Page 141 of Savage Empire
A glimmering band of silver comes out of his pocket, held between two fingers. Diamonds glisten under the afternoon sun, and my breath catches.
“Turn around,micina selvatica.”
I can’t even find it within myself to be annoyed that he’s once again referring to me as a feral kitten. My feet move before I even know it’s happening, shifting my body so that my back faces Apollo.
I feel him lean closer, his breath brushing the shell of my ear. “There’s my sweet girl,” he says, voice low and deep.
I shiver as he gathers my hair back, moving it out of his way. The stunning necklace in his hands moves past my face, wrapping around my neck, the cool metal laying gently against my skin. It’s heavier than I expected, but not uncomfortably so.
When Apollo finishes the clasp, he drops my hair, reaching for my hips instead. He uses his new grip to spin me back around, his eyes immediately fixed on my chest, on his gift. My throat feels tight, nerves rolling through me while I sit under his gaze. He’s so intense, it makes my core tighten with anticipation and uncertainty.
“Beautiful,” he comments, sincerity evident in his tone. “Do you like it?”
“It’s lovely,” I admit softly. “I don’t know what I did to deserve it, but it’s lovely all the same. T-thank you.”
“You woke up this morning,” he replies, almost stern. “You breathed the air, and you continued to exist, allowing me to witness it in the process. That’s what you did to deserve it.”
I blink at him, swallowing tightly. “I don’t even know what to say to that, Apollo. This is not how I expected today to go.”
“Mmm,” he hums, tucking a bit of hair behind my ear. “That’s right, you never answered my question. Howdidyou expect me to react when you threw a fit and bought a car you didn’t even really want for over half a million dollars?”
I can feel something passing between us, something hot and greedy.
“Maybe I thought you’d be upset enough to bend me over the hood and spank me,” I murmur, just loud enough for him to hear. “Maybe I wanted you to lose control for once.”
“I’m flattered that you think I’m always in control, Rayna,” he says, lips curving up. “But I assure you, I lose control quite often where you’re concerned. You think I was in command of my senses when I first kissed you? Or last night when you pushed my cum into your needy little pussy against my protests? I nearly did some very, very bad things to you, love.”
I almost squeak as he grabs my ass, pulling my closer. “The four times you fucked me after weren’t the very, very bad things?”
“Not even close. The things I want to do to you…” His head shakes. “We’re not ready for.”
My lips turn down. “You think I can’t handle you.”
“I saidwe’renot ready for,” he argues. “You don’t fully trust me to protect you, and I don’t trust you not to run when things get messy.”
“And you think that’s going to change?”
His hands move up from my ass, dragging to the center of my back, holding me firmly. “Oh, I know it will.”
Doubt shifts my expression and creeps up my throat. “When exactly do you expect this to happen?”
“Our wedding night,” he replies, so sure of his words. “Once we say vows, it will be real. You won’t be able to hide in your denial about what exactly we’re doing here. It will be entirely clear what’s happening between us.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I step back.
He lets me. “No need to be skittish, love. Back to the topic at hand, I was trying to explain that you don’t need to spend money if you don’t want to. I’ll do plenty of it for the both of us from now on.”
Unsure what to say, I settle on, “Knock yourself out.”
“Oh, don’t go cold on me already,” he says, almost pouting. “There’s plenty of cars I can bend you over to paint your ass red, if you’re still fishing for a little spanking, love.”
“Maybe I’m not in the mood anymore.” A lie.
Apollo gives me a searching look, head tilted. “There might not be another time that Yordan is gone.”
Temptation builds, but softening back up seems impossible. “I thought you said you were in charge when it came to sex. Why are you giving me a choice at all?”
His eyes go round and dark. “Oh, Rayna, if that’s how you want to play, we can play that way.”
