"That is funny. Wish I could have seen Ace"s face."
"Well, rumor is, it was his men, a pocket no longer loyal to Cain, who were surprised when they"d made to steal the cargo."
"If this is true, it"s a problem. A big one."
Fly nodded and drank his water.
"Any word on what Cain thinks?"
"Nope. That man keeps it all locked up tight," he said, pointing to his head.
"You don"t have to tell me about that. Let me know if you find out anything else. Especially about my cousin."
There was no love lost between Ace and I. We"d been fiercely compet.i.tive since we were little, with me having the upper hand only because I was the Alpha"s son. But now that he was going to take over, I didn"t think he gave a s.h.i.t about me. Which circled me back to Xander"s words. He"d make me Alpha of Rage, enemy to my pack, all because of Aria.
"I"m ready." Aria stood with the overstuffed bag slung over her shoulder looking tiny in an oversized, faded gray sweatshirt and tight black jeans with a pair of very worn high tops on her feet. Cute and distracting as h.e.l.l. I shifted gears, thinking about all the things I would do to her when we got home.
But Xander"s words taunted me. Who would keep her safe from me?
"Let"s go then." I took her bag and we left, using the truck rather than my bike.
"You"re stressed. My grandfather helping, that"s a good thing, right?"
"It is. That"s not what"s bugging me."
"What is it then?"
I shook my head. "Just let me think."
She watched out the window. "If it"s about what he said, the future, I"m not...it"s not something I"m thinking about. I came to find you because I wanted answers. Not a..." She paused for a moment. "Mate."
"It"s not that simple, Aria."
Her glare burned a hole into the side of my head. "Well, I"m sorry to make your life so f.u.c.king complicated, Zane. Why didn"t you just let him take me if I"m such a ha.s.sle?"
"You"re not a f.u.c.king ha.s.sle. There"s just so much more."
"Well, it would sure help me understand if you"d, I don"t know, tell me?"
I cast a quick glance her way, warning her. "This part doesn"t have anything to do with you." I was telling the truth. At least partially. The ambush had nothing to do with her. It just wasn"t all I was thinking about.
"Well how about you enlighten me on the parts that do have to do with me? You and Xander were talking like it was some kind of code!"
We pulled up in front of the house, and I parked the truck. "No, we weren"t, but he"s right. You were raised outside of the packs. You would have been educated otherwise. Can you just give it a rest, Aria? I have a f.u.c.king headache." And I was d.a.m.n tired of this.
"Well, you"re not the only one with a headache. What the h.e.l.l happened between us sitting down at the table with Xander and now? I thought we were on the same page."
"For Christ"s sake..."
"No, not for his sake but mine. You"re right that my mother didn"t do a great job educating me in the way of things. That"s why I"m here, to learn. To understand. I thought you"d help me do that."
I pressed the heel of my hand to my forehead. Too much to figure out and I did not need this on top of it.
"I guess I was mistaken!" She opened her door and swung one leg out.
"f.u.c.k this!" f.u.c.k being the good guy. Before she straightened, I was at her side, taking her by the arms. "Fine. You want me to educate you? All right. You got it. But we"ll do this my way. And the first thing you"ll learn is f.u.c.king obedience."
She opened her mouth to retaliate but it took one shake from me for her to shut it.
"Inside. Let"s go."
As I said it, I saw two of Xander"s men in the distance. I pointed at them. "Out of my sight. That was the agreement." They glared at me, their gazes, although not as angry when they turned to Aria, were unreadable. But they did as I"d said and moved. Aria watched them, but I was focused on her. I stepped up to her and pressed her against the car with my full weight. Her heart beat faster, drumming against my chest, telling me she was afraid. Good. "See, Aria, that"s obedience." I spoke quietly, wanting her to feel me rather than hear me. "Now let"s get you into the house so you can start to learn it, too."
"Zane, stop."
I marched her up the stairs, wondering all along if Xander was right. If I"d hurt her.
"What are you doing? Let me go."
"This is what I meant by my way. You think you"ll understand? That understanding will make any difference? That"s fine. I get that. You"re stubborn. But like I said, we"ll be doing it my way." We reached the front door and I unlocked it, pushing it open, holding her with one hand. "Still want this?"
"Why are you so angry?"
"Because Fly was right, kissing you - h.e.l.l, f.u.c.king you - it"s gotten me everything I never wanted. Everything I"ve been trying to steer clear of."
Tears welled in her eyes, and I felt like s.h.i.t. What the h.e.l.l was I doing? She was the one good thing in this. I couldn"t deny the part of me that believed she"d be better off without me, but I was too selfish to allow that part to win.
"And it"s the one thing that I can"t walk away from. Everyone"s got their one thing, right? That thing that cripples them. Well, I guess you"re it for me. You"re that one f.u.c.king thing, Aria."
Chapter Fifteen.
Aria In his own really f.u.c.ked up way, he was trying to tell me he had feelings for me.
"Well, you"re that one thing for me, too, Zane. Always have been."
I stared up at him while he stood fighting whatever battle it was he fought inside himself. When his black eyes met mine, I held my breath, waiting.
"Your choice. You want me to take you to Xander, I will. But if you say you want to stay with me, then you take me as I am. What happened in my office, that"s not a one-time thing, Aria. Can you handle that?" He didn"t wait for me to answer. "I hope for your sake you can. And I can"t tell you everything that"s going on. Not now. Maybe not ever. You deserve better, but birthright stole that from you. Just like it stole it from me. We"re f.u.c.ked, Aria, you and I. But you can be less f.u.c.ked without me. Your choice."
"I don"t want to be without you. Period. Get that through your thick stupid head."
He studied me. After a moment, he nodded. "Okay. One night. After I"m done with you tonight, you can change your mind. You can tell me to take you to him and I will. I"ll leave you alone."
"I won"t want that, ever."
He gave me the most pitiful smile. "We"ll see."
He walked me inside, closing the door behind us, never letting me go until we were in his bedroom.
"Get naked, Aria." He folded his arms across his chest, but I could see how his pants pulled at the crotch.
Swallowing, I slipped my jacket off and pulled my shirt over my head. My shoes were next. I worked them off with opposite feet as I undid my jeans and pushed them down and off. He waited, nodding for me to continue, and I reached back to undo my bra, dropping it and sliding my panties off and stepping out.
"Knees." He pointed to the floor.
My c.l.i.t throbbed, and my p.u.s.s.y leaked, but my mind could not allow this. It would try its hardest to make me not want this. "Zane..."
"Knees," he repeated. "Now."
It was strange being naked before him while he remained fully dressed, showing no intention to get undressed.
"I can smell your arousal, Aria. You want this. You want to kneel at my feet. Do it." Never taking his eyes from me, he unbuckled his belt and slowly drew it from the loops of his jeans. "Need help?"
I swallowed and my head bobbed up and down, nodding without my permission.
He smiled, doubling up the belt. "I"m happy to provide that."
My c.l.i.t throbbed, my heart raced, and blood ran hotter through my veins. I glanced at the belt, the tracks from my earlier whipping still warm across my a.s.s.
"Turn around and lie down over the bed."
I studied his face as he waited for me to obey, part of me wanting to run, another part wanting him to make me. Those things would be easier. But even more powerful than those was the desire to submit. To surrender.
I wanted this. I wanted to give this to him. I wanted him to take it from me. I wanted to be dominated, wholly and completely. I wanted the pain of the belt. I wanted it to lash and burn my flesh because, as it did, it would also set my mind free.
I turned, lying on the bed, pushing my a.s.s out and stretching my arms to either side.
Zane moved behind me and the flat of his hand came to rest on my lower back, pressing it into the bed, forcing my a.s.s higher. "Like that. Stay like that."
I nodded, barely swallowing, waiting, wondering how crazy I was to want this. Then the first stroke fell, and all I could do was suck in air. Fire blazed across my a.s.s, but Zane"s hand pushed on my back once more, reminding me before he whipped me again then again and again. Tears stung my eyes as leather burned my flesh, pain the only sensation, one I should want to run from. And it wasn"t that I couldn"t. He"d stop the minute I gave the word. I just didn"t want to. Hearing his breath tighten as he struck, as if every welt he left stole that breath from him, bound us to one another in a way I couldn"t explain. This was f.u.c.ked up, but it was right.
I glanced over my shoulder, wanting to see his face. His focus was on his work. He struck hard, all the muscles of his arm working as he raised and brought down that belt, ignoring my small grunts, the sucking in of air at each stroke as he moved between my a.s.s and my thighs. As my skin felt tighter, I saw that his pupils had dilated, making his eyes appear even more black, and, it looked like his c.o.c.k was going to tear through his jeans.
He stopped, breathing harder, meeting my gaze as he tossed the belt aside. Never taking his eyes off me, he brought four fingers of one hand to my p.u.s.s.y, collecting the moisture there, running it up toward my a.s.shole before wiping his hand on my hip.
The heat of shame burned my neck, ears, and face, but I was unable to look away. What had happened in the office could have been played off as a one-time thing, but now, there could be no doubt. Pain, and even more, humiliation, got me off.
"Knees."
The order made my c.l.i.t throb. I turned to stand, facing him, my legs trembling a little as I lowered myself to kneel before him.
"How long have you been like this? How long have you known?"
I shrugged a shoulder. "Always. It was what I always fantasized about, every time I"d..."
He grinned when I paused. "Every time you"d what?"
I couldn"t answer.
"Every time you"d m.a.s.t.u.r.b.a.t.e?"
That word made me lower my gaze as I nodded.
He pulled his T-shirt over his head, beginning to undo his jeans. "My c.u.m is still smeared on your c.u.n.t and belly, Aria. What I want now is to decorate your face with it."
He lowered his pants enough to grip his thick erection. I processed his words, understanding what he meant to do, the degradation making me drip down my thighs.
He began slowly, ma.s.saging his length, stepping closer so I could almost lick him, so I could smell him, the scent of his arousal as he smeared the first glistening drops across his length, just touching his c.o.c.k to one corner of my mouth, leaving residue there.
"You"ve had me in your p.u.s.s.y; you"ve had me down your throat. Now, you"ll wear my c.u.m on your face, and, before the day is over, you"ll take me in your a.s.s."
I opened my mouth, licking my lips, equal parts fear and arousal keeping me on edge. I wanted him to do all of those things, I wanted him to decorate my entire body with his c.u.m, I wanted to take him inside my mouth, my p.u.s.s.y, and my a.s.s. I wanted to belong to him in every way. I needed to.
"And if you"re a good girl now and do as you"re told, maybe I"ll even finish inside your mouth."
"Zane."
"Shh." He touched the head of his c.o.c.k to my lips as one would a finger to silence me. "No talking. Hands behind your head and kneel up nice and tall. Push those little t.i.ts out and spread your knees so I can see your wet little c.u.n.t."
I did all of those things, although all I wanted to do while he jacked off was put my fingers to my c.l.i.t and join him. Watching a man do this was amazing, an unbelievable gift. Between staring at his c.o.c.k, which he let me lick between thrusts inside his palm, I looked up at his face, arousal tightening his features.
"Open your mouth for me; lick my c.o.c.k, that"s it, like that. And sit back on your heels and pull your p.u.s.s.y lips open."
I did all of that, wanting to give myself to him, wanting to give all of myself to him.
"I"m so close," he said.
I leaned toward him, lips sealing around his c.o.c.k, and he gripped my hair, fisting it, pulling me along his length as he pumped, moans coming from him as he closed his eyes for a moment, moving me fast, so fast I gagged when his c.o.c.k touched the back of my throat. I never took my eyes off him and when he looked down at me, he grinned and pushed in again, making me choke again.
"I like that," he said. Again, he thrust hard into me. "I like tears in your eyes while your c.u.n.t drips. Is it dripping? Is it wet for me?"
He pulled out of my mouth, thrusting harder into his palm as I nodded. I opened my mouth to receive him, sneaking my fingers over to my c.l.i.t and stroking myself.
"Christ. I"m going to come all over your face, Aria."
He said it just as the first stream of c.u.m hit my cheek, my hair. He groaned, holding his c.o.c.k, watching as he decorated me, my face, my eyelids, my throat, and chest, and all that time, I remained open for him, waiting, wanting him inside my mouth, needing just one taste, and just when I thought he wouldn"t allow it, he slid his c.o.c.k into my mouth, holding me steady as he pressed deep, emptying himself down my throat, giving everything to me. And when he was finished, when it was over, he knelt, taking my face into his hands, smearing what he"d deposited into my cheeks and hair. The look in his eyes was pa.s.sion, pure heat, and he opened his mouth to kiss me, tasting his own seed as he devoured me, crushing himself against me, holding me upright as one hand slid down between my legs to rub my c.l.i.t, making me cry out as I came in the palm of his hand.
Chapter Sixteen.