Chapter 18

Maria

The way the sexy man spoke of violating my body reminded me of something I'd heard a long time before, the kind of sensual message that every woman wanted to hear yet few were willing to take a chance to taste. Fear of rejection wasn't a motivator when it came to showing vulnerability to someone you hungered for. In my case I had a terror of unmasking my secrets including those that had nothing to do with the charade.

Daniel was everything I'd tried to hate my entire life, yet the one man I longed to share passion with. It was ugly yet beautiful at the same time.

I'd cemented a padlock of hatred when he'd locked and kept me in the room for over three days. Every curse word that existed in several languages had been sworn out loud, even yelled at the top of my lungs. I was shocked the entire house hadn't overheard me. Maybe the walls were soundproof.

Now everything was different, the man's touch and booming voice, the fact he'd watched me for hours not easily shoved aside. It was as if all the anger and hatred for the man had faded away, no longer possible in my mind. His touch was enigmatic, the jolts of current constant. My pulse was racing, my vision foggy, and my mind a blur of wants and needs.

Daniel was a force to be reckoned with, a powerful man who refused to take no for an answer. I continued to have difficulty breathing, trying my best to stay focused on the moment, but the sensual effect his tongue was having on my aching pussy was driving me to an intense moment of bliss and madness.

He'd opened up to me more than I thought he was capable of, providing me with details that I doubted he'd ever told anyone. Did it make me feel special? To some degree, but there was much more to the man than what he would allow anyone to see, including possibly himself. What I hadn't realized until just a few moments earlier was that he was fighting his own set of demons just like the rest of us were. Maybe it was true that money couldn't buy happiness.

It also seemed as if he believed I could cure him of whatever darkness lurked in his soul. If he had one.

I couldn't breathe, couldn't think clearly as he drove his tongue between my slickened folds. The pleasure was overpowering, keeping me lightheaded and full of more need for someone than I'd ever experienced in my life. It was as if my thoughts were no longer my own, much like my identity was forever locked with a woman I now couldn't stand.

What I did know is that he was the sexiest man I'd ever laid eyes on. Even the cologne he'd chosen for the night was breathtaking, leaving my mouth watering and my senses on overdrive. So exotic.

So animalistic.

He would shower me with attention then he would taste me.

Take me.

Fuck me.

Chain me.

I shivered to my core at the thought. But dear God, I wanted it more than anything. It was crazy to think a little over a month prior, I'd been struggling to pay my bills or to find the time to take my mother to her appointment. Now here I was living in the lap of luxury. It was crazy, but the wildest thing of all was how much I enjoyed being around my new husband. He wasn't anything like I thought he would be, other than dangerous.

My grip on his shoulders tightened, my body shivering with the roar of passion. I was in such a state of nirvana that it was impossible to resist the longing. Waking to find him watching me, with his shirt open and his feet bare and the intense look on his face screaming of roaring desire, had awakened the woman inside of me. Yet right now, I wasn't Maria the Italian princess but Margot, the all-American girl who'd never allowed herself to believe in such craziness as Prince Charming.

"Oh, God. I can't believe that…" I couldn't even finish the sentence, the incredible sensations blocking out all ability to speak.

He blew across my pussy before driving several fingers inside, using his thumb to tantalize my already aching clit. I was certain I would pass out from the rush of pleasure, my body swaying in his hold. The moment he pulled the tissue of my tender bud into his mouth, I lost it completely, the orgasm powering up from my toes, driving into every muscle and heating my blood to a boiling point.

"Mmm…" he growled, the filtered sound floating into my ears exactly what I needed to feel utter freedom. The realization was as impossible to grasp as all the good fortune that had been bestowed on me.

"Yes. Yes. Yes…"

Yet a nagging feeling the house of cards was ready to fall continued. I slowly dropped my head, allowing the white-hot heat to sear every nerve ending. Another beautiful wave swept through me, the rush of adrenaline keeping me on a crazy precipice, the dark abyss below strangely calling my name.

He'd managed to get full control over my body in a short period of time. That wasn't possible. I had to be dreaming. But as he shoved several fingers into my aching channel, still licking me like a wild man, I was forced to admit that I didn't want this to be a dream. I knew that nothing would stop him from bringing me to another orgasm, something I didn't want to give him.

But as with every other aspect of his life, he was in his element, taking what he wanted. I couldn't seem to stop shaking, yet the euphoric moment was as draining as it was exhilarating. I remained in an intense fog, licking my dry lips as I tried to focus.

When he pulled back, easing against the chair, I continued to sway, trying to keep my balance on his muscular legs. He reached for his glass, taking his time to roll his tongue around his lips in an exaggerated fashion. He seemed amused when I remained unblinking, tossing back a huge gulp of his drink before thudding the dense crystal on the table, popping a cherry into his mouth afterwards.

"I'm curious, lovely bride. What do you think you see?"

The question was easy to answer. "A man in turmoil."

"Interesting. What else?"

"A man refusing to walk away from something he no longer wants."

He cocked his head. "We always want what we shouldn't have. Isn't that the case?"

"Sometimes, unless the situation is forced."

"Did I force you to hunger for me?"

"Yes." But that wasn't the truth and he knew it. Every time he laughed, the deep baritone set off a series of fireworks dancing inside.

"You're lying to yourself, Maria. While you might not approve of my actions, I knew the moment I met you that you were to be mine. You felt the same."

I wanted to rebut his claim but there was no denying the way I'd felt.

"You know I'm right. Now, ask me to fuck you," he demanded.

His arrogance was the only consistent thing about him. But the man was right. Nothing could hide my body's reactions or the scent wafting between us. "What if I don't?"

His growl was a powerful aphrodisiac. "Ask me."

I closed my eyes, trying to forget where I was. As another rush of current sent firecrackers into my muscles, I could no longer deny what my body wanted. "Fuck me, Daniel. Just fuck me." I knew in giving into his demands, I was also setting him free of any restraint and he would take me any way he wanted.

His eyes became nothing but pools of darkness that even the shimmer of the lighting couldn't change. Everything about him changed in a blink of eye, the man becoming the carnal savage that he'd shown me from the beginning of our toxic yet beautiful relationship, but there was a difference. As if my request had awakened something else inside of him.

It was truly as if karma had put us together for all eternity.

He didn't bother kissing me passionately like before nor did he waste any time. Within seconds he pulled me down with a rush of force, thrusting his cock deep inside, stretching my muscles to accept his wide girth.

I threw my head back and moaned, blinking as I stared at the bright stars over my head. "Yes. Yes…"

"So tight, my lovely wife. So wet." Daniel pulled out, slamming into me again, the force creating a series of tingles that refused to stop. Everything about the moment was as perfect as it was certain to ruin us.

I clawed his shoulders as I held on, biting my cheek to try to keep from crying out. The man seemed to enjoy my reactions. His eyelids were half closed but there was no doubt he was paying attention to everything I did.

My pussy clenched and released several times, pulling his shaft in even deeper. I was tossed into another moment of ecstasy almost instantly, enjoying the sinful event more than I should. I dug my knees against him and when he growled, I shivered to my core.

There was no need for further words. We were both nothing but animals at this point. He rolled the rough pads of his fingers up the length of my spine, fisting my hair. He twisted the strands around his fingers as he lifted his hips, plunging in rapid motions.

I felt like I was on cloud nine as he pumped hard and fast. He was so forceful in everything he did, the look on his face carnivorous. The man remained famished, his stamina unlike anything I had ever envisioned or imagined, the incredible round of passion stealing my breath.

The barbaric sounds he made only added to the excitement, the way we fit together a cautionary tale of opposites attracting. Or of a woman who realized how much she adored a dominating man.

"Come for me. I need to feel you erupt over my cock," he commanded.

His words were almost inaudible, but his heated breath was like a bolt of lightning.

"Oh. Oh. Oh… I…"

"Don't hold back, Maria. I need you to obey me. I will make certain you do at all times."

Always in charge. Always making certain I understood that. There was no way I could challenge him, no desire to even bother. As the climax rushed up from the tips of my toes, I was driven into another insane pop of ecstasy.

"God. Oh. Yes. Yes!" The orgasm was even more powerful than what I'd experienced before with his mouth, my reaction involuntary as I pushed hard against him. He held me fast, refusing to let me go. As my muscles squeezed around the thick invasion, I could tell he was swelling, barely able to hold back. Panting, I licked my lips then squeezed my muscles again.

He cocked his head, issuing a guttural sound. "Are you trying to make me come inside of you, princess? Is that what you want, to have me fill you with my seed?"

The way he asked the questions was so dirty, the sin we were performing against every rule of decency. But it would seem neither one of us could stop, our draw to one another a break from reality. He was already pulling me into his darkness, one I feared would destroy my very soul.

But I couldn't get enough of him. As another orgasm rushed into my system, he yanked me into a deep arc, biting down on my nipple. Another mark. Another sign of ownership.

I lost it, the climax so powerful a scream erupted from deep inside. As the sound floated away to the ceiling, he thrust even harder. The second he released his hold, he pinched one nipple while continuing to suck and lick the other.

"Oh. Oh. Oh." My body continued to shake violently, but he held me fast. I heard murmurs, the deepness of his voice like a warm blanket.

There was no way for him to hold back. His entire body shook as he continued to pound into me, driving like the savage I knew him to be. I bucked hard against him, lifting my head and sweeping my arms across his shoulders.

But as he locked eyes with mine, I was able to catch a glimpse of the man buried deeply inside.

One that was scarred.

One that was haunted.

And one that longed to be set free.

Unable to accept that there was any level of decency inside of him, I closed my eyes, squeezing my muscles. I heard his intense roar as he erupted deep inside of me and almost instantly images of hell popped into my mind.

My mama had always wanted me to be a good girl, waiting for the right man, something I knew she hadn't done. She'd suffered tremendously because of it. I'd promised her I would be strong, resisting the urge to fall for someone who could never learn to love me. Now there was no way I could keep my promise to her.

I was already having feelings for a man who didn't belong to me, one who could turn against me at any time.

I was tarnished. I was owned.

And I would be forsaken.

Daniel

Sleep.

In my line of work, I always felt as if resting had been one of my few weaknesses. In the early days, I'd refused to keep a weapon by my bed, even sleeping soundly especially after working on the ranch. There was certainly nothing like good, hard physical activity to require a deep sleep to be refreshed.

My sweet Maria had been very pleased when I'd told her what she believed to be secrets about myself. I'd remained beside her as she'd curled onto her side, watching her finally floating away into a sweet dream.

I realized that I'd never had a single woman spend a night inside the house. I'd shared a few interesting experiences with one or two, but no one had enticed me enough to warrant risking my security. Having Maria with me meant significant changes to several aspects of my life, something I wasn't fond of.

The time spent with her seemed surreal, as if it was never intended to happen. I'd laid there for what seemed like hours, listening to her peaceful breathing before returning to my perch in the chair. And the weapon I now kept with me at all times had remained on the table beside me. I'd fumed as I'd tried to decide how best to handle the situation with the O'Banyon family.

My decision could start the war everyone didn't want but I didn't care at this point. Constantine had been right. There had to be consequences played out in vibrant colors, namely red in order to keep our reputation intact.

It was still early morning and I had every intention of keeping my promise to Maria, taking her riding. Why the hell not? We were supposed to be basking on a beach in the Mexican waters, not holed up at my ranch with guards surrounding the property. I snorted as I took my mug of coffee into my office, finding Kane there waiting as I did half the time. He knew me and my moods better than anyone else, which allowed him to stay ahead of my demands.

Today was just another workday like any other. Business was business, especially when so much money was at stake.

I had left her a slight surprise by not locking her inside her room. She had one more chance at earning my trust. If she attempted to escape again, I would be forced to take other measures. Like shackling her to the bed.

Hell, maybe I'd do that anyway. I was surprised I was in such a good mood.

"What's the word on the street?" I asked. "Have you found the bastards?"

"Well, good morning to you as well. You look like shit by the way," Kane observed. "And the word on the street is that the Thorn name has taken a direct hit like I was certain it would. There are even rumors floating around you were paralyzed in the accident, others claiming you'd died. Would you believe I found a reporter snooping around at the entrance this morning when I drove in? The idiot was claiming the same thing, including he had pictures of your dead body."

"I'm afraid to ask what you did to the idiot," I snorted. They'd obviously mistaken Roger for me. Maybe that wasn't a bad thing. Still, if that was the case, Liam would be gloating in the open, not running with his tail stuck between his legs. I had a bad feeling about this as I did the entire situation.

His toothy grin was the one he used when he'd managed to flex his muscles. He couldn't care less about having our name dragged through the Kansas City mud. "Let's just say they could need a day or two off to recover."

I glared at him, lifting a single eyebrow.

"I'm kidding. Okay? I did explain it was private property and if they wanted to spend the night in jail, they could hang around. They got the message."

"Good. And let the idiots think I'm dead." If that was the case, then why did Liam run like the fucking coward he was? Because he knew what I was capable of. I rubbed my finger from one side of my jaw to the other, still enjoying the scent of her remaining all over me. It seemed the hot shower had infused our scents together. I could certainly get used to that.

"I take it you had better things to do than sleep."

I moved behind my desk, sitting down with a hard thud. Given the exhaustion and the level of aches and pains I was feeling from the assassination attempt, I was fearful I wouldn't be able to get up. Leaning back, I tapped my fingers on the keyboard, thinking about a few things she'd said the night before. "She's completely unexpected."

"Okay. I take it that's good."

"Let's just say she's nothing like the crap printed on the internet about her." I suddenly had an idea, sitting up in the chair and shifting to Google. When I typed in what I was looking for, several sites pulled up.

"Why does that sound ominous? That isn't the first time you've said something like that. Do you want me to run another check on Maria? I can do a deeper dive than your brother did given a few contacts I have."

I was already deeply engrossed in what I was looking at, barely hearing what he was saying. "What did you ask?"

He laughed as he shook his head. "That woman has already changed you and I'm not certain in a good way. I asked if you wanted me to run a deep dive on her."

I thought about his request, glancing twice back at the screen. "She has changed me, but not in the way you think. No, I don't need to be told she's lived the same kind of oppressive lifestyle I have over the years."

"Whew. Okay. Are you going to join the hunt for the illustrious Irish leader this morning?"

I returned my attention to the screen, taking my time shifting from one page to the other until I found exactly what I was looking for. "No. Not this morning," I finally answered. "Where are we on finding out if his men are still in town?"

"I have our best trackers on it but as you might imagine, no one is talking."

"Of course not."

"But we can't allow the bastards to think they won. You know that better than anyone." He was unusually exasperated.

"I have no intentions of it. As soon as either a single member of the O'Banyon family or his men are found, then we'll send the kind of message the illustrious leader won't soon forget."

He grinned like I'd just told him we were going to Disneyland. "How bloody are we talking?"

"You know what, my friend? You need to get yourself a hobby."

"Beating people is my hobby. Incidentally, when are you going to indulge my request for a boxing match?"

I laughed and glanced quickly at the photograph once again. Maybe I could bring a permanent smile to Maria's face. "Soon. To answer your previous question, enough so we'll need a clean-up crew to follow closely behind us. I think I'll enjoy watching the life drain from a few people tonight. It's been a while." I'd torch the buildings Liam had been known to frequent, but the people's homes and businesses he'd already invaded didn't deserve to pay for his sins. Maybe my lovely bride was indeed rubbing off on me.

"Now we're talking. I'll be ready."

"Bring your hunting knife. I'll bring mine," I chortled.

He flexed his hands, pushing out his arms and cracking his fingers, a sound he knew I loathed. "When you're bad, you're pretty damn good. We'll track them down. I promise you that much, boss. It almost feels like an early Christmas present. You know there is nothing I like more than slicing and dicing."

Something caught my line of sight. The moment Maria entered the room, I could tell she'd overheard Kane's statement. So much for keeping her from my work. That wasn't going to be possible inside this house.

She stopped short. The sight of so much surprise and disgust in her eyes caught me off guard. Had her father really managed to convince her that his world wasn't corrupt? It couldn't be possible. Maybe she'd bought into the idea of a fairytale romance. Nope. That wasn't it either. I flicked off the internet site I was on, immediately rising to my feet.

Kane looked at me more sheepishly than I thought possible, backing away so she had a clear path to walk toward me. Only she didn't do that. She stayed right where she was, looking like a vision from heaven in her tight black jeans and form-fitting crimson shirt. This was the kind of red I wanted to indulge in. Spilling blood didn't have the same meaning any longer.

Maybe my lieutenant was right in that she'd managed to change me. Stranger things had happened than that over the years. "You're up," I told her.

She was even sporting a ponytail, something completely different than I was used to. Most women wouldn't be caught dead without makeup, their nails done or hair perfectly styled. She appeared fresh, her cheeks red mostly from a recent shower, her only eye makeup mascara and her lips glossy, drawing my attention to the fact I wanted to kiss her all over again.

She threw Kane a sideways glance before folding her arms. "I usually don't sleep late."

"Such a work ethic."

"You have no idea. But some of us do honest work."

I shifted my gaze toward my second, who was enjoying the slight rebellious tone in her voice. He coughed into his hand to keep from laughing. I couldn't remember that last time when I'd allowed anyone to talk to me with such disrespect.

And fuck if I didn't love it.

"If you locate the soldiers, then we meet around six-thirty tonight to handle the situation as discussed," I told Kane. "Have my men standing by."

"Constantine wants to be involved."

Of course my brother did. "The more the merrier. Let him know the current plan. Perhaps his trackers will be helpful as well."

"Will do. What about Mrs. Thorn?" he asked in return.

"What about her?" Maria piped in.

Kane grinned, lifting his eyebrows in a silent message of knowing I had my hands full.

"Put Brock in charge."

"Will do. Nice to see you again, Mrs. Thorn."

As he started to walk out, she gave him a harsh look. "I wish I could say the same thing."

"El Jefe. Good luck," he told me before walking out.

She cocked her hip, tightening the grip she had on both arms. "You're slicing and dicing today? Is this all about the assassination attempt?"

"Don't believe everything you hear out of Kane's mouth, but the bad deed can't go unpunished."

"I'll try and keep that in mind. What terrible deeds are you doing today?"

I sauntered toward her, noticing she was wearing red tennis shoes. Even those seemed out of place but were definitely something I could get used to. As I neared, I could tell her breathing was becoming increasingly labored, the redness in her cheeks extending further down to her jaw. I did so enjoy making her flustered. Did that make me an even worse man? I wasn't certain I cared. "Nothing for the next few hours."

"Then what?" She was still pensive even after what we'd shared. As I'd heard before, trust was earned.

"Let me think," I said as wrapped my hand around the back of her neck, tugging her closer. She didn't try to stop me. An improvement. "Are you ready for an adventure?"

"Do I have a choice?" She rose onto her toes, pressing her heated body against mine. When she brushed the flat of her hand over my shoulder, using a single finger to flip the ends of my shoulder-length hair, I almost tossed her over the edge of my desk, fucking her once again.

But I had other desires in mind.

"No. You don't. You're coming with me."