Page 22 of Contract Marked (Interdimensional Beings #1)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Erin

W hen I woke up again, it was nighttime. The room was dark except for the glow of the moon sliding through the wide-swept windows, revealing a silhouette standing by the glass. It had to be Dez, judging by the nearly seven-foot-tall frame, but I couldn’t tell if he was facing away or toward me. My arm was free of any wrappings and bereft of any scars or marks from where the three-headed beast had torn into me. Someone had changed me out of my cut-up, blood-stained dress at one point and put me in silk pajamas. Anger sparked, now knowing why Dez insisted I wear them.

I sat up slowly, in case I wasn’t fully healed, but all I felt was a little sore. I rested against the black headboard, noting the seating area gathered around the sleek black fireplace, the massive size of the room itself, and the small island I sat on compared to my bed. The generic black and white painting still hung on the wall, the black paint smattering like the blood of the lion beast. My stomach churned, and it wasn’t just because I realized I was in Dez’s room.

“Welcome back, love.” Dez’s dark figure turned, his expression guarded by shadows.

I didn’t reply.

“The silent treatment? That’s not going to get you far.”

Dez was suddenly beside me on the bed. He’d thrown his arm across the back of the headboard and had one leg arched with his other hand casually laid across it. He wore gray slacks and a white button-down that looked to have been tugged more than once at the collar, his hair perfectly messy like he’d been stressed for some time.

I ignored the liquid heat that shot through me, the thrill of excitement that prickled across my skin where his arm touched my shoulders. I didn’t bother trying to put space between us, knowing it would be a waste of energy.

“What do you want, Dez?” I knew what he wanted, and I couldn’t give it to him.

His fingers gently lifted my chin, pulling my face closer to his. I refused to meet his eyes even as I felt the weight of his gaze on my lips. “Would you believe me if I said I was worried about you?”

“No,” I said flatly. “What do you want?”

“I want a lot of things, Erin.” His lips grazed my cheek, and I sucked in a shaky breath.

“I’m still injured.” I tossed out the lame excuse as if that would protect me. I felt fine, but he didn’t have to know that.

He paused, his gaze scanning my body. “Where does it hurt?”

My stomach flipped. It sounded like he cared, but as I saw with Henrietta, the Council, and me, I knew he was a superb actor. “Everywhere,” I lied.

“The healers said you made a full recovery. If they lied to me, I’ll have them tortured and locked up.”

Can he do that? I frowned, unable to read if he was telling the truth. “I’m fine.” I didn’t want anyone hurt for my sake.

He smiled as if knowing that, too.

“It seems you’ve been hiding quite a few secrets, Erin.” He grabbed a lock of my hair, rolling the strands between his fingers.

My spine straightened. Here it was, the heart of the matter and what I’ve been dreading since I fled from Dez and used the silver coin to rescue Lucy.

“No more than you, Dez. Why don’t you want to join the Council? It would certainly make it easier for you to refute me at trial.”

His fingers stilled. “I see you haven’t been sleeping this whole time. Curious, did you overhear anything else?”

“That didn’t answer my question.”

I yelped when he tugged on the strand of my hair. It hadn’t been hard enough to bring tears to my eyes, but it certainly was harder than what was considered ‘playful.’

“If I recall correctly, you never answered mine either, sweetheart. In fact, I told you to stay put .” He tugged on my hair again, this time a bit harder. I went to pull it out of his grip when he snatched my wrist, his eyes narrowing on my forearm where a jagged scar should have been, given all the blood and pain I went through.

“Don’t ever pull a stunt like that again.” Dez’s tone dropped, almost guttural. Primal. It was completely opposite from the persuasive, charismatic Dez I knew. Then again, did I truly know anything about him?

“I wouldn’t have had to if you’d been there to help.” I used my anger as a crutch to hide the fear creeping in my belly. I was in Dez’s room alone and vulnerable. There’s no telling what he would do to get the truth; this time, I didn’t have my silver coin to escape.

“Did you make another contract with him to save her?” He pulled my arm out farther, his nails grazing up the length of it as if searching for proof of another mark. “Tatianna told me you entered the tournament,” his eyes shifted to the tattooed ring around my finger, proof of my ‘ticket’ to the arena, “but that she had nothing to do with your little hero act. Something you’d like to share, dear?”

Cal and Tatianna must’ve seen me with the coin but hadn’t mentioned anything to Dez or the Council. Why keep it a secret?

“I didn’t make another contract. Cal helped me of his own volition.”

Dez laughed, his hand still gripping my wrist. “Nice try. Cal doesn’t help anyone out unless it benefits him.”

I felt sweat start to build at the base of my spine. “The same could be said for you.” Dez had only been nice to me because I looked like Angelica—and the fact he needed information out of me.

He went quiet. Then said, “I didn’t have to get you new clothes. Nothing benefited me there. But if that’s how you feel …” He dropped my wrist and snapped his fingers. My silk pajamas vanished, leaving me naked.

I instinctively pulled the sheets up over my chest, but Dez yanked them out of my grip. Heat rose in my cheeks as I crossed my arms to shield myself. What was I going to do if this devolved into another incident like the one at Tatianna’s gala? As much as my body came alive at the thought, logically I knew that would equal me eventually caving into Dez’s questions unless some miracle happened.

“Okay, okay, you’re right. Now, can I please have my clothes back?”

He leaned forward until his lips brushed my ear. “Maybe if you beg for them.”

I swallowed back a retort. “May I pretty please have my clothes back?”

“One more time.”

I wanted to kill him. “Please, Dez, I’m begging you.” I met his eyes and felt my core clench at the unbarred, heated look in his gaze.

He looked like he was about to comply until his eyes caught on the ‘C’ at my hip.

“No.”

My teeth ground together, and without thinking, I went to pull the covers up over my chest again.

Dez flicked his wrist, and the blanket disappeared altogether. I was completely bare while he was fully clothed. The cool air hardened my nipples even more, and bumps pricked my skin. I tried jerking my knees to my chest when Dez laid his leg across both of mine, locking me in place. His leg was like a trunk of pure muscle, and it weighed that much, too. I was unable to move an inch.

“You’re going to break my legs.” While I couldn’t hide all of myself from Dez’s slow appraisal, I kept my arms stubbornly crossed, hiding my embarrassment behind indignation.

“Then I’ll just have the healers fix them again.”

“Again?”

“I don’t think you understand. You almost died , Erin.” His arm tightened around my shoulders as if I was going to vanish. “Both your legs had fractured in multiple places, along with your arm. Your skin was ripped down to the bone, and you almost died from blood loss.”

I looked down at my legs, they didn’t look like they had been broken at any point. Even the scar I’ve had on my ankle since I fell off my bike as a kid was gone. Odd. “How long was I out?”

He shrugged as if he didn’t care but said, “Seventeen days in this dimension.”

I sucked in a deep breath. More than half a month has been lost. I’ve been in this world for almost two months now. How much time has passed on Earth? Has Megan been locked up in a dingy cell this whole time while I’ve been off drinking on sailboats, sleeping in luxury suites, and attending galas?

Dez’s fingers caressed my lower stomach, jerking me back to the present.

“Now, where did we leave off? You were going to tell me something, Erin?”

Fiery, hot pleasure spiked through me at those words, even as a knot of dread formed in my throat. No, I couldn’t give in. Not when the only way Dez would let me out of this room was if I told the truth about my contract with Cal, which would leave me permanently indebted to Cal. Or worse, if I told the truth about how I saved Lucy. Then he and Cal would know my only way of escaping The Higher Realms—or traversing it.

“Why don’t you want to join the Council?” I asked again in hopes of distracting him.

His smile told me he knew I was doing exactly that, but he humored me. “Don’t get me wrong, the tremendous amount of power I’d be granted is mighty tempting, but in return, I’d have to give up part of my personal freedom. I’ll be bound to duty and centuries of listening to petty trials.” He gave me a pointed look. “And I like my leisure time. A lot.”

I arched my brow. My trial would be far from petty if that’s what he was insinuating, but I wasn’t going to waste my breath.

His fingers reached the apex of my thighs, and I jerked, my thoughts scattering.

“I’ll make you a deal, Erin, because I’m oh so nice. My price for our contract: tell me what Cal wants from you, and you’ll be free to go. I’ll even give you until the sun rises.”

Sharp panic stabbed my chest. I couldn’t tell him. But if I refused, I would be enslaved to Dez for the rest of my life. On the other hand, if I told the truth, my chances of fulfilling my bargain with Cal would be slim to none, and I would be in the same boat.

Then I remembered. “You can’t demand your price until after the initial request has been finalized.” Those were his words. “I haven’t even pleaded my case yet.”

“Is that so?” He arched his brow.

He was trying to trick me, and I wouldn’t fall for it. “I’ll tell you what Cal asked me to do for him per our contract price once the initial request has been fulfilled.” At that point, it wouldn’t matter. I’d have already followed through with Cal’s contract. Or at least I should if I don’t run into any issues.

Dez’s expression was guarded. “That’s not going to save you tonight, love.”

“I’ll tell you what you want to know per our contract terms. I’m not telling you tonight.”

“Just remember you dug your own grave, Erin. Either way, you will tell me, and I won’t let you out of this room until you do.”

No, no, no, think, think, think!

His fingers snared my wrist, pulling it away from my chest. He ducked his head, tracing his mark with the tip of his tongue, as I fought against his grip. His tongue then flicked across one hardened nipple, his teeth gently nipping the bud. I gasped, my center dampening.

“You seem to be a little cold. I’ll start a cozy fire for us.”

I went from sitting up in Dez’s monstrous bed to sitting in his oversized lounge chair by the sleek fireplace that was now gently crackling and putting off warmth. Dez sat between my legs with a wicked grin in place.

“No, no, no, Dez, please—”

I tried to get up but the white throw blanket had come to life, strapping my arms and torso to the chair. The end tassel had stuffed itself in my mouth, and no matter how much I tried to shove it back out with my tongue, it fought back. I kicked my legs, but Dez snatched both my calves, forcing them still with inhuman strength. His grin widened as I shouted muffled profanities, thrashing against him and the blanket restraints.

He waited until I was out of breath, the fight in me dimming against a sudden bout of exhaustion, before turning his gaze to where he gripped my leg. I flinched when his soft lips brushed the instep of my right foot, the touch gentle and at odds with the sinister smirk he still wore. His lips trailed up the sensitive flesh of my inner thigh before pausing right at my peak. I trembled and hated that it wasn’t entirely out of fear.

“I don’t know why you’re fighting so hard, Erin. You and I both know you’ve been craving this,” he murmured, his faint breaths teasing the skin inches from my entrance.

He then bit down on the vulnerable chunk of flesh.

I gasped, jerking against the sharp flare of pain. It left as quickly as it came, replaced by the flick of a tongue and then a tender kiss. I glared at him, but he ignored me, turning his attention to my other leg. I squirmed as he worked kisses from my left foot up toward my inner thigh, his hold firm and unrelenting. He hovered near my entrance once more, and I tensed.

Time crawled slowly by, the crackling fire ringing in my ears alongside my ratcheting heart.

The sting of a bite never came, instead replaced with a soft kiss. I let out a frustrated noise between the tassel shoved in my mouth, and Dez chuckled against my thigh, the vibration tickling the sensitive skin.

“You may hate me,” he placed another kiss closer to where my body ached for him, despite my best efforts, “but you love it when I touch you.” He forced my legs wider, the wetness between them betraying me and proving him right. Shame heated my cheeks, and I closed my eyes as if it would sever the connection I had with my own body.

He placed another kiss. Then another. Closer and closer.

Eyes still clenched shut; my nails dug into the arms of the chair as I panted against the blanket. As much as I tried to distance myself from what was happening, my body was alive and acutely aware of Dez and his every touch.

The kisses stopped, and I hated how I immediately missed the feel of him, how I yearned for his gentle caresses that were driving me insane. I tried to speak, but the words were muffled; the bastard didn’t even try to let me talk. Still, he waited. The anticipation of his touch grew until it expanded my chest, frustration boiling up inside me to the point I flung open my eyes to glare at him once more.

He met my gaze and smiled as if victorious before dipping his head and kissing where I burned the hottest.

I whimpered, but I didn’t have time to be embarrassed when Dez’s tongue immediately delved inside of me. My back arched against the seat, my toes curling in the air where Dez still gripped my calves, holding me open and suspended. As if I hadn’t been the only one dying in anticipation, he spread me further before burying his head between my thighs. I moaned and mentally recoiled at the sound, but I couldn’t help it against the sudden assault of pleasure. His tongue plunged into me with a fervor more aggressive than his kisses had been, and pressure in my core grew faster than it ever had before.

Dez reeled back as if remembering himself, his strokes becoming slower and slower. I thrashed against the blanket, this time in an eagerness to pull him closer, to quicken his strokes, my mind completely consumed by pleasure. He refused to change his pace, exploring me at his leisure while the pressure continued to build and build, but not enough to take me over the edge. His tongue would occasionally flick the bundle of nerves at my center before returning to lick my inner walls as I jerked against the blanket, my groans smothered by the blanket’s thick tassel.

“Dez,” I pleaded through the thick fabric, tears of frustration building at the corners of my eyes.

His smile was smug when he pulled away, but his eyes seared me with an intense look I hadn’t seen before. “Don’t worry, I’ll give you what you want, Erin. To the point, you’ll be begging me to stop.”

He leaned back down, releasing one of my legs as his fingers joined his mouth in pleasuring me. My thighs clenched his head, and I shamelessly ground against him, any coherent thought completely gone as my body narrowed in on its own need for release. He worked in three digits, touching me deep inside as his tongue flicked and sucked and moved steadily against my clit, bringing me to that sweet edge. I felt him try to work in another finger, but through the haze of pleasure, I shook my head. I was too tight.

“You can do it, sweetheart.”

He squeezed in another finger, plunging deeper inside me. Over and over, hitting that sensitive spot until he took all of me in his mouth and sucked. Hard. I jerked against the blanket restraints, riding out the climax that suddenly erupted from me with a scream until my voice went raw.

My legs were shaking when his head rose from between my thighs, my wetness lingering on his mouth. “Has anyone tasted you before?” He licked his lips, satisfaction sliding across his features. “You made it far too easy, love.”

Mortification at his words struck me, and I hurled more muffled curses at him. He snapped, and the blanket released my mouth.

“You didn’t even give me the chance to speak!”

He cocked his head. “Maybe I didn’t want you to?”

I huffed, more from embarrassment than anything. My own body had thoroughly betrayed me in the worst way. “Do you want me to tell you or not?”

He stood up and rubbed his jaw. His eyes darkened as they traveled down my body back to the part of me he had kissed more intimately than anyone else. Like hell I’d tell him this was the first time anyone had gone down on me, and I’d sooner die than admit it was the hardest I’ve ever climaxed.

“Of course, I want you to tell me the truth, but maybe not so soon.” He flicked his wrist, and we were back on the bed—with me perched on top of him.

He leaned back against the headboard, taking me in. “Now, are you going to be compliant, or do I have to tie you up again?”

My breath came out shakier than I thought. “I’m not going to just accept this, Dez. I don’t understand why we can’t talk this out like adults.”

“Funny, your body tells another story.”

I frowned as my cheeks warmed.

With another flick of his hand, ribbons fell from the ceiling, tying my wrists together in front of me and over my head. Two others tied my ankles to each corner of the bed.

“Not going to stuff my mouth this time?” I spat.

Dez looked amused. “Want me to?”

“No! I want you to let me go, damn it!”

“Then tell me what I want to hear, Erin.” He unbuckled his pants, undoing the zipper, and my mouth went dry. “Or don’t.”

“No, Dez, just no. That-that’s not going to fit.”

He wasn’t wearing anything underneath, and his cock easily sprung free. I didn’t need a ruler to know it was far beyond average, with enough girth that was going to make it painful to walk after. So why was my body humming in excitement? My therapist was going to have a field day with me.

“You can handle it, love.”

He gripped my waist, posing me over his hardened length.

“Stop! I’ll tell you the truth!”

Dez smirked, and before I could say anything else, a ball gag had buckled itself around my head. My eyes widened. How could I even talk my way out of this if Dez won’t even give me the chance?

He gripped my hips and pulled me down on top of him. The length of him slipped in with ease from my earlier climax, pressing against my inner walls with a blissful amount of pressure, filling me up completely. God, it shouldn’t, but it felt so damn good .

His hands paused on my hips, unmoving, and I realized I had closed my eyes at one point. I blinked to find Dez grinning at me. I must have shown my pleasure like an open book. My face was on fire.

“I think I’ll let you do the work this time.” He put his hands behind his head, eyes trailing from my face, over my breasts, and down past my stomach to where he filled me thoroughly.

I hurled an insult at him, not that it mattered, my voice muffled. I’d been so busy glaring at him that I didn’t notice the black plastic device now sitting between my thighs, similar to the one from Tatianna’s gala until it turned on. My head tilted back with a moan.

“Oh, we’re going to have so much fun, Erin. I have so many things planned for us.”

I didn’t fully understand what he was saying through the fog of pleasure. True to Dez’s words, I did put in the work, wantonly grinding against him, not caring that the ribbons bit into my wrists and ankles as I moved. I relished the feel of his large shaft sliding in and out of me as the device hummed against my clit, even as I hated myself for acquiescing to him so easily. I’d reflect on my actions with mortification later, but right now, it felt too good, too right.

I met Dez’s gaze and shivered at the fierce heat blazing there seconds before he grabbed my hips and shoved himself deeper. I groaned at the pressure and the pinch of pain from how completely he filled me. My legs widened to accommodate him as much as I could, the pain blending into ecstasy when he started to roll his hips. He pumped into me hard and slow, and I matched his rhythm, desperate for release. He quickened his pace, his grip bruising. I wanted more, even as he shoved his full length of him inside me over and over and over again. I bounced on his cock faster and faster until another climax tore through me, ripping through my body like a shockwave.

Dez growled, his hands tightened on my waist as his seed warmed the inside of me. Panic chased away the pleasure.

“We can’t procreate with humans.” Dez’s low voice post-climax scraped across my skin like gravel.

I instantly relaxed and then kicked myself. That’s what I was worried about here?

He removed the gag but not my bindings. I sucked in a breath.

“Do you have anything to say to me, Erin?”

My breathing was coming in heavy rasps. He had to be done, or at least needed a break. I would have time to think before the next round. Right?

“Why is it so important that you know?” I asked instead.

He clicked his tongue. “Not the answer I’m looking for.”

To my shock, he started to move beneath me again. Taking in my expression, a devious smile grazed his lips. “I hope you didn’t think I would let you off the hook so easily.” He traced the ring around my nipple with a delicate finger before pinching the hard bud in time with a thrust. To my dismay, my body responded even as my previous climax still lingered.

He leaned forward, and I bit back a moan at the shift in pressure. “I can go for as long as I need to, sweetheart. The question is: can you?”