Chapter Twenty-Three

I believed in good. I always had. And while it was also my weakness, as Conni correctly pointed out, it also kept me from falling—into sadness, a perma-rage, or into a life I wasn't proud of.

Even now, after all the heartache I'd been through with Leo, I could honestly say that my instincts to bet on good hadn't wavered.

Yes, I'd wasted over two years of my life with Leo. Yes, he'd cheated, and it hurt. But I did not waste my entire life on him. I did not marry, have children, or end up broken. In short, I took a detour, and then the universe was set right again.

Because evil never wins.It was the one truth throughout history. Sometimes evil took power, but it never lasted, just like it never wiped out good.

We are still here.

And as hard as the Stalins and Hitlers of the world tried, no matter what sort of friendly masks they wore or how righteously they packaged their same old hateful ideas, it never worked out in the long run.

It wasn't a question of faith, class, gender, or even education. Human brains were biologically wired to sniff out threats. We were the masters of seeing patterns, and when those patterns added up to something that didn't smell right, our defenses went up. We took notice. The tipping point.

Eventually, self-determination took over—the need to not simply survive, but to live a free, safe, happy life. A good life. That was the human race's default position. It was why for thousands of years those with bad intentions couldn't wipe us out. We would only allow ourselves to live in an unnatural state of misery for so long.

So now I faced a choice: bet on Draco, or bet on Mia.

I mentally placed my chips. I bet on good.

"I'll tell you about Mia, but first you have to listen to me." I sat next to Draco on the sofa in the living room. He'd ditched the glass and was now drinking straight from the bottle.

"Makes no difference what I do, Piper. I already told you that."

"Yes, it does. Because Ten Club's been around forever just like the Seers. So why aren't they in charge yet?" I shook a finger at his face. "It's because they can't beat us all. They couldn't win when the world was made up of ten thousand people, two million, or seven billion. We will always outnumber them."

"We who? Because I am the them you speak of."

"No, you're not. And you have all the power in the world. Use it to show everyone what's waiting. We'll go on social media. You'll use your power to make the news channels report the truth for once. It's the only way to stop it now, Draco. I know it is."

He took another swig.

I got up and grabbed the bottle. "Stop that! This is important."

"You think I do not know that?" He snatched the scotch back, his eyes lingering on my breasts for a moment. It wasn't the first time I'd caught him eyeing me like that, and I'd been looking at him, too.

I ignored how that made me feel—libidinous—and took the bottle back again. "You're not listening. This isn't over."

"And you are in denial."

"Fine! Whatever. But like you told King, there's no harm in trying. If I'm wrong, then I'm wrong. Nothing changes. But if I'm right, then we win." I handed him back his bottle. "Please, I am begging you. Just try. There's nothing to lose."

He shook his head. "I will do what you're asking, but first, tell me who Mia is. You've been avoiding her in your thoughts and lying to me since this morning. Why?"

And I hated myself for holding out, but I'd made my choice. I bet on good. And that meant being honest.

I confessed everything to Draco about my visit with Mia, and then I watched him get up and close his bedroom door. No anger. No words. I was just shut out.

I understood how on top of the events today he might feel I was piling on his misery, but he had to see I'd never taken serious action to make him hate me. Even if I had, would it really have been such a terrible thing? I'd do anything to help him win. Anything.

I went to his door and knocked softly. "Draco? Can I come in? I have a glass of water for you." He needed it, I imagined.

He didn't reply, so I opened the door. At the same time, Draco stepped out of the bathroom, patting a towel to his face.

He was naked, wet, and looking just as beautiful as the first time I saw his body, with tight ropes of muscles on his arms, which flexed and bulged as he moved the towel over his face and chest.

His wide shoulders tapered down into a waist that had been painstakingly shaped to perfection, forming the top of a deep V that traveled down to his groin.

Oh God, that V. It perfectly framed the magnificent cock hanging low between his strong thighs like a work of art. He was a gorgeous creature, sexually flawless as he was dangerous.

He dropped his hands, and his icy, pale eyes zeroed in on me. "I thought I told you not to barge in."

I closed my eyes. "I knocked first. Can we talk?"

"I am not in the mood. And open your eyes."

I did it, but Draco had dropped the towel altogether, standing boldly on display.

I clenched my eyes shut again. "Draco, you're drunk."

"Maybe, but we might not have another opportunity. Things will come to a head soon, and your guess is as good as mine which way it'll go. It is now or never, Piper."

He wanted to have sex?

"I believe fucking is a more appropriate term," he said, "but use whichever word you like—screwing, fornication, sexual intercourse—makes no difference to me as long as I get to slide my hard dick inside you. Now, open your eyes."

My stomach flipped. My arms broke out in goosebumps. Yes, I desired him, but it was in a way that felt dirty and wrong, like wanting something I shouldn't.

"Perhaps the real issue is you're afraid to take what you want." He tsked. "Your selflessness will be your downfall someday, Piper. That is unless the world ends, and then you'll be kicking your own ass for not giving in to your desire while you had the chance." He paused. "I know you want me."

"You're dangerous." He could see right through me, so he knew I wasn't talking about his powers. My feelings for him were getting perilously close to crossing the line from lust to something more. If I lost control, then what?

"Do you really have so little faith in yourself?" He sighed with disapproval. "It's a shame you do not see how strong you are. You're cautious with an inquisitive mind. You never write off anyone until they've proven to be disloyal. And you never deviate from what you truly believe. So if you truly think you are too weak to handle me, then there's the door. Otherwise, open your eyes, Piper, and take off your clothes so I can fuck you."

I did not consider myself weak. I feared wanting something I shouldn't, and for good reason.

I hesitated to open my eyes, feeling my core heat up in pulsing waves. I couldn't lie. I wanted to know what it would feel like to have him inside me. Draco was more beautiful than a god, yet more sincere and human than any man I'd ever met.

He'd been kept away from everyone in a fake world, where he was denied a genuine existence, yet he came out of it feeling solely responsible to save the world. What happened to me and everyone else mattered to him.

Sadly, I couldn't say the same for those who'd actually been given this responsibility. All around us, those in power weren't just failing us, they were the architects of our demise.

"You mistake my ego for compassion," he said. "I have a problem with anyone telling me who I'm meant to be and/or attempting to control me. That is the reason I am fighting."

A lie. I knew because I'd been watching him carefully. "See. Your humility is proof you're not evil. You're good, like me."

A long, silent moment passed. My heart wasn't letting up and neither was my urge to give in to my sexual urges. The hollow, damp ache between my thighs said it all.

"Then open your damned eyes, Piper, and take off your fucking clothes."

I debated for one more second and then looked at his naked body. My heart rate exploded the moment my eyes settled on his full arousal. He was so damned hard, every thick inch of him waiting for me.

The space between my legs began uncontrollably throbbing, shooting wave after wave of need straight through me.

"There. Not so difficult," he said with a tone that skirted arrogance. "Now strip and get on the bed."

I shrugged my brows.

"Please," he added but wasn't really asking.

I slowly pulled my blue shirt over my head and then shed my jeans while his eyes burned through me. I left on my bra and panties, walked over to the bed, and sat on the edge. If he wanted me naked, he'd have to finish the job. I couldn't claim to be as comfortable in the nude as he was. Plus, there was something inherently erotic about a man removing your panties. I wanted to watch him do it.

"Then you're about to get your wish," he said.

Ah, yes. Nothing in my head is private.

He walked over and stood in front of me, putting me eye to eye with his dick. I cleared my throat, wondering what would happen next. Was he going to try to shove it in my mouth or—

"What sort of man do you take me for?" he said. "I do not shove my cock into places with teeth. Not without an invitation." He pushed me back on the bed and slid his hands up my legs before gripping my underwear. I watched him slowly slide them down to my ankles before tossing them to the floor. I would savor that image the rest of my life—having a gorgeous, strong, well-hung man prepare me for sex.

He stared at my valley between my legs and then grabbed my knees, opening me up to him. He growled as his hungry gaze lingered on the sight of my entrance.

I watched as his hand glided down his six-pack and began stroking his own length, as if he were fantasizing about what came next.

"That is exactly what I am doing," he said, his voice gravelly. "I am going to fuck you raw and deep and then finish right where I can watch myself bathe the entrance to your beautiful pussy with cum."

Okay, um…

He grabbed my legs, lifting my ankles over his shoulders, and then moved onto the bed. He wedged the head of his cock in my slick, heated entrance, making me moan. Feeling his warm, soft crown nudging against me was almost enough to drive me to orgasm.

"Do it," I panted. He hadn't kissed me or removed my bra to expose my hard nipples. He hadn't taken the time to explore my body with his mouth. And it was perfect. Probably because we both knew the last few days had been foreplay. He'd had to have heard my hungry, sexual thoughts a million times or noticed how I'd been trying not to stare at his strong back and thick arms.

Or that ass. His fucking muscled ass.He'd heard it all—me wanting him in me, over me, grunting and pumping deep.

"You are so fucking sexy," he said, his voice slow and deep. "Better than a dream. Every damned piece of you."

I felt the same, even if I was undeniably terrified. How could he think I'd ever kill him when I want him so much?

"It was a mistake." His pale eyes focused on my face, like he was possessing me with his gaze. "After I fuck you, we will talk and find another way. Just forget everything I said before."

Before I could ask which thing he meant, he thrust deep in one fluid motion.

Oh God.I gasped, a mixture of delicious discomfort and pleasure as he rocked the base of his shaft against my clit. So good. So good.

I wanted him to let go of my legs, to get closer so I could touch him.

Listening to my thoughts, he did just that. I could definitely see the potential of Draco being inside my head while he was inside my body.

Fuck me from behind. Do it hard. Make me come with your hand.

He pulled out, and with a deep, sexually charged growl, he turned me over. His strong hands gripped my hips, tugging me to my knees and into position. I instantly felt the head of his slick cock pushing in. Just an inch, then out again. He repeated the motion, teasing my plump, pink flesh with his dick.

Just do it. Fuck me like you promised.Leo and I had had sex. I'd had sex with a few others before him. But never, not once in my life, had I ever burned like I did for Draco. The need went beyond animalistic.

He thrust hard, producing a sharp pain inside as he hit the entrance to my womb. I loved the fact he was so thick it hurt and so long he almost didn't fit. I wanted him to push my boundaries because with every thrust, there was no room in my head for anything else.

Draco started fucking me like he owned me, taking and giving with savage motions.

"More," I panted. "Harder."

His nails dug into my hips, and his thrusts turned into a chorus of slapping sounds while his balls slammed against my entrance.

I was going to come.

"Flip me over," I panted. I wanted to look at his beautiful lips, jaw, and cheekbones.

He turned me, and we locked eyes for a split second. His expression was a mixture of brutal need and possessiveness.

His lips smashed against mine, and while I hadn't imagined our first kiss being so violent, it was genuine. Desperation and desire.

His tongue delved into my mouth, our tongues massaging and dancing in time with his pistoning hips.

Then I felt the buildup. My toes pointed straight. My nipples turned to hard pebbles, and my ass clenched down, giving way to the euphoric explosion between my legs.

He stopped moving and pressed his entire weight into me, deepening the reach of his cock.

"Oh God." I closed my eyes, everything spinning. My body lost all sense of itself while waves of pleasure roared through every inch of me.

He let out a primal, gravelly sound, and I felt his cock twitching inside. He was coming. Hard.

I thought he was going to pull out. And I just don't care. It felt too good to stop.

The tiny shockwaves of pleasure surged over and over again, refusing to let go. I rocked my hips against him, riding the waves, not wanting it to end. Nothing else existed in this moment—not the worries about our fate, the ugliness happening in the world, or the fear of falling in love with Draco. Everything was good. Better than good.

After a few moments, Draco collapsed on top, still inside me, his hot breath bathing the crook of my neck.

"Fuck, Piper. What was that?" he muttered.

"I don't know," I panted, my body covered in sweat. That had been so much more than fucking. I felt like he'd been inside every cell of my body.

Draco lifted his hips and watched himself pull out of me. His cock was slick and still hard, like he hadn't had enough.

"If you want more…" Because that was amazing.

"Yes, it was amazing." He rolled onto his back beside me. "Just give me five minutes."

I was about to say I'd hold him to it, and then everything went dark in my head.