Page 50 of Laila Manning (Shadeport Crew #3)

I didn’t argue, even though I hated the idea of someone else driving my shiny new Pearl. I didn’t want to leave either of their sides.

We got into Zeke’s massive SUV, Kade silently climbing into the backseat as Zeke drove us back to East Valley. There was no talking, or even music on the radio as we drove, all of us in our own minds.

Zeke’s silence felt heavier than normal, though, and when I looked over at him, the lethal look in his eyes should have scared me.

It should have warned me away from the power lying under his tailored suit and taut, inked skin. But I didn’t shy away from it. No, that would have been something the old Laila did.

The new me wanted to burn in its power and authority. Sliding my hand over his where it rested on the center console, I scraped my nails down his knuckles before weaving my fingers between his .

His piercing eyes flew over to me, and I could feel the heat in them, without using a single word to describe it. If we had been alone in the car, I probably would have climbed over onto his lap to use his body to calm the unrest raging in mine.

Instead, I stayed seated, crossing my legs to stop myself from doing something embarrassing. Like begging him.

When we pulled into Ryker’s Estate, the lawn was crawling with people, crew members and even their girlfriends and wives. Kids played soccer on the manicured grass, and Ryker and his men set up grills in the driveway, filling the air with smoke as they cooked.

We all got out, and a few of the guys called to Kade, inviting him over to their game of catch with a football. A few weeks ago, they had teased him mercilessly for being so small and mouthy, but now, with Zeke’s protection at his back, they welcomed him into their groups with no more hazing.

“Is it okay?” He asked, nodding to the guys.

“Only if you want to.” I agreed with a smile, “If you don’t, I can pretend to be a bitch and you can tell them I said no.”

He grinned with a roll of his eyes and took a step backward towards the guys. “I don’t think anyone would believe that you have a mean bone in your body. But thanks.”

“Have fun.” I waved to him as Zeke slid his hand over the back of my neck under my hair, tightening it enough to catch my attention.

His voice was low as he lowered his lips to my ear. “I’m taking you into the Shop. You won’t see anything you don’t want to. But you’ll come with me, no questions asked. Understand?”

I stared up at him, on the edge of telling him there was not a fucking chance in hell I was going into that building, no matter the reason.

Before I could, though, there was something nagging at the bottom of my stomach that begged me to find out what he wanted from me in the horrid place, so I nodded once.

“Promise me you won’t hurt me in there?” I asked. Part of me was asking it jokingly, part of me needed his assurance before I followed him blindly into the place known for pain and torture.

He growled and pulled my body flush to his, with the same wild look in his eyes as he lowered his lips to mine. “I promise you that you’ll feel nothing but pleasure.”

I moaned and sagged into him, ignorant of anyone else around us. “Deal.”

“Let’s go.” He turned us and started toward The Shop with his hand on my ass, leading me. When we got to the grills, Jed gave him a suspicious look as we went past, but Zeke just pointed off to where Kade was. “Don’t let him out of your sight, would ya?”

Jed saw Kade and then looked at us and rolled his eyes. “Sure thing.”

I kept my feet moving to keep up with Zeke’s long gait, as he paused only briefly to use the keypad at the door into the place, unlocking it, and ushered me inside.

The first thing that hit me was the air, frigid and blowing like it did inside of a hospital.

The white, nondescript walls of the entrance gave nothing away as he turned, leading us down the long hallway.

I had imagined the inside of the building a million times since moving in, and I had always envisioned blood-coated concrete walls, with plastic curtains hanging like inside of a slaughterhouse, screams echoing throughout the space.

It wasn’t that at all.

Or at least it wasn’t where we were. Maybe that part was deeper inside.

Before I could give it much thought, Zeke pushed me into a dark room that lit up when he slammed the door shut behind him .

My chest rose and fell in a rush of excitement and fear as I realized where we stood.

The walls of the room were padded, including the floor. White and blank of anything but the padding and lights glowing through the metal grates at the ceiling.

“Zeke.” I whispered, but even I heard the moan fall from my lips at the end.

“Are you afraid of me?” he demanded as he crowded me in against the wall.

“Should I be?” I licked my lips, and he tracked it with his eyes.

Jesus fuck, he was nearly feral.

And I was hungry for it. Eat your heart out, Zeke, I’m ready for you.

“I’m not scared of you.” I redacted, sliding my hands over his abs through his shirt, letting my sexuality free in the safety of his love. “You need this, don’t you?”

He let an animalistic groan fall from his lips as he put his fists against the wall above my head and leaned into them.

“I was going to use your touch to settle me.” His hips bucked when I slid my fingers behind the tightness of his belt.

“But it seems that you want to use your touch to do something else to me.”

“What am I doing to you, Zeke?” I purred, pushing his belt through the buckle, undoing it. “All I’m doing is letting my body respond to the power I see in your eyes and feel in your touch. It makes me want to purr like a kitten for more.”

“Dove.” He growled as I pulled the button of his pants free. His dick was hard, growing in his pants and tenting the fabric as I dragged my nails over the length through his slacks.

“Why did you bring me here?” I lifted my lips to speak against his. “Why in here, and not in your bed, if you needed me to settle you? ”

“Because I’m going to make you scream, and a soundproof room sounded better than a concrete box across the hall from our son.

” He promised, licking my lips and grinding his dick into my hand.

“I can feel your energy through just your fingertips, Dove. And you’re just as wild as I am right now. You don’t want my tenderness, do you?”

I slowly shook my head no and then bit his lip. “Right now, I want your rawness.” I sucked it into my mouth, making him moan. “You make me want to use my sexuality to my advantage.”

“Do it.” He urged, challenging me. “Do your very worst to get what you need from me. Whatever you want, you can have it. Onetime offer.”

I smiled, already knowing what I wanted from him, if he was going to let me have free rein. Slowly, I slid down the wall until I was on my knees at his feet—a place he told me I’d never be allowed.

Zeke’s nostrils flared when I pulled his zipper down, “Laila.” He warned.

Pulling his cock out of his pants, I kissed the tip of it as I looked up under my lashes at him. “I think I might come from sucking your cock alone.”

“Fuck.” He moaned, rocking his jaw as I teased the tip of him with my tongue. “Laila.”

“Dove.” I argued, sucking him deep into my mouth and making him hiss when I dragged my teeth over his shaft. “When your cock is in my mouth, I’m your Dove. Don’t disrespect me by using my given name when I’m on my knees for you.”

His body shook as I sucked him, using every single skill and technique I knew to drive him wild. I pushed his button-down shirt out of the way so I could see the deliciously deep V up his stomach and then demanded, “Take it off for me. I want to see all of you. ”

He leaned off the wall and pulled his shirt buttons undone, ripping it off his chest as he threw his shirt and jacket to the side while I kept pleasuring him. I pulled his pants and underwear down as he kicked his shoes off and stripped until he was completely naked for me.

Almost every inch of his skin was tattooed, and I loved deciphering the ink like a story playing out in front of me, but right now, I wanted to leave my own mark on his skin.

Digging my nails into his abs, I dragged them down, pulling a hiss from his lips as he pushed into my touch more until his skin pebbled with red marks under the black ink of an Icarus portrait above his groin.

“That’s it.” He growled, lifting my hands to his sides and pushing my nails into him again as I took his cock deep into my throat. “Again.”

Dragging my nails down his sides, I left more marks as his pre-cum coated my tongue. “You want to come for me, don’t you?” I flicked my tongue across the hole in his cock, and he bucked.

“Wrong.” He lifted me under my arms and pushed me into the wall as he held me with a gentle hand around my neck. His fingers ripped my clothes off one-handed until I was as naked as he was, writhing and grinding against his skin in desperation. “I want to come inside of you.”

“Mmh,” I moaned and squealed when he lifted me and pinned me to the wall, my legs wrapped around his hips instinctively.

He lined up and pushed deep into my wet body without warning, and I eagerly took him.

I needed him as badly as he needed me. “Fuck me, Zeke.” I dared, biting his fingers when he pushed them into my mouth as he caught my hands in his other hand, pinning them above my body. “Own me.”

“As if there was anything else to call this.” He snapped, slamming into me with strong thrusts until I was clawing at his body, dragging more marks across his back and neck as I rubbed my clit against his groin.

“I own you. And you own me, Dove. I’ve never belonged to a woman the way I do to you. Never.”

“I love you,” I cried, coming on his cock with my declaration in the air, vibrating off my screams as he punishingly thrust into me.

“Don’t stop.” Begging him for more when he had already given me so much was rude, but I didn’t want it to stop.

I didn’t want him to go back to being that cool and collected man who kept control of everything around him.

Right now, I wanted him to crumble for me.

Because of me.

With me.

He pulled me off the wall and we landed on the floor, with him on top of me as he rutted deeper into me, widening his hips and spreading my legs around his waist to leave me unable to do anything but take him.

And God, did I take him.

“Yes, baby.” I moaned as he bit my neck before flipping me onto my hands and knees. “Fuck me hard.”

His hand peppered my ass, and I arched my back as he gave me every inch from behind. He was possessed and feral as he fucked me, biting, squeezing, spanking and marking me. Filthy things spoken into my ear and his cock relentlessly pushing my body into orgasmic bliss, time and time again.

But not once did I associate his roughness with any from my past. Not once did I slip into a nightmare, lost in thought and memory. His touch, even rough, his brand never scared me. It consumed me and built my need for him even more.

I was in love with Zeke, and I no longer feared my past. I no longer felt trapped there .

Finally, his hips lost their rhythm, he was kneeling over me, with me on my side, leg hugged to his chest as he fucked me into his own orgasm. The whole time I watched him.

Eyes screwed shut, sweat beaded on his shaved head, black ink on display, muscles taut and twitching with each flex of his hips until he stilled, roaring my name, filling me up and giving me every last thing I begged for.

Mine.

He was mine.

And I was never going to let him go.

When he rolled to the side, he didn’t pull out but dragged me with him until we lay out in the middle of the floor of the padded torture room. “This room should repulse me.” I finally said with a half-smile when he snorted.

“You’re saying it doesn’t?”

“Not anymore.” I shrugged, admitting the truth. “I’ll never think of this place for anything other than whatever we just did.”

His smile slipped as his eyes closed.

“Will you tell me what pushed you over the edge?” I asked after a while. “I think I know you pretty well by now, and I don’t think just the run-in with Kade’s mom did all of that.”

He swallowed and tightened his hold on my body. “I—” His lips parted and then closed as he struggled with whatever he wanted to say but couldn’t.

I leaned up on my elbow to look down at him, using my finger on his chin to turn his face toward mine. “Please Zeke. Whatever it is, I’m still here with you. I promise. I’m not going anywhere.”

His stare held mine for what felt like an eternity before his lips finally parted again. But what he said shocked me enough that I fell backward and out of his embrace as if he had physically hit me.

“I think I’m related to Kade.”