Page 21 of Carnival

Rose

I sit behind the white vanity Aria bought for my birthday a few years back — the only thing I brought from the De Santis manor into the apartment.

It’s white, with my name written in pretty, cursive letters on the top part of the attached mirror.

The vanity itself is white, with beautiful light pink roses scattered around.

I brush through my hair, staring at my reflection in the mirror. It’s deadly silent in the apartment, and although Hudson didn’t say anything, I noticed people following me around today. They’re everywhere, and given their tattoos, I could tell immediately whose men they were.

They’re not intrusive or too obvious, but over the years, I learned how to recognize the pattern.

They’re here for my protection, and I don’t know what they’re protecting me from.

Arlo isn’t saying anything. In fact, he seems to be purposely dodging my calls and making sure our paths aren’t crossing.

Aria, to her credit, just seems clueless.

With a deep breath, I put the brush back on the vanity, the worry evident on my face. I’m mainly worried about James. I managed to get the information out of Noelle, and she told me he wasn’t hurt during the interrogation from Hudson. But if he’s perfectly fine, where the hell is he?

Somehow, I highly doubt he’d go back to New Orleans, not after staking his claim over me multiple times. Besides, Halloween week’s over, and so is the carnival, meaning nothing is tying him to that city now.

I make my way to the bed, crawling under the thick covers and turning the lamp off. I feel safe in my space, and there’s nothing that can change that — at least, that’s what I’m hoping.

My mind is racing with thoughts, James’ face flashing behind my eyes on repeat, like a broken record. The more I think about him, the quicker my heart rate gets. He’s a mysterious man, and up until now, I thought I hated those types of men.

Yet, when it comes to him… I can’t stay away. He’s not letting me stay away, and I’m stuck in a cycle of overthinking and second-guessing every decision I make. It’s not something I’m used to experiencing, and it’s slowly taking a toll on me.

My eyes flutter closed, and after an hour of tossing and turning, I catch myself being on the edge of sleep. The state of being relaxed, in my most vulnerable state as every thought leaves my mind, brings me a sense of bliss.

It’s not until later on that I wake up, feeling… odd.

A hand is under the tank top I chose to sleep in, squeezing my breast and rolling my nipple between two fingers. My mind is on high alert, eyes snapping open with a loud gasp leaving my mouth.

Someone is behind me.

The other hand comes to my mouth, preventing me from screaming. My eyes try to adjust to the darkness, fear creeping into my bones when a voice speaks, lips brushing against my ear.

“It’s me, hellion,’’ James mumbles, sucking on the sweet spot right below my ear. “Just be a good girl for me and let me use your pretty hole, yeah?”

A wave of calm washes over me, heart thumping against my ribcage, though this time, it’s for a different reason. James removes the hand from my mouth, his lips finding the sensitive skin of my neck, sucking and biting.

My eyes close, a soft moan coming from me. He smirks against my flesh, dragging his hand from my breast down to my underwear, gently pulling it to the side. He doesn’t waste any time, parting my folds and rubbing my clit with his index and middle fingers.

“Already so wet for me,’’ he notes, teeth grazing my shoulder. “Who knew you were that desperate for me?”

“James,’’ I croak out, still half-asleep but very much aware of what’s happening. I’m definitely not opposed to it, loving the way he’s kissing my neck, the way his fingers skillfully fiddle with the little bundle of nerves.

“Yes, hellion?”

His fingers leave my clit, and a whine slips from me. James just chuckles, and a rustling of clothes fills my ears. Then, I feel the tip of his cock pressed against me, his precum coating my pussy as he rubs it between my folds.

“You’re absolutely insane.’’

“I never claimed otherwise,’’ he groans, pushing the tip into me, hand on my hip. “And you love it, don’t you? You love the fact that my need for you knows no bounds, that there’s not a thing I wouldn’t do to have you, don’t you, my hellion?”

I don’t get the chance to respond and moan loudly instead. His hips snap forward, and he bottoms out inside me, his hand gripping my hip tightly, almost to the point of bruising. My body shivers at the sensation, and instinctively, my legs part for him slightly, giving him more room.

He rolls me over, and I find myself lying on my stomach, with him continuously fucking me from behind. He pulls my hips to meet his thrusts, my whimpers filling the room.

“So fucking wet for me,’’ he groans, his front pressed tightly against my back, his mouth attacking my neck again. I tilt my head to the side, giving him a better angle, eyes closed.

I can feel every single thing. Every time his cock twitches, every time it rubs against that spot inside me, every time his tongue darts to taste my skin. And every single thing is making me more addicted. He isn’t taking it easy, either.

The sound of our mixed moans, our bodies molding together, fills the room, my forehead covered in a light layer of sweat. James thrusts into me, deep, quick strokes that make me go wild.

“James,’’ I cry out, arching my ass further into him, meeting his violent movements. He hisses against my neck, biting down harshly. A scream slips from me, his hand immediately coming to cover my mouth again.

“Quiet,’’ he commands. “Don’t you dare scream. Your little bodyguards will hear. I’m not letting you ruin this for me, not after the stunt you pulled.’’

I try to think about what he’s referring to, but it’s getting increasingly difficult to use my brain in this situation. Then, it clicks. James thinks I willingly handed him over to Hudson.

He pauses briefly, pulling back a little, only the tip remaining inside me. He grabs a fistful of my hair, yanking me back until I’m on all fours. I bite my lip harshly when his hand connects to my ass, promising to leave a handprint.

“It wasn’t me,’’ I turn to look at him over my shoulder, and my breath hitches in my throat.

He’s already naked, and I don’t think I’ve noticed when he actually took his clothes off. His torso is glistening with sweat, his hair messy, a few strands falling over his face. His chest moves up and down at a rapid speed, but what truly has me captivated is the way he’s looking at me.

It’s not quite anger, but it’s not anything positive, either. He’s just looking at me like I’m something to possess, something to own. Like I’m a toy for his pleasure, someone he can claim as his own. And… for some reason, it doesn’t bother me.

James doesn’t warn me as he slams back into me, my back arching. A feral look overtakes his features, his hands kneading and squeezing my ass harshly. He smacks it in sync with his thrusting, the stinging sensation causing a wave of pleasure to build deeply inside of me.

“Really?” He smirks. “It wasn’t you?”

“No!”

His hand comes to the back of my neck, pushing my face into the pillow and using it to muffle my future screams — and he knows they’re coming. I’ve felt him fuck me roughly before, but nothing could’ve prepared me for this level of intensity.

He pushes into me as deeply as possible, my screams stifled by the pillow. He doesn’t wait and does it time and time again, my legs shaking. The sensations go straight to my core, and I know he has so much more in store for me.

“You’re taking me so well, hellion,’’ he groans, pulling my hips upward. “Fucking hell, you’re the most addictive drug I’ve ever taken.’’

His words cause something in my chest to stir. Before I can even begin to question it, James pulls out of me roughly and flips me over. He puts my legs over his shoulders and immediately pushes his cock into me with more force than necessary.

At this point, I feel like I’m losing my voice from all the screaming I’ve been doing, albeit most of it being muffled by the pillow earlier.

He leans forward, my knees touching my chest as he sneaks one hand around my throat, squeezing it tightly.

My eyes roll to the back of my head, closing briefly.

“Don’t you dare close your eyes,’’ he thrusts into me, deeper than ever. “Open your fucking eyes and watch me while I fuck what’s mine, Rosalie.’’

The commanding tone in his voice makes me obey immediately, my eyes finding his. His pupils are dilated, a look of pure insanity flashing behind his eyes. He doesn’t even bother hiding it — he wants me to see just how insane I’m making him, and it boosts my ego.

“James,’’ I choke out, his hold on my throat tightening until black dots start forming in my vision.

“Yes, hellion?” His voice is low, taunting, mocking even. He slightly lessens the grip, yet still holds me pinned down as he fucks me like a wild animal.

“I’m going to come.’’

A low growl slips from his throat, goosebumps prickling my entire body at the sound. He leans in, his face mere inches away from mine. He’s not looking away — he can’t. It’s like he’s hypnotized against his will.

“Then come for me, you little slut. I want to watch as you come apart on the cock of the man that owns this cunt.’’

His words are enough to trigger an orgasm, and it rips through me almost too soon. His name leaves my lips like the sweetest melody, like I’m praying to a god. Even as I’m coming undone under him, he doesn’t stop, chasing his own release, his movements becoming quicker, yet just as intense.

I feel him spill into me, and he pushes all the way in, and I think I can feel him in my fucking womb. The look of pure bliss is on his face, a deep, gravelly groan coming from his mouth.

He’s panting, trying to catch his breath as he gently removes my legs from his shoulders, then slumping against my chest, his hands immediately wrapping around me. Yet, he doesn’t pull out.

I’m not in a better state, either. My throat’s a little sore, eyes finally closing. My hands shake as I thread them through his hair, playing with it. For a while, it’s just the sound of our rapid heartbeats that can be heard in my bedroom.

He lifts his head up, a lazy smirk on his face. “You’re beautiful.’’

“I probably look like shit.’’

He scoffs. “I said you were beautiful, meaning you’re beautiful.’’

“Well, thank you,’’ I mumble, continuing to play with his hair.

James hums, eyes never leaving mine. “I’m not pulling out, y’know. I want to sleep inside you.’’

“It will just slip out.’’

He softly kisses my collarbone. “Don’t you worry about it.’’

A small laugh slips from me, and he lays his head back on my chest. I want to ask him about what Hudson did to him, but given that he seems to be unharmed, it can wait until tomorrow morning.

For now, I just want to bask in his divine scent, to feel his heartbeat, and to hold him tightly, because something tells me it won’t last forever.