Page 26

J uliette

No. No. No!

A single vision crashed into my mind, the horrible moment so intense I was certain it was real.

Gasping for air.

Being choked.

A man sneering down at me, wishing me dead.

No. No… I fought with everything I had, the vision finally fading into nothing but shadows. The memory had felt so damn real, as if the terrible incident had happened just the day before. Only the man with his hand still wrapped around my wrists wasn’t a monster.

He was my hero, Kage. My Kage.

Still unfocused, I took several deep breaths. This was the first time I felt any fear being around him. But this wasn’t the man who’d risked his own life to save me.

He was gone, lost in a moment of the past. Or something much worse.

Just like I’d been.

“Kage,” I said softly. “It’s Juliette. Remember? Come back to me.”

After issuing a second guttural sound, he blinked several times. When he finally came into focus, I was already wiggling under him, taking gasping breaths. His eyes darted back and forth across mine, his chest heaving. My pulse raced, my mind spinning. What did he think I was going to do?

Darkness and anger still had their hooks in him, dragging him closer to a horrible end. I felt it, my heart squeezing from the comprehension.

“Kage,” I repeated in a mere whisper, trying… hoping I could break him out of the daze he was in.

With a sharp breath, he lowered his head until our lips were almost touching. I could swear the man was going to kiss me. I even arched my back, maybe hoping he would. His breath was hot, as uneven as mine. We were locked in a moment that had no meaning. Or maybe it did.

“Juliette.”

What in God’s name had happened in his life? The sadness in his tone was overwhelming.

With a sharp drawback of his head, he lowered his gaze, almost immediately returning it to my eyes before doing the unthinkable.

Kissing me.

But it wasn’t just any kiss; the action was rough, breathtaking. He pushed open my lips, thrusting his tongue inside. As he swept it back and forth, I fought his firm hold, longing to touch him. I craved bringing his body even closer if that was even possible.

Every sound he made fueled both of us, the moment of intimacy as if he was taking my last breath. Dancing vibrations skittered through every part of me, his roughness creating an intense throb between my legs. We weren’t meant to be together. We weren’t compatible, yet I never wanted this to end.

The way he was shifting his hips back and forth created a stream of friction. He was hard, pulsing between my legs. My nipples were taut, straining against the fabric. And I was aware my shirt had managed to be pulled to just underneath my breasts.

Kage shifted to the side, allowing his hand to crawl under my shirt. The moment he cupped my breast, I moaned into the kiss. Nothing about this was gentle. Neither one of us wanted it to be.

We were too hot and bothered by each other, crazed with lust and anything else, but that didn’t matter. He pinched my nipple, twisting the hardened bud until a flash of pain washed through me. But the pleasure wasn’t far behind, already taking me to new heights of rapture.

The moment he released his hold on my wrists, I slipped one hand between us, fighting the buckle and belt, struggling to unzip his pants. There was no pretense, no foreplay. As soon as his cock was free, he took over, using his knee to push my legs apart and instantly shoving my thong aside.

As he impaled me with one hard thrust, another series of electric shocks tore through me.

Another moan.

Another breathless moment.

His shaft pulsed, filling me completely. My pussy muscles clamped around the thick invasion. He pulled out, driving into me again, going even deeper.

Deeper still.

I threw one leg around his hip, gasping for air when he broke the kiss. His smile was almost evil as he bit down on my lower lip before dragging his tongue from one side of my jaw to the other.

There was nothing as incredible as the feel of having him inside of me.

Or the way he was taking what he wanted.

I closed my eyes, allowing the pleasure to fill me before sliding my arms around his neck.

Just feeling him on top of me, touching his skin was nothing I should want, but everything I craved.

Maybe fate had brought us together.

His rhythm was powerful, the force pushing me into the cushions. I rubbed my flexed fingers down his back, feeling every scar, every indentation. He’d suffered so much, but now he was here with me.

He’d saved my life.

My savior.

My hero.

When he pulled up, I opened my eyes. His were so dark, filled with so many emotions I couldn’t read. We stared at each other as he fucked me. Within seconds, my entire body was shaking. A slight cry erupted from my lips, a strangled moan as an orgasm rushed through me.

“Oh. Oh…” I lolled my head to the side, blinking several times as tingles of pleasure capsized every nerve ending.

His eyes were narrowed as he continued pumping into me, slowing down as I clawed my fingers up and down his back. The electric vibrations were amazing, every inch of my skin covered in prickles.

Breathless, I blinked several times as I rolled down from the feeling of pure ecstasy. But he wasn’t finished yet. There was such a determined look in his eyes, a sly smile that seemed so strange to see on him.

When he pulled completely out of me, I bit my lower lip since I wasn’t ready for the amazing moment to be over.

He had no intentions of letting me go just yet.

Everything about the man was rough and tumble, including the way he tossed me onto my stomach. With no hindrance at all, he wrangled my thong completely off. I watched in fascination as he tossed the cheap material across the coffee table, cringing when it landed on the floor.

The way he ripped at his pants, struggling to yank them free of his boots fascinated me. The man was famished. As soon as he did, he kept one foot planted on the floor, placing his other knee on the far side of my legs.

I wasn’t expecting tenderness from the hulking soldier and he proved he wasn’t interested in providing it. He shoved the entire length of his cock inside, the different angle bringing me even more jolts of current. I was shocked how good it felt and how powerful his thrusts could be.

With one hand clinging to the side of the couch, I pressed my face against the cushions as he plunged in deep, even strokes.

There were no words to be said. This was nothing more than raw passion.

The sound as his balls slapped between my legs brought a smile to my face.

The rapid beating of my heart added to the strange musical and his soft growls created the crescendo.

I squeezed my eyes shut, enjoying his control over me, but when he removed his cock, I whimpered and turned my head as far as possible. The moment he pressed the tip between my buttocks, I tensed. There was no time to say anything or object before he slipped his cockhead just inside.

Once he did, he gripped one hip, digging his fingers into my skin. When he pushed inside an inch at a time, I shoved my way up from the couch. This time, a moan refused to be squelched.

My muscles scrambled to expand, my pulse skyrocketing. How was this happening? Oh, wow. The discomfort was real. I’d never had any man fuck me in the ass before. I’d never wanted anyone to. But with Kage, it was different.

He was gentle, taking his time, but I was already perspiring. He was huge, so thick I had no clue how his cock could fit. But he pushed another inch inside.

And another.

I knew the moment he’d reached his goal, fully seated inside when he let off a ragged groan. After he pulled out and drove into me again, I dropped my head. He grabbed my other hip, yanking me onto all fours.

That’s when he seemed to lose some sense of control, plunging in and out in the same rhythm, the sound increasing as he did. I bit back a combination of a laugh and a moan as the slight pain morphed into sheer pleasure.

The intensity of his actions rocked both our bodies, and he had a sense of urgency. Every muscle was jarred as his actions became even more brutal.

But he wasn’t finished yet.

He cracked his hand across my bottom three times. The tingling vibrations from before were shifted into something even more intense.

A single moan pushed from my mouth and maybe he was encouraged because he smacked my bottom several more times.

Not easy.

Not like love pats.

No, they were full blown snaps of his huge palm against my tender skin.

Heat was not only building on my bottom, but deep within my core. I was also flushed and knew my face had to be beet red. It seemed strange the pain added to the pleasure.

Kage was like a man possessed, spanking me even harder. For a few beautiful moments, I felt like I was a very bad girl.

Like I deserved to be punished.

His growl turned into a dark chuckle and he switched hands, smacking the other side of my bottom at a rapid pace.

“Oh, fuck,” I somehow managed to whisper.

“You deserve a spanking.” His words sent a chill through me. “Snooping around. Not listening to me. Teasing me. You’re a bad girl. Aren’t you?”

I had no idea where the tone had come from or the words, but I was quick to respond. “Yes.”

He cracked his palm down one more time before gripping my hips with both hands as he’d done before.

“First, I’ll fuck you in the ass like you deserve. Then I’ll spank you on the bottom like you need.”

Maybe I was stunned by his words, but as he thrust in and out, I clawed the sofa. Stars made it impossible to focus, the jarring effect increasing. Wasn’t this what every girl fantasized about? Being taken and used, spanked like a bad girl by a man she considered hotter than sin?

He was an animal, refusing to stop even as he slipped one hand under my shirt, flicking his finger back and forth across my aching nipple. I just ached all over for him and because of him.