Page 33 of Monsters Wear Crowns (Crowned Monsters Duet #1)

The water cascaded over us, steam rising in thick clouds, but it wasn’t the heat of the shower that made my skin burn. It was him. The way his hands moved over me like he was memorizing every inch .

Rafe pressed me back against the cool tile, his body solid and warm against mine. The contrast sent a shiver through me, and his eyes darkened as he felt it. “I’m tired, baby. Can we forget about this for tonight?” His voice was a low murmur, his breath brushing my lips.

“Okay.” My voice wavered, and his mouth curved in a small smile. I sighed, watching the water glide over his beautiful tattoos.

He tilted my chin up with one finger, his eyes never leaving mine. “Tell me why you’re shaking.”

Because of you. Because of this. Because no one had ever made me feel this way. Like I was standing on the edge of something treacherous and couldn’t help but want to fall.

But I didn’t say that. I couldn’t.

Instead, I reached for him, my fingers sliding through his wet hair, my mouth capturing his in a passionate kiss. He groaned against my lips, his hands tightening on my hips as he pulled me closer. The feel of him made my heart lose its mind.

“Adela…” His voice was rough, his forehead resting against mine. “I’m really happy you’re here.”

“Me, too.”

He laughed softly, but there was no humor in it. Just hunger. Just need. Then his mouth was on my neck, his teeth scraping over sensitive skin as his hands slid lower, cupping my ass. My knees went weak, and I clung to his shoulders, my body arching into him.

“Babe,” he murmured against my skin, his breath deliciously hot.

My head fell back against the tile, a broken sound escaping me as his hands and mouth worked me into a frenzy. The steam wrapped around us, the sound of the water drowned out by my own ragged breathing and the low, possessive growl in his throat.

When his lips found mine again, it was frantic–a clash of teeth and tongues, a fight for control neither of us wanted to win.

He spun me around, my cheek resting on the tile as he drove into me from behind.

A surprised yelp escaped my lips. His thickness always burned but in the best fucking way.

I moaned when he skimmed a hand up to hold my breasts while the other clamped onto my hip to maintain perfect, deep thrusts.

His breath on my neck, the scent of his cedar soap, his groans…

I tipped my head back against his shoulder, savoring how his cock stretched me.

And when Rafe finally gave me what I wanted, when his hands gripped my hips and he made me see stars, the word that tore from my throat was his name.

Later, when we lay tangled in his king-sized bed, the sheets cool against my overheated skin, the distance between us still felt too wide. I traced a finger over his chest, the rise and fall of his breath steady and slow. But he wasn’t sleeping. I knew he probably wouldn’t.

I rolled onto my side, my back to him, my heart a slow, heavy thud. I told myself I didn’t care. That it didn’t matter if he kept his distance, not when I was in this deep already. But the ache in my chest told me otherwise. He was too tired to tell me what I asked but not too tired to fuck me.

After a long moment, I felt the bed shift. His arm slid around my waist, his body pressing against my back. And when his mouth brushed my bare shoulder, his voice was barely a whisper.

“Je te veux, Adela.” I want you.

I closed my eyes, wishing I genuinely believed that was enough.

***

The morning light spilled golden and soft across the marble floors of Rafe’s mansion, but its warmth didn’t touch the ice in his eyes. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching me with that unreadable look he wore too damn well. I was slipping on my heels when I caught him staring .

“What?” I asked, straightening.

He didn’t answer at first. Just pushed off the frame, slow and deliberate, and walked toward me. “You’re really going in today?”

I blinked. “Yes. Why?”

He let out a low sigh, hand dragging across the stubble along his jaw. “Because he knows who you are now. Moreau doesn’t just take swings at me–he plays dirty. And going after your enemy’s girlfriend?” His eyes locked on mine. “That’s a move he’d make.”

Something fluttered in my stomach at his reference to girlfriend , but I covered it with a breath and a shrug. “I’ll be fine.”

“Adela,” he said quietly, stepping closer. “You don’t understand what kind of man he is.”

“I understand more than you think,” I replied, forcing a calm I didn’t quite feel. “I work with scary men every single day. Also, I’m sleeping with Rafe Vaughan. ”

A corner of his lips quirked up in a reluctant smirk.

“I’m not going to let this man keep me from living my life and getting work done.”

His jaw clenched. “It’s not about control. It’s not even about you working. It’s about me not being able to take it if something happened to you. Not again.”

I paused at that. Not again. Oh yeah, because I was literally shot trying to help him.

His voice was low, earnest. “I need you to know that I’m not trying to lock you away. But you’re not untouchable anymore, Adela. And I hate that.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then I stepped up to him, resting my hand gently on his chest. “I hear you,” I said, meaning it. “But I need to do this for myself. I can’t run Sinclair Solutions from a gilded cage. I need to be in my office.”

“Your office isn’t necessarily safe.”

“That’s why we're hiring more security. And a few of your men.” I raised a brow, letting my own frustration bleed through. “ My building is a fortress. You said it yourself, my systems are nearly impenetrable. If Moreau comes for me, it won’t be through the front door.”

“Don’t test me,” he warned, his voice taking on a slight edge.

I stepped closer, tilting my chin up. “Then stop treating me like I’m helpless. We both know I’m not.”

His eyes darkened, sweeping over me with a mix of frustration and hunger that sent a shiver down my spine. But I didn’t back down. Finally, his mouth curled into a dangerous smile. “You’re so goddamn stubborn.”

“Funny. I was about to say the same thing about you.”

For a moment, I thought he might push harder. But then he exhaled, stepping back. “Fine. But you’ll take my men with you.”

I crossed my arms. “They’ll stand outside. I’m not walking in there with an armed entourage.”

His laugh was dark. “You’re fucking impossible.”

I turned away before I could give in to the heat sparking between us. “Pick your battles, Rafe. I’ll see you tonight.”

***

The atmosphere at Sinclair Solutions was different the moment I stepped inside. Security was thicker, my own men mixed with Rafe’s. I could feel their presence even when I couldn’t see them. They were intense, wearing all black and buff as hell.

The staff moved more carefully, their eyes flicking toward the corners of the room, their whispers just a little too quiet. Fear had settled into the building like a low, steady hum. It wasn’t every day that I had to beef up security.

Laura was waiting in my office when I walked in, her arms crossed and her sharp blue eyes blazing. “I swear to God, Adela, if you don’t start talking, I will shake it out of you. ”

I dropped my bag onto my desk with a sigh. “Good morning to you, too.”

“Don’t start.” She stepped closer, her voice lowering. “We’ve got Rafe Vaughan’s men camped outside, our security’s been doubled , and I’ve got a dozen employees whispering about some looming threat. You need to tell me what the hell is going on.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “It’s complicated.”

“Un-complicate it.”

I hesitated. Laura was my closest friend and my partner in building this empire. But there were some truths too dangerous to speak out loud. “There’s…a situation. It’s under control, but there’s a chance Sinclair Solutions could become a target.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Because of Vaughan.”

I met her gaze without flinching. “Yes.”

“And you’re still in bed with him?”

“Laura–”

“No, Adela. You’re involved in some shady shit.

” She paced, her heels clicking against the polished floors.

“I don’t care how powerful he is. You think Moreau’s going to stop at sending threats?

You think he’s not going to come for you?

He’s done it before. People who have crossed him have wound up dead .

Listen, I love you, but I don’t want to be anywhere near you if he comes for you.

I’m not skillfully trained in combat like you and I like living, thank you very much. ”

My stomach twisted, but I kept my face calm. “I’m handling it.”

“You’re handling it,” she echoed, her voice dripping with disbelief. “And when your handling gets you killed?”

I didn’t answer. Because there was no good answer to that. My gaze darted to several employees walking by.

“Oh, and I wanted to run something else by you,” Laura huffed, snatching the remote off of my desk. She clicked on the wall-mounted flatscreen tv and immediately, I saw images of a warehouse on fire .

My stomach clenched.

“Do you know about this?” she asked, though it sounded like she already knew.

I didn’t hesitate or shy away. “Yes. That was us.”

“Goddammit, Adela,” she hissed. “What the fuck . People were shot.”

“I know,” I nodded quickly. “Please trust me.”

She placed her hands on her hips and glared at me, her chest rising and falling with clear stress. “Fine. But you need to tell me about everything now.”

“I will, Laura.”

The day passed in a blur of tense meetings and wary glances.

By the time the sun dipped below the skyline, exhaustion tugged at me, but so did the weight of my choices.

I hadn’t been with Rafe long enough to jeopardize my business and everyone in it.

And what? I was getting fantastic sex out of the deal in return?

Ugh, I wanted to punch myself in the face.

My heart jumped when my phone suddenly pinged.

Rafe: I’m outside.