Page 34 of Imperial: The Corvidae Family

Chapter

Twenty-One

Baylyn

When Emir woke me up this morning and said we needed an escape, I was expecting a quiet weekend somewhere, but instead, I got this.

A gun range.

I glanced around, taking in the spacious private facility which was very different from the crowded shooting ranges I’d seen in movies.

Everything here screamed exclusive. Matte black walls, soundproof glass, high-end firearms neatly displayed behind bulletproof cases. It was empty, except for the two of us.

Emir stood beside me, unlocking a heavy case and pulling out a matte-black handgun. He examined the weapon, like it was an extension of himself, before setting it on the counter in front of me.

I crossed my arms. “So this is your idea of relaxation?”

He grinned sexily but his eyes were dark with amusement. “For me, yeah. But for you, this is your first lesson.”

I arched my brow. “Lesson?”

He leaned against one of the display cases, watching me. “You ever fired a gun before?”

“No.”

“Ever held one?”

“What do you think?”

He smirked, reaching for the weapon. “Then it’s time you learned.”

I stared at him, waiting for him to explain what he thought this would accomplish. “Emir, I don’t?—”

“Come on.” We walked to one of the lanes. He stepped behind me, sliding a pair of noise-canceling earmuffs over my head before I could finish. Then, he reached around me and positioned my hands on the gun.

“Relax.”

Easy for him to say.

The weight of the weapon in my grip was heavier than expected. He adjusted my stance, guiding me as he moved in closer. His chest pressed against my back, steadying me.

“Feet apart,” he instructed, nudging my leg. “Balance your weight.”

“Now focus.”

I narrowed my eyes at the target ahead, the black silhouette perfectly still at the end of the lane. My pulse raced.

His hands smoothed over my arms, steadying me. “Don’t overthink it. Just breathe. Aim.”

I tightened my grip.

“Now pull the trigger.”

I hesitated for a minute and did as he asked.

The gun kicked back, jerking my body and arms. My shot landed wide and to the left, barely even hitting the paper.

Emir adjusted my grip again and kept his voice calm. “Try again.”

I inhaled. Exhaled. Fired.

This time, I actually hit the target, just off center.

A rush of excitement and satisfaction shot through me.

I turned and caught the way he watched me. His eyes bounced to the target, then back to me. “You did that shit, Bay.”

“I could get used to this.”

His eyes darkened and he smiled. “I know but that’s not why we’re here. I don’t need you being a shooter.”

“So why teach me?”

“Just in case. Now let’s go, run that shit back.”

I nodded and placed my focus back on the target.

We moved through a few more rounds with him coaching me before he took the gun and I watched him get his own round in.

My mouth dropped watching the skill and ease with which he landed perfect shots centered in the head and heart of the target.

After another hour of us going back and forth, he pushed off the wall and took the gun from me for the last time.

“We’re done here for today.”

“Here?”

He walked up on me and pulled my body to his. “Yeah, done here. We have a full day.”

“Where to next?”

“You’ll see.”

I leaned back in my seat, watching Emir as he drove us to our next location. “Are you gonna tell me where we’re going?”

“No.”

I sighed dramatically, but inside, I loved that he took the initiative and planned a day for us. I also loved that he was pulling me away from the chaos of everything that had happened recently and into something that was just… us .

When he finally pulled into a familiar parking lot, my brows pinched and I swung my eyes to him.

Tranquil Breeze…

“A spa?” I turned to him, surprised.

Emir shifted the car into park and looked over at me. “You’ve been dealing with my life and the stress of it. I figured you would appreciate something connected to yours.”

I grinned wide as shit at the thought of being pampered. It had been a minute. “You didn’t have to do this.”

His fingers slid under my chin, tilting my face up toward him. “I know, but I wanted to.”

Before I could think too hard about it, he was opening his door, coming around to mine. When we got inside I realized the spa was empty except for the staff. Emir didn’t just book us an appointment. He booked the entire damn place.

“This is insane,” I muttered as a woman led us toward the private changing area.

“The day is just about us, Bay.”

I turned to him, grinning. “So what exactly are we doing?”

“You are getting whatever the hell you want. I’m chilling.”

“You’re not doing it with me?” I frowned when he handed me a robe but hadn’t removed any of his clothes.

“I’ll be here.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You’re just gonna sit and watch.”

His smirk widened. “I’m definitely watching.”

“Nope. If I’m doing this, you are too.”

He wanted to argue but didn’t. By the time he was undressed and in his robe, Emir was already over the entire day but he did it for me.

The first part was easy.

I melted into the massage table, letting warm oil and expert hands work out the tension I hadn’t even realized I was holding.

We had a couples massage set up and I almost regretted demanding he do this with me when the woman who was assigned to him stepped in the room.

After a death threat and warning from me that ended with telling her I’d just left a gun range, she got to work but kept her hands appropriately placed.

For a while, there was silence, just the soft sounds of music and Emir’s deep breathing beside me. Until I turned my head in his direction and grinned.

“You’re actually relaxed.”

His voice was lazy with amusement. “I’m not mad at this shit. I fuck with it.”

“Only with me though.” He grinned wider.

“You can’t put me on then get mad when I decide I like it.”

“Yes the fuck I can.” I glared at him and the woman assigned to him before I repeated myself. “Only with me.”

“Chill, Bay. I’m not doing this with anybody but you. Trust that shit.”

After the massage, they led us to the next step, facials. This was where I knew he would try and bail. I turned to the woman at the front desk. “Two, please.”

Emir’s head snapped toward me. “Nah, I’m good.”

“Yes, you’re doing it.”

His brows slammed in fast as hell. “I don’t need a damn facial.”

I waved him off. “Your pores say otherwise.”

Kades and Yair would have had a field day if they could see the flat, unamused stare Emir gave me but also the way he didn’t argue. He just sighed, ran a hand down his face, and muttered, “You got me fucked up.”

Fifteen minutes later, we were both lying back with clay masks on our faces, the staff doing their work while I fought back laughter.

Emir was tense as hell but the moment the esthetician stepped away, I turned my head to him and whispered, “You look really cute.”

He cut his eyes at me and smiled, shaking his head.

I bit my lip, barely holding back my laugh. “Should I take a picture?”

“Baylyn, don’t make me curse you the fuck out.”

I lost it, laughing so hard my mask almost cracked.

He frowned hard as hell but I caught the small, barely-there smirk on his lips.

He wasn’t mad, and even if he’d never admit it, he was enjoying this just as much as me. By the time we made it to the private steam room, I was fully relaxed with my body loose and warm. I settled onto the bench, tilting my head back, letting my eyes close. I felt Emir across from me, watching.

“You’re staring,” I said quietly.

“I like looking at you.”

My eyes snapped open, meeting his.

He was leaning back, arms draped along the bench with a towel wrapped securely around his waist. Relaxed. Unbothered.

The way he looked at me made my pussy very aware of him and that we were alone. “Thank you for this.”

His eyes trailed over me slowly. “You don’t have to thank me.”

“I do. Today was perfect.”

He didn’t say anything, just watched. So I stood, crossed the room, and yanked at my towel which dropped to the floor.

When I reached him, I climbed onto his lap, straddling him, pressing my forehead against his.

I leaned into his chest and my bare skin pressed against his.

My damn nipples were so sensitive they ached from the contact.

I rocked against him slowly, teasing at first before I circled my hips, feeling how hard he was beneath me.

His fingers flexed, his jaw tense as he watched me through lowered eyes.

“You trying to get fucked in here?” His voice was low and thick.

I circled my hips once more. “What if I am?”

His grip tightened and he dragged me a little closer, until I had all of him, heavy and thick, pressing against my pussy.

“Then you better hope this shit is soundproof.”

I bit my lip, rocking against him again. This time, he let out a quiet groan, his fingers pressing harder into my skin.

His patience snapped.

With one hand, he grabbed the back of my neck, pulling me down into a kiss. His other hand slid between us, gripping himself while I lifted just enough for him to guide me exactly where he wanted me.

I moaned in satisfaction. The stretch had me sucking in a sharp breath and digging my nails into his shoulders as I took him in, inch by inch.

Emir let out a deep, gravelly groan before his forehead met mine.

“Fuck, Baylyn.”

I sank down completely, with my pussy clenching tight around him.

His fingers dug into my hips, holding me still like he was forcing himself to breathe, to keep control.

I wasn’t interested in control.

I lifted my hips, grinding down slowly, rolling against him, needing the depth and the friction. The thickness of him inside of me had my muscles tense and my pussy feeling needy.

I lifted, rolling my hips, and lowered again.

His head tipped back against the wall and his grip tightened while his jaw clenched. “Keep moving.”

I did.

Slow at first while I found my rhythm, feeling every thick inch of him as I rode him. Every time I came down, he met me halfway, thrusting up.

His hands slid up my body, gripping my waist, my ribs, my breasts. His thumbs flicked over my nipples and I arched my back, riding him harder and faster.

“Yeah, Bay. Fuck your man.” His voice was low and unhurried. “Just like that.”

I clenched around him, feeling myself getting closer, the pleasure pushed fast and hard from my pussy and moved through the rest of my body, winding tighter each time I dropped down on him.

His hand slid up to my throat, resting there for a minute before he squeezed gently, just holding me there with his eyes locked onto mine. They were dark and wild and that had me leaking more.

“You gonna cum for me?” he murmured.

I groaned and nodded, grinding against him harder and faster, chasing it.

His grip tightened on my neck and his hips jerked up, slamming into me stroke for stroke.

My moan was desperate when his thumb slid between my legs, pressing right where I needed it.

I shattered.

The pleasure hit me like a tidal wave, hard and overwhelming. My body locked up and my back arched deep as I came apart on top of him.

I barely heard my own moan, but I felt the deep, raw groan that rumbled through his chest and pain from his fingers digging into my hips as he followed me over the edge.

He held me still as he thrust up, burying himself deep, spilling inside of me with a grunt that vibrated through his chest.

I collapsed against him, dropping my head on his shoulder. Our bodies were damp with sweat and steam and my breath was shaky while his heartbeat pounded against mine.

After a while his fingers were moving lazily up and down my spine. His breath was still uneven.

“We just had sex in a very public place.” I grinned against his shoulder and felt his quiet chuckle vibrate through me.

“Yeah,” he muttered, pressing a kiss against my temple, resting his head back against the wall. “And now I need a minute to pull my shit together or we’re not leaving here.”

An hour later we were leaving the spa and my body felt weightless.

Every one of my muscles were loose and relaxed.

Beside me, Emir moved with his usual easy confidence.

I glanced up at him, still feeling the lingering heat from being fucked in the steam room.

The way the staff grinned at us as we left let me know they were very aware of what we had been doing but I really didn’t care.

“So,” I said, slipping my hands into the pocket of the hoodie I’d stolen from him. “Where to now?”

He unlocked the car and pulled the passenger door open for me. “Figured we’d grab something to eat.”

I settled into my seat, watching him as he slid behind the wheel. “Are we talking a sit-down dinner, or…?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

I raised a brow but let him drive. The city stretched around us. I leaned back, scrolling through my phone while he navigated. My body still hummed from the spa, his hands on me, the very much needed orgasms. So I was perfectly content and in my own little world.

Fifteen minutes later, he pulled up to a taco truck parked near downtown, tucked away on a side street.

I blinked. “A taco truck?”

He cut the engine, turning to me with a smirk. “Not just any taco truck. Best one in the city.”

I wasn’t about to argue, especially when the scent of sizzling meat and fresh tortillas filled the air, wrapping around me like a damn love letter. A small crowd lingered near the counter.

After we were out of the car, I crossed my arms. “Alright, what’s good?”

“Everything,” he said, already moving toward the window. “But I got you.”

Something about the confidence in his voice made me let him take the lead. A few minutes later, he handed me a container stacked with tacos and fresh lime wedges on the side.

I took one bite and my entire world tilted.

“Oh my God,” I rushed out with my eyes fluttering shut as the perfect blend of spice and citrus melted on my tongue.

He chuckled beside me. “Told you.”

I nudged him playfully before dropping onto the curb, settling in with my food. He sat beside me, his long legs stretched out and his presence relaxed. The city moved around us. Cars rolled by, people laughing as they walked past, but all I saw or felt was him. It was just us.

We ate in silence but even that it was comfortable. After a while I glanced over at him, bumping my knee against his. “So this is your idea of a date?”

He licked salsa from his thumb and his eyes locked onto mine. “This is us doing our thing? You want something different?”

I smiled and softly shook my head. “No. It’s kind of perfect.”

His eyes lingered before he dropped a kiss on my cheek and leaned back on one arm, completely at ease. “Good, because so are you, which means it fits.”

I grinned, focusing on the last bite of my taco as my heart did something weird in my chest. Shit, I’m in love with a killer.