With Visions of Red: Book 2 (The Broken Bonds 2)

My insides twist as I do, and before I’m two steps behind him, he pivots and grabs my waist, hauling me against him. His clear blue irises sear into me as the hard press of his muscled chest tightens my nipples painfully against the fabric of my bra.

He dips his head, lowering his mouth close to my ear. “What are you playing at, goddess?”

“I’m not playing at anything,” I hiss. He pulls back to look into my eyes, and the rapid knock of his heart drums against my breasts. “This wasn’t my idea, Colton. This club or your name has never passed my lips to anyone. I came to you alone, remember?”

Frustration contorts his features. “I remember. I remember so well that I’ve ached for you every second since.”

My eyes close at his admission. Hot desire thrums through my veins, and a pleasurable shiver caresses my skin as his deep voice envelops me. “Why didn’t you tell me your brother owns the club?” I ask, forcing my eyes to open and the haze-inducing lust into a pocket of my brain.

His full lips kick up into a grin. “Always work.”

“There’s a killer out there mutilating women. Yes, I’m focused on my job right now, Colton.”

His eyes slit. “And yet again, you wind up in my presence during your investigation.” As his hands purposely roam up my back, my breathing shallows. He clasps one hand around the nape of my neck. “The simple answer is it never came up.”

“And the not so simple answer?”

His smile fades. “It’s complicated.” He angles my head back farther, his face closing in toward mine. “As exciting as this is, it isn’t a cat and mouse game, goddess. I’m not the man you’re looking for. At least, not in regards to your case.”

With deft movements that take me off-guard, he pushes me up against the hallway wall, his body caging me in. “Do you know how hard it’s been to stay away?” His whispered confession steals over my skin, then his lips are on my neck, my jaw, trailing a blistering path across my flesh. I tip my head back, unable to deny my body what it wants.

Blinking hard, I regain my bearings and press my palms to his chest, inserting necessary distance between us. “Carson’s not investigating you. But if you know anyone associated with the club who might be involved—”

“I don’t.” His movements still. “You and your detective are looking in the wrong place.”

Releasing a pent-up breath, I sigh. “You’re not worried what he might find up there?” Colton lifts his head, and the sudden absence of his mouth leaves my skin cold and missing his touch.

A slow smile curves his lips, meeting the gleam in his eyes. “Thanks to a leak in the department,” he says, sliding a hand between my thighs and eliciting a soft gasp from me, “I know exactly what information he’s looking for, and I know that he won’t find it.” The toe of his boot kicks one of my feet aside, parting my legs, giving him unhindered access to touch me where I ache. “I don’t get shipments from Vienna through the club.”

His thumb applies just enough pressure to my clit to make me writhe against him as his fingers indelicately knead my sensitive flesh. I bite down on my lip, the onslaught of trembles taking hold of my body as a hot, achy throb ignites within my core.

Fighting against the need pulling me under, I say, “Just tell me that your brother has nothing to hide in this club.” My hand goes to Colton’s hair, my back arching to press my body closer to his. At any second, Carson could come around the corner. Could witness me in a compromising situation with a person of interest. That is, as soon as he realizes Colton was also one of the victim’s neighbors.

My body doesn’t care, though. I don’t care—the tender ache pouring through me, yearning for Colton to bind me and take every part of me, screams louder than my integrity or even common sense.

Colton grabs my wrist and anchors my arm to the wall above my head. His palm slides my sleeve back, exposing the link of rope tied there. His eyes snag the ivory material as his thumb dips beneath the coarse rope to rub my sensitized skin.

“This, right here, says you’re mine,” he bites out. He pushes the neck of my shirt off my shoulder, pinning my other arm to my side with the strap of my gun harness. His face close to mine, breath grazing my lips, he says, “You want me to ease your conscience so this is easy for you. I won’t. I told you before that this…between us…is all about trust. You either surrender to it, or you walk away.” But even as he says this, pain flashes in his eyes, mocking his assertion. He can’t walk away any more than I can.

I twist my forearm beneath his hold and force his grip to tighten the rope around my wrist. He looses a low, guttural sound as I physically submit to him.

“Fuck…” he breathes out, pressing his hard want against the seam of my jeans, provoking a throaty moan past my lips. “Your sweet torture is divine, goddess. But my patience is running thin—don’t make me wait any longer. I need to be inside you.” Then his head drops to my bared shoulder. His teeth sink into my skin, and I seal my lips together to stifle a scream.

The pain awakens all my senses, stirring carnal desire in my belly. My craving for him travels to every limb, piquing every nerve. My hips buck, and I wrap a leg around him, forcing his rock-hard erection against my clit.

“We can’t…” I get out around the catch in my throat.

Colton’s rumble of frustration reverberates through my chest as his lips and tongue massage the sting from my shoulder. He pulls away, just enough, so that the sudden release of pressure saturates my underwear. Then his hand is there, slipping between my thighs and caressing the ache away.

“I know you’re wet for me,” he whispers. “I can almost feel you right through your jeans…so fucking wet.” His eyes ensnare mine. “Just one order, goddess, and I’ll make the pain stop.”

My chest pangs with need. All I want is to surrender completely. Close my eyes and be lost to him…but I shake my head, trying to stop this from happening. “I can’t… I can’t be ready. Not yet. Not here.”

He lowers my zipper, sending a tingling thrill to my chest. “Is that your demand?” His fingers push into my pants, and I gasp. “Tell me, goddess. Tell me to please you right now.”

My hands find his hair, my fingers gripping at his black layers as his masculine scent surrounds me, dissolving my will. “Yes,” I manage.

That’s all the consent Colton needs. His fingers plunder lower until they discover my entrance. His middle finger slides into my slit, the heel of his hand already seeking my swollen clit. A hard shiver wracks his body as he swirls the pads of his fingers around my slick lips. “Christ… You’re going to break me.” He rests his forehead against mine, our breaths mingling together as my thighs quiver, then his fingers sink deep inside me.