“Crazy?” I whisper. “Why am I crazy, you ask? It seems like a dumb ass question since you are so intent on selling yourself to someone who hasn’t proven he can keep you safe. You’ll buy his protection, but you don’t even know if it’s worth the cost.”
She shrugs and folds her arms under her breasts. “No, but it’s a hell of a lot better than being cooped up in a stupid hotel room with nothing to do and no way to take back my city.”
I tug her arms away. She resists, but I’m stronger. I arrange her hands on the edge of the desk and curl her fingers down so she grips it. “Keep your hands there, or I’ll make you regret it.”
Part of me is hoping she disobeys, but she actually listens, her big eyes staring up at me in the dark. I pry her thighs apart and curl my hands around to her hips to pull her to the edge of the desk and take my place between them.
“Is this what you truly want?” I ask, trailing my fingers up her inner thigh until I graze the edge of her lace panties. “You want to sell your soul to keep your body safe? It might sound like a good deal now, but I promise you, without your soul, life is a hell of a lot harder.”
I can feel her eyes on my face, trying to read me, figure out what’s happening. But I keep my gaze on my fingers, tracing the soft lace. “Without your soul, you slowly lose more and more, like it’s the container that holds you all together. First, your morals, then your compassion, and finally, your heart.”
She shakes her head mournfully. “I’m already missing all of those things anyway, so maybe he’s getting the raw end to this deal.”
I shake my head and bring my other hand to trail the other edge of the lace. “No, you only like to think you don’t have a heart. You sought protection when people took what’s yours. You even tried to throw the old hag councilwoman off Kai’s scent, despite playing the spoiled brat to everyone else. If there’s one thing I can spot a mile away, it’s an act.”
She huffs and grabs my hands to pry them away. I curl her fingers over the edge of the desk again, staring into her eyes now. “Last warning, move again, and you’ll regret it.”
She gulps and nods. I dig my fingers into the lace right over her pussy and rip the fabric wide open, a hole from seam to seam so I can touch her bare skin. My fingers glance over soft curls, but I’m going for the sweetness below. She’s soaked, and yet, she looks as composed as if she’s waiting for a bus.
“You are dripping all over my hand, and there’s nothing on your face,” I note, more for me than her.
“What can I say? I’ve got a good poker face, and who says that’s for you? Maybe I find the councilman attractive. He offered to take me to his bed after all.”
Now she’s just goading me. I cup my hand over her heat, learning the shape of her, then dip my thumb in to flick along her clit.
She hisses out a breath, her body jerking. “What-what do you think you’re doing?”
I flick the little nub again, enjoying how her tight little cunt wets my hand further with her arousal. I can smell her now, and I want so much more than a little taste.
“You want to sell yourself for your protection? That’s up to you, I suppose. There’s nothing I can do about it except lock you up. But something tells me you’ll come to resent me for that if I do.”
She gulps, sending primal satisfaction through me. “Yes.” Her hips move forward the tiniest bit as her body seeks the friction it craves.
I give her cunt one proprietary slap, causing her to jump, and take a step away from her. Fuck me, I can smell her, and my cock is an iron bar in my pants. But she can’t see any of that, so I keep my voice even. “Fine, you want to sell yourself for protection, then you can start with me, and I take payment up front.”
14
SELENA
Why is it that every time Michail manhandles me, I want him more? I lie in bed late into the night, and most of the next day, trying to figure it out. All the while, continuing to hide from him. Every time I move, the damn ring Emmanuelle gave me reminds me of the choice I was forced to make, and likely what I’ll soon regret.
I’d taken it off, but when I sat at the table to eat breakfast, Michail refused to feed me until I put it back on. Like both of us needed the token to remember what happened between us after my agreement to marry Emmanuelle.