INKA
I stood by the window for what seemed like hours, long after Kane's taillights had vanished down the quiet street. Riley had left with him, her face a mix of guilt and excitement at finally having her boyfriend back.
She had tried to reassure me before they left.
“Shadow may be intense, but he won't come here. When he's truly interested in pursuing someone, he sends one of his men to keep an eye on things. But I don't believe he'll do that with you. You're probably right that you're already old news to him."
She didn't know the whole truth. I couldn't bring myself to tell her about Kayde's humiliating job offer in front of Kane. Or how my body had responded to him when he touched me. It was too shameful to say aloud.
Riley had even suggested Kane stay over at our house tonight, clearly concerned about leaving me alone after everything we had discussed. But I forced a brave smile and told her to go with him and not to worry. I didn't want to be a burden. So I had pretended I was fine.
But now, alone in the dark apartment, I was physically shaking. My arms wrapped tightly around my midsection as I gazed out into the empty street, where every innocent shadow looked like a threat, and every distant engine sound made my stomach drop.
But I needed to get some sleep or I'd look like something the cat dragged in at work the following day. So I crawled into bed and pulled the covers up to my chin. But sleep refused to come. My mind kept replaying everything, from the bar to Riley and Kane's words. After nearly an hour of tossing and turning, I finally gave up.
I slipped out of bed and walked to the closet with unsteady legs. My fingers trembled as I reached deep into the back to retrieve the carefully folded cassocks, priestess gowns I'd brought with me when I ran. The fabric felt heavy with memories of a life I could never return to, and I realized why I had brought them, despite my resentment.
I slipped them over my nightgown, the hood gently falling around my face. For a brief moment, I stood in the mirror, the cross at my chest reflecting the faint moonlight.
“Maybe they'll protect me," I muttered desperately. “Perhaps God has not completely abandoned me."
But I knew better, and since they couldn't protect me in the way I was promised, they'd protect me in other ways.
If Kayde sent someone to watch me or, worse, kidnap me, this gown might disgust them. Perhaps they'd see a boring priestess instead of the woman Kayde had gazed at with desire. And they'd report that I wasn't worth the trouble.
I pulled the hood down over my face and climbed back into bed, robes and all. I curled up in the familiar fabric and whispered a broken prayer into the dark.
But again, I knew better. Despite everything, sleep came quickly, and I allowed myself to drift off.
••••••
MIDNIGHT
A strange, heavy warmth pulled me from sleep, and my eyes fluttered open in the darkness, confusion clouding my mind. The cassock still clung to my body, the fabric slightly twisted around my legs, and for a moment, everything felt peaceful until I sensed the presence in the dark room.
My gaze, now better adjusted, drifted slowly toward the corner of the room, and my heart slammed to a violent stop. A large silhouette sat motionless in the old wooden chair by the window, watching me, the faint glint of moonlight catching on the grim diamond patch.
No.
I opened my mouth to scream, but the figure rose with terrifying grace before any sound could escape and I froze, paralyzed by fear. In two long strides, Kayde was at the edge of my bed.
“Kayde—” I gasped, scrambling backward, but it was too late. He climbed onto the mattress, the bed dipping under his weight as he moved over me like a predator claiming his prey.
One large hand caught both of my wrists and pinned them above my head against the pillow, his body settling heavily between my thighs and pressing me flat on my back.
“Shhh, little runaway,” he growled, voice low and rough with dark hunger. His free hand slid down my side, gripping my hip possessively through the holly fabric, and I could feel the hard, thick length of his c**k pressing against my core, already rock hard and throbbing.
My mind screamed at me to fight, to scream, to run. But my body… my traitorous body arched into him instantly. It had been a long time since I'd been wanted. Heat flooded between my legs, my n*****s tightening painfully against the robes as a whimper slipped from my throat instead.
“You wore this for me?” he murmured, lips brushing my ear. “Trying to look like a pure little priestess while your p***y is already soaking through these robes for a sinner like me?”
“Get off me,” I whispered, but the words came out breathy and weak, and Kayde chuckled darkly, the sound vibrating through his chest into mine. He ground his hips down slowly, deliberately dragging his thick erection against my aching center.
“Feel that?” he rasped. “That’s what you do to me. One look at you in my bar and my c**k hasn’t gone soft since. You’ve been driving me f*****g insane, Inka.”
He leaned down and dragged his tongue along the side of my neck, biting down gently on my racing pulse while continuing to grind against my c**t through the robes. And a broken whimper escaped my throat.
“Look at you,” he rasped, voice dripping with filthy satisfaction. “Your mind’s telling you to fight, but this greedy little cunt knows exactly who it belongs to.”
“Kayde… please…” I didn’t know if I was begging him to stop or to keep going, and he lowered his head, lips hovering just above mine. His free hand slid down my side once more, fingers digging into the fabric as he held me exactly where he wanted me.
“I told you,” he whispered darkly, “the second you walked into my bar, you became mine. I gave you time to think about it. Now I’m done waiting.”
He rocked against me again, harder this time, and my back arched off the bed despite myself. Pleasure shot through me so intensely I moaned, the sound loud and shameful in the quiet room.
“That’s it,” he praised, voice low and rough. “Let me feel how badly this holly p***y needs to be fucked.”
My wrists strained against his grip, but I wasn’t sure anymore if I was trying to escape… or pull him closer.
My mind was screaming danger. But my body was already surrendering.
“Kayde… wait—” My protest dissolved into a broken moan as he captured my mouth in a deep, demanding kiss. He tasted like whiskey as his tongue claimed mine with the same ruthless dominance as the rest of him. And I pulled back just enough to gasp, “I need more time.”
He stilled above me, his dark eyes gleaming with dangerous amusement in the low light. His body remained pressed firmly between my thighs.
“More time?” he murmured, one of his hands coming up to caress my face, and I swallowed hard. “How much more time do you think you need to accept my offer, little runaway?”
“A month,” I whispered desperately. “Just… give me a month to think about it.”
Kayde let out a dark chuckle that made my stomach drop. “A month? f**k no. That’s far too long.” He rocked his hips slowly against me, letting me feel the thick length of his c**k once more. “I’ll give you one week. Seven days to decide whether you’re going to be a good girl and become mine.”
He leaned down, lips brushing my ear as his fingers slipped under my robes.
“But that week comes with a price, baby. I won't f**k you until you ask me to, not before the seven days are up. But you're going to c*m seven times for me tonight. One for every day you’re going to make me wait, or there's no deal.”
“But—”
“No buts. Do we have a deal or not? Yes or no?”
“Ye—”
Two thick fingers dragged through my wet folds and pushed deep inside me before I even finished the sentence, and the first orgasm crashed through me almost immediately, stars exploding in my head as he growled, “One."
He added a third finger, pumping harder while his thumb circled my c**t until the second climax hit, my walls clenching as he counted “two."
My body surrendered completely to him as he bent to suck one n****e through my robe, teeth grazing as his fingers curled against that sensitive spot inside, driving the third orgasm out of me with a cry, "three," then the fourth left me shaking and begging, stars bursting again as he counted “four."
His free hand cupped my breast, pinching the n****e while he added pressure with his fingers, drawing out the fifth orgasm in a rush of wet heat that soaked his hand, “five."
I moaned out his name, lost in the pleasure overriding every rational thought in my head, and he rubbed my c**t relentlessly until the sixth wave hit, my legs buckling as he murmured “six."
Kayde played my body like he owned it, relentless, and devastatingly skilled as he used his fingers, his mouth and his wicked words to push me over the edge again and again. “One more, my little runaway.” Filthy praise poured from his lips while broken moans continued from my lips as I clung to his arms, chest, torso, even to the sheets, not knowing what to do with myself.
“Look at this greedy little cunt squeezing my fingers. f**k, you’re so beautiful when you cry for me.”
By the time the seventh orgasm ripped through me, so powerful it left me sobbing and shaking, I was completely wrecked. My voice was hoarse, and my mind had gone blank.
Kayde gathered me gently into his strong arms, holding me against his chest as I trembled with aftershocks. He stroked my back with surprising tenderness, pressing soft kisses to my damp forehead.
“Sleep now, my little ghost,” he whispered. “You’ve earned it.”
Exhaustion pulled me under, and I surrendered.