Page 16 of Bed of Thorns

I slammed my hands against him, struggling with the myriad emotions rolling through me. As I stared into his eyes, I tried to find even a hint of the man I’d known before. There was such blackness in them that no light reflected, an obsidian twilight zone that he’d succumbed to.

“What did they do to you in prison?” I whispered, never intending him to answer.

“The kind of things that would give you nightmares for the rest of your life.” He lowered his head until our lips were only centimeters apart, his forceful hold dragging me onto my toes. When he narrowed his eyes, a very low-slung growl sliding up from the darkness he suffered from, I fought the fear and trepidation even though my body trembled in his hold.

“I won’t hurt you ever again.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Mercedes,” he whispered.

“No, I won’t.”

His eyes darted back and forth across mine, his mouth twisting. I dug my fingers into his sweatshirt, remaining defiant and refusing to allow him to break what was left of me.

“I love you,” I managed, the swell of emotions slamming against need and desire, hope and anguish.

“Be careful, Mercedes. There are some things that can never be taken back.”

“I don’t plan on it.” His scent rocked through me, so masculine and musky that I was overwhelmed by an instant level of intoxication.

He closed his eyes briefly.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Time suddenly seemed to stand still, the air in the room sucked out. There was no one else in the ugly world but the two of us.

I wasn’t surprised by his next words or the meaning behind them. Perhaps I’d longed to hear them before.

“You. Are. Mine.”

When he crushed his mouth over mine, the rush of heat and fire folded over us. Maybe this would drag us both straight into hell. I should fight him, to run away and never look back. There were hundreds of things I should say, but that would only expose more of my strangled emotions and twisted desires.

His brutal hold remained as the kiss became a passionate roar. I was shocked by the firestorm we shared, a need so intense that nothing or no one could stop the carnal moment. He eased his hand away from my throat, sliding his fingers over my shoulder, taking his time exploring my naked arm, dancing the tips down my back until he finally cupped my bottom. As he lifted me into the air, he thrust his tongue past my pursed lips, moving his back and forth across mine.

I rolled my fisted hands over his shoulders, cupping the back of his neck with one hand, clinging to him with the other. He shifted me around in a half circle, his rumbling growls floating between us. The taste of him was so sweet, but the fire burning in his system overwhelming. I was thrown by the wave of quivers, every inch of my body molding to his.

He took several steps, stopping only a few feet from the bed, continuing to dominate my tongue as he explored the dark recesses of my mouth. I could kiss him for hours, days on end, just like the fantasies I’d created in my mind.

While a part of me knew this was dangerous, the other couldn’t care less. I was torn with what I should do or how I should react, but my body continued to betray me, and he was well aware of my condition. As he crawled the material of my long tee shirt up from the middle of my thighs, I finally pushed my hand against him.

While he broke the kiss, he kept his lips gently touching mine, gasping for air just like I was doing. There were no other words that could be adequate, nothing that would matter. I closed my eyes, still shaking as he shifted his fingers under the material, brushing a single tip up and down one side of my bottom.

I wrapped my leg around his, holding my breath as he continued exploring. I was frozen inside, but the fire continued to burn, shooting sparks along every inch of skin. He yanked on my hair, exposing more of my neck. The burst of new sensations as he dragged his rough tongue across my skin forced a whimper from my throat. I clung to him, fearful he’d slip from my grasp, still fighting the strange sensations and rocket fire pummeling through me.

Push him away.

This can’t happen.

Yet everything we’d shared between us had been bared, nothing held back. All our vulnerabilities. All our fears. Every concern. What did it matter any longer? Edmond nipped my chin, brushing his lips from one side of my jaw to the other. When he slowly peppered kisses across my cheek to my ear, I was frozen in his hold, tiny whimpers exposing the woman inside, her needs and wants.

I felt the hard ridge of his throbbing cock, the stark realization of his extreme hunger as unexpected as his sudden appearance. I sensed movement, opening my eyes, amazed at the sparkles of vivid color floating across my field of vision. He caused this. He’d created a need so all-consuming that the consequences of our actions didn’t matter.

After taking a few additional steps, he eased me onto the bed, slowly sliding away. A part of me expected him to disappear into the same darkness from which he came.

But he remained, peering down at me before ripping his sweatshirt over his head and tossing it aside. With his arms exposed, I noticed just how muscular he’d become; his broad shoulders and barrel chest matching his sculpted arms. His gaze never shifted away as he pulled off his tee shirt, flinging it aside.

I was in awe of his carved body, the perfect abs leading to a slender waist. As he started unbuckling his belt, my eyes drifted to the thick leather, my breaths coming in short pants. I remained completely still, fearful of moving. He took his time unfastening his jeans. When he lowered them past his chiseled hips, I held my breath, nerves drying my throat.

All the little voices I’d heard over the years pummeled my brain, angry words and hateful sentiments more surreal than the moment. He wore no expression as he kicked off his shoes, finally removing his jeans. Only then did he close the distance to the bed, crawling over me.

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