Chapter 3

F ear grips me, freezing my feet outside my apartment door. Sweat drips down my spine, and my hands shake. The door swings open, a shadowy figure emerging from my home and I come face to face with my stalker.

Panic jolts me into action. I sprint down the dim corridor of my apartment building, my heart pounding against my chest. The exit light ahead seems so close, but this time I’m not fast enough. A hand grabs my wrist, yanking me back into the ghastly darkness of my apartment. I scream and struggle, but the iron grip keeps me trapped.

The stalker’s hot breath scorches my neck, his grip tightening painfully as he drags me closer. His sinister laughter echoes, and the fear wraps around my chest, squeezing tighter until I can barely breathe.

Suddenly, a firm hand shakes my shoulder, yanking me from the nightmare. I jolt awake, gasping for air, lost in panic.

“Listen to me. Focus on my voice,” a commanding tone cuts through the fog. I am not scared of that voice, I tell myself but fear overwhelms me.

“Let me go!” I cry out. The grip around my wrist is gentle, but the confusion invokes deep and gnawing fear. “Please, let me go,” my voice trembles.

“Ariel, it’s Gideon. You’re safe with me,” his voice sounds muffled to my ears.

I keep struggling, panic blinding me. My fists pound weakly against his chest, driven by a desperate need to escape. My injured leg jerks, sending a sharp pain through me like a white-hot poker. I scream, the sound raw and primal.

Instantly, Gideon pins my hands above my head, his body pressing down to stop my movements. “Look into my eyes, Ariel. You’re hurting yourself. Remember where you are. Remember who I am,” he commands, his voice strict but concerned.

His eyes lock onto mine, holding me captive. I continue to writhe for a moment, but his words cut through my panic.

“Gideon?” I whisper, my voice trembling, as if trying to remember a forgotten name.

“Yes, it’s me,” he responds, his grip firm but gentle.

I blink, tears streaming down my face. I feel his strength, his all-consuming presence, and it pulls me back to safety.

I clutch his shirt, its rough fabric grounding me. Panic surges back as I gasp, “I need to leave.” I try to push him away but he pins me securely to the bed.

“Look at me, Ariel,” Gideon commands, gripping my chin firmly to force our eyes to meet. “You’re not going anywhere.”

I protest, my voice rising, “You don’t understand. I’m in danger. He could have followed me here. I’m putting your life in danger too.”

The fierce determination in his eyes is undeniable, “Nothing will make me let you go. I’ll protect you with my life.”

“You can’t make me stay here against my will!” I snap, my voice a mix of defiance and worry.

Gideon chuckles softly, a low, rumbling sound that sends a shiver down my spine. “Oh, so you are not willing to stay? Not even when I do this?”

He presses his thumb against my mouth, tracing it along my lower lip. The touch is electrifying and my breath catches in my throat. I’m suddenly acutely aware of how close he is. I part my lips, and his eyes drop to my mouth.

His stormy blue eyes darken with desire, and his gaze make my words falter. “Or this?” His hand moves lower, exploring the soft curve of my neck with the back of his fingers, making me shiver. He gently traces the line of my collarbone before sliding down to my waist. His calloused hand grips me hard and I gasp.

Gideon lowers his head, whispers “Or this?” before pressing a hot, lingering kiss on my cheek. The contact is electrifying, a heady mix of pleasure and anticipation. I try to hold it back but a soft hiss escapes and seems to echo in the quiet room.

When he traces his lips against my jaw, the fear in my body slowly dissolves and my resolve to leave wavers. I clutch at his shirt, fighting the urge to pull him closer. “You’re not playing fair,” I manage to say, out of breath.

“No,” he agrees, his words a sinful whisper. “I’m playing dirty, and with a prize this tempting, I can only play dirty.” His words send a thrill through me, and need rises within me despite my better judgment. His touch lights my skin on fire.

Gideon licks the sensitive spot under my earlobe, driving his point home. A flood of emotion and desire rushes through me and I pull him closer. He presses his hard body against me in a way that makes my pulse quicken.

“Gideon,” I begin, trying to maintain some semblance of control and sanity. “I really don’t think I should stay here.”

He smiles against my skin. A wicked, knowing smile. “I guess I’ll have to keep you from thinking then.” Before I can respond, his lips capture mine in a searing, possessive kiss.

The kiss consumes me, a slow burn that builds and builds, leaving me breathless. His mouth moves against mine with a controlled intensity, teasing and coaxing a response from me that I can’t refute. I feel the terror in my body melt away, replaced by a fiery need that ignites every nerve.

Our lips move together in a dance as old as time, our bodies fused together in need. His hands slide down my body, exploring with a deliberate slowness that drives me insane. He touches me as if he’s mapping every inch of me, learning what makes me gasp, what makes me shiver. His tongue licks my lower lip and the tingly feeling makes me gasp. He takes the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his tongue exploring mine with hunger.

The feel of his rough hands on my skin consumes me. I try to resist—to cling to the remnants of my caution and sanity—but it’s a losing battle. I surrender to him, my resistance crumbling as desire takes over.

His lips leave mine to trail down my neck. I tilt my head back, giving him better access. He nips at my skin, his stubble a delicious friction. His lips close around the sensitive spot on my neck and he sucks on it, hard. I gasp from the pain mixing with pleasure, a heady combination.

He licks the mark he left on me. Out of breath, he vows, “You have to stop me Ariel, because I won’t be able to, not when you feel this heavenly.”

His words ignite something deep within me, a primal need to be taken by him. I pull him up and kiss him with blinding fervor. I whimper, my hands threading in his hair as I urge him on. I don’t want him to stop—ever. He responds with a low growl, giving me goosebumps and making my pulse race.

Gideon moves his hand to the hem of my shirt, his fingers burning me as he explores the sensitive skin beneath. When he reaches my breast, I hold my breath, but he merely caresses around the curve of it, not touching it directly.

“Tell me you want this, Ariel,” he murmurs, as if his life depends on my answer. His other hand traces the edge of my sweater, slipping beneath the fabric just enough to drive me insane with yearning.

“I…” my voice falters, caught between the fear still lingering in the corners of my mind and the burning desire that his touch ignites. His thumb brushes over my nipple, making it ache. The sensation sends a jolt of lust straight to my pussy.

“Say it. Tell me what you want,” he urges, his breath hot against my ear.

“I want this. I want you, Gideon,” I gasp, unable to hold back any longer, throwing all caution in the wind. Sam was right. I have always played it safe in my life. Tonight, just for tonight, I want to risk it all. My body, my heart. I know I need to leave soon, but if I do it without exploring this connection between us, I will regret it. If tonight is all I’ve got, I want to burn. And I want Gideon more than I’ve ever wanted anything.

A growl rumbles in his chest at my whispered confession. He pulls off my sweater and blouse, his hands and lips exploring every inch of my now exposed skin. Without warning, Gideon cups my breast and my nipple disappears in his mouth. He sucks it like a hungry, ravenous man. With his other hand, he pinches my nipple before pulling on it gently. The sensation is so intoxicating that I cry his name as I throw my head back and revel in it.

He circles his hot tongue around my bud, pops it out of his mouth and blows on it. Goosebumps break out all over my body, my hands tangled in his hair, pulling him back. He latches onto my breast again, but this time, he takes my nipples in between his teeth and bites softly on them. I can feel my pussy getting drenched, badly craving some attention.

I try to press my thighs together to relieve some of the building pressure, but Gideon easily pushes them apart and fits himself between my legs. The move pushes his hard cock flush against my throbbing pussy, and lost in desire, I wrap my legs around his waist.

Pushing his hands under me, he grabs on to my ass with one hand and fists my hair with the other, pulling it hard. “Look at me, Ariel,” he demands. I comply, shivering under his predatory gaze. Grinding his cock against my throbbing pussy in a maddening rhythm, he purrs, “Feel me. Feel how hard you make me. How crazy you drive me.” His sinful claim with his intense grinding almost makes me cry.

He takes my lips captive in another burning kiss. His hand moves lower, slipping beneath the waistband of my tracks, finding me already wet. He groans against my mouth, his fingers sliding through my slick folds and finding my clit. The contact is electric and I cry out in pleasure. My hips arch against his hand and my hands grip his shoulder. His fingers circle my swollen clit with a deliberate slowness that drives me wild, teasing me to the brink of madness. The pressure builds and builds, and my nails dig into his shoulders as I ride the wave of sensation.

Gideon teases my entrance and I unabashedly wrap my legs around his waist to urge him on. Sucking hard on my nipple, his finger slides deep inside my cunt. Gideon lets go of my breast with a loud pop and purrs against my skin. “Your cunt is so fucking wet. Who is it dripping for, Ariel?”

His words send a thrill through me, and I feel my walls clenching around his fingers. “You, Gideon. I am wet for you,” I moan, unable to hold back my confession.

“Good girl,” he whispers, rewarding me by sliding another finger deep in me. He finds the perfect rhythm to bring me to the edge. The tension inside me coils tighter and tighter with each stroke of his fingers.

His fingers fuck me at an agonizingly slow pace, curling inside me and hitting the spot that makes me see stars. His touch is a masterful blend of firm and gentle. I’m unable to control the whimpers escaping my lips, each one a testament to the power he holds over me.

Just when I think I can’t take it anymore, he withdraws his hand. “Gideon,” I plead, my voice raw with need. I can feel his lips curve into a smile against mine. His fingers find my clit again and slowly tease me. He edges me closer and closer to the brink without letting me tumble over. I shake with need, driven out of my mind.

“Gideon, please,” I cry out in desperation when he stops again. He chuckles and then increases the pace, his fingers stroking in and out faster. I pant as I feel the pressure build. His thumb rubs my clit with a skill that leaves me breathless. Every nerve in my body is on fire, and I dig my nails into his back as I brazenly ride his hand like a bitch in heat.

The pleasure is so powerful that it’s almost painful. With a final, powerful stroke, the tension snaps and I’m tumbling over the edge into ecstasy. My body convulses with pleasure around his fingers. I cry out his name, my voice hoarse and broken, as the orgasm crashes over me.

Gideon’s steady touch never falters, guiding me through the waves of pleasure. He murmurs soothing words against my skin, his lips trailing soft kisses along my jaw and neck. I cling to him, my body trembling with the aftershocks of my release.

“Hey,” Gideon’s voice breaks the silence, and I look up to meet his gaze. His eyes are dark, filled with a mixture of concern and passion.

He kisses my forehead, a tender gesture that sends a warm glow through my chest. “Are you okay?” he asks, his chest vibrating against my palm.

I nod, unable to find the words to express what I’m feeling.

With a predatory grin, he claims my lips in another maddening kiss. His hands roam over my body with a renewed intensity. The desire that was momentarily sated roars back to life.

This time, I explore his marvelous body. The vein in his neck beats intensely under my fingers as I tug at his shirt. Gideon swiftly pulls it off. The sight of him, bare and beautiful in the dim light, steals my breath away. He pulls me close, his naked body warm and solid against mine. My hands roam over his body, feeling the chiseled ridge of muscles on his back. If I could move, I would lick it, but Gideon has me caged and under his mercy.

The need to be taken by him—claimed by him—rules my actions. The maddening desire to drive him crazy makes me reach out and bite him on his shoulder, hard. Growling in response, he pulls my hair, baring my neck, and wraps his hand around my throat. He gently squeezes, holding his lips inches away from me.

“I’m trying to be gentle with you, Ariel. Don’t tempt me,” he says, struggle clear in his molten dark eyes. I don’t care anymore. I want to give in to every fantasy about Gideon that has been ruling my mind.

Reaching down, I cup his cock over his sweats and say, “Maybe, I don’t want you to be gentle.”

Acting on impulse and need, he groans and chokes me harder. He begins rubbing himself against my hand. Needing more—needing skin-on-skin contact—I slide my hand in and wrap my fingers around his throbbing cock. His breath catches in his throat and he whispers my name.

I stroke him, drawing out my movements into slow thrusting. I want to tease him, bring him to the edge over and over. But his thrusts prove to be a double-edged sword, igniting a fire deep in my core that needs to feel him inside me.

“Please, Gideon,” I sob, my voice breaking with desperation. “I need you. I need to feel you inside me.”

His eyes, dark with a scalding desire, lock onto mine and he takes my lips in a hungry kiss. A guttural sound escapes him as he positions himself at my pussy, the velvet skin of him hot against my sensitive flesh.

I hold my breath, anticipation coiling tight within me. But, instead of entering me immediately, he teases me, dragging his cock against my slick folds. The moist tip brushes my weeping clit, making my body jolt with need.

I whimper, my hips instinctively rising to meet him, but he holds back with a dark, knowing smile playing on his lips. Answering my silent plea, Gideon says, “Not yet, Ariel. I want to feel you squirm for me.”

My hands clutch at his shoulders, nails digging in, trying to pull him closer, but he maintains his torment.I can only moan, my body begging for more. The teasing becomes too much, the ache inside me too intense to bear.

“Please, Gideon,” I beg, my voice breaking. “I need you inside me.”

His eyes darken with something primal. He sheathes himself in a condom and with a moan, aligns himself and slowly begins to push inside. The initial stretch is exquisite, a perfect blend of pleasure and pain. I gasp, my body trembling as he fills me inch by inch, the sensation blinding like the sun.

Once he is fully inside me, he pauses, allowing me to adjust. The fullness is almost too much, but it feels so right, so perfect. Gideon starts to move, his thrusts slow and deliberate, each one sending ripples of pleasure through my body. Every stroke is purposeful as if designed to drive me crazy.

He watches me, his gaze intense, as though he is studying my every reaction—every gasp and moan that escapes my lips. His hands roam my body, pinching my nipples to hard peaks, and then he leans down and begins sucking on them. I can feel the muscles in his back flex under my hands as I hold on to him for dear life.

“Oh my god,” I sob, when he pushes his hand between us and finds my clit. He rubs the nub which makes my walls tighten around his thirsty cock. He makes a tortured sound as he increases his pace, his thrusts becoming deeper and harder, more demanding.

“You are so fucking tight that I can barely move.” His voice is strained.

I can barely form a coherent thought, let alone words. All I can do is feel—feel the exquisite pleasure he’s giving me, the connection that binds us in this moment. My body responds to him instinctively, matching his rhythm, meeting his every thrust.

The tension inside me builds to a breaking point, every nerve ending alight with sensation. I’m so close, teetering on the edge of my climax. He hovers over me, his lips capturing mine in a possessive kiss, his tongue dangling with mine in a dance of raw passion.

Soon, I am clawing at him in my blinding need as I get closer. Gideon shifts his hands below me, grabbing my ass and adjusting me to an angle that makes his cock hit that sweet spot inside me. Pulling my hair harshly as he bites the curve of my neck, Gideon begins thrusting into me like a madman. “Come for me, Ariel. I want to feel you shatter around me,” he commands against my skin.

With those words, I scream his name as the climax rips through me. The coil inside me snaps and I’m thrown into a sea of bliss. I ride out the orgasm as he keeps up his lazy thrusts. Wave after wave of intense pleasure leaves me panting and trembling.

Gideon captures my moans with his lips as his pace becomes frantic, his control slipping as he chases his own release. His movements become desperate, driven by a need as intense as mine. I moan his name, and with a guttural groan escaping him, he finds his release.

Gideon collapses on top of me, his forehead resting against mine. The world blurs into a haze of pleasure. Our bodies are slick with sweat, our breaths coming in ragged gasps as we come down from the high.

He shifts, rolling us onto our sides, and pulls me into his arms. His fingers trace idle patterns on my back. I nestle against his chest, the fast rhythm of his heartbeat soothing me.

Stroking my hair, Gideon’s voice breaks the silence, a soft murmur against my ear, “Ariel?”

“Mm?” I mumble.

“Are you alright?” His voice is a mix of concern and tenderness.

“Mm-hm,” I mumble, again. My scattered brain can no longer forms sentences but a smile tugs on my lips.

Gideon laughs quietly, his chest gently vibrating against my palm. He pulls me closer, holding me tightly, and lays a soft kiss over my eyes. Snuggled into his embrace, the weight of exhaustion pulls me under. The last thing I hear before drifting off is Gideon murmur, “Sleep well, baby. I’ll keep you safe.”