Page 39 of Darkest Before Dawn (His Perfect Darkness #2)

“You think that will stop me?” I lean in. “There is nothing that will keep me from possessing you.”

“It’s been so hard, going through life alone.”

“I know.” I draw her into my arms. She pushes against my chest, but not hard enough to keep me from hugging her close. “I was so lonely until I found you.”

She hides her face against my shoulder. “I can’t have this,” she whispers.

I cup the back of her head, unwilling to let her pull away. “You’re so afraid. Give your fears to me.”

“You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

“Oh, but I do. I’ve been waiting all my life for you. You are everything to me.”

“Rex, are you hearing me?” She digs her nails into my biceps, but the bite of pain only makes my cock harden. Maybe I like it to hurt a little, too. “It’s not safe for you to be with me. Everyone who gets close to me dies.”

I draw her head back by her hair, forcing her to face me. “I’m not afraid. If being with you is a death sentence, so be it. I’d rather die than live without you.”

“You don’t mean that.” Her gaze darts between my eyes, her breath coming in pants like she’s ready to run.

“I do.” I rub my cheek along hers, drawing her focus with a touch. “Will you be with me?” My lips find her ear. “Be with me, Inara.”

A jolt runs through her, and she pushes at me.

I don’t give her an inch. I wrap my arms around her, rolling us so she’s under me.

“Be with me,” I order because she loves to be a good girl and do what she’s told.

“Please?” I add, because I want all of her.

I’ve had her reluctance, and now I want her to come to me willingly.

“I’m so scared.”

“I know, my love. I know. But I’m here.”

“What if we don’t get to have good things?

” Fear is written on her face, and I feel it like a punch in my gut.

We’re both afraid of the same thing—that childhood tragedy will mark our lives forever.

When the worst thing that could ever happen to a kid happens to you, how do you believe there’s good in the world?

I squeeze her tighter. If she feels fear, I’ll share it with her.

I’ll take the burden gladly. “I don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

If I could control it, I would.” I’ve spent many years trying to exert control over every part of my life.

I failed, but it doesn’t matter because it led me to her.

“But. . . I have you now. And you have me. If all we have is this moment, it would be enough.”

“Rex,” she’s crying now.

“Inara, please.” It’s a special kind of hell watching my wife cry.

“I’m here. I’m with you. Don’t let me go.”

“Never,” I whisper.

Her eyes are wet, pleading. She needs me to keep me with her.

Present with me. I set my hand on the back of her neck and clamp down.

Nothing focuses the mind more than the threat of a constricted airway.

“And when you leave this Earth, I’ll chase you.

I’ll follow you into the darkness, and we’ll be together. ”

She shudders with a sob. I move my hand around to the front of her throat, collaring her. “You are mine.” I increase the pressure of my fingers and watch her mouth go lax as she calms under my dominating touch.

“Yes,” she whispers. I squeeze her neck tighter and shift my position so I can reach down and plunge the fingers of my free hand into her sex.

Her body bows upward, and her pupils bloom. She’s wet, wetter than I’ve ever known her to be. My fingers are drenched.

“My gods, you’re beautiful. Come for me.”

Her muscles squeeze my fingers, and I groan, imagining that vice grip on my cock. Later. This is for her.

“Come for me, now,” I growl, and like the good girl she is, she breaks apart around my fingers.

I pin her down by her neck and sex, keeping her grounded when she’d fly off the bed.

She seems to love the force of my control, writhing with a round of aftershocks.

Her pussy milks my fingers. “Good girl,” I praise her.

“My good girl. I love how you come for me and me alone.”

I wait until her eyes find me and pull my dripping fingers out of her. I suck her essence off my hand. Her taste is sweet and tart, addictive. My arousal kicks into overdrive, making me dizzy. Making my body throb with wanting.

I’m drunk on desire just from dominating her. “Thank me for letting you come,” I order.

She licks her lips before she obeys. “Thank you, sir.”

Sir. She called me sir. I don’t deserve the gift she’s giving me, but I’ll take it, selfish sinner that I am.

I growl again, clamping my hand on the back of her neck and pulling her up for a kiss.

I force my tongue into her mouth, making her taste herself, and she opens for me, allowing me access. It makes me wild.

I’m shaking with need and violent urges when I lay her out in front of me. I kiss down her body to lap up her orgasm. I want to drink her down. It’s not enough to make her come and submit to me. I want to consume her.

She cries out when I thrust my tongue into her cleft. Reaching down, she seizes my hair and tugs like she will rip it out from the root.

“No, it’s too much?—”

“I’ll say when it’s too much.” I shackle her legs and hold them apart, wide enough to hurt. It makes her gush all the more.

Pain and submission. My perfect girl.

And she’s giving me all of her. Everything I wanted and chased for so long. She’s giving me something only she can give, and I feel like the king of the world.

I have to be careful; I have to go slow. Otherwise, neither of us will survive this night.

She allows my violence, even feeds off of it. I nip at her labia, then lash her poor clit until her knees lock around my head and she screams.

And then I can’t take it anymore. I rise over her and line up my cock at her dripping sex. Her body accepts mine, even though I punch my hips into hers, thrust after brutal thrust.

And she takes it. She takes my possession and brutality and transforms it into something beautiful. She takes all of me, and I didn’t know I was craving that until now.

And as we come together, sweat gilding our skin and sealing us together, we become one and it feels like love. I love her, and I know she loves me. If I have to wait forever until she admits it, I will.

All that matters is that she’s mine.

Inara

I wake up a new woman. I lie in the circle of Rex’s arms, marveling at the lightness I feel. Rex exorcised something from me. I feel sore and hollowed out but also loved. It’s like he lanced the wound, and now I can heal.

A thought intrudes—a tiny shadow in my happy glow. There’s one thing I didn’t tell him, one part of my visions I didn’t explain: the death I’ve been seeing in my dreams was mine.

But I don’t want to think about that right now.

I try to leave the bed and don’t get very far. Rex tightens his arm around me and drapes his heavy leg over both of mine, mumbling something like, “No, don’t go.”

“What time is it?” It feels like dawn, but it could be any time. Midday or still the middle of the night. The hotel has excellent blackout curtains.

“Doesn’t matter,” Rex murmurs into my hair. “I don’t have to go anywhere until tonight.”

“I have to use the bathroom,” I say primly and wriggle until he lets me go with a growl. In the bathroom, I take inventory of the redness Rex imprinted on my skin. There’s some lingering soreness, a bite mark or two, but not as many marks as I’d like.

I tell Rex this when I return to the bed, and he opens his arms. “Let me fix it.”

We snuggle together for I don’t know how long.

At some point, it turns to slow, languorous kissing.

I wait for Rex to twist my hair into a leash and force me to go down on him, but his kisses remain sweet.

Almost chaste, except we’re both naked. His hands roam up and down, stroking my back and bottom lightly but never venturing further.

“I could do this all day,” he murmurs against my mouth.

I’m squirming again, this time with arousal. “Hmmm, I want more.”

“Too bad. You have to lie here and take it.” He moves his big body over me, pinning my limbs with his muscled bulk.

I pout up at him. “Not fair.”

“Who’s in charge?”

“You are.”

“Say it again.”

“You are, my king.”

Turns out those are the magic words. His eyes darken, and his chest rumbles with a satisfied hum.

I end up with my hands bound wrist to elbow behind me with one of Rex’s silk ties. He sits me on his lap and props my legs over his. The position puts my breasts and sex on display.

He leans me back against him and slaps my inner thighs, spanking them red. My breasts get a few swats, and the pain feels like bliss. It’s a beautiful alchemy, how he hurts me so I feel good. I’m high from just that.

“Is this what you wanted? For me to treat you like my little pain slut?” He punctuates each word with a swat.

My breasts throb, and each pulse of pain takes me higher. “Yes.”

He slaps my pussy. I groan at the sensation and the wet sound it makes. I’m filthy, soaking wet. My abs tighten reflexively, but I can’t close my legs because they’re propped over his. “Yes, what?” His hand hovers over my sex in silent threat.

“Yes, sir.”

His hand wavers, and I flinch, then make myself relax and remain open for him.

“Good girl.”

The words warm me through. But then he adds, “Now beg me to spank your pussy until you come.”

“Oh, gods.” Hot liquid pools in my belly, threatening to spill over. I’m close, just from the thought of coming from this. “Please, sir, spank my pussy. I need it.”

“With pleasure.”

He lets his hand fall, lightly at first, a tease, but then with more force, until sparks fly from my clit and I know one more blow will send me over.

“Please,” I whisper, “Please, please, please?—”

“My gods.” His cock is rock hard under my ass. “I can’t deny you anything. Come for me, Inara.”

His hand falls, jarring me into a place of anticipation. The pain rushes in a second later, and my orgasm explodes.