Page 14 of The Sea Witch’s Son (The Villains of Wolf Hollow #1)

Chapter 13

MARLIN

She thinks I’m going to take no for an answer.

How adorable.

“I’m dancing with Finley.” Melody plants her feet and glares at me.

“And now you will dance with me.”

“ No. ” She steps closer to my rookie, “Go find Freya or someone else to dance with.”

Ah. There it is.

“I can assure you, that kiss was a means to an end. Freya’s thoughtless actions have been delt with accordingly.” My lips peel back into a smile, “Although I am curious. Was it the kiss itself or the fact my attention was not wholly on you that triggered the bout of jealousy?”

She splutters, “I’m not...I wasn’t jealous.”

“Insecure then? ”

Her cheeks turn the most delightful shade of red. I watch the blood rise up beneath her skin, turning her alluring complexion into a tomato I would love to take a bite out of.

Finley, the pitiful hero he is, releases her hand to take a step towards me. I flick a dismissive glance his way.

“It’s time to take your leave.”

He narrows his eyes, “Melody doesn’t want to dance with you.”

“I did not ask your thoughts on my little saint’s desires.” I offer him a smirk, “I have those under control.”

Melody scowls in my direction, her blush looking more delectable by the minute.

“Find someone else.”

I shake my head morosely, “The green monster of envy is such a burden to carry. To think your affections for me run deep enough to refuse a simple dance...”

“Fine.” Melody spits out the word, “I’ll let you have one dance.”

“Marvellous.”

Finley remains silent and sullen as I take her hand and lead her away from his puppy dog eyes. Someone should fetch the man a bone and be done with it.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

I spin her around and pull her flush against my chest.

“You didn’t deserve an answer. ”

Melody glares at my stomach, her unfortunate height making conversation quite difficult. Letting out a sigh, I bend down and grab the back of her legs.

A small shriek escapes when I lift her up to my level.

“What are you doing?”

She squirms against me before finally wrapping those slender legs around my waist. I keep one hand splayed across her ass while the other one takes the lead.

“Dancing.”

“No, you’re...” Her pelvis digs into my hip bone, “Carrying me.”

I lean forward and brush my nose against hers. A small gasp slips past her lips and mine pull into a smirk.

“I’m leading. Your height just happens to be inconvenient.”

She shifts, involuntarily rubbing her ass against my dick. After a long dormant evening, it finally stirs to life.

“It’s not my fault you’re fucking huge.” She growls the last word.

“Worried about your ability to handle my size?” My face splits into a grin, “You’ll be able to take me, little saint. I’ll make sure of it.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Isn’t it?” I purr into her ear, “Are you scared I’m going to hurt you? That I’m going to stretch your tight pussy until it fits my cock?”

She squirms against me, “I do everything I can not to think about you. ”

“That’s not a denial, little saint.”

The shadows stretch across the walls, unseen faces watching us from a distance. Our united silhouette cuts through them as I dance Melody around the room, gracefully gliding past fumbling drunks nearby.

Melody sighs, “People are staring.”

“I would hope so. I’m holding you with one hand.”

“You could always put me down.”

I shift her lower on my hips so she can feel the bulge pressing against my dress pants.

“When I’m just starting to enjoy myself? I don’t think so.”

She mutters a curse and falls silent. I study the way her eyes flick from my face down to my chest. She cannot bear to look at me yet cannot bring herself to look away.

“Why did Arielle St. James choose a career in songwriting instead of singing?” I stroke the tender flesh of her fingers, “She had the face and the voice of a performer.”

“You know about my mother?”

“The voice of a siren lost at sea with a bleeding soul to match . ” I pause to spin us around a disorderly couple, “The Rolling Stones article was quite thorough.”

“She hated that article. Said it made her sound like an old spinster.” A wry smile hits her face, “Arielle loved to be a part of the creation of music, but not the entrapment of a recording studio. She liked the idea of her lyrics being free and open to adaptation. ”

“An unusually laid-back approach for the music industry. It’s a wonder she was successful in the first place.”

“Her first husband had a lot of connections. Helped get her feet off the ground without the gruelling marketing process.”

“Her first husband died rather unexpectedly, did he not?”

Melody nods stiffly, “He died of a heart attack.”

“Terrible tragedy, especially for a man in the prime of his life.” I tilt my head with a frown, “Although it is a curious situation. No records of heart disease in the family, the man was a dedicated vegan and had completed a marathon one week prior to his death. One might say your father was in perfect health when he died.”

“He’s not my father.”

“Your birth certificate says otherwise.”

Those bright blue eyes latch onto mine. She’s glaring at me again, but this time I can see a thread of fear slipping through the cracks.

“There are only two reasons people come to Wolf Hollow. To pursue an ambition of the darkest sort or to outrun a crime left behind.”

Her fingers flinch against mine.

“We had nowhere else to go.”

“A believable lie, given the state of your financial situation, and yet I find myself dissatisfied with that answer.” I tighten my grip until she winces, “Try again.”

“It’s the truth.”

I smile, “Do you believe me to be a fool, little saint? ”

She lets out a cry when I crush her fingers between my own.

“If you were wearing a skirt this would be much more enjoyable.” I use the hand cupping her ass to squeeze it, “Now, tell me. What are you doing in Wolf Hollow?”

“Let me go.”

“Answer the question.”

My nails dig into the globes of her ass, pressing her harder against me. Melody jerks against my arms, feeling the tip of my erection pressing into her.

“I told you. We had nowhere else to go.”

I lean in and brush my lips against her neck. She freezes upon contact, her heaving chest pressing against mine as I skim my teeth up the column of her throat.

“Don’t make me punish you, little saint. I’ll enjoy it far too much.”

“You’re sick.”

“Maybe.” I suck her flesh into my mouth and bite down hard.

She gasps, arching her back so her erect nipples brush against my chest.

A low chuckle slips out of my mouth.

“I think you want me to punish you.” Licking a trail up her neck, I nip the corner of her jaw, “I think you want it so much you would be tempted not to tell me the reason you are in Wolf Hollow.”

“You’re wrong. ”

Melody is trembling against me, her legs squeezing my hips in the most sinful way. I slide my hand up her ass and across the stretch of bare skin just above her waistband. A shudder runs through her when I press down on her hips, forcing her to sit more deeply on my dick that’s rapidly swelling.

“Prove it.” I wrap my hand around her throat and squeeze until I can feel her pulse screaming back at me.

So terrified. So alive.

My dick starts to ache, and I’m already thinking about what knots would look best around those delicate wrists.

“We had to leave.” She swallows against my palm, “Investigators were starting to look closer at the cause of death.”

“And what was the cause of death?”

“A heart attack.”

Every time Melody opens her lips, little white lies spew out and I want to swallow them whole. She has the face of an angel and the mouth of the devil.

I cannot remember a time when I was this hard.

Grinding up against her ass, I snag the corner of her earlobe and yank it with my teeth. Her hips tilt instinctively, her hands still trying to push me away while the rest of her body seeks more contact.

“Do not make me strip you down and fuck you bare in front of an audience.” I slip my tongue inside her ear, “It would make me unhappy knowing other men got to hear your screams.”

She squeaks when my nails dig into her neck. Her pulse slams against my hand, screaming for mercy. Our bodies are completely plastered together, creating quite a scandal on the dance floor.

I hope Finley is watching.

“He overdosed on Vicodin.” She gasps for air, “H-He was taking the painkillers for an old spinal injury.”

Loosening my grip, I watch Melody suck oxygen back into her body.

“That was not so difficult, now was it?”

She’s too busy wheezing to respond. I brush back the hair from her face, marvelling at the way it looks in my palm.

It’s deceivingly dark. Like a drop of blood before it hits the water.

Dark until it explodes into an abundance of colour.

Over the years, I’ve studied the art of manipulation. Intimidation and fear is a large part, but being able to lie without a tell or tick is another talent all together.

It is difficult, but not impossible, to be a talented liar.

The more truth found within the lie, the harder it is for the body to create the physiological side effects associated with deceit.

Yet even the most skilled liars find themselves in the crosshairs when it comes to the simple matter of fact.

Or, in Melody’s case, doctor’s records.

Letting go of her legs, I watch her stumble back to the ground. Her dark hair swings across her face, the pale skin illuminating the red hidden within.

Like a drop of blood leaking through the water.