“Yes,” she said in as firm as a voice she could make it though her belly quaked and quivered in anticipation. Willing, hoping he’d see beyond the surface.
Bane’s brows creased and his lips twisted. “More lies. Remember, you asked for this.”
He kissed her on a snarl. At first, his lips were rough, punishing, his mouth wanting to conquer but Mischka had her own anger. His initial lack of trust, lack of faith after making her have feelings for him drove her to latch onto his hair with one hand and the back of his neck with the other.
Bane groaned and pinned her to the wall. The cool stone soaked through her clothing but instead of chilling her ardor, she felt heated all the more. Her grip tightened on him and she linked her legs about his waist with a slight hop. Securing her weight, Bane dug his fingers into the flesh of her hips as he ground against her in need.
The kiss shifted, softening but no less arousing with its burning intensity. Passion lanced through her with pinpoint accuracy. This was all she’d ever wanted. Someone like Bane holding her tight, wanting her in spite of who she was.
Mischka locked her arms about him fighting the sting of tears. Her throat closed on a wave of loneliness. Why wasn’t she worthy? Why didn’t she deserve someone who cared for her? It wasn’t fair Lothar got to take this from her too when he’d taken so much already.
“Mischka, what you do to me,” Bane rasped on an exhale as he ripped his mouth away.
“M-mme?” Gasping for air, Mischka searched his face. His dark eyes glittered. The unmasked need and desire in their depths caused her loins to spasm. She wanted him.
But it wasn’t to be.
Mischka dropped her hands from his hair and pushed against him. It was like trying to move a solid wall. Heart crashing in her chest, she blinked back the burn at the back of her eyes and pushed again and again. Despair rolled through her. It wasn’t fair. She pounded his chest. It wasn’t fair.
There was no contest between them. Bane caught her flailing arms and shoved them above her head. He ended her struggles with a final push of pressure on her wrists. Their gazes locked. Silence collected around them.
Gathering her rage at fate, she tossed her hair back from her eyes. “Fuck you, Bane.”
“Don’t,” he whispered and caressed her palm with his thumb.
When she tried to jerk away, her right arm stuck to the wall. Mischka glanced to the side and recognized the glimmer of silver threads. She yanked her left arm and received the same result. Silvery white webbing held her arms spread wide above her head.
Arousal swirled in the pit of her belly, hard to combat and enticing in its simplicity. With a sharp glare, she snapped, “What are you doing, Bane?”
He smirked, cupping her breasts in his large hands and squeezing. The pressure flowed straight to her lower lips. “Bane? Are you sure you don’t mean Jutak?”
Slumping against the wall, Mischka pressed her lips flat. She wasn’t, couldn’t give in. But everything in her wanted to hump the air and bring their bodies back together. “Release me.”
The intended command came out more like a husky whisper as he thumbed her nipples.
“Not yet.” He dropped to his knees and pressed her inner thighs open.
Mischka gritted her teeth as he urged her legs wider and ran his hands over her limbs in gliding strokes. When she glanced down, he had added webbing above both her knees that pinned her to the wall.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Oh, but she had an idea and it was getting her slippery and wet at the very thought of what he was planning.
Bane cocked his head to the side as he rose. With care she hadn’t expected, he slid the front enclosure of her jumper down, one snick snick at a time, baring her front. He didn’t stop until the flaps opened down to her groin area.
“I had intended to turn your round cheeks a pretty shade of red.” His hands slid into the jumper and smoothed up the back where he pinched and molded her butt in his hands.
Tossing her head back, Mischka rocked with the motion, feeling moisture trickle down her legs.
“But this works too.” Then he put his mouth on her nipple.
“Uggh.” Her head slammed back on the wall behind her as he sucked and licked around the crinkled bud. The pressure traveled to her mound and her passage began a cruel clenching that begged for penetration.
“Do you want this, Mischka? Is this the only way I can get a true response from you?” His hands glided to her front then started a torturous slide down her belly and to her center. One solid finger paused then parted the curls covering her folds.
“Bane, Bane, please,” she gasped, not sure if she was pleading with him to stop or continue.
“Right here?” He leaned in and pressed his body against her partially bared one while his finger penetrated her and worked her core in the most blatant way possible.
Thrusting against the digit, tears seeped through her closed lids. Adding subtle pressure, he rubbed then dipped inside her body to thrust harder even as he teased with words she couldn’t ignore.
“I love to see you like this. Do you remember how good it felt? Look at you. Starved and begging for what I can give you.”
Mischka wanted to deny the claims, but he found a rhythm and stuck with it. Glide, plunge, thrust, withdraw. Her body betrayed her and within moments under his ministrations, she couldn’t fight any longer. The orgasm ripped through her and she arched back on a scream.
His palm slammed over her mouth as he continued to plunge in and out with those devious fingers, all the while muttering lavish praise. She lost track of time, her head shaking back and forth against the wall as ecstasy gripped her in its clutches.
Shuddering, she finally came down from a high that had her blinking against flashing lights across her vision. The truth hovered on the tip of her tongue. Emotions wildly swinging, she parted her lips to blurt it out. “I lo—”
“Bane, let’s go!” Torkel called out though his steps stopped shy of her cell.
Guilt, then remorse crossed Bane’s face. “Mischka—”
“Bane!”
“On my way.” He sighed and snatched the silk bindings from her legs and wrists with jerky motions. Mischka tumbled forward and Bane caught her still trembling body in his arms. He crossed the room and lowered her to the bed with its scratchy coarse blanket.
His touch was kind, knuckles passing gently over her heaving breasts as he zipped the jumper. Neither of them spoke. Once finished, he lingered, mouth turned down in the corners. His gaze held questions and much more she couldn’t decipher in the sharp decline of her climax.
A brief caress of his thumb over the arch of her cheek. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
His chest expanded on a rough sigh and he turned away. When he was gone, a lone tear rolled down Mischka’s cheek as she whispered, “I love you.”
Chapter 25
Thoughts of how he’d left Mischka had Bane twisted. It was a relief to arrive at the one place he could let down his guard and truly feel at peace.
He entered his maman’s house and was immediately awash with a feeling of nostalgia. This was his childhood home. This was where he’d grown to his majority. Where his maman and papan had encouraged him and his goals.