Chapter 6
Lucian
I lost control. I am so mad at myself because as soon as she challenged me, the dark clouds that are never far away consumed my reasoning. I could have killed her I felt so out of control. It was going so well until that point. I thought she had learned what this is but she had to talk back. I can’t allow her to have a voice, so I punished her for my own stupidity.
Reaching for the whiskey bottle, I don’t even wait for a glass. As I stand at the window overlooking the city I rule with terror, I feel like smashing something. Will I ever be free to enjoy a normal life? I am so tainted by the souls of the damned that I can’t see the light anymore.
I must sit brooding for close on two hours and then drag myself to bed without one look in her direction. She can lie in her own stupidity because I will not let this woman control me.
But I can’t sleep.
Something doesn’t feel right. I am so conscious of the woman cowering at the foot of the cage in the corner, I feel like the biggest bastard that ever lived – then again, I am the biggest bastard that ever lived, so with a sigh, I leave my bed and stand watching her for a while from the shadows. Gentle sobs reveal her suffering and she lies in the fetal position on a carpet that offers no comfort. Crouching down before her, I say through the bars, “Have you learned your lesson, Riley?”
She says with a stutter, “Yes, sir.”
Feeling a sense of calm wash over me at her acceptance of the situation, I reach for the key and unlock the door. “Crawl over to me.”
I use my hand to guide her way and she shuffles on her knees toward the door and then whimpers as I pull her out into my arms. As I press my hand against her ass, she yelps and the pain hits me as I understand what I’ve done. I’ve injured my pet and I hate myself more than she must.
Gently, I untie her blindfold and see the tear trail that run down her face as she blinks a little and stares at me through frightened eyes. I untie her hands and gently rub her wrists and then kiss each one as if to breathe new life into them.
She whimpers as I run my hand over her ass and caress it slowly and say huskily, “Lie face down on the bed.”
I sense her terror and yet she does as I say and I head to the bathroom to grab what I need.
I am heartened to see she hasn’t moved an inch since I left and sit beside her and say softly, “I’m going to take care of you, my angel and take away the pain.”
Gently, I apply the lotion to her ass to soothe the sting. I rub in small circles and suck in my breath as she quivers under my touch. She moans as my hands dip lower and I feel her arousal which settles my heart – a little.
Then I stroke her beautiful hair and gently massage her back and shoulders, loving the way she moans and shifts a little to feel my touch.
I am almost tempted to take my fill but know now is not the time. Instead, I lie beside her and pull her gently against me, her ass fitting snugly against my cock and then wrap my arms around her and whisper, “Sleep now my angel. You’re safe for now.”
She sighs against me and I feel myself growing even harder by the second. The scent of a woman is a powerful attraction for a man close to the edge. It blinds him with lust and renders him a beast as he contemplates claiming the woman as his. But I like control, so I deny myself the pleasure as punishment for hurting my angel. As she sleeps, I lie as her protector, just thinking on a situation that I am surprised to find myself in.
As soon as she wakes, I am blinded by the trust in her eyes. As she looks at me, I feel stripped of emotion as she smiles shyly. “Good morning, sir.”
I just stare at her in surprise because she should be looking at me in horror. She should hate the sight of me and yet it’s as if last night never happened and we are waking up after an enjoyable date followed by an even more enjoyable night.
She winces as she feels my mark from yesterday and I hate the part of me that loves seeing it. Every time she moves it will hurt because I have marked her and that means I will always be in her thoughts.
Feeling anxious to move this along, I say roughly.
“Did I give you permission to speak?”
She looks down and shakes her head.
“Then unless you wish to remain gagged, I suggest you keep your words inside.”
Quickly, I move from the bed and say roughly, “You may have ten minutes in the bathroom, alone. Do what is necessary, take a shower and then return here and kneel by the bed.”
She nods and does what I say, almost as if she’s afraid I will change my mind and as she scoots off to do my bidding, it gives me a moment to collect my sadistic thoughts.
Today I have no business but her. I am waiting for news before I can act and have told my guards that I must not be disturbed. If there is any family business, they should direct it to my brothers because I am taking this time to settle my heart. I need this day because I’m falling so far into hell, I need to break my fall. Riley will provide a soft safety net to fall against because she doesn’t realize just how true her words were. She has all the power, today, anyway because she has something I want more than anything. Her.
It doesn’t take long before she heads back inside the room and quickly kneels by the bed. It makes my heart lift to see her waiting for instruction and everything falls back into place. Without saying a word, I head to the shower and take my time to get my feelings under control. By the time I return it’s been thirty minutes and yet she’s still sitting exactly where I left her.
Feeling wicked, I say angrily, “Crawl on your hands and knees over to the window.”
I love watching her do as I say and feel the beast inside me roar as she comes to a halt by the tinted glass.
She doesn’t need to know that, so I bark, “Stand against the window and spread your legs with your arms above your head, palms flat on the glass.”
She hesitates for a brief moment because she probably thinks that everyone will see her if they look up, although they’d need a pair of binoculars because this building is the highest in Miami.
She does as I say and when I see the bruises forming on her ass, I get a perverse pleasure from seeing her marked.
Grabbing a condom from the drawer, I tear it open and sheath my cock, anxious to claim my territory. As I draw close, I can see her reflection in the glass looking afraid and yet excited for what she knows is coming.
Then as I reach her, I lean down and whisper, “It’s time, Riley. Now I’m going to make you mine.”
She says nothing and I grab her hair and pull sharply, causing her to gasp as I say roughly, “Is that ok with you my pet?”
“Yes, sir.”
Her breath is coming short and fast and as my fingers dip inside her, I feel her arousal welcoming me inside. Still holding her hair, I position myself at her opening and growl, “Do you want this, Riley?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Yes, who?”
“Lucian.”
Her voice whispers my name and I love the way it sounds on her tongue, so I growl, “Then when you cum, I want you to scream my name at the top of your lungs. I want the whole of Miami to know that I am marking you as mine. I want the world to know that Lucian Romano has taken Riley Michaels as his woman and I want the angels to weep happy tears when they see how much you fucking love it.”