Page 42 of Blind Devotion (Letters of Ruin #1)

And there it was. A zinger, a little way of stirring up problems for her own amusement. She always was good at that, from the little I remembered of her, and it didn’t seem she’d changed from what I’d experienced over the last two weeks.

“When did the two of you talk seduction?”

“Oh, you see, brother—”

“Your sister,” I interrupted, crossing my arms, “tried to blackmail me into seducing you when I first woke up. Seems she didn’t understand my no for what it was.”

“Everything worked out. Imagine if I hadn’t done what I did.”

The sweep of Adrien’s finger over my lips cut me off from tossing out a snarky comeback. This wasn’t how he touched me when upset or frustrated. No, this was reverent, loving.

“How did you know?” he asked her, as that finger lovingly brushed over my cheek. “When I didn’t even recognize her?”

“Easy, on the boat, when she was half dying, she mumbled ‘paper boy’. Nobody else ever would have dared say such a thing about you, no matter how close they were to death.”

“I’m thankful, Alizé. Anything you want, it’ll be yours.”

“I didn’t do this for a prize.”

Adrien grappled Alizé into a hug between us. The way Alizé gasped, she was obviously surprised. With his aversion to touch, how many times had he ever hugged her? “I know. Whatever you want, name it. It’s yours.”

She exhaled shakily. “I guess…I’ll hold you to that. I really am happy for you. Both of you.” She grasped my hand and gave it a little squeeze. “You’ll have to forgive Maman. She’s still got a chip on her shoulder after all these years. I’m sure it’ll pass.”

From that cold greeting, it might take a while.

“I was sorry to hear about yours.”

“My what?” I asked in genuine confusion. “My…mother? What about my mother?”

“Didn’t you hear?” she asked. “You didn’t tell her?”

Adrien grunted a growl.

“Oh,” Alizé said. He didn’t have to say a word for his sister to understand what was going on, but I couldn’t pick up on what they were doing. How were they looking at each other? Was he signaling to her? How dare he try to leave me out of this.

“Adrien.” My voice rose. “What happened to my mother?”

Alizé gently laid her hand on my forearm, and my head swiveled back to her. One of them had better fill in the missing pieces and quickly. I hated not being able to pick up on nonverbal cues or facial microexpressions. Everything was far too blurry for that.

“Honestly, it was a while ago. Maybe I heard wrong.”

“What did you hear?” I ripped my arm away. “What aren’t you telling me? Adrien, whatever it is, you don’t get to keep this from me.”

“Excuse us.”

He wrapped his hand around my waist and tugged me along with him.

“Where are we going?”

I didn’t even get a say as we charged through the foyer, through another room, and into the living room, where he locked the door behind us. All the white of the furniture was blinding with the glare of the sun through the windows, so I shut my eyes. It gave me more focus.

“I deserve to know whatever it is you’re hiding, Adrien.”

“It’s nothing you can change.”

“This is my mom. This is my life.”

“And you said you’d give me time without your family intruding.” He trailed a finger down my face, sweet and tender, from my forehead to my cheek to my chin. When he reached my neck, his hand circled it, lifting my head. “So give me the time I’m owed. Then they’ll have you.”

His mouth fell on mine and stole any protests I had. Five seconds into the kiss, my body was aflame. Ten seconds, my arms tugged him closer, my hips already grinding against him. Fifteen seconds, and I’d forgotten why we were here in the first place if not for this.

I was putty in his hands, and he knew it. I didn’t protest as he gave my neck a little squeeze.

“You’re mine.”

“Yes,” I whispered breathlessly. “Always.”

“Then marry me.” He kissed me again, trying to dull my responses, but this was not something I was ready to cede.

“I’m yours, isn’t that enough?”

Another non-rejection. His body tensed against me, except for the hand around my throat. His fingers teased against my skin.

“I don’t just want your body.”

“This, between us, is more than that.” I kissed both of his cheeks, then his forehead.

“I don’t just want your mind.”

“Then what do you want?”

“I want the world to know you’re mine. That you’re off-limits. That I will hunt down anyone who tries to take you away from me.”

“You telling me you wouldn’t do that without a ring?” I teased.

“You little minx.” He nipped my lip, then spun me around, bending me over the couch. My dress was flipped up and my panties pulled down before I took my next breath.

The slap to my ass registered before the sting. He gave me three more taps in quick succession. I moaned. His hand massaged the burn, only making me wetter, before his finger dipped inside me to rim my core.

“Tell me if you need me to stop.”

“Don’t you dare.”

“Tell me now if it’s bringing anything back that needs to stay where it belongs.”

I rubbed myself against his warm hand.

“More,” I begged. This was him and me. Nothing else. No one else shared it with us. I wouldn’t let them. “Give me more.”

His finger slipped all the way inside me with leisurely strokes, and I literally felt my eyes cross.

“Oh, papillon , you’re dripping. Stay there.”

I obeyed without question, needing the fullness he was offering.

Clothes rustled, and the slight metallic thump of his belt buckle sounded.

Then his hands were on me again. Pinning my hips in place.

Spreading my ass cheeks. His breath fanned over me, and I was losing my mind.

When his face pressed between my legs, I whimpered loudly.

“I’m on my knees for you. Only you. Only ever you.”

He licked me and sucked me and drove me to new heights until I was limp and unmoving. Only then did he rise over me and spin me to face him, his cock hard and unforgiving between us.

“You going to give me another, papillon ?” he asked, lifting me up and walking me across the room. My legs hooked around him as he trapped me against the wall.

I nearly mewled with longing. I wasn’t sure I had another in me, but I was more than willing to try.

His hardness pressed against me, the tip spreading me in slow circles.

“You desperate for what only I will give you?”

“Yes,” I moaned desperately, except he just kept teasing me, dipping the head of his cock in and out.

“You’re mine. Only mine. Say it.”

“I’m yours.” There was no doubt about that.

“You chose to stay with me. There’s no changing your mind now. There’s no escaping me. There’s no escaping this.”

“Adrien.”

He didn’t wait any longer than it took for me to say his name before slamming inside me.

He thrust into me over and over with a fierceness that should have scared me.

I loved it. The way he gripped me tight, like he was afraid I’d be whisked away.

The way his hands roamed my skin before finding a new grip.

The way he dominated me and pushed me to feel pleasure despite everything that had happened.

Most of all, I loved the way he wrapped a hand around my neck and whispered filthy words in my ear. I loved all of it. I loved him.

It was probably the reason I let him get away with his secrets for as long as I did.