Page 112 of Roses Are Dead
And he gave me a knife so I could win, too.
I loved him. Every inch of him. From his thick eyebrows, to the tattoos snaking around his skull. The piercings, the warrior braids, his mighty neck and shoulders, all the way down to his black boots, which were damn hard to get off. But once they were, I pushed him backwards so he was half on the bed, under me, and submitting to my power.
The leather vest he wore had a special spot over the back of a chair next to the bed. I placed it there with reverence. While I’d been turned, Bear pulled off his shirt and tossed it to the floor. He’d reached for his pants. I stopped him to unbutton them myself.
Before I did, I traced the line of black hair that ran from his chest to his groin. My fingernails were long enough to scratch his skin and dig in slightly. He wanted an armed woman? I intended to prove I didn’t need weapons. I had a sword for a tongue and claws for fingernails. And sharp teeth to bite with. I leaned in to lay my open mouth on his tender stomach.
He sucked in a breath. “Careful.”
I bit down lightly just because I could.
He flinched, but then moaned my name. I licked the spot where I might have hurt him and watched his face. All I could see was beard and chest. But with patience, I got what I wanted. He curled to look at me. “Whatcha waiting for?”
I smiled. Then licked his stomach again. His mouth dropped open and his eyes fluttered shut.
That. That was what I wanted to see.
Him, losing control, forgetting how to feign indifference, a man falling under the spell of lust.
And to keep him mesmerized. I kept the tip of my tongue on his skin as I finished loosening his pants.
I had to sit up to help him tug them off, then straddled him again low on his thighs. I curled like a cat to nibble on a hip bone, lick that trail of happy black fur, and inhale deep as I soaked in his glory.
His dick was too heavy to stand straight up. But it was hard. The veins bulging in ropey purple ridges that twisted like the roots of a tree. Their paths snaking over one another, appearing and disappearing into his flesh. I traced those with my mouth.
Bear groaned. The tip of his cock leaked precum that I sucked off him, only to have to devour more as he shifted under me.
“Rose, you better get a condom out of that drawer, or suck me dry. I can’t wait much longer.”
That wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted to edge him into insanity.
I stood up, stepping back from the bed, hand on the knife hilt. It fit perfectly. The natural fall of hand aligned with the handle. And with a twist of the wrist, I could grip the pommel, flip the catch and tug it free. The knowledge that I stood a meager second or two from murder thrilled me. And scared me.
If someone had given me this gift years ago, I would have followed them forever. I almost did. But back then the scales weren’t balanced. I was a pawn.
Was I fooling myself to think Bear treated me like a queen? His queen. I lifted my hand, but didn’t move.
Bear sat up. His dark eyes took in my hesitation. Then with a grim smile he raised his hand, curled his fingers against his thumb and with only his index finger free, silently ordered me to step closer.
I did.
One step, then another. And a third that brought my legs in contact with his. He swept his hands down my skin from ribcage to hips and finally landed on my ass with a finger-tightening squeeze. “You’re mine.”
“I’m yours.”
With less grace, he trapped me one-handed and reached for the drawer, coming up with a condom held between two fingers. “Fuck or suck?”
“Fuck, please?” How could I resist?
He set it on the bed next to his leg. “What’s going on in your head, Rose?”
“Power. Shame.”
His eyes focused sharply on me. “There’s no shame in wanting to be strong.” With that spoken he swept his hands down my arms as if to punctuate exactly how brutally different we were. I had barely any definition tapering from thin biceps to even thinner fingers. Yet even his fingers were burly.
Those interlaced with mine.
“Strength is nothing without speed, agility, and most importantly, will.” His eyes sought mine. “Your will is stronger than mine. I know that. It’s stronger than anyone’s I’ve ever met. And you wear it like armor.” He blinked. “A knife just makes you more dangerous. And frankly, I’m an idiot for giving one to you. You could kill me easily. I saw it in your eyes. You wanted to. You have the desire to do that. Not many do.”
