Page 40

Cadence

The forest was conspiring against me.

Twisted branches reached out to me like claws trying to hinder my escape, and the damp ground made each step unsteady. But I didn’t stop running. I pumped my arms as hard as I could, ignoring the way my breathing grew ragged with each passing second.

I could hear Ryker closing the distance between us. His footfalls were deliberate and unhurried, a predator savoring the chase.

My heart hammered away inside my chest, the wild beat of terror mixing with something much more dangerous.

Exhilaration.

The thrill of the hunt made me feel more alive than I’d ever felt before, and even though my mind screamed at me to flee, my body was telling a very different story.

A twig snapped somewhere nearby, and I quickened my pace as I wove between the trees. My hand brushed against the rough bark, and I almost stumbled as a root ensnared my foot for the second time that night.

“The faster you run, the more I crave catching you, Cadence,” Ryker called, his voice thick with unmistakable hunger.

A tremor raced down my spine, and I didn’t know if I was more afraid that he would catch me… or that he wouldn’t.

“And when I do, I am going to punish you for your disobedience.”

Thorns snagged at my dress, but I tore myself free, not willing to let him claim victory so easily. Shadows stalked my every move, drawing nearer and snaking around me as they gently caressed my skin.

I felt him before I saw him. My skin prickled, and my blood heated, sensing his gaze in the darkness.

A large hand encircled my waist while the other pressed against my mouth. I tried to scream, to fight him off, but Ryker was as immovable as stone.

His warm breath fanned against my neck as he pulled me against his taut chest.

“Caught you.”

Ryker’s words were little more than a whisper, but they were edged with menace.

My pulse raced, and I trembled in his arms. The dark forest seemed to close in around us, and I felt trapped, unable to break his hold on me.

I felt like prey.

Without warning, Ryker threw me to the ground, and I barely had time to brace my fall. Before I could regain my footing, the weight of his body pressed into mine, his larger frame caging me in as he rubbed his hard length against my ass.

“Do you feel that, Cadence?” he asked, his voice hoarse. “That’s what hunting you down like a fucking animal does to me.”

My breathing hitched, and to my horror, I realized I was pushing against him, meeting him thrust for thrust.

Ryker chuckled darkly.

“I knew there was a wanton whore beneath your self-righteous indignation,” he mocked.

“Are you going to talk all night, or are you going to fuck me, Ryker?”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? You want to feel my cock tearing into your cunt and forcing you to come because you’re unable to deny the pleasure I rip from you.”

I swallowed roughly. I did want that, but I’d take my last breath before I ever gave him the satisfaction of hearing me say the words.

“Answer me, Cadence!”

When I remained silent, he pushed his fingers into my hair and yanked me to my feet. I bit my lip to stifle the scream that built at the back of my throat with the sudden burst of pain.

Ryker shoved me into the trunk of a tree, the bark biting into my flesh despite the layers that protected me. When my gaze clashed with his, obsidian eyes glared at me.

“Take off your clothes,” he demanded.

“No!” I said, and jutted my chin out in defiance.

“You either remove them yourself, Cadence, or I tear them from your body and force you to walk back to the palace in your skin.”

I gulped, knowing that Ryker meant every word, but needing to push him anyway.

“People will see me. I thought only you got to gaze upon my perfect skin,” I taunted, throwing his own words back at him.

I arched an eyebrow to emphasize the challenge I was laying at his feet. A cruel grin twisted his mouth, and I knew I had made a fatal over calculation.

“They would,” he purred. “And as a result, I’d be forced to rip their eyes from their sockets.”

He raised a brow just as I had, mocking me.

I didn’t question whether he was serious. It was written all over his face.

With trembling hands, I unfastened the hook of my cloak, allowing it to pool at my feet. Next, I reached around and untied the ribbon of my dress before pulling it down my arms.

The biting cold wind kissed my nipples, and I shivered.

“All the way down,” Ryker commanded, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

I slid the fabric over my hips and let it fall to the forest floor. Stepping out of it, I kicked off my boots and nudged them to the side. Ryker gave me a pointed look, and I huffed before discarding my panties.

Naked, I stood before him, vulnerable and exposed.

He curled a finger at me, signaling for me to move closer. As I did, I couldn’t deny the bolt of anticipation that coursed through me and settled between my thighs.

Ryker studied me for a long moment before he prowled around me in a wide circle, assessing me as though I were a piece of prized livestock. Once he was done, he planted his feet right in front of me and crossed his arms over his bare chest.

He didn’t speak as he placed a firm hand on top of my head and forced me to kneel. He peered down at me reverently, stroking my cheek with his thumb.

“You look so pretty on your knees for me, Cadence.”

It was a strange contrast, having this vicious-looking man with his eyes as black as night touch me so tenderly. Yet, the dangerous glint in his gaze had me swallowing hard.

Ryker unbuckled his belt, slipping the leather free, as he crouched down in front of me. I thought he was going to fasten it around my throat as he had done before, but he leaned behind me and secured my hands in a tight knot at the base of my spine. I resisted the urge to test my restraints, not wanting to give him any hint of my discomfort.

Ryker stood as he slipped his hand beneath his trousers and released his massive cock. I stared at it eagerly, licking my lips before I could stop myself. Ryker didn’t have to command me to open for him. I did it willingly. The underside of his cock slid against my tongue, and he groaned.

“Your mouth feels so good, Cadence,” he rasped above me.

Encouraged by his reaction, I closed my mouth around his length and sucked in earnest. My head bobbed up and down as I tasted every inch of him. Pressure built between my thighs, and I rubbed them together to ease the tension.

Then Ryker ripped himself away from me before he leaned down and wrenched my legs apart. I whimpered at the loss of friction, and he smiled.

“This isn’t for your pleasure, Cadence. It’s a punishment. You won’t come until I say you can.”

Before I could respond, Ryker shoved his cock between my lips and gripped either side of my head as he fucked my mouth without mercy.

“You think you can disobey me without consequence? You think you can put yourself in danger whenever the desire takes you.”

He thrust deep into my mouth until the tip of his cock hit the back of my throat. I choked around him, but Ryker didn’t ease up.

“I put these rules in place to protect you, Cadence, and what do you do? You throw it back in my face and force me to abandon my post to come and find you.”

Drool spilled down my chin, and I could feel my cheeks growing hot as my lungs screamed out for air. I tried to pull away from him, but Ryker only tightened his grip.

“You breathe when I say you can breathe,” he spat as he slammed his hips forward once more.

When Ryker pulled out, I greedily sucked air into my starving lungs. Once my breathing had evened out, I glared up at him.

“Oh, you think you’re angry,” he growled, the sound deep and terrifying.

Ryker gripped the base of his cock and stroked his length up and down with rough, furious movements.

“What do you suppose would have happened to you if one of the other men from court had found you, hmm?”

I knew exactly what was going to happen. In fact, I’d been counting on it. I had planned to show Ryker that I wouldn’t simply warm his bed while he sought gratification elsewhere. Now, though, as I stared into his murderous gaze, I had to admit it had been reckless, if not dangerous.

“Or what if Celeste had revealed that you are Seelie to any of the men taking part tonight?”

Ryker’s movements became jerky, and I was distracted by the way the vein on the underside of his cock throbbed, that it took a second for his words to sink in.

My head snapped up, and I locked my gaze with Ryker’s. His upper lip was curled, and he was pumping his shaft with a brutality that almost had me wincing.

I let his earlier remark wash over me. If Celeste had told anyone about me, then coming out here alone and unprotected had been more than foolish.

It was suicidal.

Suddenly, I understood Ryker’s rage, and it must have shown on my face.

“Now you understand, Temptress,” he said roughly. “No one, not even the gods, gets to take you away from me.”

Ryker’s gaze never left mine as hot ropes of his come hit my chest and face. He continued to pump his cock furiously, draining every last drop of his orgasm.

Breathing heavily, Ryker leaned down and smeared his come all over me. The intensity with which he worked made it appear as though he was an artist and I was his masterpiece.

Satisfied, his eyes returned to mine.

“Tell me, Temptress. How wet are you for me right now?”

Without waiting for a response, Ryker slipped his hand between my thighs and gathered the evidence of my arousal. He raised his glistening fingers to his lips and sucked them clean.

Then he invaded my space, his mouth brushing against my ear as he whispered, “Now the real fun can begin.”