Page 2 of With this Ring (Mastered #7)

“Still telling yourself pretty little lies, Petal?”

Petal?

The nickname hit her hard, a flashback, a timeless moment. It was so much more suited to the teen she’d been than the fully capable adult woman she was now, and yet she liked it more than ever.

“You’ve always needed a protector.”

Fuck off. “Just because—”

“Obviously, you still do.”

That she didn’t have an instant comeback was likely because she was reeling in shock from seeing him again. Even though Leah had talked endlessly about the people who’d be in attendance, Gregorio’s name had never been mentioned.

Even though they worked at the same place, the irony of running into him at a wedding didn’t escape her, considering she’d been seated in the front row of the divorce proceeding between him and her older sister—a place she wished she’d never gone.

It had been one of the most awful days of her life, watching two of the people she loved most in the world tear each other apart.

She’d clenched her hands, body frozen, as the lawyers had laid out the sordid details of their failed marriage—the lies, the betrayals, the slow, painful unraveling of a love she’d once thought was forever.

“I was hoping for a memorable experience tonight,” she lied.

“Memorable? Maybe I can help you out.”

You?

“And I’ll make sure you get off.”

Almost missing a step, she blinked and searched his face for some hint of mockery but found only an intense sincerity that made her breath catch.

In an instant, he released her, only to immediately clamp a hand around her wrist and all but drag her from the packed ballroom and down the hall into a janitor’s closet.

Never pausing, he kicked aside a bucket, sending the mop clattering to the floor, the noise so loud it echoed in her ears and covered the sound of a lock being ratcheted home.

In a single move, he slammed her up against a wall and raised her hands above her head to pin them in place.

“Gregorio…”

He leaned in closer.

Suddenly, the only sounds were her frantic breaths and thundering heart.

Because of her training at Hawkeye, she was also a competent bodyguard and security agent.

People counted on her to protect their lives.

But this close to Gregorio, she was helpless, ensnared by his masculine prowess.

“What the hell are you suggesting?” She could escape his hold in a single move.

Two at the most. So why wasn’t she running away screaming?

“You want something memorable. I’ll make damn sure this is an evening you won’t soon forget.”

Slowly, he traced his thumb down the column of her throat, bringing it to rest on the frantic pulse that thundered there. His touch was electric, shooting wildfire through her veins.

“Open your mouth for me.”

Desperate to save herself, she shook her head.

“I won’t force you.” He quirked an eyebrow. “I won’t need to.”

What cocksure arrogance.

“You want this,” he stated. “You want me.”

Once more, she frantically shook her head. But even as she denied it, she knew it was true. She’d always wanted him, always craved his touch, his attention, his approval. It was a secret she’d carried for so long it had become a part of her, as essential as breathing.

He pressed lightly on her throat. “Your actions say one thing but your body says another. It’s speaking to mine, isn’t it?”

She should deny what he said.

“Right now, this moment, you’re feeling compelled to spread your legs as wide as possible, right after you pull up your dress and show me your secrets.”

Absolutely not. “No.”

As if she’d said nothing, he went on in his hypnotic way. “Once you do that, you’ll want me to slide my fingers inside your panties and give you an orgasm that would make you scream if we weren’t in public.”

He leaned impossibly closer and she stared at him, unable to look away. His eyes were dark, almost black in the dim light of the closet, and filled with a hunger that matched her own.

Protests sprang to mind, and each died before emerging. Instead, she was captivated by his air of confidence, worn as easily as the suit hugging his powerful frame.

“But since anyone walking by could hear you, I’d have to silence your cries with my mouth.”

Sasha didn’t want this. Shouldn’t. Yet her body betrayed her. Her clit throbbed with need, and an ache built deep inside her.

“Tell me to let you go, Petal. Or use that beautiful mouth of yours to ask me to kiss you and bring you off.”

His crudeness made her gasp.

“Or I can walk away right now and leave you wondering, turned on and frustrated.”

Embarrassed, she worried her lower lip. But beneath the embarrassment was a thrill, a dark excitement at the thought of surrendering to him, of letting him take control.

Something she’d spent years longing for.

“I’m betting you’d stay behind for a while to masturbate to the fantasy of what you could have had but didn’t have the courage to ask for.”

Damn you.

“You and I would both know what you were doing, wouldn’t we?”

He was impossible.

“Since I’m a gentleman…”

What a total and complete lie.

“I’ll offer you the same courtesy I gave pretty boy. You’ve got three seconds to respond.” He waited. “Three.”

She vowed to remain silent.

“Two.”

To keep herself from whimpering with need, she pressed her lips together.

“One.”

True to his word, he released her wrists.

Helplessly, she left her arms in place. “Gregorio.”

He turned toward the door.

Need consumed her. “Gregorio!”

Hand on the lock, he stopped.

“Kiss me?”

He turned to face her. “Now you’ll have to use your manners.”

Sasha squeezed her eyes shut. Do you have to make me beg?

“The words, Petal. Say them. I want to hear them.”

With a gulp, she nodded. “Please. Please kiss me.”

“Nice start.”

Still, the determined bastard didn’t move.

“Now, repeat after me—please, Gregorio, use your hand to bring me off.”

If it weren’t for him, she would never have gone into the personal security field, wouldn’t have had the courage to take the risks that made life worth living.

This moment thundered with danger.

If she gave in and asked for what she needed, would her sister see it as a betrayal?

Yet she lacked the conviction to send him away.

“What will it be, Petal?”

She was powerless to resist the sway he held over her. Softly, she said, “Please, Gregorio, use your hand to bring me off.”

“Very nice.”

His approving purr thrilled her, made the awful words worthwhile.

“Now lift your hem and bunch the dress around your waist.”

No man had ever been this outrageous with her, yet there wasn’t a single part of her that considered denying him. Her hands wavered as she reached for the hem, and her heart pounded so loudly he had to hear it.

With a deep swallow, she lowered her arms to gather the ridiculous amount of pale pink chiffon and tucked it into place.

“Very nice.” He swept his hot gaze over her, taking in her legs, her tummy, then settling at the apex of her thighs. The heat of his stare was like a physical caress on her skin.

Trying not to betray her nerves, she took a breath.

“The thong’s unexpected. In a nice way.”

Sasha much preferred panties or boy shorts that offered full coverage, but Leah had been very vocal, insisting her wedding pictures would not be ruined by panty lines.

“Now take it off.”

Heat flooding her face, she worked the material down her legs. Her hands trembled as she turned over the scrap of silk, the intimacy of the gesture making her feel exposed and vulnerable in a way she’d never experienced before.

“Good girl.”

His approval made the room spin.

“Smell it.”

The man offered no respite. Before she was finished being scandalized by one request, he made another. “What?”

“I want you to smell yourself.”

Wishing the floor would open up beneath her, she followed his command.

“Now tell me about the scent.”

In the distance the party continued, the music creating a backdrop at odds with her emotions. An occasional conversation or giggle from the hallway affirmed how absurd being in here with Gregorio was.

“I’m waiting.”

The musky, heady aroma made her body flame with embarrassment and desire. After momentarily squeezing her eyes shut, she replied. “It’s, ah…” She cleared her throat. “My arousal.”

“Mmm.” He nodded. “Is the material damp?”

You already know the answer.

Silently, he approached her, something that should have been impossible with a man as large as he was. But Gregorio had always been able to move with silent grace, a stealth that belied his size and strength.

And she’d seen him accomplish the impossible before.

“Now hold it to my nose.”

Ready to die from his demands, she followed his outrageous direction.

“Intoxicating, Petal.” He then plucked her thong from her and dropped it into his pocket. “I could mainline your scent and feed on it for days.”

Who the hell are you?

She’d known he was lethal, but she’d never seen this side of him before. His raw, primal sexuality weakened her knees and made her heart gallop.

“Now, put one hand on the wall next to you and use the other to spread your labia, holding yourself open to me.”

This time, she didn’t protest. She couldn’t, not when her body ached for his touch, taste, possession.

Right now, they both recognized the sway he held over her. She would do anything he wanted.

Once she’d complied, she remembered what he’d said earlier. Without being prompted, she spread her legs wide, made more difficult by her heels and the way her body wavered.

“You really are a good girl. My good girl.”

She was indecently exposed to the man who’d once been her brother-in-law, and she’d never wanted anything as much as she wanted him in this moment, never craved anything as much as she needed his approval, his praise, his possession.

“Now open your mouth.”

He claimed her lips, making it impossible to breathe. He plundered, taking before she offered, as if he had every right to do so.

Exactly the way it should be.

Burying the unwelcome thought in the darkest recesses of her mind, she closed her eyes and surrendered.