His hands covered hers, pinning them to the vanity. With his big body surrounding her, she was trapped. It made her heart pound harder, her breath rush faster. For a cheetah-shifter who specialized in a speedy escape, there was something intoxicatingly erotic about being trapped by a man as sexually skilled as Breck, a man she knew would never harm her and would always make her scream with pleasure.
The head of his dick nudged the lips of her sex, sliding down her slit until he reached her center. Then he entered her. She shoved her hips back to take him in one quick thrust. Her fangs erupted from her gums as his thick cock stretched her. It was pleasure and pain all rolled into one, the line between the two blurring. A purr spilled from her. This was exactly what she needed now. She bowed her head forward, arching her body to meet the swift pace he set for them.
The impact of skin meeting skin echoed through the marble-tiled wash closet. He bent forward and bit her shoulder, making the lace rasp against her skin. A low snarl wrenched from her, the cheetah not far from the surface now. Wild and free, that was how she felt with Breck. Even if it wasn't true, if it could
never
be true, she let herself feel it, just for this one moment.
He sank deep into her pussy, her body rocking with the force of each thrust. The angle was amazing, and she leaned even farther forward to intensify the sensation. Oh, Deus. Her pussy spasmed, a precursor of what was to come. She could feel climax rising inside her already, though she tried to hold it off and cling to this feeling for as long as possible. It was a futile effort, but she tried.
“Don't fight it, beloved.” Breck bit her shoulder again, harder this time, calling to the feral side of her nature.
A hiss rattled her throat, her claws scraping against the marble vanity. “Breck!”
Picking up speed, he fucked her hard and fast and exactly the way she'd wanted him to. It was too much for her to resist. Orgasm rushed over her in a huge wave that threatened to drown her, and she reveled in it, let herself be whipped into the carnal storm. Her pussy fisted tight around his cock, contracting again and again on the thick length of his shaft. Pinpricks of light burst behind her eyes, gooseflesh breaking down her limbs. She shuddered every time her pussy clenched on his dick. The way he filled her was sublime, and her climax went on forever as he continued to drive inside her.
His thrusts grew rougher, less even, and she knew he was close to that edge. A ragged groan burst from him, and his big body locked behind her. He gripped her hands painfully against the vanity as he came within her. His hot come filled her sex, pumping deep inside her. There was no holding back her moan, or the aftershocks of orgasm that shook her. Her sex spasmed again, squeezing his cock.
“Deus, Tam.” He dropped his forehead between her shoulder blades, and she felt the bellowing of his breath through the thin lace of her dress. “That was . . .”
“Hotter than a cluster of biobombs detonating,” she finished.
He chuckled, kissing her nape before he straightened away from her slowly. She sighed when his cock slipped from her body, already missing the connection.
But reality crashed down around her, killing the high of her climax. To keep busy, she grabbed a hand towel and used some sanitizer to clean herself up. Anything to hold off this conversation for just a few more moments.
“Tam.”
She froze in place, then set the towel down and turned to face him. “Yes, I did promise, didn't I?”
He leaned back against the closed door and crossed his arms. “You did. What did stepdaddy have to say?”
“He wants me to crack the safe in Abernathy's office.” She met his gaze. “They're holding the Queen's Jewels there while Delilah is doing her security checks at the palace.”
The Adam's apple in his throat bobbed when he swallowed. “What's our next move?”
“I'm going to Drusilla's birthday ball and stealing those jewels.” She drew in a slow breath. “You're going to stay at the Royale, and I'll make your apologies for you when I get to the gala.”
His expression darkened. “We're in this together, Tam. How many times do I have to say that? I can help.”
“No, you can't.” She quickly outlined the information that Stefan had given her, and Breck's face settled into a glower. She squared her shoulders, readying herself for the oncoming battle. “I won't have you sully your hands with this. It's bad enough that you're being seen with me. They're bound to question you when this is all said and done. I want you to be able to honestly say you had nothing to do with any crimes I committed.”
He shook his head, his jaw tightening. “Tam, just trust me toâ”
“This isn't about trust.” She held up a hand to still his words. “I
do
trust you. But I need you to do something else for me while I'm pulling this job.”
That got his attention. His eyebrows arched. “What's more important than being there with you?”
“Sophie.” She dragged in a breath, forcing herself to say the words that would sever the most important connections of her life. “Stefan is going to want to be nearby for this. I wouldn't be surprised if he's managed to finagle an invitation to the gala as well. He won't trust me not to try something to deprive him of his prize, and he's right not to trust me. He'll be preoccupied with his treasure, not with keeping Sophie on lockdown.”
Breck tensed, straightening away from the door. “So, you want me to snatch her?”
If only it were that simple. “I want you to call the police and have them go in and get her. Leland and Nichols both have outstanding warrants for their arrest, I'm sure. You said you could pay the right people to legally get Sophie, and that's what I want you to do.”
He scrubbed a hand down his face, every movement broadcasting his frustration. “You think I can't handle Leland and Nichols?”
Setting a hand on his arm, she squeezed gently. “I think you don't want to get involved in anything illegal. This way we get what we want without you breaking any laws.”
“Why do you have to steal the jewels?” He spread his hands. “Why wait? Why can't we just do this tonight after the party, or tomorrow?”
The very thought made her blood freeze, and her voice rose with the urgency of trying to convince him to do this her way. “You think Stefan wouldn't kill Sophie right then and there just to spite me? His men aren't authorized to kill her without his permission, because
as things stand
she's only of value to him alive. If we change how things stand while he's around . . .” She shook her head. “No, we have to do this when we know he'll be out of the suite. And while I'm at the Abernathys' is a time I can guarantee it.”
“How can you be so sure?”
She gave him a lopsided grin. “Because I know him. I know how he operates. He'll be at the Abernathys' that night.”
His frown didn't ease. “You could be risking your life, Tam.”
“She's more important than my life, don't you understand that? I want her to have the chances I never had. I want her to be able to meet a man like you and be worthy of him. I want her to be able to have him tell her they're mates and not feel the need to apologize to him for it.” Tears rose in her eyes and she blinked fast to get rid of them.
He closed his hands over her shoulders, pain and sympathy in his gaze. “Tam . . .”
“There's more.” The worst was yet to come. Deus, nothing had ever been so difficult in her entire life. “When . . . when you pay off whoever you have to in order to get Sophie free of the system, I want you to send her to some friends of mine.”
His brows contracted, confusion filling his expression. “To guard her until you can come get her?”
“No.” She stepped away from him, knowing she wouldn't be able to say this with him touching her, offering her comfort she didn't deserve. Coldness spread through her, making her feel frozen. “No, they're going to take her forever. They'll adopt her.”
A flash of pure incredulous rage crossed his handsome face. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
That ice spread through her, making her feel as if she could crack into a trillion tiny pieces. “Stefan isn't my only enemy, Breck. I've conned a lot of people in my life. Many of them would be happy to see me rot in prison for the rest of my days. Some of them wouldn't hesitate to use Sophie against me if it got them what they wanted. As long as I'm part of her life, she's in danger.” She was so cold, shivers began to run through her, and she hugged herself tight.
Breathe, Tam. Just breathe.
“As long as I'm in her life, she'll be tarred with the same brush that I am. Criminal. Degenerate. She's only ten and it's already happened to her at school. She's been scorned because of who her relatives are, had a friend tell her exactly what Stefan and I do to make money.”
Not an ounce of empathy showed in Breck's expression now, just anger, rejection of what she was saying. “So you're just going to get rid of her?”
She clenched her teeth together for a moment to keep them from clattering. “I'm going to protect her the only way I can.”
Crossing his arms again, he gave her a disbelieving glance. “Won't these enemies of yours be able to track down the friends you're leaving her with?”
“Not really.” She snorted, holding herself tighter. She might shake apart at any moment. “They're missionaries. Good, honest, upstanding people. People unlikely to associate with someone like me.”
“Yet you know them.”
She nodded, the movement jerky. “They helped me once. In Asia.”
“How?” He tilted his head, as if he had no idea how she might have gotten tangled up with missionaries.
Did she really have to tell him this? Strip herself bare again? The man knew all her sordid ugliness. She'd never wanted that. “I was doing a job, charming a very wealthy gentleman, and his wife poisoned me.”
“She didn't like her husband cheating?”
“No, she was fine with him having mistresses.” Her nails bit into her arms as she tightened her hold. Please, please let this be over with soon. She couldn't take much more. “As long as she didn't think they were prettier than her. I found that out the hard way. She poisoned me and dumped me in a river to die.” She glanced away from him, but there was no escaping. She could see his expression in the mirror. “These very kind missionaries fished me out and nursed me back to health. They know about Sophie and understand that someday she might arrive unannounced on their doorstep. They've agreed to adopt her should such a moment ever come, change her name, and basically erase any connection between her and me.”
“You don't need to do this,” he snapped, his tone implacable.
“Yes, I do. As long as she's in my life, she's at risk,” she repeated. They both needed to hear it out loud again, because the truth was a harsh thing. “I've been denying that fact by staying away from her, but Stefan has made it painfully clear to me. Even tucked away in a boarding school, she's not safe.”
He threw up his hands in exasperation. “She's only in danger as long as you're associating with criminal elements. Go clean.”
As if it was that simple. No. She shoved that idea away, no matter how tempting it was. And, Deus, it was tempting. But she was too far gone to go straight now. Her past would never be erased, it would come back to haunt her. There were too many people who knew her face, who had seen how corrupt she was inside. Sophie knew what she was. Breck knew. They might say they loved her now, but someday it would matter to them. Someday they'd understand that she wasn't good enough to be around people like them. She'd only get them hurt, one way or another. If not now, then in the future.
This had to end. There was no more pretending she was something she wasn't.
Â
Dread was a lead weight in his stomach, and a band of emotion tightened painfully around his chest. Anger and agony twisted inside him. She was actually going to do this. Throw away everything that meant anything to her. Fuck. He wanted to shake her, shout at her, demand that she not use that cheetah speed to run for once in her life, that she stand and
fight.
It wasn't about cowardice, not this time. No, he knew this was probably the hardest thing she'd ever done, but it was so unnecessary.
“Go clean?” She huffed out a breath. “It's too late for that.”
He fisted his hands at his sides to keep from reaching out to shake her the way he wanted to. Maybe then she'd come to her senses. “
Why?
Why is it too late?”
Her shoulders hunched, and she curled into herself. But her eyes sparked with determination. “Because I promised myself that I would protect her and give her a good life. This is the best way.”
“That's not true. She should be with the people who love her the most. And that's you. She loves you. You love her. You should be together. It doesn't matter what you've done in your life. You can change.” Why was he still arguing? She wouldn't listen. It was as effective as bashing his head into a solid mercurite wall.