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He doesn’t stop, my fingers grip his shoulders, my nails dig into his skin, and I’m sure I’m scratching and drawing blood. Etienne hisses in my ear as the dark pleasure takes hold of him.

His hand moves to my breast, and he squeezes it, causing me to wince, but I feel myself clench around him, which, in turn, sends pure pleasure straight to my clit. His mouth latches onto my nipple; he bites down just as his hand moves to my neck, holding me down.

Emotion hits me like a freight train straight to the chest in that second, and my body convulses, and I cry out his name so loudly, I expect the damn windows to shatter. We keep moving, he keeps fucking me, and I hold on. My legs are wrapped around his waist, my heels digging into his taut ass.

“That’s only the beginning,” he murmurs in my ear, before pulling out of me. The condom is still empty. He hasn’t come yet. Shit, I’m in for it now.

24

Etienne

I flip her over, tugging her hips toward me and moving her on all fours. I’m not sure what’s taken over me, but I ache for her. I want to climb inside her, so I can always be a part of her. Her body is made for mine, every inch of me inside her feels like I’ve come home, and I never want to be anywhere else.

I slide back into her tight pussy. She clenches around me, tightening and pulsing. She’s so close to another orgasm, and I know I can only hold out for so long. I pull back, then slam back in, my fingers grip her hips so tight, I’m sure she’ll be bruised tomorrow. But right now, I don’t care, all I want is to mark her, to claim her as mine, so no other asshole comes near her.

“Please, Etienne, please,” she pleads with me, knowing I’m taking her to heights she’s probably never been. My body moves with wild abandon as I fuck her. I reach around, my fingers finding her clit, and I circle it, tugging it until she’s whimpering my name. And I can’t hold back my orgasm any longer.

My balls draw up, tightening with my impending orgasm, and I grunt out my release. My fingers dig into the smooth flesh of Rukaiya’s hips, and I know I’ve just bruised her. We both still for a moment, and I wonder just how long the calm is going to be here before the storm hits. Everything we still have to figure out is just outside the door, but for right now, I lie back and pull her into my arms. Right now, all I want is to feel her calm and happy.

We can deal with the bullshit tomorrow.

A hand on my shoulder wakes me from a deep, dreamless sleep. My eyes snap open, and I find Ares staring down at me. He crooks his finger, and I glance beside me, noticing Rukaiya is still asleep.

I slowly slide from the bed. Ares notices I’m still naked and shakes his head with a smirk on his face, and all I can do is shrug. Grabbing my boxer briefs, I tug them up, before pulling on a pair of sweatpants.

The moment I shut the door behind us, leaving Rukaiya in bed, I ask him, “What’s going on?”

“Thane is here,” he murmurs. “He and your father have been…. debating,” he tells me, and I know it couldn’t be a calm conversation.

“What’s it about?”

“Isaac is refusing to let him sit at the table, and Thane has a contract that he had Tarian sign; apparently, our best friend has signed over his seat.”

“What?” My voice booms through the hallway as we walk toward the staircase. “That’s bullshit. Once you’re Crowned and inked, you cannot give your seat to anyone else.”

“I know that.” Ares is annoyed, just like I am. I shouldn’t go down there when I’m in this mood, but I can’t help it. I’m vibrating with rage. I could easily hurt Thane right now. I wish I could.

It’s against the rules to strike another member, another Sovereign, but that’s one asshole who makes me not care about the goddamned rules.

“Hey,” Ares’s hand on my shoulder stills me before we reach the ground level. My gaze moves to his, meeting that cool, calm expression. “I know what you’re thinking,” he starts, and I believe him. “But there’s no way we can come out of this with our Crowns if you do anything stupid.”

I stare at him for a long while, watching him as I take in the friend who I’ve known all my life. He’s right, and I should agree, but it’s difficult for me to admit that I’ve been wrong. Not just now, but even growing up I was a stubborn little asshole. I could never admit when I’d made a mistake.