Page 22 of Carnal Heart
“I can’t always rely on you,” he argues. “At the very least, I should learn how to use a weapon.”
My lips twitch. “What kind of weapon?”
He bites his lip, looking all kinds of adorable as he thinks. “Hmm. Maybe a knife, like yours.”
My cock twitches at the image. “Why would someone as beautiful as you want to learn how to cut a man?”
He shrugs a delicate shoulder, my larger shirt practically falling off him. Fuck. He looks good in my clothes.
“Would you like that, little doll? Want me to teach you how to slice someone up and make it hurt? Teach you the best parts of the body to inflict the most pain while still keeping them alive?”
His breath catches and his emerald gaze meets mine. “Do you mean it? Or are you just toying with me?”
“I’m not teasing. I think it’s a good idea.” And fuck me; the thought of Zaiah with a blade is turning me on. “Maybe I can even get Zar to show you a few tricks I don’t know.” Balthazar could teach my little doll all kinds of things.
He props himself up on his elbows. “You really wouldn’t mind if I learned how to fight? How to defend myself?”
I chuckle, shoving him back down on the mattress and caging him in with my arms. “Oh, little doll, you don’t need to cause pain to protect yourself.”
Leaning over his body, I open my nightstand and reach for the blade I keep hidden inside.
His eyes widen. He’s panting now, his body reacting to my proximity. “But what if I want to hurt the ones who hurt me first?” he whispers, grinding his body against mine.
Anger and lust fill me. I trace the handle of my blade across his cheek delicately, almost lovingly. “Who else hurt you, Praeda?”
“Just Remy.”
“Fuck Remy,” I growl. “He’s a dead man. If Zar hasn’t killed him already, it’s only because he decided to take his time.” I toss the blade back onto my nightstand and trail kisses all over his collarbone. I lift him enough to yank my shirt off him before lowering myself back down to his neck.
I start off slowly, teasing him with my tongue, before finding the spot I know will drive him crazy. Then, I begin sucking hard. I alternate between claiming bites and rough sucks until I’m sure the spot is tender. He tips his head to the left, giving me better access, and I move over several inches before starting again.
Zaiah is writhing and thrusting against me and his eyes have rolled to the back of his head. “What are you doing to me?”
I’m pretty sure he’s referring to how I make his cock so damn hard, but I smirk and tell him the part I know will piss him off. “I’m claiming what’s mine. Now everyone will know.”
His eyes snap open. “Wait, what?” He shoves me off him and rushes over to my mirror. I laugh when he sees the mess I made on his neck.Mine.
“Fucking asshole! There’s no way I’m going to be able to cover this up.”
I smirk. “That’s the point, love.”
His head whips back my way. He opens his mouth, probably about to tell me off when my multi-slate dings with an incoming message. I stand up, bracing myself for what I’m about to read.
As soon as I read the threatening message from my father, I punch a hole through the wall. “That bastard.” I punch the wall again, needing to feel the pain in my knuckles. “Fuck!”
“What’s wrong? Who was that?” Zaiah sounds different. Almost as if his voice is laced with fear. Even with us submitting to our carnal desires, never once did he sound like this—actually afraid. I don’t like it. I silently promise myself I’ll teach him everything I know when it comes to fighting and self-defense. I’ll hire the best of the best until he feels safe in his own skin.
Zaiah is a good man, and something tells me I can trust him with this. I drop my hand and let him read from my multi-slate.
He scans the message with this adorable furrow on his brow.
“Is he talking about your sister?”
“Yeah.” I shake my head. “He’s a piece of shit. There’s a reason I continue to make videos as Demon. I’ve been saving up most of my money for my mother and my sister in secret, just in case we can’t ever access their money again. He has everything tied up, and if he’s murdered, everything stops to investigate who killed a founding family member. Meanwhile, the family’s money he invested elsewhere might never see the light of day.”
Zaiah nods. “So, if your father is alive and rotting in prison, your mother may be able to fight it and get her money back.”
“Exactly. Speaking of money…” I tap on my bank app and wire Zaiah his money from last night.
