Page 34 of Midnight Danger

Her arms wrapped around my waist and she set her chin on my chest to peer up at me. “You still gonna feel this way when I’m a walking beachball?”

There was nothing sexier than knowing your woman was carrying your child. I would never understand why so many women thought they were ugly during pregnancy. “I guarantee you that I will still want you seven months from now.”

Her bruises had faded after her abduction, but there were still times that she guarded her side where her ribs were injured. Occasionally, I’d find her lost in her memories, and I knew that bastard still haunted her. It made me want to put a bullet in his head all over again.

I zipped her dress up and she fixed my cufflinks—all the small tasks we performed without asking that showed we were a couple. She didn’t know it, but her dress had already been ordered and a ceremony arranged for next week. Megan had helped me after glaring at me like I was the devil incarnate for five minutes.

Was I a jealous asshole who wanted to claim her in every way possible? Yes.

Did I care? No.

Cassandra would be tied to me in every way possible because there was no way in heaven or hell that I would ever let her go. Uncle Lucas was right. The men of our family knew when they’d found the woman they wanted to spend their life with. What was the point in wasting time?

“How do I look?” she asked, holding her arms up.

The woman who’d walked in on my arm had been groomed to perfection. The woman standing here now had a flush to her cheeks and a look in her eyes that said she’d orgasmed. She could try and comb her hair with her fingers, but it wouldn’t detract from the fact hair only got that tangled when you were in the heat of passion.

“Gorgeous.” I kissed the end of her nose.

“You’re only saying that because you have to.”

My hands landed on her waist to tug our hips together. Her heels made our pelvises an equal height. “I never say anything unless I mean it. You should know that by now. When I give you a compliment, take it because it’s real.”

Her body softened against mine, and I took the opportunity to kiss her. She moaned into my mouth, her fingers gripping my biceps. All I wanted was to lose myself in this moment, far from our responsibilities and obligations. Right now, we were just Zee and Cas. As soon as I walked out of this room, I was the Bartholomew heir with all that entailed. The weight of that role would soon descend on Cassandra as well. Part of me wanted to save her from that responsibility, but the selfish bastard inside me wanted her beside me to make it bearable.

Eventually, I had to break away or we were never leaving this room.

Cassandra wiped her lipstick from my bottom lip with her thumb, straightened my jacket, and ran her fingers through my hair. “You’ll do.”

Women wanted me because of who my father was, trying their best to keep me in relationships in the past by permitting my every fantasy. None of them ever staked a claim the way Cassandra just had with a few simple gestures. She probably didn’t realise it, but her body language screamed that she owned me the same way I possessed her.

There wasn’t much left of the corridor of dungeon row, and we exited through the door to the right of the mantlepiece in the room to the other side of the reception hall.

Under us were The Midnight Rooms.

Above us were The Twilight Rooms.

I bought this house because it spoke to my inner demons. My stepmothers tended to try and seduce me, their touch repugnant since they’d just crawled out of my father’s bed. So, I did what any teenager would do and rebelled, throwing myself into the scene and going with Jordan to train as a Dom. There was a time when he could only get pleasure when he caused someone pain. After a while, he channelled that into torturing and killing the enemies of the Council. His therapy sessions must have paid off. Either that, or having a torrid affair with his counsellor helped him work through his issues.

The reception hall had people drinking glasses of champagne and indulging in aperitifs.

“Xavier.” I stopped at my name being called. It was one of Father’s business team.

My professional smile snapped into place and I regarded him with polite interest.

“I didn’t know you were a member here.” His gaze roved around in excitement. He must be one of our newer members. I’d have to have a word with Jordan about being stricter with our controls.

“We all have our little secrets,” I said, reminding him that everyone here had signed a confidentiality clause that would cost them a fortune if they broke it.

His eyes moved to Cassandra, widening slightly when he realised who she was. “Well, this certainly explains you disappearing into her office for all those meetings.”

My fist bunched at my side, but Cassandra’s hand tightened on my arm.

“What do you mean?” she asked with wide eyes. “Surely you’re not suggesting anything less than business happens in my office, Mr. Larimore? The Twilight Rooms are for consenting adults that want to step away from their normal lives, aren’t they?”

He paled at the tone of her reprimand. Every time that office door of hers closed, I had her pinned to the wall or window or spread on her desk. I especially loved when she wore her dark-framed pretend glasses. My fingers had been bitten more than once when I tried to cover her mouth to stop her screaming her release.

“Yes, of course it is. That’s why we all join!” His jolly tone told me this was his first time here. It would also be his last. I preferred not to have my father’s cronies on my business premises.

---