Vicious Seduction

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CHAPTER 21 ORAN “Keep going, baby. One foot in front of the other,” I murmured gently, legitimately concerned she might topple over at any moment. The club had small studies that could be used for private gatherings. With dinner about to start, they were both available, so I steered her into the closest room and shut the door behind us. Lina walked numbly to the tufted leather sofa and sat gingerly on the edge as if ready to bolt should the need arise. I took a long, deep breath and started to pace. I’d been prepared for any number of situations that might have evolved after our arrival, but what just went down wasn’t one of them. I felt f*****g blindsided. What the twisted f**k was up with Lina’s parents? And who the hell was Mr. Three Piece Suit? She’d been understandably aloof in front of her parents, but when that man joined us, she’d gone as stiff as a board. Every ounce of color drained from her face, and she clung to me like I was the last parachute on a plane careening toward earth. Her mother had said Lina and that man had a past, but she couldn’t mean romantic, could she? The guy was old enough to be her father. But then, she’d been seeing Wellington, and he was even older. The whole thing was totally f****d, especially the way Lina’s mother seemed to delight in her reaction. What kind of a person does that to their child? Everything about the situation made my skin crawl. Fury sank its scalding talons deep inside me, pushing my control to its absolute limits. I’d desperately wanted to take my knife to someone’s throat and either demand an explanation or exact revenge. I didn’t know what had been done to Lina, but I had no doubt she’d suffered some injustice at her parents’ hands. I had to keep pacing to dissipate some of the murderous energy pricking my muscles into action. “I need to know what happened,” I said in the most controlled tone I could manage. I didn’t need to upset her more than she was already, but being gentle wasn’t easy when I was so riled. “Just my mother and her stupid games, that’s all.” Her voice was weary and resigned. “Not tonight. I want to know what happened between you and your parents and what that man has to do with it,” I demanded. Lina squared her shoulders. “Nothing relevant. It’s in the past.” Her voice held an eerie detachment, and I f*****g hated it. “Wrong. You’re going to tell me.” “No, I’m not. It’s none of your goddamn business.” Her spark of anger was a relief, so much more reassuring than the eerie detachment from minutes earlier. I yanked her up off the couch and spun us around until her back was to the wall. “I will find out, I can promise you that. But I’d rather it come from you.” “They won’t tell you, and neither will I, so you better get used to disappointment.” I growled like a f*****g dog. Like I had no more control over myself than a stray mutt. “You make me crazier than anyone I’ve ever met.” She brought her face closer to mine, straining against my hold, and bared her teeth. “Ditto.” My lips came down on hers with punishing intensity. She stirred up so many damn emotions, I didn’t know how I felt, only that I felt everything to extremes. As with any cacophony of sounds, drawing out a single one to identify was impossible, yet they were so damn loud all together. And even more astounding was the way the entire chaotic orchestra faded to a distant hum the second she began to kiss me back. The whole damn world could have collapsed around us, and I would have felt nothing but contentment at the press of her hungry lips on mine. While the world wasn’t collapsing, we stood on a battlefield with enemies surrounding us. This wasn’t the time or place for anything but extreme caution. I forced myself to pull my lips away from hers. “It’s time to leave.” “But we haven’t had dinner.” Her response was surprisingly sharp. My eyes narrowed. “f**k if I’m staying after that. We can grab food on the way home.” “No, Oran. I have to stay.” Her voice raised with a hint of mania. “I’m not letting them chase me away.” Goddamn, this beautiful warrior of a woman. I leaned in close again, resting my forehead against hers. “I’ve learned that the only way to win with people like that is to walk away.” I brought my lips to her jaw and kissed a path down her delicate neck. “Walk away, Lina, because if you don’t care, they don’t matter. And if they don’t matter, they have no power over you. And you—” My hand caressed up her thigh beneath her dress. She brought her hands to my shoulder on a shaky breath, sliding her legs a few inches apart. That was all the encouragement I needed. “You are a f*****g queen.” My hand cupped her s*x over silk panties before I slipped one finger beneath the elastic edge and into her warm folds. “You bow to no one but your king.” A ragged moan sighed from deep in her throat past parted red lips as I slid a finger deep inside her. She was the most glorious, seductive sight I’d ever seen. And when her hooded blue eyes met mine, I vowed to myself that I would never let anyone hurt her again. Lina clung to my jacket lapel. She used it as leverage to rock herself against my hand, and when she spoke, her raw voice was heavy with desire. “And what about my king? Who does he bow to?” I lifted my fingers to my nose, savoring her musky scent, then lowered myself to my knees and trailed my nose along her slit. “A king is never afraid to get on his knees for his queen.” I slid her black panties aside and began to devour her.