Chapter Six

Bri

I listened to the conversation Mr. Delaney was having with his associate, the scary guy from the club, and my heart beat faster with every word that they spoke. When he turned and saw me listening, I quickly closed the door and backed away. I needed to get the hell out of here. I didn’t belong here. I didn’t want to be embroiled in whatever dangerous life he led.

When he walked through the door, I jumped back.

“Listening at doors is an unattractive habit.” He stalked toward me as I backed farther into the room, matching my retreating steps with his own. “It can also be hazardous.”

A wave of apprehension swept over me. “I didn’t hear anything.”

The smile in his eyes held a sensuous flame. “Oh, I think you heard quite a bit. If you didn’t overhear anything, you wouldn’t be shirking away from me like a frightened rabbit.” He gave my body a raking gaze. “I’m not going to hurt you, Bri, but I am tired, and I am going to take a hot shower, and I want you to join me.”

“I…I…don’t think…”

I watched as he rolled his eyes, but before I could finish the thought forming in my head, he stepped forward and scooped me into his arms.

“While I enjoy our little arguments, I don’t have time for it this morning.”

He placed me on my feet, and I stood there frozen as he turned on the shower and removed his clothes.

Damn, resisting him was going to be harder than I thought. He was freaking magnificent . A c hiseled chest and rippled abs were just the icing on the cake. And the tattoos, good grief. They just made him look that much hotter .

He held his hand out to me and when I hesitated, he raised his brows and tilted his head to the side.

His invitation was beginning to be a challenge that I was struggling to resist. Logically everything was telling me to refuse, to run in the opposite direction. But no matter what my brain was telling me, I wanted more. I needed to feel something I couldn’t explain. My body hummed with a deep yearning that grew stronger the longer I was with him. I blew out a deep slow breath and slipped the torn silk shirt I was wearing to the floor. My skin tingled as his gaze dropped from my eyes to my shoulders, then to my breasts and lower. He crooked his finger at me, and I stepped forward, placing my hand in his. He radiated a vitality that drew me to him like a magnet. He pulled me into the shower with him, but I immediately stepped back against the wall as far away from him as I could get, not quite prepared for the intensity of my feelings. I crossed my arms over my chest as the hot water streamed over his body. Holy shit! The man was sculpted like a freaking Magic Mike dancer and the water running down his sinewy body caused the desire that was burning on a slow flame inside me to flare. I bit down on my lip as I allowed myself the pleasure of ogling him…thoroughly. For the most part, he ignored my presence, and all I could do was stare as the steam began to rise around me.

“You know instead of standing there shivering against the cold tile you could enjoy the show while being an active participant.”

I shook my head. “I’ll wait till you’re done. Besides, I don’t think this is within the rules.”

His laughter was low and throaty. “Rules? I wasn’t aware that we had rules.”

“I thought it would be best, so I set some of my own.”

He moved toward me and put his hands on either side of my head effectively caging me in with his arms. “You want to fill me in on some of those little rules you made up in your head.”

His body wasn’t touching mine, but he was close enough that I could feel the heat of his wet skin against my own. “Well, I think we should avoid situations like this.”

“Showering together?”

“Anything that requires us to both be naked…yes.”

He leaned closer and his lips pressed against the skin on my neck just below my ear. “I have never been a fan of rules.” He pulled me away from the wall underneath the hot stream of water.

“Rules are for those too afraid to take chances or risks. Rules make life rigid.”

He dragged me against his body, his erection pressed against my belly, and I gasped even as my hands moved over his shoulders marveling at how firm he felt beneath my fingers.

“Rules….rules…are necessary for survival.”

His hands began a lust-arousing exploration of my flesh as he trailed a line down my spine to the base of my ass. His other hand traced over the side of my breast and back over the curve of my neck as it arched to the side before gripping my hair in his fist and pulling my head back hard.

“I suppose in some cases rules are a necessity to survive. Tell me the rest of these…rules.”

He lowered his head again, this time his teeth nipped lightly at my throat, and I clamped my thighs together tighter as moisture began to build. His fingers glided across my belly before sweeping between my legs, cupping me, and making my knees buckle.

“Are there rules against this? Tell me. What other rules are you trying to impose on me, Bri?”

His warm breath caressed my skin as he whispered near my ear, and I had to put my hands against his chest to keep myself from leaning in.

“We shouldn’t kiss. We should avoid touching each other as much as possible and we shouldn’t….” Even as I spoke the words, my hands had drifted lower down his chest and over his taut abs.

“What? What else has your pretty little head decided that we shouldn’t do?”

I swallowed hard. “We shouldn’t have sex.”

His arm tightened around me, and he walked me backward until I felt my back hit the opposite wall, the coolness of the tile was shocking against my warm wet skin.

“It seems as if we have broken all of those rules except one.”

My breathing increased, my heart jolted, and my pulse pounded as I stared up into his deep brown eyes that held so much promise of what was to come.

His hand gripped my chin tightly.

“I don’t do rules, Bri. I don’t take orders. I don’t have a lot of patience, and I do not share what belongs to me with anyone.”

His lips claimed mine fiercely, punishingly, and I found myself clinging to him, surprised by my eager response to the touch of his lips. One minute I was thinking of pushing him away and the next minute, I found myself surrendering…completely.

I returned his kiss fervently and when his tongue swooped inside my mouth to twist and tangle with mine, shivers of desire raced through me.

He turned off the water then gripped my ass as he lifted me and wrapped my legs around his waist before carrying me from the shower never stopping until he roughly deposited me on the bed. Both of us dripping wet, both of our bodies hot to the touch. The cool sheets clung to my body as I scooted back against the pillows.

His eyes had grown darker and more serious as they raked over my body. “I have waited for you longer than I have any other woman.” He hovered over me before taking his hand and pushing my legs apart. I closed my eyes as the sensation of his lips moving slowly up my legs from my ankles to the backs of my knees made me quiver. His tongue began licking and kissing up my inner thighs until he pressed his mouth against my folds. My hips arched off the covers as his tongue swiped over me. His teeth lightly nipped my clit before his tongue flicked over me again. My fists gripped the covers on the bed as sensations that I was unfamiliar with swept over me. His hands gripped my hips, pushing me back down so he could further his exploration of my most intimate areas with his mouth and tongue.

“I knew you would taste sweet.”

The moan that escaped my lips was much louder than I intended, and my hand moved to cover my mouth. A low groan of appreciation slipped past his lips and the vibrations against my sex nearly made me come undone. He continued licking and sucking my clit until my body began to convulse. The ferocity of my orgasm shocked me and I closed my eyes and bit down so hard on my lip that the copper taste of blood was on my tongue.

“That’s it, my innocent little angel. I want you to cum on my tongue. I want to taste you.”

My cheeks burned with embarrassment. I had never felt anything like this before and the fact that his words were turning me on was shocking. I tried to scoot backward but his fingers tightened on my hips.

“Be still, love. I’m not done, yet.”

Before I could blink, he flipped me over onto my stomach and his body covered mine, pressing me deeper into the mattress. He gripped my wrists and pulled my arms over my head. “Don’t move.”

I tried to rise on my elbows and turned my head to look back at him. I immediately received a sharp smack on my ass.

“Were you not listening? I said don’t move.”

He leaned down near my ear. “Since you seem to like rules so much, I’ll make a few of my own, sweetheart. One of them is to always do what I say, especially when we are in bed.”

My ass was still stinging, and I was sure his palm had left a red mark. His hands moved from my wrists down my arms to my sides. He began feathering a series of slow shivery kisses down my spine.

“Open your legs for me.”

When I hesitated, he bit down hard on my right ass cheek. “I can leave marks all over you, baby, but I would prefer to give you more pleasure than pain, as much pleasure as your body can handle.”

I opened my legs just a bit, but he pressed them wider. His fingers slipped between my legs, and I sucked in a sharp intake of air when he entered me.

“Fuck! You’re so goddamn tight. I want to drive into your sweet, tight little pussy and feel your body clench around my cock while I fuck you.”

After working magic with his fingers, he roughly flipped me onto my back and lay between my thighs, his throbbing erection pressing at my entrance. He leaned down and sucked my nipple into his mouth, the pain was both surprising and exhilarating.

“I want you to scream, Bri. Don’t hold back, baby.”

His eyes locked with mine and a silent communication passed between us, demanding to know if I was willing, if this was what I wanted. My voice wouldn’t work, but the slight incline of my head was all he needed.

He slowly pressed into me just a fraction of an inch. “Lift your hips, love.”

I did as he said and cried out loudly when he roughly thrust deep inside me. He stilled while I tried to get my breathing under control. My eyes closed tightly as my body adjusted to his intrusion.

His deep husky voice cut through the silence. “Open your eyes and look at me, Bri.”

I did as he asked, and the look on his face chilled me to the bone. Was he angry? Why the hell would he be angry? I was the one feeling like I had been ripped apart.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were a virgin?”

I blinked away the moisture gathering in my eyes. “It isn’t something that usually comes up in casual conversation and things between us moved much faster than a normal relationship.”

He leaned down and brushed a gentle kiss across my forehead before softly kissing my lips.

“If I had known, I would have taken you slower.”

I looked away, embarrassed by his sudden tenderness. “I’m fine.”

His brow furrowed as his frown intensified. He pulled out of me and pressed back in more slowly allowing my body to stretch around him. My hips shifted so I could take more of him. His thrusts gradually grew in intensity and became faster, more frenzied, rougher, and I let my hands move over his chest, my nails leaving red streaks on his skin as they raked over his flesh. My muscles tightened as another orgasm began building inside me. My hips began to rock with his and his thrusts became more urgent, harder. I cried out again as he began to pound into me furiously. My whole body trembled as a rush of release came over me and he thrust again, and I felt him empty himself inside me.

The ramifications of what I had allowed him to do, what I wanted him to do, began to race through my mind.

“We just broke all my rules.” It was the only thing I could think of saying.

He leaned up on his elbows with an irresistibly devastating grin on his face. “Yes, we did, and I can see another round of rule-breaking in our near future.”

His smile slipped a bit as he stared into my eyes. “There is a new set of rules now, Bri, rules that will not be broken.”

My brow furrowed as I looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

He shook his head. “There will be time to talk about it later. Get dressed. I have some business to take care of this morning and another meeting at the club tonight. All the clothes you purchased are in the other bedroom, wear a dress.”

“Why a dress?”

He stood from the bed. “Because we are far from finished, and a dress will give me easier access to you.”

Rogue

The fact that she had been a virgin, that no other man had been with her before, ignited an almost primal instinct within me. A desire to claim her so everyone knew that she was mine, to protect her, and to keep her. There would never be another man in my angel’s bed. No other man would know her sweet taste or see the perfection of her naked body. I now knew that she was made just for me and after today, after taking what no other man would ever know, she truly was mine. Whether she liked the idea or not, I would not give her up.

I turned as she stepped out of the bedroom wearing a flowy pastel pink dress that came just to her knees. The black belt she was wearing showcasing her tiny waist and the sleek black heels she had on made her legs appear even longer. Long loose chocolate-colored curls hung down her back, and it took all my willpower not to toss her over my shoulder and take her back to my bed.

She sighed heavily as I stepped forward. “I wasn’t sure if this meets your specifications.”

“You look stunning.”

Her eyes immediately fell to the floor and her cheeks pinkened as if she were not used to hearing compliments.

“I’m not sure what we are doing here. I am not your employee, and I’m starting to think that was never your intention from the beginning. Yet, you refuse to let me return to my apartment. And after what just happened between us, I need some clarification. Just tell me why you have taken me and what plans you have. I think I would rather know than let my imagination keep coming up with different scenarios.”

I arched my brows. “Very well. I’ll talk, you listen. I truly did have intentions of keeping you as my employee. It was quite a lucrative offer if you will remember, but since things have taken an unexpected turn and you quit, most adamantly, I have revised my plans. As far as what happened between us, I would think it was simple. We fucked, and I have every intention of doing so again just as soon as the opportunity presents itself. That is one of the reasons I asked you to wear a dress. If it were not for the fact that other men will be present today, I would have you remove your panties so that there would be fewer barriers between us.”

She put her hands on her hips and popped her right leg out looking entirely too tempting.

“Why do you have to say things like that? Do you do it to shock me? To take my mind off my original question, why the fuck am I still here? Just tell me and as far as what we just did, I don’t think we should continue…with…I don’t think we should do it again. Sex tends to complicate relationships and well, we don’t even have a relationship. I honestly don’t know what this is.”

I stepped closer and she backed away. “How do you know sex complicates things, Bri? You were a virgin up until an hour ago.”

She rolled her eyes. “Don’t try to make me feel bad for not giving it out freely to every man I dated. I was always so busy in high school with track and dance that I never had a serious boyfriend. In college, I just wanted to go to class and go home. I was always waiting.”

“You were waiting for me, Angel.”

She turned away from me. “I knew you would make this difficult.”

“You want me to simplify things for you? Fine, you were made for me and only me, Bri, and while I may be an arrogant asshole that you hate at the moment, I am the only man that will ever lie between your legs. You can forget about ever leaving because after tasting you, after sheathing my dick to the hilt up inside your tight warm body, I will never let you go. If you run, I will find you. So, all thoughts of returning to your old life can be forgotten, all thoughts of fighting me are useless. You are mine. Now, reach under your skirt and slip your panties down your legs.”

The shocked expression on her face would have been comical if my mind had not been so filled with lust for this woman.

“You can’t be serious!”

“I am always serious. Do it, or I will do it for you…with my teeth.”

I watched her jaw tighten as she reached up underneath her dress and slid down the white lacy thong she had been wearing. I dodged as she tossed it at my face.

“Are you happy now?”

I walked forward and put my hands on her waist. “I will be when my face is buried between your thighs as I lick your pussy. Go sit on the couch and spread your legs.”

“No.”

“How long are you going to lie to yourself? You know as well as I that you enjoyed every second of my tongue on your flesh.” My fingers slowly moved up her arms, causing her flesh to prickle with excitement. “But if you truly want to pretend defiance, I can find other methods to make you comply.”

Her face turned a delightful shade of red, but she did as I instructed and moved to sit on the sofa.

“Lift your dress to your hips and spread your legs wide. I want you on full display.”

She hesitated, but when I arched an eyebrow, she complied, and holy fuck was she gorgeous. I moved forward, keeping my steps slow even though my pulse was pounding with anticipation.

I knelt before her and placed my hands on her knees, pushing them apart even wider before sliding my hands up her hips and pulling her down so she was perched on the edge. I dipped my head between her legs and immediately heard the soft groan come from her lips as my tongue worked its way over her folds. I would never get tired of her taste. I could spend the entire day in bed with her, tasting every inch of her body, marking her for everyone to see, before fucking her so hard that she would forget ever trying to leave me. I was obsessed. Obsessed with her skin, her smell, the sound of her voice, the tightness of her body…and the way she trembled when I made her cum on my tongue.

I lifted my head to look into her heavily lidded eyes. The look of satisfaction on her face was enticing. I pulled her skirt back down over her knees, then stood and walked back to where she had tossed her panties a few minutes ago.

“Here, put these back on. I don’t want to kill anyone today for accidentally getting a glimpse of heaven.”

I watched as she stood on shaking legs and slipped the panties back up over her hips. I wiped my mouth on a handkerchief and walked over to take her hand.

“Shall we go?”

She pulled away from me. “No, I want to use my phone.”

“I will buy you a new one.”

Her brow furrowed with irritation. “It’s not about getting the newest model; I want to make a call.”

I wasn’t sure why, but the thought of her calling another man made me furious. “Who?”

“Does it matter?”

I stepped toward her, closing the small space that had been between us. “I asked you a question, Bri.” I could hear the bridled anger in my voice, and I clenched my hands into fists, resisting the urge to wrap my fingers around her pretty little neck.

She walked away to stand by the windows and looked down at the street below. “I want to call my friend, Allison. She knew I was going for a job interview and will be wondering why I have not called her to tell her about it. I never expected to take a job working for some kind of crime boss and then to be taken against my will and kept prisoner at his penthouse suite.” She turned back to face me. “She will be worried, and I need to talk to her.”

“Crime boss? Are you placing me in some kind of Goodfellas fantasy? I assure you, darling, I am much worse than anything you can imagine. But to most of the world, I am just a well-connected businessman with some very questionable alliances.” I reached into my pocket and took out the phone I had taken from her last night. “Is there anyone else you need to contact besides your friend?”

She shook her head. “No, Allison is the only friend or family I have.”

A look of sadness crossed her face. “Make the call but watch what you say. I have many friends in the police department here in Chicago, most of them on my payroll, but that does not mean I want unnecessary trouble with them.”

She jerked the phone from my hand.

“I won’t tell her anything about you. She doesn’t need to know that I am being held against my will by a crazy psychopath or that I was dumb enough to sleep with you. I wouldn’t want her to get hurt trying to get me out of this mess.”

“Do you really think I would hurt your friend?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I heard enough of the conversation between you and the guy that was here earlier that I wouldn’t want to take the chance. You already told me the kind of man that you are, and I can only imagine the things you do. You are claiming that you will never let me leave and don’t seem to think anything is wrong with keeping me captive. I don’t want my one friend in this whole world to get hurt simply because I decided to try and get a job at your club. Believe me, if I could, I would turn back the clock and stay far away from you.”

The speed at which I moved surprised her. I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into my chest. “You don’t mean that. Lie to yourself all you want, but not to me. You wanted me to fuck you, I could see it in your eyes and when I make you cum on my tongue the sounds from your lips are not of pain or torture; they are pure pleasure. I told you before that I will not hurt you. You must learn to trust me. Call your friend, she will be safe.”

Bri

My whole body was trembling, and I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride of conflicted emotions. I was mad at myself because I knew he was speaking the truth. I had wanted him, but I was also afraid. Could he seriously mean that he would never let me leave or was this just another game he was playing, and why was the thought not nearly as terrifying as it should be? Right now, I couldn’t think of that. He had given me my phone and I needed to talk to Allison. I meant what I had said about not telling her everything that was going on; I wouldn’t want her to be involved. I walked into the kitchen, wanting some privacy, and looked back over my shoulder to see if he had followed me before dialing Allison’s number. She picked up on the first ring.

“Where the hell have you been, Bri? I have been worried sick.” Her voice was filled with worry and concern, and I felt terrible for putting her through this.

I kept my voice low. “I know, I know, I’m sorry. Things have been really…hectic lately.”

“Did you get the job?”

“It’s complicated, but I wanted to let you know that I am alright and I’m sorry for not calling sooner.”

“You need to leave Chicago, Bri, as soon as possible.”

An involuntary shiver ran up my spine at the urgency in her voice. “Why?”

She hesitated. “He knows where you are, Bri. Tony came to my house and told me that he was aware that I was in contact with you and wanted me to deliver a message. He said he is coming for you and that you better be ready.”

My stomach clenched tighter as fear swept over me and I gripped the counter to steady myself. The ringing in my ears grew louder, creating a piercing pain behind my eyes as my heart beat faster. I felt as if I would be sick.

“Bri? Did you hear me? You have got to leave now! He is probably already there, and it gets worse.”

The urgency in her voice brought me out of my stupor. I closed my eyes and found my voice. “How can it be worse?”

“He told me that he knows people, that he has connections, and from the sound of it, they are not the kind of men you want to find you. I’m scared for you, Bri. He put you in the hospital before and I’m afraid it will be much worse if he catches you now.”

I swallowed hard. “I can’t leave Chicago just yet.”

“If you need money, I will wire it to you. You can come back here, or you can go stay with my brother in California. He is ex-military so he can keep you safe.”

I felt my hands start to shake. “I can’t. I told you that things were complicated but I…I will think of something, but I just can’t leave.”

“Is it the new job? For God’s sake, this is your life. Tell your new boss to take his two weeks’ notice and shove it up his ass. Do I need to come there?”

“No! No, I will handle it. Things are complex, but I will call you again in a day or so. Don’t worry, Allison.”

I didn’t wait to hear another argument. I hung up and placed the phone on the marble island before rushing to the sink. I turned on the faucet and ran some cold water over my hands before pressing them to my cheeks. Hearing that Tony had discovered where I was and was coming to find me made me cringe. Now, not only was I being held hostage by a rich but incredibly sexy badass, but I had a psycho stalker trying to find me. How in the hell did I get mixed up in something like this and more importantly, how would I survive it?

I heard Rogue’s footsteps growing closer, and I realized that for the time being, living here and being close to him might be the safest place for me.

I could feel his presence standing behind me, but he had yet to touch me.

“I just need a minute and then we can leave.” I tried to whirl around him, hoping to get to the bathroom and freshen up before he noticed anything was wrong, but I wasn’t that lucky. His hand shot out and gripped my arm to stop me.

“Who are you running from, Angel?”

I sucked in a short breath. “You listened to my conversation? Did you not just say a few minutes ago that listening behind doors could be a hazardous and unattractive habit?” I tried to pull out of his grip again, but he held me firm.

“Don’t try to turn this around. Never lie to me, Bri. Your face is too easy to read, and I will always be able to tell when you aren’t being truthful. Now, tell me, what, or who are you so afraid of? Your face is pale, and you are still shaking, so I will ask again, who are you running from?”

I sighed heavily in desperation. “This isn’t any of your business, but there was a man I met in Colorado where I lived before moving to Chicago.”

His expression clouded with anger. “What is your connection to this man and why are you afraid of him?”

I looked away from the furious expression on his face. “He isn’t anyone to me. We went out on a few dates, but he became really creepy and quite insistent on having sex right away. I told him I didn’t want to see him again after date three when he got aggressively handsy in the movie theater. He slapped me around a little but one of my neighbors stopped him. I thought that was the end of it, but he started stalking me.”

“Is there more? From the way you are trembling, I am assuming it gets worse.”

I closed my eyes, not wanting to relive the nightmare again. “I can handle it. It doesn’t concern you.”

He pulled me roughly, almost violently to him. “Anything involving you concerns me!”

“Why?” His eyes narrowed even further, and I knew he was waiting for me to continue. “One night I went out with Allison. When I came home, he was waiting for me and after beating the shit out of me, he tried to rape me. If Allison had not left her purse in my car, he would have succeeded. When she came back after it, she heard my screams and interrupted him before he could follow through with what he intended. I was in the hospital for a few days and when the doctor released me, I moved to Chicago, hoping that he would forget about me, and I could start a new life here. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that will happen.”

He reached up and gently tucked a stray curl behind my ear, causing a shudder to pass through me.

“Give me his name.” The command was given in a low but serious voice.

I shook my head resolutely. “Why? I told you that this is none of your business. Allison said he has connections to some very nasty men and there is no need for you to get involved. I am not sure what I will do. She suggested I go stay with her brother in California. He is ex-military, special forces, and would be able to protect me. But I prefer to handle this myself.”

I watched as his face grew angrier. “Do you think I would allow you to go to another man for protection? I meant what I said earlier. You belong to me now, Bri. You can keep denying it and fighting it, but it will not change things. I will be the one to keep you safe, to protect you, and I will be the one to kill the bastard that hurt you.”

“Threatening to kill people is not the normal way to solve problems. And I don’t belong to you. You keep saying that, but it isn’t true. Once you’ve tired of whatever little game you are playing with me, I will be on my own again.”

His eyes hardened. “Is that what you think?”

“You can’t make me believe that this is anything more. I am just a plaything. Someone that caught your attention, an anomaly in the circles in which you move. But it won’t last. Men like you…don’t fall for girls like me.”

He grinned and my stomach flipped upside down. He was possibly the sexiest man I had ever seen.

“Hmm, you will soon learn, sweet Bri, that I am not like most men. Don’t underestimate me. Now, there is much to do today and our activities this morning, while pleasurable, have already made us late.”

He grasped my hand as we walked to the elevator, but I had a feeling he was still very angry. There was a tension in his body that wasn’t there before and the arrogant sneer on his face was even more intimidating than usual, causing a cold shiver to creep over my skin. Hopefully, today will bring me the answers I was seeking. Could it be safer to stay with Rogue Delaney, a man who had proved to be dangerous and unpredictable, than it was to run the risk of bumping into Tony and whatever bad people he was mixed up with? The elevator door opened, and I made my decision, no matter what kind of man he was or what kind of criminal shit he was mixed up in, Rogue had never hurt me. He pissed me off and made me feel things I had not felt before. He had touched me and made my skin burn with need. One look from him made my knees weak and my panties wet, but he had never caused me physical pain. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. While one man had the power to destroy me physically, the other could very easily destroy my soul, either way, I was in trouble.