Page 26 of Merciless Promise
Most of the time, he would look down at me with desire, but there were brief moments of time when I saw pure hatred in those glacial blue depths. Even then, he was devastatinglyhandsome—a lethal sort of sexy that sent women to their knees, and likely their graves. I shivered, and as I did so, he looked over at me.
“If you get dressed, you won’t be so cold.”
“I’m not...” I started to argue, then decided to save my breath.
I scrambled upright in bed, then swung my legs over the side. A quick glance down at them revealed some slight bruising, and I narrowed my eyes. I hated to be marked, and I had no idea when he could’ve done this unless it had been when...
I suddenly remembered the way he had eaten my pussy on the plane. Maybe it had been our combined fluids, or some desire to pass time, but he’d been more feral than usual. He’d gripped my thighs so tightly I felt his fingers actually dig into my flesh. Had I made him stop? Hell no. I rode that wicked mouth of his until I came.
I touched my skin briefly, then looked at him over my shoulder. He was now in my closet, and after standing up, I walked over to him. “What the hell are you doing?”
“I’m trying to help you pack. Nolan will be here?—”
“I’ll need a few days to get my stuff together. Will you not give me that much?”
He gave me a deadpan look before shaking his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m no fool. I walk out of this place, and you’ll run like you did the moment you found out about your betrothal to Aram.”
“I’m already married to you,” I stated.
“It wouldn’t stop you from running. I intend to get what I married you for, and you’re not leaving my side until I get it.”
Ahh, yes. “A baby,” I muttered.
“I’m not any more thrilled about the idea than you are, but my grandfather’s will is ironclad. Trust me. I’d already had a non-family lawyer review it.”
What his grandfather was forcing him to do was a bit archaic, but not any more so than my own father selling me off to the highest bidder in an attempt to escape his debts. I still had no idea how much money he owed, but it no longer mattered. Despite what Kingston might believe about my plan to flee, I knew Aram would ultimately find me.
“I married you for my own reasons, too,” I reminded him.
I needed the protection his name and resources could provide. As I thought about the extremely powerful, deadly, and malicious Aram, I couldn’t ever imagine lying down for him. He was the same age, if not older than my own father, and allowing him to fuck me would be like...
I shook my head to dispel those unpleasant images. My gaze moved to Kingston. His face was a fucking masterpiece, and I had never been particularly fond of the sharp jawline with scruffy beard thing before, yet here I was. Not even eight hours before, I had sat on that work of art like it was a throne. If I had to sell my soul and body to someone, I suppose I could’ve done far worse.
“Aram will never be able to get to you,” he told me, and I forced a small smile.
“I know. Saying goodbye to this place, though, is giving up any last thread of independence I have left. First, Saint Petersburg, and now my home here. It’s a lot to lose all at once.”
Kingston moved over to me, then drew me into his arms. “We don’t have to get everything today. We will soon, but not now. Go ahead and get any essentials you might need for the next week or so, then we will return for the rest of your stuff at a later date.”
“Thanks,” I said to him as I pulled away from him.
I had two other suitcases that I quickly filled with clothes and shoes. I even stuffed a few dresses into each of the dress bags before helping him carry them down to the SUV Nolan was driving. Once he had everything of mine, he pulled away,leaving me standing there beside my husband. A sigh escaped, and it was quickly acknowledged. I said nothing, though, before opening the car door.
“Is there anything else you need right now?” he asked me.
I saw that my purse, cell phone, and laptop were on the seat, so I shook my head. I then picked them up as I got into the car. Not long after, we were headed through the city streets toward his loft I found out was in SoHo. My studio apartment had been in Tribeca, so it wasn’t that far away in case I needed anything else.
The closer we got to his place, the more my mind settled. I knew what I had signed up for, and while almost forced into it, I surely could’ve found a way out had I truly wanted to. His offer hadn’t been the worst I had ever heard, and we were very compatible in the bedroom. In fact, it was likely the multiple orgasms that had kept me so disoriented that I would’ve agreed to almost anything for another one.
A few minutes later, he pulled into a parking garage. As I had told him before, these places creeped me out. Thankfully, Nolan had my bags and would be bringing them inside for me, so I only needed to get into the building.
As if he remembered my earlier thoughts about garages, he chuckled. “One of these nights, I need to tie you to one of these posts, then fuck the fear right out of you.”
I rolled my eyes at Kingston, refusing to give him the reaction he was looking for. “Just show me your place.”
“Our place,” he said to me as he extended his hand.
A few minutes later, he typed a code into the side door, then led me into the building. It wasn’t long before we reached his loft. As we approached the door, I became nervous once again at the sight of it. Painted black, it was large and imposing, the cold facade hopefully giving way to a much warmer interior. As soon as he unlocked the door and we stepped inside, I paused,waiting for him to flip the light switch on. Once the room was flooded with light, though, I realized the starkness of the outside was reflected in here as well. Everywhere I looked was gray. The only things not in cement were the black iron on the stairs and interior walls. It was a completely open floor plan and meticulously clean.
