Page 12 of Monsters Carve Thrones

He had taken me in my sleep the other night and when I awoke to him inside me, I nearly lost my mind with pleasure. Rafe was always watching me. I could feel it even when his gaze wasn’t on my skin. It was like he was biding his time, orplanningsomething. And the longer it dragged on, the more anxious I became. I knew how violent he could be, and was absolutely curious to know how far he’d take it. Obviously, if I announced my safeword, he’d stop immediately.

We’d already had practice with that when one day, he stormed into our bedroom, all pissed off from a bad meeting. The man’s knuckles were still shredded and bloody when he forced me to bend over the bed. I totally would have taken and enjoyed it, but I was sincerely worried about him. The moment the safeword left my lips, he froze and stepped back.

After what he did to me last year, he took my boundariesveryseriously and earned my trust back. And for that, I was forever grateful. But now...all I wanted was for him to rip me apart.

Every laugh at dinner, every brush of his fingers down my spine, and every time he watched me undress, I was tempted to get on my knees and beg.

I wanted him tosnap.The fuck was wrong with me?

Was it sick that I wanted him to hunt me like prey? Sure. But it wasn’t about fear. Not with Rafe. It was the thrill and the power. The idea of surrendering tohimbecause Ichoseto. Because Iwantedhim to catch me. It also made my goddamn pussy ache just knowing that he wanted me bad enough to chase me down.

That alone made my skin burn.

One night, lying on a lounger with a glass of wine and nothing but the stars above us, I glanced sideways at him. He was sipping whiskey, bare-chested, watching the waves roll in.

“How many days do we have left?” I asked lightly.

He smirked. “Four.”

I tilted my head. “And when do I get my surprise?”

He didn’t look at me. Just swirled the amber in his glass and said, “Soon, baby.”

My thighs pressed together.Bastard.He knew exactly what he was doing. I was going to fucking combust.

***

The next morning came just as sweetly as every other. I stretched beneath the sheets, the scent of salt air drifting through the open patio doors. Rafe was already gone, probably making coffee or arranging for one of the ridiculous fruit platters he insisted on every morning. I smiled to myself, slipping into a white linen cover-up over my black bikini before joining him outside.

He was leaning back in a chair, shirtless and tan, reading something on his phone with that steely focus that I found wildly attractive. Even like this, relaxed and casual, he was power.

“Morning, wifey,” he said without looking up, but I saw the smirk tug at the corner of his mouth.

My cheeks heated.Wifey. I snorted, thinking how insane it was that such a terrifying man would use that word. I padded over and kissed his cheek, letting my hand slide across his shoulders. “Morning,hubby.”

We spent the day on the beach, sun-warmed and half-drunk, sprawled on a pair of lounge chairs under a palm-thatched umbrella. I was finally tan again, my skin glowing against the dark of my bikini, and Rafe? He looked like a god with his now-bronzed skin, tousled black hair, and those glacier-blue eyes more lethal than ever. The contrast was honestly devastating.

He ordered fruity drinks for us, one of those over-the-top things with rum and crushed ice and a wedge of pineapple. I blinked at him like he’d just confessed to murder.

“You ordered atropical daiquiri?” I teased, raising a brow. “You?Rafe Vaughan? Really?”

He shrugged, sipping it without shame. “Wanted to see what the fuss was about.”

“It’s pink.”

“It’s strong.”

I laughed, feeling a little drunk on the sun and him.

Hours passed lounging, stealing lazy kisses, and talking about life. Rafe traced patterns on my bare thighs, and I melted under his touch. We walked the beach as the sun set, fingers laced together, and for a moment, I forgot about the anticipation clawing at my spine. The chase. The promise.

I sighed heavily into him, feeling happy and safe. And completely unaware of what was likely coming.

***

I wasn’t sure what time it was when I woke up. The moonlight stretched across the floor, and the curtains whispered in the breeze. The bed beside me was empty, still warm where his body had been. I blinked, slowly sitting up.

“Rafe?” I called softly.