Chapter 13

THIRTEEN

Phoenix

T he island came into sight and warmth flowed through me. It was the closest thing I had to a home. I'd never taken another living being there, bar the sheep and wild ponies who roamed the tiny island, and nerves fluttered in my stomach at the thought of Laura on my land.

It had been one of the few splurges I'd allowed myself since going into the lucrative field of burning evidence for a living. My secret refuge. My terra firma.

I hoped she would love it as much as I did.

Sharp grey cliffs gave way to a sandy beach, the cove leading onto the natural harbour where I would moor the boat. Rocks jutted from the still sea, but I knew the path through them like the back of my hand. Navigating through them, I began to hum, pleasure seeping through me.

Home at last.

The island mostly consisted of rough, grassy terrain and rocky outcrops, but the pale sandy beach was my own private paradise. Sure, the weather wasn't exactly tropical being that it was in the Outer Hebrides, but the sunsets were second to none.

Would my little ember be watching our approach? Wondering where I'd taken her? My wildling, so full of rage. I'd laughed to myself at the clattering of what I assumed was the chair against the ceiling. She had fire in her veins.

Just like me.

Would she be pacified with the gifts I'd stopped to buy for her? I didn't expect a thank you, but I hoped they'd bring her a touch of joy amongst her sorrow.

My pet needed to be pleased.

So very badly.

Her whole being hummed with need. She didn't know it, but it rolled off of her in waves. I doubted I could tame such a firecracker, but I could handle it with care, stoke her flames rather than putting them out. Make her burn with me. Not against me.

The boat came into the shallow harbour, and I leapt over board, hauling the rope with me, fastening it with a habit built from so many times mooring there.

Feeling eyes on me, I glanced at the bedroom window. Angry eyes glared back at me through the words HELP ME, written in black ink.

Oh Laura, you'll be licking that off before we disembark.

T he door was still firmly locked from our little trip to port, and I turned the heavy key until the lock clicked with a satisfying thunk.

Opening the door slowly, I awaited her launching herself at me. Instead, one of my boots came crashing into the wall right beside my head.

Ducking out of the way, I half grinned beneath my mask, in my own twisted manner.

My little spark was all alight.

How delightful.

I tore into the room and set myself upon her where she cowered by the bathroom, lashing out like a little hell-cat. With our size difference, there was little she could do to fight me off. Panting through my nose, I held her turned toward the window, her hair gripped firmly in my fist. Her round arse pressed against my crotch in the most maddening way and a wave of pure, unadulterated need washed through me. A possession of desire wrapped about me, and I pressed my nose into her hair, breathing her in as if her scent could satisfy me. It didn't. It just added fuel to the burning ache in my groin.

Fuck. Never had compulsion so strongly gripped me.

Pinning her between my hips and the wall, I grabbed the marker pen from the dresser and wrote over her words on the glass.

DIRTY GIRLS DO DIRTY THINGS.

Forcing her head back, I pinched her nose until in exasperation she opened her mouth.

‘Stop it,' she whimpered, ‘I'm sorry. '

Never had I wanted to speak as badly as I did around her. I had so fucking much to say. Using one finger, I wrote on the tender skin at the side of her neck.

LICK IT CLEAN

‘I don't want to,' she whispered.

NOW

I thrust two fingers deep into her mouth, rubbing them over her tongue. The wet heat had my knees practically buckling. If she didn't do as I demanded, I'd soon find a much more interesting way to use her tongue.

Laura gagged when I pressed my fingers more firmly back toward her throat, fucking her mouth with them.

‘Okay,' she spluttered against my fingers, spit dripping down over them.

With a tentative movement, she pressed her tongue against the glass, leaving a trail of spit.

I watched from over her shoulder, delighting in the way the arch of her back rubbed her ass against my hard dick. Paying for sex had always been easy, but the women preferred not to look at my scarred face, and I preferred to just get the deed over and done with as quickly as possible. But this? This was a whole new heady rush. Fuck, every touch drove me to a madness that I craved. When she eventually gave into me, or drove me to the point I could hold back no longer, it would be mind blowing.

Black pen gathered on her tongue as she swept it over the glass, the word dirty transferring from the pane into her mouth.

She'd never looked so fucking hot.

Yes, I wanted to croon in her ear, that's my pretty pet.

I shifted my grip closer to her scalp, using my hand to direct her tongue. The HELP ME wouldn't budge after being there for hours, but my words slowly disappeared.

Much to my surprise, as I gripped harder, she let out a little moan. The sweetest sound I'd ever heard.

Redness filled her cheeks, and she tried to move away from the window. I grunted as I pressed her face back to it, making her resume her slow licking.

GOOD GIRL

I spelled out against her throat with my other hand.

A tear escaped her eye and made its way down her cheek. I traced its path with my gaze, jealous of its nearness to her. Being part of her. I wanted that.

I'd have done anything in the whole fucking world to pull my mask down and taste it.