“He is going to find the darkness that resides inside him,” she speaks again. My body is rigid with fear, with a violent cold that’s threaded through my veins. “And when he does, he’ll never find true happiness.”
“He walked away from her. I couldn’t stop him.” My father’s voice is urgent as if he’s trying to convince himself and her of what I did today.
Silence greets me, and I’m tempted to push the door open, but I can’t. If I do, he’ll hear me, see me, and then I’ll be in worse trouble than I am right now. I know I should’ve stayed and spoken to the girl. But how can my father expect me to want her?
“Don’t put this on him,” my father pleads. “If anything, let him go from this stupidity.”
“This is on you,” the woman says. “He will spend his life alone. Broken. His soul, which was once light and carefree, will be tainted with the darkness that you hold in your bloodline.”
“No!” The roar of the word rumbles through the walls, and it doesn’t take long for it to hit me right in the chest. “You will not do this to him.”
“It is done, Oakridge,” she responds quickly “You know I can ruin you with the information I have.”
“What happened then?” Vera’s soft, innocent tone drags me from the horrid memory, causing me to turn around and finally face her.
“It didn’t happen overnight, but slowly, with every girl I spent time with, it never worked. I didn’t understand it, but then, when the woman I was last with saw my true desires, that’s when I realized that it’s true—my soul is black, stained with needs nobody could ever cure me of.”
“But you’re not evil, Logan. You’re not your father, and this—” she waves her hand in the air while shaking her head in disbelief — “curse, is bullshit.”
“It’s not bullshit,” I bite out. “I’ve lived with it for most of my adult life and . . .” Shaking my head, I turn away from her again, not needing to see how she’s watching me right now. It makes me feel like I can be that man for her, and I know I can’t. “I can’t change who I am.”
“I’m not asking you to change. I’m asking you to give this a chance.”
Spinning on my heel, I step up to Vera, looming over her smaller frame. I engulf every part of her. I’m larger, I’m stronger, and I could so easily take her and hide her away. I have, but not the way I’d like. Where she can’t find anything other than me in her life. When I’m the one she needs, the one she craves when she thinks about her darkest desires. I’ve wanted that for two long years, and now that she’s here, my restraint is taut, ready to snap.
“You want this?” I ask, quirking a brow as I gesture with my chin around the room. “I stole you, Vera. I’m no fucking prince.”
“No, you’re not royalty, and yes, you kidnapped me, held me in this godforsaken cabin for I don’t know how long, but you’re doing it to keep me safe.” Her words are confident. She’s not lying. I did this to keep her safe from the asshole, who is my dear father. But I also wanted her for myself.
“You’re as fucked up as I am,” I tell her with a chuckle.
She shrugs, offering me a smile. “I know.” I expect her to walk away, but she doesn’t. Her eyes lock on mine, and she steps that one inch closer to me, and the air in the room disappears. Every molecule in my body is sparking as if electricity is shooting through me. It feels like I’ve been struck by a fucking lightning bolt. “But that’s what makes us perfect for each other.”
“I can’t . . . I mean . . .”
“I don’t want normal, I want . . .” She looks up at me, smiling, the mischievous glint in her eyes telling me I don’t need to worry. Her demons that seem to hide under the innocent exterior look like they want to play with mine. “You.”
I can’t take it anymore. I crash my mouth to hers, our lips molding together. The heat of her makes me shudder with need. I grasp her face in my hands, holding her at an angle so my tongue can dip into her mouth.
The flavor of her is like nothing I’ve ever tasted. No other woman that I’ve ever kissed has made my body react the way she does. Our kiss deepens, as my hands trail down over her shoulders toward her hips, and I grip her, tugging her closer to me until there’s no longer space between us.
Nothing in this world exists except us and this moment. I lose myself to it. My eyes are closed, but it’s like I can see her expression. She’s emblazoned in my mind. Burnt in my heart since the day I realized I made a mistake by walking away from her.
Vera whimpers and I steal it with that kiss until I feel dizzy from it. She’s intoxicating, more so than any drug, any alcohol I’ve ever tasted. When I finally pull away from her, I watch her lashes flutter, and then I’m met with those mirror-like eyes. I can see myself in her gaze, but it’s not the person I always see when I look in the mirror. This time, I’m different. I’m good.
“I want you on the bed,” I tell her. “Lie back, close your eyes, and just don’t move.”
She looks at me, her eyes wide with wonder, and I can’t imagine what scenarios are going through her mind. With a nod, she moves toward the bed, and I watch her slip onto the mattress, her body languid and calm.
Her obedience makes my body shiver. My cock isn’t completely hard, but the stirrings of desire are there. It’s been such a long time since I’ve felt that familiar ache while watching a woman move. It shocks me.
Once Vera is on her back, her eyes close, and she looks like she’s sleeping. I’ve never done this with someone before, and my stomach is tight with anxiety. It coils in my gut, swirling around like a snake ready for the attack.
I take a few tentative steps, and when I finally reach the bed, I stop. I can’t bring myself to move. But Vera is so obedient. She doesn’t open her eyes, doesn’t speak, and at times, I wonder if she’s even breathing.
My jeans get tighter. The way she’s just lying there, helpless, unsure of my next move, it makes my dick hard. The throb is familiar, and I can’t help but touch myself through the material.
She’s so beautiful.
My Sleeping Beauty.
I reach for her. My fingertips tentatively touching the smoothness of her arm. The silkiness of her skin is enough to send me into blind need. But I need to be careful. She’s not only fragile, she’s someone who’s accepting this, accepting me.
Gently, I trail my touch down to her wrist, where I feel the thrumming of her heartbeat. The only thing, other than her breathing that tells me she’s alive. My cock is harder than steel, attempting to fight its way from my jeans, but I don’t make a move to take it out to stroke myself.
Instead, I revel in her body, noticing how her nipples harden and pebble against the material of her tank top. A slight whimper falls free from her plump lips, but I don’t stop. I continue my ministrations, tweaking the buds gently. Vera’s sounds come more frequently. A moan, a mewl, but I can’t stop. I’m lost to the pleasure I’m bestowing on her body.
“Please don’t,” I plead with her when I notice she’s going to open her eyes. I want this so badly that I’m trying not to lose all my control. She doesn’t look at me, and I smile down at her. Like a puppet for me to toy with, I reach the apex of her creamy thighs and gently press against her mound, feeling her warmth.