TAINTED LOVE: RIDING WITH THE DEVIL

STAYING WITH THE DEVIL TONIGHT

RAFAEL VOSS

The VIP lounge pulsed with low red lighting and heavier bass than the main floor. My Black Vipers filled the space in leather cuts, hard eyes, guns hidden under jacket, lounging on couches and leaning against the railing like wolves guarding their territory. They knew better than to stare too long at what was mine.

And Bella was mine tonight.

I kept her tucked against my side on the wide leather couch, my large hand splayed possessively across her waist. The black dress she wore was criminal, thin fabric that let me feel the heat of her skin underneath. Every time she shifted, I pulled her closer until her thigh pressed flush against mine.

“You keep trying to put space between us, Bella,” I murmured against her ear, my voice rough. “Stop. I don’t like it.”

She inhaled sharply, those big dark eyes flicking up to mine with a mix of nervousness and something sweeter... curiosity, maybe. Innocent as f**k. It made my blood run hotter. Most women who made it up here were already climbing into my lap. This one looked like she was debating whether she’d sold her soul by staying.

“I… I’m not used to this,” she admitted softly, her voice barely carrying over the music. A faint blush coloured her cheeks. f*****g adorable.

“Good.” I slid my hand lower, fingers digging into the curve of her hip, claiming. “Means you’re not like the rest of them.”

Across the lounge, a few women who’d been eyeing me since we walked in watched with open jealousy. One of them, tall blonde in a red dress who’d sucked my d**k in the back room two weeks ago, glared daggers at Bella. I didn’t even glance her way. Let them seethe. Tonight my attention belonged to the stunning brunette trying very hard not to melt under my touch.

I pulled her tighter against my chest, letting her feel the hard muscle beneath my shirt. My other hand tilted her chin up.

“You’re shaking, baby. Scared of me?”

“A little,” she whispered honestly. Then a spark of sarcasm slipped through. “You don’t exactly look like a Sunday school teacher.”

I laughed, low and dark.

“Far from it.” My thumb traced her bottom lip, smearing that red lipstick just a fraction. “But you’re still here. Sitting with the devil, wearing that dress that should be illegal. Makes me wonder what you really want.”

She didn’t pull away. Hesitant, yes. Her fingers twisted in her lap, but she stayed. That innocent face, those wide eyes, the slight tremble in her body… it did dangerous things to me. I wanted to ruin her slowly. Taste every inch of that soft skin and make her scream my name until she forgot whatever safe little life she came from.

“Come on.” I stood, pulling her up with me without asking. My hand stayed locked on her waist as I led her to the small private dance area in the corner of the VIP section. The Vipers cleared space instantly.

The music slowed into something heavy and sensual. I spun her once, then yanked her flush against me, chest to chest, my thigh pushing between hers. One hand gripped her hip hard enough to leave marks, the other slid up her back, fingers tangling in her long dark hair.

“Rafe…” she breathed, using the shortened name I’d given her. Her hands rested tentatively on my chest, right over the viper tattoo peeking from my unbuttoned shirt.

“That’s better,” I growled, lips brushing her temple. “Feel that? You’re mine in this moment. Every man here knows it. Every woman watching wants to be you and hates you for it.”

I moved us to the rhythm, slow and filthy, grinding against her so she could feel exactly how hard she made me. She gasped softly but didn’t pull back. Her body was soft, curvy, perfect, and made to be gripped and claimed. I dipped my head, inhaling her scent; something sweet and clean beneath the club smoke. My mouth hovered near her neck, teeth grazing just enough to make her shiver.

“You have no idea what I want to do to you,” I said against her skin. “Been thinking about peeling this dress off since I saw you on that dance floor.”

Bella looked up at me, lips parted, innocent eyes dark with conflict and heat. She didn’t know who I really was. Not fully. To her I was just some dangerous biker who ran a crew. Cute. If she knew the blood on my hands, the empire I ruled when the sun went down, she’d probably faint. But she’d still be wet for me. I could already tell.

I cupped the back of her neck, tilting her face up. My mouth was inches from hers. I could taste her breath, sweet liquor and temptation. I was going to kiss her, deep and claiming, then drag her somewhere more private and.........

“Boss.”

A sharp voice cut through the haze.

I snarled, not turning around immediately. My grip on Bella tightened possessively.

“What?”

My lieutenant, Marco, shifted nervously behind me. Smart man. He knew interrupting me right now was suicidal.

“We’ve got a problem at the East docks. The shipment… it’s gone. Someone hit us hard. Three of our guys are down. Looks like the Iron Serpents trying to move in.”

Rage exploded in my chest. I growled, low and feral, the sound vibrating against Bella’s body. She stiffened in my arms, eyes widening at the sudden shift in me.

I finally turned my head, eyes blazing.

“What the f**k did I pay you for, Marco? To stand there with your d**k in your hand while those pieces of s**t steal from me?” My voice rose into a vicious bark that made the entire VIP section go dead silent. Even the music seemed to drop. “Handle. Your. f*****g. Job. Or I’ll feed you to the same bastards who took the shipment. Understand?”

Marco swallowed hard, nodding quickly.

“Yes, Reaper. We’re on it. I just thought you’d want to know immediately.”

“Get out of my sight.”

He vanished.

I exhaled through my nose, trying to leash the violence surging through me. My hand was still possessively locked on Bella’s waist, holding her against me like she might disappear.

When I looked down at her again, her face was a beautiful mix of fear and lingering arousal. Innocent little thing had just gotten her first real taste of who I was.

I leaned in, forehead nearly touching hers, voice dropping back into that dark velvet.

“Sorry about that, baby. Business never sleeps.” My lips brushed the corner of her mouth, teasing. “Now… where were we?”

I didn’t ask if she wanted to continue. I never asked.

I took.

I slid both hands down to her waist and yanked her flush against me again, hard enough that she gasped.

My forehead rested against hers, our breaths mingling.

“Right here.”

“Rafe… that was—” She swallowed, her fingers curling into my shirt, right over the coiled viper tattoo. “You sounded… scary. Like, really scary.”

A dark chuckle rumbled out of me. I brushed my lips along her jaw, tasting the faint salt of her skin mixed with whatever sweet perfume she wore.

“Baby, that was nothing. You caught me on a good night.” I nipped her earlobe, enjoying the way she shivered. “You still here? Still letting me touch you after hearing that?”

She hesitated, that innocent little pause that made my c**k throb against her stomach.

“I… I should probably go.”

“No.” The word came out sharp, final. I tightened my grip on her hips, fingers digging in possessively, pinning her body to mine. “You’re not going anywhere, Bella. Not when you’re shaking like this—” I slid one hand up her back, then slowly down again, palming her ass and pulling her even harder against my growing erection.

“Not when your body’s telling me you don’t really want to leave.”

Her cheeks flushed deep red. She glanced around at my Vipers watching discreetly, at the jealous women still throwing venomous looks our way, then back to me.

“This is crazy. I don’t even know you.”

“You know enough.” I started moving us again to the slow, throbbing beat, grinding against her in a slow, filthy rhythm. My thigh pushed between hers, forcing her legs apart just enough. “You know I want you. You know I get what I want. And right now, Bella…” I dipped my head and dragged my mouth down the side of her neck, sucking lightly on her pulse point, “I want to taste every inch of you.”

She let out a soft, breathy moan that went straight to my d**k. Her hands slid up to my shoulders, gripping the leather of my cut as if she needed something solid to hold onto.

“You’re dangerous,” she whispered, half accusation, half invitation.

“Very.” I smiled against her throat, then licked the spot I’d just marked. “But you like it. I can feel how hot you are, baby. How wet you’re getting for a man you just met.”

Bella made a little embarrassed sound, but she didn’t deny it. Instead, she tilted her head, giving me better access. f**k, that innocent surrender was hotter than any practiced stripper move. I rewarded her by sliding one hand up under the hem of her short dress, fingertips grazing the soft skin of her inner thigh, stopping just short of where I really wanted to be.

“Look at them,” I murmured, turning her slightly so she could see the envious stares from the other women. “They’ve been trying to get my attention for months. One night in that dress and you’ve got the Reaper ignoring every single one of them.”

“Reaper?” she asked, a nervous laugh escaping. “That’s… dramatic. Should I be worried?”

“Only if you plan on leaving before I’m done with you.” I captured her chin and finally kissed her.

It wasn’t gentle. I devoured her mouth, tongue sweeping in possessively, claiming every sweet inch while my hand squeezed her ass harder. She melted almost instantly, kissing me back with hesitant hunger that drove me insane. I could feel her temporary braces, cute little secret that only made her hotter. When I pulled back for air, her lips were swollen, lipstick smeared, eyes glassy with lust and lingering fear.

“Rafe…” she breathed, voice trembling. “I don’t do this. I’m not… I’m not the girl who goes home with dangerous bikers.”

“Good.” I kissed her again, slower this time, sucking on her bottom lip before releasing it with a soft pop. “Because you’re not going home tonight. You’re coming with me. My penthouse. My bed. My rules.”

Her eyes widened, but her body arched into me, n*****s hard against my chest. The internal battle playing across her face was beautiful, innocence versus raw desire. She was waiting to see what I’d do next, like a rabbit caught in a wolf’s jaws, half hoping to be eaten.

I slipped my fingers higher under her dress, brushing against the lace of her panties. She was soaked. A low groan escaped me.

“f**k, Bella. This p***y is already mine.”

She whimpered, burying her face in my neck, embarrassed and turned on.

“Someone might see…”

“Let them.” I circled her c**t through the lace with deliberate pressure, loving how her hips jerked against my hand. “Let every jealous b***h in here watch me ruin you in public before I take you home and do it properly.”

Her breathing turned ragged. She clutched my shirt tighter, thighs trembling around my hand. I kissed her again, deep, filthy, dominating, while my fingers kept teasing her through the drenched fabric. The possessiveness roared through me. This woman, whoever the hell she really was, was going to be screaming my name before sunrise.

I pulled my hand back just enough to spin her around, pressing her back against my front. One arm banded across her waist like a steel bar, holding her immobile while my other hand returned between her thighs from behind. My hard c**k nestled perfectly against her ass as I ground into her to the beat.

“Tell me you want this,” I growled in her ear, biting the lobe. “Tell me you’re staying with the devil tonight.”

She moaned softly, hips rolling back against me despite her hesitation.

“I… I shouldn’t… but God, I—”

“That’s not a no, baby.” I smiled against her neck, increasing the pressure of my fingers. “And I don’t accept no anyway.”

The night was only beginning, and Isabella, sweet, innocent, dripping Bella was already falling into my hands.

Exactly where she belonged.