Page 13

The wooden boards beneath my feet may as well have been quicksand. My knees crumbled, and I grabbed onto the railing. I watched in utter shock as Nik turned around and went inside the bungalow.

As if nothing had happened.

My world was completely tilted after that kiss. Not a thing like the other two, and those had left me shaken enough. What was it about his mouth that made my common sense take a hike? I had just about thrown myself at him. No, I did. I was holding onto him like he was the strongest tree in a hurricane, when in truth he was the hurricane itself.

Why did he have to be so damn handsome? I never thought I was the sort to melt in the face of a strong jaw and some muscles. All those muscles…

But it was more than that, even though I hated admitting it. Nik was stern and forceful, but he’d never once been unkind. I was used to being berated for every little transgression, whether they were real or not. Even when Nik set one of his impossible tasks in the kitchen, he’d never been mean if I didn’t hit the mark the first time. Like with the dumplings, he’d only tersely said to try again when the first couple of batches weren’t up to par. There was always a look in his eyes that said he believed in me, even when the rest of his demeanor was stony. I had started to kind of like my imposing boss, and that wasn’t taking into consideration that stupid crush I couldn’t squash.

How else was I supposed to react when he kissed me like that? It all seemed so real, and that was what jolted me back to my senses. At least for the moment. I needed to be careful and keep my distance.

The way he’d strolled away like he hadn’t been affected at all, while I was still quaking made me want to scream. I wasn’t used to these feelings, and they were still clinging on, causing me to continue staring at the wide, open glass doors, completely dumbfounded.

It was like he didn’t care at all. So, why was he insisting this marriage was real and going to all this trouble to keep me safe? I craved more answers, among other things I shouldn’t be craving.

The last thing I should be doing was poking the bear. So, why did I want to race inside and poke the bear? Did I actually want to have a real honeymoon with this madman?

Yes, I kind of did. In that moment, anyway, with my heart still pounding and my legs turned to jelly from his touch. The crush had never been fully squashed, fueled by Nik’s heady aura of power. Now that I truly knew what kind of power he had, it only intensified the tingles he gave me. Not to mention those muscles. If he kept walking around shirtless or in tank tops, how would I survive?

Just keep your head down; don’t look at him.

Hmph, easier said than done. What crackled between us was so much more than just skin deep. I paced the length of the deck, but didn’t calm down much, and on top of it, I started to feel foolish, as if Nik might be watching me. The thought of him watching me did nothing for my tenuous grasp on my self-control, so I stopped dead and faced the doors.

Okay, I could do this without falling into those strong arms.

I hauled ass inside and raced through the living area, and slammed myself into the bathroom to lean against the door. Then, I laughed like I’d lost my last marble. He wasn’t even there anymore, at least not that I could see, and as fast as I was moving, I still looked. How could I not?

This was all just a game to him when I was tormented .

Maybe a cold shower would help.

It wouldn’t.

I moved to the edge of the luxurious whirlpool tub and sat down on the cool tile floor, pulling my knees to my chest. Letting out a long moan, I tucked my forehead against my knees, trying to ignore the welling shame in my chest. How could I want him so much after everything he’d done to me in the past twenty-four hours? I was frozen on the floor, warring with myself and my bad choices.

I might not have had a choice when I was getting tossed in Nik’s car, or when the guards outside the church made me decide I better start walking down the aisle, but that kiss had been wholehearted. Whole bodied .

Since he had blithely gone off to sightsee or something while I wallowed in self-pity, I let myself whimper freely, trying to exorcise the feelings I couldn’t shake. Didn’t want them, didn’t need them, but they were clinging on like the barnacles on the deck pilings.

A knock at the door had me snapping my mouth shut in a hurry. I stared at the door, mortified.

“Are you all right?” Nik asked.

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. How long had it been since he returned and heard me muttering to myself? The next thing I knew, the door cracked open, and there he was, filling up the space with his muscles and tattoos, and a damned authentic look of concern on his face.

“I thought I heard you crying,” he said, his voice that same low rumble that had me launching myself at him on the deck.

‘I want you’ still reverberated in my brain.

“No,” I said forcefully, more to erase that dangerous memory. I popped up and stuck out my chin, laughing bitterly. “I don’t cry, and definitely not over you.”

He scowled, but his eyes still showed concern. “I was worried about you.”

“Well, there’s nothing to worry about,” I snapped. “I was just getting ready to take a shower.”

“By sitting on the floor?”

I shrugged. “If you don’t mind?” I whirled away from him abruptly, for my own good, and slammed my shin against the tub. I sucked in a breath and barely refrained from swearing as I lost my balance and teetered over the edge. Strong hands gripped my arms and pulled me back against his chest.

“Hey,” he said gently. I tilted my head to look up at him or else be nose to pecs. “What’s wrong?” He grimaced. “Scratch that. Don’t answer. I don’t want to fight. And I don’t want you to be upset.”

Well, I was, but not for the reasons he was probably concerned about. His soft smile was going to be the end of me. I didn’t dare ask him what he did want, since the answer to that was what had me so frazzled.

His hands moved slowly up to my shoulders, and then he rested his palms lightly on either side of my neck, his thumbs gently stroking the sides of my jaw.

Frazzled wasn’t the right word. Aching, needy, barely holding onto control. I had to get it back. Struggling to come up with something withering to say, I could only stare up at his deep blue eyes, full of concern that didn’t make any sense at all.

“Why?” was all I could manage.

His smile widened, parting the lips that could work such sorcery and revealing a hint of perfect teeth. “Because you’re mine, Emerson. That’s why.”

His head lowered, so close. I couldn’t breathe. “Don’t say that,” I whispered, my feeble control cracking.

“Why not?” he asked, his breath warm against my lips. “It’s the truth.”

His mouth brushed against mine, with the lightest swipe of his tongue. I was gone in an instant, totally in another world. My hands slid up his chest and tangled around his neck, pulling him closer. He nudged his tongue in between my parted lips, and I opened more. I sighed and let my body melt against his, shivering at every rock-hard inch that met me.

Life was difficult; life was crazy. This was better, just for now. This was freaking amazing. Just this once.

Nik slowly backed me up until I was pressed up against the wall and eased his hand down my arm. His other hand cupped the back of my head, his fingers moving through my tangled hair.

“You smell like the salt air,” he murmured, moving his lips across my cheek to my earlobe. “You taste sweeter than honey.”

Shivering, I tightened my grip around his neck, grasping at his blond locks that fell forward to tickle my face. His hand on my arm kept moving lower, transferring to my waist, where he curled his fingers into my hip. Moving back to claim my mouth again, he slid his hand up my side, under my shirt. The heat of his palm branded me, and when he brushed against the edge of my breast, I gasped and pushed closer to him.

More. I needed more.

“Nik.” I let my head fall back to bump against the wall, my eyes falling shut.

“Anything,” he answered. “Ask me anything. Tell me what you want.”

I arched my back as he began to kiss down my throat and along the neckline of my t-shirt. The soft strands of his hair flowed through my fingertips as I let my hands fall to his shoulders.

“Just, more,” I said.

He chuckled and lifted me off my feet, pulling me against his big, hard body. Groaning at the feel of his stiff bulge, I wrapped my legs around him without a single thought if it was a good idea or not. The moment that hard heat was tight against my aching core, I dropped my head to his shoulder and moaned.

He carried me to the living area in a few short strides and slid me down his body so that my feet touched the floor. Not that I would have been able to stand if he didn’t have a firm grasp on my waist. With hungry eyes, he swept me from my toes to my eyes with a long, proprietary look.

“Put your arms up,” he commanded.

I did it instantly. He whipped my shirt over my head and leaned down to nuzzle the mounds peeking over the top of my bra. A second later, he unclasped it, and it slid forward. With a snap of his wrist, he tugged it off and chucked it absently behind him, his eyes never leaving my body.

“Gorgeous,” he muttered, then shot his glance up to me. My cheeks burned even as I swayed toward him, utterly under his spell. “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting to have a taste of these perfect little tits of yours?”

I gulped and reached for him as he lowered his head, licking and kissing his way down from my collarbones. His thumb and forefinger worked one of my nipples to a tight peak as he made his way down, finally, finally sucking it into his mouth.

I squeaked, then let myself lean back, supported by the arm he kept firmly around my waist as he turned me to mush. He kept moving lower, backing me toward the bed until my legs hit the side. We tumbled onto it, with Nik quickly rolling to my side. After a quick and wicked smile that had me writhing, he kept kissing. Lower and lower, dipping his tongue into my belly button, and still lower until he reached the top of my flowy pants.

Making a garbled sound, I grabbed at his hair in a moment of panic. I wanted this so much, but…

“I’m a virgin,” I blurted, squeezing my eyes shut.

He barely paused. “Oh, my little angel, did you think I didn’t know?”

I stiffened. I was twenty-one, after all. How could he possibly know? As he tugged my pants slowly down my legs, with his hair tickling my thighs, I leaned up on my elbows and stared down at him until he looked up and saw the look on my face.

He smiled. “Just the way you carry yourself. You never flirt at work, not even with me. Maybe I didn’t know for sure, but I suspected.”

“Of course, I’d never flirt with my boss,” I said, momentarily distracted by the fact that I now wore a scrap of sheer, lacy fabric. “But, I mean, that’s not the point. I just thought you should, um, know. In case…” I swallowed hard and flopped back down, embarrassment taking me out of the moment.

But only until his mouth was at the edge of my panties, and he slowly eased my legs wider apart.

“Everything will be perfect. I promise, Emerson.”

The rumbled promise ended with his fingers finding their way under the edge of my panties. As he pushed them aside, he eased them over me, finding the spot that had me rearing up against him.

“See?” he asked, then groaned as he sunk his fingers deeper. I grabbed at the covers on the bed, my muscles tensing as pure, heavenly sensations coursed through me. “I don’t mind going slow,” he said, dipping his tongue where his fingers had been. “Has your virgin pussy ever been so wet before?”

I trembled at his words, at the barely contained desire in his voice. Could he possibly be as lost as I was? He lapped at me again and then growled, moving away just long enough to yank my panties all the way off. Pulling me to the edge of the bed, he grabbed my thighs and spread them wide, settling between them. I locked my ankles around his shoulders as he leaned in and plunged his tongue deep inside me.

Yelping, I grabbed at his hair, pulling and pushing at the same time. “Oh my God,” I moaned, arching my back in time to his questing tongue. “That is… so, so good.”

“Be still and let me make you come,” he commanded, holding tight to my writhing hips.

“Okay,” I squeaked, vibrating from the onslaught. Not just his tongue, but his fingers pushing deep inside me.

He slowed his movements, his tongue lazily circling my swollen nub and sending crashing waves of pleasure up and down my thighs. I quaked with pent-up need, gripping the covers like they were a lifeline.

“I need to be inside this tight little pussy of yours, Emerson,” he growled, pressing his tongue hard against my clit. “I need to fuck you, little girl.”

He dug his fingers into my flesh, owning every inch of my body just with his tongue. I nodded, thrashing my head back and forth.

“I need…” I couldn’t finish the sentence, let alone the thought. My body erupted with one last stroke of his tongue, and I nearly broke my teeth as a scream worked its way up my throat.

“Scream,” Nik urged. “Show me how good I make you feel.”

Once again, I was a slave to his commands. His fingers were buried deep inside me as spasms of pleasure wracked me. When I thought I was coming down, he pushed deeper, his thumb working me, his eyes locked with mine. I screamed again, ending in a long moan as he finally released me.

Kissing the side of my thigh, slick with my juices, he stood up and whipped his tank top over his head. I weakly tried to get up on my elbows for a better look, licking my lips at the prospect of that chest pushing against mine while he…

His trunks were down around his ankles and kicked aside in a flash. When he straightened up, I moaned and closed my eyes. Too late. The image of that massive beast standing straight out from his body was emblazoned on my brain. And then it was pushing against my leg as he lowered himself over me. A tender kiss brushed my lips, and he smoothed the sweaty hair off my cheeks.

“Trust me when I say you’re going to love being fucked,” he told me. He kissed me again, his tongue parting my lips before he took my hand and guided it lower. “I’m going to love being the first man to ever be inside your beautiful body.”

“Too big,” I whispered, wrapping my fingers around the thick shaft.

He shook his head. “Just right,” he corrected. “Your little pussy was made for my cock.”

I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close, nestling my head against the crook of his shoulder. I’d never wanted anything so badly in my life.

“I’m ready. Nik, please, I’m so ready.”

As I wrapped my legs around his hips, he eased the tip of his cock back and forth against my slick opening, pushing slowly deeper. I bit my lip and held on tighter, about to beg again when he thrust deep and hard. Every inch of him was fully sheathed inside my tight passage, stretching and filling me until I gasped for breath.

The slight pain passed in a few seconds, and he began to move. Pulling slowly and sinuously out and plunging deep, again, and again, and again.

“You’re right,” I said, kissing his neck, his shoulder, anything I could reach. “You’re so right.”

His deep rumble of laughter vibrated against my throat before he lifted his head to capture my gaze. “About what?” he asked, buried inside me to his balls.

“I love being fucked,” I gasped.

He scowled. “You love being fucked by me , Emerson. I’m the only man who will ever lick your pussy or play with your hot little tits or ram you with his cock. You’re mine. This body of yours is only for me.”

He owned me, and I didn’t even care. I wanted him to own me as long as he kept making me feel this way. “You’re the only one I want,” I admitted, too far gone to feel a hint of embarrassment. Too far gone for anything except taking every last bit of pleasure he gave me. “But what about you?” I asked. I closed my eyes, wishing I hadn’t been so bold.

“Open your eyes,” he ordered briskly, then smiled when I did. “Let me show you how much I love fucking you.” His movements sped up, and he slid his hand between us to find my slippery clit, working expertly until I was crying out again. “That’s right, let me feel your tight cunt spasm around my cock when I come inside you.”

The orgasm was instant and intense. I screamed, arched, scratched his back, bit his shoulder. He pounded me ruthlessly, roaring as he made one final thrust, then collapsed onto my chest, his head thudding against the mattress beside my head.

“What do you do to me?” he groaned, eventually rolling off and pulling me against him.

I couldn’t speak, clinging to the aftershocks that shimmered throughout my body. I let him shove the covers aside and situate us under them, soon finding myself tucked under the sheets with my head against his chest.

And liking it way too much.