Descent (Black Heart Romance)

Hallie shakes her head, looking a little lost. I don’t get the impression it’s from the words I’ve just said, though. She’s reeling from the information I’ve dropped on her regarding her friend’s fidelity. “But she loves him.”

“She was drunk. It was probably a mistake. One that would likely end her marriage, though, so…”

She swallows and crosses her arms over her chest in an unconscious gesture of self-comfort. “How long?”

“How long?” I repeat, unsure of her question.

Her resentful gaze flickers to mine. “How long do I have to stay here? How long do I have to… be yours?”

“As long as I want you to be.”

She closes her eyes, inhaling and exhaling very slowly.

Arson told me about the panic attack she nearly had in the alley, but this doesn’t seem like that. She’s just soaking up the impossibility of her position, feeling the narrowness of the space I’m giving her within my walls.

I’m sure it doesn’t feel good when she’s used to absolute freedom, but she knows she has no choice.

I know it, too, but I’m not unkind enough to point it out.

She swallows, eyes still closed, then says, “You want to hear something funny?”

“Sure. I love a good joke.”

Her lips curve up, but it’s a bitter little twist. “I thought you liked me.” She laughs a little, opening her eyes. “How stupid is that?”

“I do like you. Very much.”

“If you liked me, you wouldn’t do this to me.”

“It won’t be so bad,” I tell her, drifting closer so I can caress the smooth curve of her jaw.

She turns her face away.

I drop my hand. I’ll have the whole of her soon enough; I won’t force my touch on her just now. “Why don’t you take a nice relaxing bath before bed?” I suggest. “I’ll feed Marie dinner.”

“I don’t require supervision?” she asks bitterly.

“If you’d like to be supervised, I’m happy to oblige.”

She wants so badly to be a brat. I shouldn’t let her get away with so much tonight—it’ll skew her expectations going forward—but I have sympathy for my pretty little dove, rebelling against the cage I’ve erected all around her.

It’s important that she know my supply of sympathy is extremely limited, though, so before I let her go, I grab her wrist and pull her back.

She looks up at me, confused since I just told her to take a bath.

I reach out to caress her face, letting my thumb graze her bottom lip. She tries to turn her head and pull away, so I tighten my grip, forcing her to look at me. Once her resentful gaze is locked on mine, I lean in and kiss her softly.

She doesn’t kiss me back, but I don’t let it drive me crazy this time.

The kiss wasn’t the point; I just wanted to remind her I can kiss her—or do anything else to her that I want—anytime I like.

I drop my hand. “Now you may go.”

She glares at me, then turns and storms off toward my bedroom.

Well, I guess it’s our bedroom now.

I like the sound of that.

___

Hallie isn’t much for company tonight, but I didn’t expect her to be.

I’m waiting for her in the bedroom when she emerges after her bath. Her hair is dry except for the ends and pulled over one shoulder. I left a silk robe hanging up in the bathroom for her, so that’s what she’s wearing. Tomorrow I will have her things brought over from her apartment. I have a few things here for her already, but she’s too mad at me to ask, so she’s content to sleep in the robe.

She’ll be sleeping in much less than that.

As soon as she’s curled up beneath the covers with her back facing me, I slide my arm around her and untie the belt holding the delicate pieces of silk together over her tits. She sighs, aggravated, but doesn’t fight me as I push a hand beneath the loose fabric and cup her bare flesh in my palm.

Her soft skin is still flushed from the warmth of her bath. Her breaths grow shakier as I palm and caress her lovely tits. She inhales sharply when I take her nipple between my fingers and squeeze.

I release the pressure and listen for her to exhale.

Relief.

It only lasts a second. I move my thumb over the hard little nub, then rub it in a rough circle. I move my thumb away and flick it, causing her to gasp.

Finally, she tries to push my hand away and roll farther away from me.

It doesn’t work. I lock an arm around her waist and yank her back so hard, her ass comes flush against my hardening cock.

“Be a good girl,” I warn her.

“Why?” she tosses back. “You’re not a good man.”

My lips curve up as I kiss the shell of her ear, replacing my hand on her tit. “True, but irrelevant.”