thrusting my hips against his, more orgasms ripping
through me.

He pulled out
and I protested, using my legs to keep him inside of me, but they were weak
with love making, and he flipped me onto my stomach. I raised myself to my
knees, tender nipples scraping against the sheets.

Using his
knee, he widened my legs then thrust himself into me again. I never knew that
changing positions could make such a difference. Gripping the sheets, I held on
for my life as he rode me from behind, hitting spots inside of me I didn't know
existed.

I pinched my
own nipples, giving pain to the pleasure as our hips met in a frenzied and
lustful rhythm.

Another
climactic spiral circled through me.

My power also
spiraled out, clinging to our passion.

"Hurt me,
spank me," I screamed. Not only did I need it, but I wanted it. Craved it.

He slapped my
ass, and the sting felt so good.

Another slap
as he slammed into me over and over.

I submitted to
the climax, screaming his name as I came undone.

His voice
joined mine as he too came hard, reaching in to squeeze my tits as he did.

We collapsed
in a pile of sweaty flesh, and he rolled off of me and pulled me into his arms.

"Are you
okay?" He held my chin up to see into my eyes.

I assessed my
body, but couldn't tell anything beyond utter bliss. I was sure I'd be sore
when the endorphins wore off, but it was worth it for how I felt in that
moment. I kissed his lips and tasted myself on them, then laid my head on his
chest.

I'd done it. I'd
made love to the man I loved and we had both survived the experience.

Sleep claimed
me, and I dreamed of nothing but the feel of Derek inside of me.

Ill met by
moonlight

—William
Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

MY TEXTS AND
calls had gone unanswered, and I
worried endlessly about her safety and future.

Of course,
part of me wanted to eat Derek alive and send him to the fiery pits of my
dimension, but the rest of me that still wanted Rose to survive this nightmare
worried.

It wasn't
until I checked her cottage again that I saw she'd left her phone behind. At
least she hadn't been deliberately ignoring me.

Clutching her
locket in my hand, I searched for my car keys and left the property. I had a
deal with another devil to make.

Playing the
odds, weighing my loyalties, I had to walk this line carefully. The witches
needed more power to defeat the Druids. I needed them to win to stay in this
body. It was my only chance of getting Rose back.

But I couldn't
let them hurt Rose in the process. I'd have to keep Rose out of harm's way,
which unfortunately meant that Derek would probably also be spared.

The lesser of
two evils.

My sources
said I could meet Beleth behind the Catholic Church in the center of town. I
had no idea why a genetically mutated fallen angel wanted to meet at a church,
but who was I to question the great man himself?

Darkness
shrouded the courtyard in mystery, giving the scene an ominous look.

I didn't
intimidate easily, but Beleth's reputation preceded him, and I'd assumed it had
been exaggerated.

I was wrong.

Beleth towered
over the sculpted angles in the church's back garden, looking more like the
devil than one of their former brethren.

Black tribal
tattoos snaked up his arms and around his thick neck and chest, telling stories
in a language I didn't understand. I'd heard rumors of his powers, of his
unnatural abilities.

I didn't
believe them until now.

Black tarry
wings sprouted from his back, giving him the appearance of a bat. He stood so
still he could have been a statue himself, save for the flicker of wind through
his wings.

I kept a safe
distance and introduced myself.

"I know
who you are," the fallen angel said. "Give me a reason for doing
business with your kind."

As if he was
so far above
my kind
. But for a slip
of fate, he and I could have swapped lives. Wrong place, wrong time, and all
that. "You know what I need. What do you ask in return? I don't have time
to play games."

I needed to
set Rose up and get her away from the O'Conners before the coven made their
move.

"I ask
two things. One, the promise of information from your people."

"That's
already been agreed upon. My superiors are working on what you've asked. And
the second?"

"A vial
of oil from the infamous rose bush."

"The
witches aren't going to be very interested in parting with that."

He flapped his
wings, hovering above the ground. "Then they can win their war without my
aid."

He had me
there. "Wait. Agreed. I'll get you what you've asked for. What do you have
for me?"

From the sky,
he tossed down a silver sphere. I caught it and examined the innocuous object. "What
are we supposed to do with this? Throw it at the Druids and hope it knocks
someone out?"

"It
enhances power for those who wield it. Keep it close, channel its energy, and
you'll win your battle. This is a loan, not a gift. If I don't get that back
with the rose oil and the information I asked for, you and your friends will
not enjoy the ramifications."

"They
aren't my friends," I muttered, but he'd disappeared into the dark sky
before the words had left my lips.

The sphere
looked unremarkable, but the longer I held it, the warmer it got, until it sent
off a wave of energy, calming and empowering at once. A tingle of power grew in
my center and worked its way through my body, and I knew that this might
actually work.

Now for the
next task on my to-do list.

Getting her
alone hadn't been easy. She stuck close to her family, keeping an eye on her
brother as he slept.

But a text
from a blocked number claiming to be Derek in need of help had her running out
the door in the early dawn and into her car fast enough.

I followed the
petite brunette toward the address I'd texted her. Posing as her brother, I'd
asked her to come alone. Told her Rose and I had broken up and I needed a
shoulder to lean on. She'd eaten it up with both hands.

When she
pulled into the abandoned hotel and got out of her car, I made my move before
she could second guess herself.

Chloroform to
the mouth and she was out.

I tied her to
the bed and sent the next text.

If only love
could be as easy as kidnapping.

Are you sure

That we are
awake? It seems to me

That yet we
sleep, we dream

—William
Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

Dear Diary,

Pain and pleasure are born from the same explosion of nerves. Together
they form the precipice of magic and sexual awakening, pushing me over the edge
and into a new experience.

Making love to Derek was about more than an ecstatic physical birth.
Bodies tied together, joined in the most intimate of ways, linked by flesh and
spirit, by mind and heart—the world synched for that moment, clarifying
into truth.

Like seeing my dark gift manifest in the lake, being with Derek made
manifest the physical form of our love.

We gave birth to our passions, unleashing a new expression of
awakening.