Page 43 of Hysteria Rises (Dark Falls Hollow #1)

THIRTY

DELILAH

I know what I’m inviting by making myself vulnerable to this man.

Giving in and letting him think he can have me is the only thing that will give me the control I want because there’s no denying it—they don’t care if I fight them.

It only makes my misery while being trapped in this place a thousand times worse.

And if using what they want from me—my body—as a weapon, is what I have to do? So fucking be it.

Dark Falls Hollow.

I finally know where I am. And like an idiot, I’d gotten excited.

But then, it’d hit me like a ton of bricks that no such place is likely to be on any map.

Even if I figure out a way to communicate with the outside world, the odds of anyone ever having heard of this place are slim.

And I have no idea how far I wandered in those days spent lost in the wilderness.

It doesn’t help that I can’t quite decide whether I believe this is a nightmare or all too real.

I suck in a breath, my stomach dipping when I notice the sheer intensity on Hayze’s face. He’s desire incarnate, need rolling off him in fiercely ardent waves. I should be terrified to let him touch me again, but I can’t think of another way to get out of this mess.

As he grips the juncture of my thighs, a shiver rushes through me, pulling at my attention.

His hands are big, rough from physical labor.

My focus narrows to the man peering up at me with brilliant blue eyes.

His face isn’t more than six inches from my pussy, and my heart clangs around in my chest as he cocks his head to the side.

I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I keep getting a little confused when he stares like he’s doing right now.

Even worse have been the occasions when I get a glimpse of honesty from him—those moments make me forget what he’s done. And I can’t afford to do that.

I gasp as he runs the pads of his thumbs over sensitive skin. I’m wet, have been since we started kissing and he pressed close to me. In my head, I pretended I was somewhere else and let it happen. And now, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing and understand even less how I feel about it.

An unsteady breath rushes from me. My mind is twisted up, remembering every second of the last time we were in this room and the orgasm that he’d forced on me …

and then what’d come after. My body jerks, but I don’t know if it’s from the memory or the way he’s touching me now.

Whichever is the truth, the result is the same, and I can’t stop myself from crying out.

My insides have turned to liquid heat. “Fuck, yes,” I gasp, unable to stop what’s happening. It’s okay. This is okay. It will only feed into what I need him to believe. My body throbs, trembling, as he continues to wring pleasure from me. Inside, I’m so torn.

Desperation is making me do things I know I shouldn’t. And goddammit, it shouldn’t feel this fucking good.

His lip curls faintly as he pushes a finger inside me, his gaze locked on my pussy. Oh fuck. This is really going to happen again. And I’m going to let it and take whatever bit of control it provides me.

My breath comes faster and faster as he lights me up from the inside out while I’m gasping and writhing before him.

“Oh, god,” I whimper, squirming again as he applies pressure to my clit, slowly making me lose my mind.

“Yes. Yes. Yes.” Those words come out like an unbidden chant.

Arousal clouds my every thought, but when I allow my eyes to wander and connect with his again, I can tell he’s just as overwhelmed by what we’re doing as I am.

And that’s where the power of letting him have me lies.

On a tortured growl, he dives down and finally puts his mouth on me. Heat flashes through me as he hungrily licks, swiping his tongue everywhere. “You taste so fucking good,” he murmurs, as his chest heaves. “Fuuuck. So good.”

My heart thumps erratically as he continues to torment me with wicked tongue and dexterous fingers.

“Oh fuck,” I cry out, my legs shaking as pleasure washes through me.

On an uncontrollable shudder, I gasp, “Don’t stop,” the frantic demand thick in my throat.

This is so wrong. So incredibly wrong—but I need to see this through. I have to.

He groans against me, the sound raspy and deep.

If he were to leave me here like this, I might die.

Threading my fingers through his blond hair, I moan.

My pelvis is moving of its own accord, and I’m practically crying in ecstasy as I grind my pussy against his stubble-coated face while he thrusts his tongue deep inside me.

He’s everywhere, a ravenous beast, licking and sucking, then thrusting his fingers into my pussy once again.

“Oh, god. I’m gonna—” And words fail me as my body tenses.

The orgasm crests, and I come completely undone.

My face heats as I coat the lower half of his face in wetness.

I lie still for several moments with my eyes closed, thinking about what I’ve just done and wondering if it will help my position here in this godforsaken place. What the fuck is wrong with me?

Conflicted thoughts take up residence in my head. I shouldn’t have been able to let go like that. But in the end, it serves my purpose. I need them to see me as a person. Can I twist the look of hunger that remains in Hayze’s eyes to my advantage?

As I slowly reach for him, his brows raise, and like a jungle cat, he prowls forward, over my body.

His lips meet mine, his breath ragged between kisses.

“I taste myself on you,” I whisper, then watch the flash of pure lust move over his features.

I take advantage of it, slipping my hand between us to run it over his erection.

He’s long and thick, his cock like steel as he thrusts forward with a grunt, mumbling something against my lips that I don’t quite catch.

With my heart hammering, I really go for it, slipping my tongue into his mouth to explore while I unfasten his pants and work the zipper down.

Groaning, he pulls back, shaking his head.

I kiss him again, staring into his eyes at close range, and while I have him distracted, I slip my hand into his pants and begin to stroke his length.

His hips buck, and a hiss of agonized pleasure escapes his lips.

He’s shaking hard, like he’s about to lose a battle he’s very much trying to win.

In a rush of panic, he grabs my wrist. “Stop.” We stare at each other, but I don’t let go of him and don’t withdraw my hand.

“What’s wrong?” I ask softly, before pressing my lips to his.

There’s a look of agony on his face that gives me pause. And then, he whispers insistently, “This is not allowed. I can’t.”

Before I get a chance to ask what he means, a whisper of sound carries to us from the hallway. My eyes dart to the door, which is standing invitingly open, and I jerk my hand out of his pants.

My eyes widen as terror floods through me and my heart rate goes through the roof. One look at Hayze’s tight jaw, and I know we’re in trouble. Lightning fast, he grasps the neckline of my gown and yanks it back into place. A second later, he’s off the bed, leaving me to scramble after him.

I move so fast, the room spins as I frantically pull my gown down to cover me and smooth my hands over the bed we’d made together earlier.

Twenty-one stands in the doorway, visibly startled. Her glittering eyes dart first to Hayze, then track slowly to me, head tipping to the side in question. And then … they narrow.

Hayze clears his throat, running a hand over his cheek. “Twenty-one?” he says with a raised brow.

She bows her head. “Excuse me. Twenty-three is needed in the cellar.”

He gestures that I should go.

With my face on fire and worry weighing heavy, I force my feet to move. By the time I get to the door, she’s already started down the hall. I trail behind her, and in silence, we hurry along until we reach the cellar.

Twenty-one pulls me to a stop. Her keen eyes roam over my face, and I wonder what she sees but can only imagine my pink-hued cheeks, bright eyes, and kiss-swollen lips give away what we were doing in that room. I can’t even exhale. My lungs don’t want to function.

A sneering smile creeps onto her lips. “Stay away from Kiefer, and maybe I won’t tell anyone.”