The Ravishing

This was me protecting Cassius the best way I knew how.

Cassius

“I have something to show you!” Anya greeted me at the door, her face lit up with excitement.

“And I have something to give you.” Without giving her a chance to protest, I grabbed her by the waist, flung her over my shoulder, and carried her through the house.

Work, well, that was something I’d tried to do this afternoon, but after fighting these roiling desires and this fantasy that wouldn’t let up, I’d just come home early to be with her. This, this was as dark as any obsession went—me trying to unravel all the damage I’d done by reenacting all the different versions of it. As if we’d have lived through different circumstances in other lives. This was me trying to put all the broken pieces back together.

“What’s happening?” She laughed, her joy palpable.

The days and hours that unfolded since the first time in the maze had left me wanting to do nothing but worship her.

“Wait, where are we going?” Her tone turned nervous.

Understandably, as I was carrying her down the stairs that led to the dungeon. With her still over my shoulder, I headed toward the last cell in a long line of prisons. Putting her down, I watched her reaction.

Which was predictably horrified. “What is this?”

Without giving her time to react, I nudged her backward into the cell, towering over her, lifting her hands above her head, and pressing them into the brick. Caging her in, I used the force of my will to overpower her.

I could have sworn her heartbeat thundered against my chest like a trapped sparrow. But this was me baring my soul, and if she was to love all of me, she’d have to love my darkness, too. If we were to endure in a relationship, she’d have to accept every piece of me.

Taking her mouth, kissing her like this moment was all we had, pillaging, swirling my tongue, savoring her taste, obsessively controlling, fucking her mouth with mine until her moan proved she was relenting to my passionate attack.

Her breaths were short and sharp as she recovered when I broke away.

Lowering to my knees, I glanced up at her, watching her reaction to the way I unzipped her jeans and tugged them down her hips.

“I won’t have to stay in here?” she whispered, eyes wide with uncertainty.

“No, but you will have to remain very still. Understand?”

“I’ll try.”

“It’s not a request,” I demanded.

Her exhale sharp and sudden, she darted her gaze around the cell as she understood what this was. She frantically nodded, almost begging for it.

“I’m glad we understand each other.”

She shifted her thighs farther apart.

Which was all I needed by way of invitation. I dived into her, burying my face between her thighs, devouring her. I consumed everything she willingly gave as she tipped her hips forward, demanding more as I fucked her with my tongue.

“Oh, God,” she moaned.

Her long, drawn-out sighs and whispers echoed as she came hard, shuddering against me.

Pushing to my feet, I leaned in and kissed her again, sharing her taste with her.

Eventually, I pulled away and rested my forehead against hers in the silence, letting this moment convey what I wanted her to know. “I put you down here. In the cold and the dark. Anya, I’m so—”

“Stop. I’ve already forgiven you. That was then, and this is now.” She smiled so wide it almost shattered my heart with its intensity.

Helping her, I pulled up her panties and jeans to redress her.

Taking her hand, I led her out of there.

“Does this place really flood?” she asked as she kept up with my long strides.

A grimace was my answer, considering I had fucking locked her cell gate for a night.

“Clearly, I have issues,” I mumbled.

“Hadn’t noticed.”

I bowed before her. “I’m the king of fucked up. Welcome to my world.”

“Okay, shut up and listen for a second.”

“This is how you win me over?” I smirked.

“I came with you to see your surprise. Which was entertaining if you’re into . . . that. Now you have to come with me to see mine.”

“Am I going to like it?”

“I think so.”

I gave her an amused look because that wasn’t exactly delivered with certainty. Though I was eager to find out what she’d done with her free time.

“Sooo . . .” I led.

And she smiled, a fucking heart-stopping smile that I felt in my bones.

“I’m not telling,” she beamed back, teasing.

She appeared to be rather pleased with herself. That was fine. She could act smug; I knew I would get it out of her eventually. Most likely when I had my head buried between her legs again and she was begging me to take her. From that look on her face, she could read I was ready to take her now.

She moved restlessly as though she regretted her decision to taunt the beast. She let out a long, drawn-out, overdramatic sigh. “I’ll show you. But you have to follow me.”