“You have no self-control.” I laughed. “Haven’t I taught you anything, my queen?”
Her lips brushed mine. “I want to feel every inch of you inside me.”
I swept the pad of my thumb across her lips. “I’m a patient man and have learned to control my desires.”
“Well, I’m not patient.” She dug her nails into the back of my neck and sucked my bottom lip into her mouth. “I want what I want. And that’s you.”
I gripped her hips and lowered her onto my cock, filling her in one quick thrust. She let out a moan that matched the groan that escaped my throat. I ripped even more sounds from her beautiful lips as I bounced her up and down on my cock.
“Scream, baby,” I said against her lips as we found the perfect rhythm. “Fuck, you feel so good.”
Her tongue swept into my mouth, tangling with mine, and a wave of emotions rocked through me. That happened with her every time. She humanized me. It was only with Alex I felt out of control. I was the monster, the hunter, but with Alex, I was an alter ego of myself.
My skin burned as heat coursed through my veins, creating a fire beneath my skin. Alex raked her nails down my back, right over the scars no woman had ever touched. Right over the source of my pain and power. With Alex, I could let go, my groans turning feral. She scratched her fingernails down my back, etching herself into my skin.
She looked beautiful and uninhibited, free in my arms. I was an evil man who did terrible things, but she trusted me. She knew I would never hurt her. This was her safe place, where she could relax and lower her guard. Outside of the bedroom, it was a constant battle with her. She challenged me every step of the way, and I loved her even more because of it.
Her orgasm shook through me, hitting her hard and fast. Out of breath, she pressed her lips to mine. She felt so damn good I thrust into her a few more times before I came inside her. I kissed along her jaw and neck, leaving no part of her untouched.
“Luca,” she whispered. “That was… I missed you.”
I kissed her lips. “I missed you, too, baby.”
She held on to me for dear life, squeezing me so hard I could tell she wasn’t ready to let go. I carried her back to the beach, our lips joined, my cock hard again and still inside her.
“I need you,” she confessed. “You know that, right?”
I held my breath, then nodded.
“Will we get through this?”
“Yeah, baby.”
I lowered us to the blanket and gripped her thighs, taking a second to appreciate each of her delicious curves.
“Play with your pussy,” I ordered.
Her blue eyes widened, and like a good girl, she rubbed her thumb over her clit, moaning as I filled her to the hilt. Raising her leg over my shoulder, I kissed her skin. Licking and biting, I teased her until she moaned my name. She screamed loud enough to draw attention from above us. I looked up and saw Marcello at the edge of the cliff. He stood there for a second before he walked back toward the house.
I slid my finger across her lips, and she sucked it into her mouth. Her body tightened, then trembled as I fucked her like a savage, pounding her back into the sand. After we hit the peak of our climaxes, I rested my sweat-slick forehead against hers.
I collapsed on top of her, attempted to catch my breath. “Damn, D. You make me come so fucking hard I can’t see straight.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“For what?”
She raised her blood-coated fingers. “I got a little carried away when I clawed at your back.”
“It’s okay, baby. I embrace the pain.”
A ghost of a smile crossed her lips. “No one should like pain.”
“What did I tell you about pain?”
“It’s weakness leaving the body.”
I nodded. “You can help me wash the blood off in the shower.”
After I slid out of her, I flipped onto my back, ignoring the open gashes bleeding through the blanket. With my scars raw and exposed, I replaced the terrible memories with new ones. I took a few deep breaths as my body relaxed. Alex curled up next to me, kissing my stomach. Everywhere her lips touched, heat danced along my skin.
“I know you’re keeping secrets because you think you’re protecting me,” Alex muttered. “Just tell me one thing. Is this the calm before the storm?”
I wrapped my arm around her and kissed her forehead. “Yeah, baby. Don’t get too comfortable. Hell is about to rain down on us.”
Alex
My mother strolled into the Du Bois ballroom with her eyes pointed up at the ceiling. A new client had contacted Arlo directly and requested I assist with a fresco restoration. Mommy dearest didn’t have the skill to handle this project, but she agreed to give a quote. Fresco restorations were my area of expertise. After months of studying under Madeline Laveau, I could handle the project myself.