Page 20 of The Sea Witch’s Son (The Villains of Wolf Hollow #1)

Chapter 19

MARLIN

There’s a surprise waiting for me outside the men’s changeroom.

“I’m so sorry.” Melody’s big blue eyes look remorseful as she toys with the end of her blouse. It’s a little conservative for my taste, but she wears it well.

“There’s nothing to apologize for.”

“No. It was my fault. If I had known he would take it out on you...”

Finley raises a hand, “Marlin is a loose cannon. Nobody knows what he’s going to do.”

My smile is lost to the shadows. Such high praise from such a dismal competitor.

Melody shakes her head, looking deliciously aggravated, “That doesn’t make it right. ”

“There’s not much that is right about Seaborn.” Finley sighs, “It doesn’t matter. I was happy with most of my races today. It just didn’t end on the high note I was hoping for.”

And she calls me a stray? This man is on his knees, begging for scraps from the dinner table.

Pathetic.

Like the dutiful owner she is, Melody offers her pup a morsel of affection.

“You did amazing, Finley. I loved watching you race.”

She gives him a sweet smile that has a prick of irritation going through me.

“You think?”

“I know. I was watching the entire time.”

Finley beams as if the sun was suddenly declared in need of a backup.

“In that case, the credit goes to your cheerleading. Most people can’t shout over the crowd but you managed remarkably.”

She’s a singer, you imbecile.

Melody blushes prettily, “I can be loud when I want to be.”

“That much is certain.” Finley smiles down at her, “I must admit, I missed talking to you this week.”

“What do you mean?”

He shakes his head, “Marlin made a stipulation that I couldn’t talk to you or else I wouldn’t be able to compete today.”

Her eyes flicker dangerously, “What? ”

“It was my rookie challenge. We all have to prove our loyalty some way or another.” He sighs, “I tried to refuse, but you know how he is.”

“He’s a fucking psychopath.” Melody hisses out the words, “You let him tell you what to do?”

“I didn’t have a choice.”

My little saint looks at him for a long time. I can see the frustration in her eyes but also the disappointment. To find out her hero was nothing more than a feeble man...

Quite the disappointment, indeed.

“Did he do this with your friend too?”

Finley sighs, “It was different circumstances. I wasn’t interested in Josie.”

Josie.

The name bleeds through my mind until the search engine generates a response. I think back on my list of conquests, rather long for a town this small, and arrive to one fascinating conclusion.

Finley is a bit of a liar himself.

Melody blows out a breath and takes a step away. The subtle dismissal does not go unnoticed by our hero.

“I better get going. Marlin will be out soon...” He trails off with a shake of his head, “I’m sorry for avoiding you this week. It was foolish of me.”

“I get it. ”

“Can I make it up to you?” Boring brown eyes stare into hers, “Let me take you out this weekend. I can show you the nicer spots of town.”

She hesitates, “I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“Please?”

“Let me think about it.” Teeth gnaw on a deliciously full bottom lip, “I’ll let you know tomorrow.”

Finley smiles, clearly unused to subtle rejections or too stupid to pick up on them.

“Until tomorrow, then.”

“Until tomorrow.”

Melody watches him leave with a painful smile pasted to her face. The moment he disappears around the corner, it slips off her lips.

“Rather cruel, isn’t it? Toying with a man’s emotions.”

She jumps at the sound of my voice. I push off the wall and close the distance between us.

“Especially when you only have eyes for me.”

“Who said anything about you? Maybe it’s Finley I want.”

I bend down until those ferocious blue eyes are parallel to my own. Trailing my hand around the back of her thigh, I listen to her sharp intake of breath.

“Does Finley leave love notes in your bedroom as well?”

“They’re not love notes.” Her eyes narrow, “They’re creepy fucking messages.”

“I left you a bouquet this morning. ”

“You left me a bouquet of dead roses . And you tied it with a pair of my panties.”

I smile, “Romantic and sensual. Quite a difficult combination to achieve.”

Melody crosses her arms, “Why did you do it?”

“I was feeling romantic.”

She glares at me, “I meant the last race. Anything you wanted to prove was already known.”

My hand slips beneath the material of her skirt. Cupping the soft flesh of her ass, I play with the lace separating her cheeks.

“I’ll need you to be a little bit more specific.”

“Everyone knew you were faster.”

She sucks in a breath when my fingers tug the string.

“Everyone? My little saint, I wasn’t swimming that dreadful event for everyone.” I lean in and press my lips against her ear, “Tell me, what did you already know before I hit the water?”

Her chest collapses on a stuttering breath.

“I knew you were faster.”

“Is that all?”

She swallows thickly, “I knew you were better.”

“And here I thought it was Finley you enjoyed watching.”

Melody flushes, her cheeks pink when she shoves my hand out from under her skirt.

“I hate you.”

“I don’t believe you.”

That pretty face scrunches up in a fearsome scowl. Her hands press against my chest, a weak attempt to shove me away .

“You’re a liar and a manipulator-

“Don’t make me blush.”

“And I... I...” She’s spluttering, gasping for air as if my very presence is the cause of her suffocation, “And I hate everything about you.”

I wait until she catches her breath before prying her angry nails off my shirt.

“Do you want to know what I think?”

“ No. ”

My lips ease into a smile, “I think you hate how much you don’t hate me.”

“I think you’re certifiably insane.”

Ducking my head, I wrap her arms around my neck. The distance between our bodies shrinks to nothing, our chests perfectly flush together as I lift her up.

Melody’s toes brush my knees, her feet dangling high off the ground. The stubborn girl refuses to wrap her legs around my waist again, so I leave her there, hanging off my neck.

It is rather enjoyable, actually.

“I think you hate the fact it’s my face that haunts your nightmares every night. It’s my body filling those filthy fantasies that keep you tossing and turning.”

A flush creeps up her neck and spreads across her face.

“I think you hate knowing I’ve seen the ugly side you hide from the world and I keep coming back for more.”

I brush back a strand of dark red hair, feeling the thundering beat of her heart against my chest .

“I think you hate that after years of pining for a hero, it’s a villain who finally captures your attention.”

The sting of her nails dig into the back of my neck.

“You don’t know me at all.”

“I know everything about you, little saint.” Blowing a puff of air across her lips, I watch her swallow it whole, “Which is why I know a man like Finley could never keep you satisfied. He’s too soft. Too weak.”

She lets out a bitter laugh, “And you’re just the opposite.”

“No. You are.” I tilt my head, staring into those big blue eyes, “You are passionate and deceitful and far too intelligent for a man of his character.”

Her eyes sweep over the sharp edges of my face, soaking in the shadows and crevices my flawless complexion has to offer.

“What do you want, Marlin?”

“I want your fear, little saint.” I lick my lips slowly, “I want your darkest secrets. Your greatest desires. I want to break that precious mind until the only thing it bleeds are thoughts of me.”

Her eyes shutter close, “I have nothing to give you.”

“Not yet, but you will.”

And then I kiss her.

It’s soft and sweet and exactly what you would expect from a man like Finley. It’s the gentle caress of my tongue, softly stroking the seam of her bottom lip as though it’s waiting for an invitation.

In other words, it’s plain and boring .

Melody keeps her lips firmly sealed. Her displeasure radiates from the nails raking across my scalp, to the agitated friction of her body.

“Should I kiss the girl the way she deserves? Or should I let Finley continue this sad seduction?”

“Kiss me.” She whispers back without hesitation.

I reward her with a smack on the ass. Her mouth opens on a gasp and I jam my tongue inside. Any sense of delicacy disappears as I claim her mouth, biting her lip until blood flows with the stroke of my tongue.

Her arms tremble around my neck, but the silly girl does not lift her legs. I take matters into my own hands and pin her against the closest wall, hiking up those hips and stepping in the space between them.

She kisses me back with just as much venom. Her nails claw at my shirt while her teeth do a number on my tongue. Our lips are fused together, our heavy pants disappearing into the cavern of the other’s mouth.

It’s wild and violent and completely unexpected.

My hips drive into her, slamming her back against the wall. She pushes back against me, grinding down on my dick like it’s a long-awaited present.

Gripping the soft strands of her hair, I yank her head to the side. The soft flesh of her neck becomes exposed and I leave the sweet taste of her mouth to feast on the pale skin below.

Pleasure thrums through my system in a frenzy of biting and licking that is shockingly volatile for a man of my self-control. Melody writhes beneath my tongue, her mouth filtering out the unholiest of sounds as I lay claim to the patch of skin at my disposal.

“Marlin.” She gasps my name, her fingers digging into my shoulder blades.

I dance my teeth across her collarbone and up the column of her neck before pulling those swollen lips back into my mouth. Her body is humming beneath my fingertips, vibrating and bouncing in search of a release.

“You didn’t congratulate me on my wins today, little saint.” I sigh heavily, forcing the air down her throat, “All that hard work and not a single word of praise.”

My hips thrust into her, pressing right on the spot she needs the most. A muffled moan spills from her lips, the desperate sound not unlike a plea of mercy.

“ More .”

She’s clawing at me again, trying to eliminate the distance between us. Capturing her hands between my own, I slam them back against the wall.

“Do not ask for more when you insist on giving me less.” Something unpleasantly foreign pierces through my chest, “When I want you to come, little saint, I will make you come. When I don’t...”

She cries out when my nails dig into her delicate fingers.

“You will remain unsatisfied until I say otherwise. ”

Pleased with the whimper that escapes her mouth, I drop her hands and let her fall to the floor. Melody barely manages to catch herself before hitting the ground.

“Pull yourself together. It is not proper to walk through the halls looking thoroughly fucked.” I smirk, taking in the dishevelled state of her hair, “Think what Finley would say.”

Swollen lips press into a scowl, “Fuck you.”

Making some adjustments to my dress pants, I shake my head with a sigh.

“I am busy tonight but maybe tomorrow after your date.”

“Don’t come near me.” She spits out the words before wiping the residue of our kiss from her lips.

I smile when I see the bloodstains left behind.

“Your words are almost as vicious as your kiss. I look forward to hearing how Finley measures up to your standards.”

“Finley,” Melody growls his name, “Is the type of man who brings out the best in people. You, on the other hand-

“Bring out the worst.” I sigh heavily, “The problem is anyone can bring out the best, but not everyone can handle the worst. Would you rather be with a man who bathes in the sunshine or the one who will sit with you in the darkness?”

She stares at me for a moment too long.

“Stay away from me, Marlin. I don’t want you in the daylight or after nightfall.” Shaking her head, she turns and walks away.

I watch her go, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction. Her words were spoken out of anger, but more importantly, fear. Because beneath the fiery facade lies a truth that even Melody knows to fear.

I wouldn’t just sit in the darkness.

I would bathe in it until she has no choice but to join me.