I can’t quite catch my breath. “You don’t need my safe word if you’re not going to fuck me.”
His lips curve. “Beautiful girl, you know better. There are thousands upon thousands of things I can do to you without ever penetrating that pretty pussy.”
I don’t want to tell him. But changing the safe word I’ve used for five years because I don’t want to admit it is as cowardly as he accused me of being. I grit my teeth. “Pirate.”
Hook’s grin is downright blinding. “Pirate,” he repeats slowly. “I see.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Mmm.” He releases me from his gaze and narrows his attention on my pussy again. “Are you ready to be on your knees?”
If I say yes, if I go through with it, then he’ll fuck me right now. The intent is written all over his face. He wants this as much as I do. More, maybe.
If I say yes, I lose what little leverage I have.
“No.”
“So be it.” He snags the wrist of the hand I used to masturbate and drags me forward. I watch with wide eyes as he sucks each individual finger into his mouth, one at a time. His tongue slides against my sensitive skin, and I can’t quite stifle a whimper. Hook releases me and drags his thumb across my palm. “Your stuff will be here in the next few days. No one in the house will mess with you, but it’s wise to stay in this room until we’ve gone public with the marriage. Once everyone knows you’re mine, they won’t touch you.” He grins. “Unless I ask them nicely and you’re down for it.”
I blink. He’s moving too quickly, switching subjects with ease when I’m still hung up on the way he makes my skin buzz.
But then, it’s just a game for Hook. He’s like every other territory leader in this city, moving the pieces about in his eternal quest for power. I’m just a pawn in another person’s game. My only value to him is that Peter won’t let me go. Marrying me, rubbing our so-called relationship in the public’s face, that’s destined to piss Peter off. That has to be part of the plan. A plan I need to remember, because Hook is not for me. He’s everything I very much don’t want in my life. I’ve walked this path before, falling for a man more in love with power than he could ever be with me. If I had a single choice in the matter, I wouldn’t go down it again. Peter was a monster before he was powerful, but that old saying about power corrupting a person isn’t wrong. The more power he claimed, the more monstrous he became. No one is immune to the seductive temptation of more. Not Peter. Not Hook, either.
If he’s not a full monster now, he will be in the future.
“You’re saying I’m trapped here.” I carefully withdraw my hand from his. “Is this another joke of yours, because you can’t possibly be serious.”
“I am serious. It’s safest for you here, at least for now.” He hesitates for the briefest of moments and then pushes to his feet. “Be ready at nine.”
I manage to keep my temper locked down until the elevator doors close behind him. How dare he? I am not a toy he can use and toss away when he’s not in the mood any longer. He wants a wife, but not until the right time, not until he can use me to his best advantage.
I drag my hands through my hair. I can’t do this. I can’t be trapped like this. It’s a different house, a different room, a different man. It doesn’t matter. Hook knows my history, and he still essentially locked me up here.
My gaze lands on the mess of clothes. That fucker wants to lock me up?
He’ll have to pay the price.
Chapter 6
Hook
As much as I’d enjoy spending the next few days playing bedroom games with Tink, the reality is that I married her to ensure I have everything I need to bring down the largest threat to my territory and people. She is the key to Peter, and all of this song and dance is carefully orchestrated to draw him out of whatever shithole he’s hiding in.
Yes, I want her in my bed more than I’ve wanted anything in living memory. But that’s a selfish desire, rather than one designed to ensure the safety of my people. I’m bastard enough to want to have my cake and eat it, too.
I stalk into Nigel’s office and drop into the unoccupied chair next to Colin. “What do you have for me?”
Nigel takes a long look at my face. “Trouble in paradise already?”
“Fuck off.”
He snorts and gets down to business. “We don’t have eyes on Hades’s blocks.”
“I’m aware of that.” I wave it away. We might have surveillance on our neighboring territories to the north and south—Jasmine and Malone’s, respectively—but Hades is a different animal. Crossing him means losing a priceless resource. No one does it for fear of being caught. That includes me. I rub my hands over my face.