Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

I’d seen Dane like this before. Four other times, in fact. And always on November 1st each year.

He was colder than usual. Harder. Apathetic. So incredibly distant that his gaze seemed to skim over people, like he’d dissociated from everyone around him—it was hard to explain.

The others in the room had noticed, despite him barely saying a word. The latter wasn’t unusual when he met with the development team; he often allowed them to do the talking. He mostly listened, offered input where necessary, and let the team members work through their ideas. But this afternoon, they were too distracted by his icy demeanor to be productive. That wasn’t good at all, because he had far less tolerance with indecisiveness and ineptitude when in this state of mind.

A few of them glanced at me for guidance. I just waved my hand, encouraging them to continue. The absolute worst thing they could do would be to ask him if he was all right. He’d bite their fucking head off. He wouldn’t yell or rave, but he’d speak in that low voice that dripped with frost and could lash you like a whip.

It didn’t take a genius to work out that this particular date was somehow significant to him, so I was usually prepared for the change. But this year, I hadn’t seen it coming. We’d had such a blast yesterday at the Halloween festival. Well, I had a blast. He’d behaved much as he had at the zoo and the museum—he’d enjoyed himself in his own way. So the abrupt change in him earlier today had come as a shock.

He hadn’t been there when I woke, which was rare. I’d wondered if he was in the kitchen making breakfast for us or something, so I’d quickly gotten ready for work and headed downstairs … only to discover that he was nowhere to be seen.

I’d gone in search of him and eventually found him in his office. When I’d entered the room and found myself the focus of that vacant stare, I’d remembered the date. Rather than ask if he was okay—I’d learned from past experience that it was best not to draw attention to the change in him—I’d asked if he was coming down for breakfast.

“I’ve already eaten,” he’d said, his tone flat. “I’ll meet you in the foyer when Sam arrives.” And then he’d turned back to his computer, dismissing me.

Deciding to give him whatever emotional space he seemed to need, I’d left the office and eaten breakfast alone.

He’d barely spoken a word during the drive to o-Verve. Had barely even looked at me, actually. Although there’d been mere inches between us on the leather seat, I might as well have been looking at him through plate glass. It was like he’d erected four huge walls around himself. No one was getting through them, and they’d be a fool to try.

It shouldn’t have been possible to calmly snap at someone, but he’d done it several times this morning; one employee had actually teared up as they walked away. Dane had a way of making you feel an inch tall, and he could do it with only a few words.

He’d been terse and abrupt toward me, but I’d so far managed to avoid being barked at. I’d probably feel the sharp edge of his tongue eventually.

When lunch time had arrived, he’d declared that he was heading to his office and didn’t want to be disturbed. So I’d eaten alone at my desk, like I had many times in the past before we became a fake couple.

It was the first time in a while that I’d actually felt like I was purely his PA. It was a reminder that, in fact, I wasn’t more than that to him. A reminder that we weren’t in a real relationship.

After our lunch hour was over, we’d headed straight for the meeting with the development team … bringing us to the present moment. Which wasn’t going well.

At one point, when one of the guys was verbally fumbling his way through an explanation, Dane raised his hand. The guy immediately quieted, and a boom of silence hit the room.

Dane’s eyes took in the whole team as he spoke. “You’ve had four weeks—four—to generate some fresh ideas. And this is the best you’ve come up with?”

I winced. Okay, so I could admit that the team could have done better, but the scorn dripping from his voice was unnecessary. By the time he’d finished verbally slapping them down, I was surprised they still had the will left to live.

When he returned to his office, he slammed the door shut behind him. If it was any other day of the year, I’d have followed him inside and told him that the asshole-behavior needed to stop. Not that he’d have apologized or admitted to being at fault. But I’d have called him on his shit anyway.

This wasn’t a simple case of him being a prick, though. Something was fucking with his head. Something big. And that same “something” continued to bother him throughout the rest of the workday.

He was just as quiet on the journey home as he had been on the way to o-Verve that morning. At least he hadn’t snapped at me. Yet.

No sooner had we stepped into the house than he disappeared upstairs without a word. All right then.

I spent a little time reading in the library before heading to the kitchen to make dinner. I sent him a quick text to let him know I was making spaghetti, just in case he was hungry.

He didn’t respond to the message. He also didn’t come downstairs to eat.

After dinner, I went to my room and caught up on some work. I then watched the new episode of a series I was somewhat addicted to. When 10 p.m. came crawling around and there was still no sign of Dane, I decided to check on him. I wouldn’t be able to sleep unless I knew he was at least relatively okay.

I tried calling him, but it went to voicemail. I frowned. It was exceedingly rare that Dane didn’tanswer his phone. It was like an extension of his freaking hand.

I went to his office, expecting to find him sitting in the dark with only the glow of his computer screen to light the room, but he wasn’t there. I checked the kitchen, thinking he might be having a late dinner. He wasn’t there either. I checked the gym, since it was possible that he’d decided to work his issues out on the punchbag. No sign of him.

My shoulders dropped. Maybe he’d gone to bed. His own bed.

I made my way to his room and knocked on the door. No response. I’d never once stepped inside the room, respecting his boundaries. Peeking through the door didn’t count as entering though, did it?

I twisted the knob and pushed the door so that it slowly swung open. I glanced inside, taking in the very masculine space with its geometric lines, neutral tones, and dark woods, but I didn’t see him anywhere. The bedcovers hadn’t been disturbed.

Sighing, I shoved a hand through my hair, wondering where he could possibly be. Then it came to me. The garden. He’d obviously headed to the garden for some peace and quiet.

It was a little chilly out so, since I was clad in only a thin tee and shorts, I hurried to the little oasis among the trees. But he wasn’t there either. “For fuck’s sake,” I muttered. How hard could it be to find one man in his own home?

Okay, I’d just have to stand in the foyer and yell his name until he answered.

As I was passing the pool on my way back to the house, a cool breeze came along and rustled the cabana curtain. And there he was. I halted with a relieved sigh. Finally.

Even though I knew my presence probably wouldn’t be welcome, I slipped inside the cabana. Lounging on the rattan sofa with a glass in his hand, his eyes met mine. His intense stare was so disturbingly blank it made my skin itch.

I eyed the half-empty bottle of whiskey on the table beside him. Unease fluttered through me. Dane was not a big drinker. He’d have a glass of this or that here and there, but I’d never known him to make off with a bottle.

I opened my mouth, about to say that I’d come to check on him, but then I thought better of it. No grown man wanted to be checked on. And given the mood Dane was in, it would only piss him off.

His unwavering gaze didn’t shift from mine once—not even when he took another swig of whiskey. I genuinely couldn’t get a read on what he was thinking.

I stood there, not knowing what to say or do. Although I felt like an intruder, I didn’t want to leave him alone. He probably wouldn’t welcome company or comfort, but it felt wrong to just head back into the house.

So I crossed to the sofa and sat beside him, keeping a few inches between us so that he wouldn’t feel crowded. I didn’t speak. Neither did he. We simply sat there, our gazes on the rippling pool water.

Feeling a little cold, I pulled my legs up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them.

Dane exhaled a heavy, put-out sigh. “Go inside.”

Oh, he speaks. It was good that he wasn’t slurring. I rested my chin on my knees. “I like it out here.”

Silence fell between us again. A tense loaded silence that rubbed at my nerves.

Endless minutes went by as he took idle swigs of his drink, seeming lost in his own thoughts. Maybe it was the whiskey or simply that he was fully dressed, but the cool evening air didn’t appear to be bothering him at all. I couldn’t claim the same; goosebumps covered my arms and legs.

The breeze rustled the curtain again and swooshed inside. It was like a lash of cold to my bare limbs, and I couldn’t help the little shiver that ran through me.

He let out another of those disgruntled sighs. “Go. Inside.”

I looked at him, but he didn’t meet my gaze. “I’ll go if you go.”

He took another swig of whiskey. “I’m good here.”

“Then so am I.” I expected him to snipe at me. Instead, he rubbed at his temple, looking so tired all of a sudden. My chest squeezed. Before I thought better of it, I straddled his lap and burrowed into his warmth, resting my head on his chest.

He went rigid. “Vienna.”

“I know you’re good at being alone, Dane, but you don’t always have to be.”

He didn’t hold me. Didn’t touch me. He sat very still, tense as a bow. His body language screamed get off me and go, but I didn’t. I stayed snuggled into him like a kitten, hoping he wouldn’t shove me off his lap.

If he was anyone else, I’d have soothingly rubbed his chest. But my instincts told me that Dane wouldn’t respond well to any show of sympathy or comfort right now.

I badly wanted to know what was eating at him, but I didn’t dare ask. The question could wait until tomorrow, when he was back to himself. And he would be—the swift transformation happened every year like magic.

He let out a long breath and placed his hand on my lower back. Such a small thing, but it made me want to smile.

We stayed there like that for a while, saying nothing. Gradually and slowly, the rigidity seeped out of him, muscle by muscle. I wouldn’t go as far as to say he relaxed, but it was no longer like cuddling a rock.

He smoothed his hand up my back and curved it around my nape. “It’s late. You need to go inside.”

I wasn’t about to leave him out here in the cold and the dark. “Only if you’re coming with me.” I could swear I heard his teeth grind.

The hand on my nape delved into my hair, fisted it tight, and snatched my head back. I winced, and his pupils dilated. What’s more, his cock twitched and began to swell.

He snarled, his eyes cold and flinty. “If I go upstairs with you now, I’ll fuck you. Hard. But it wouldn’t be for you, it would be for me. I wouldn’t care whether or not you liked it, whether or not you came, whether or not it hurt you. All I’d care about is making my head go quiet for a while. I don’t want to use you like that. So no, Vienna, I’m not going with you.” He roughly released my hair. “Now go to fucking bed.”

My heart just about broke. He’d avoided me all night because he didn’t want to use or hurt me. And now here he sat, alone in the dark, lost in thoughts that were obviously wrecking him.

It was sad that his instinct when feeling so desolate was to turn to something sexual. Had he ever been hugged? Cuddled? Consoled? I didn’t think so.

If something sexual was the only form of comfort that he’d allow me to give him, I’d go with it. Not by letting him fuck me—he’d be too rough and then he’d regret it tomorrow; he’d be pissed at us both for it. But I could show him comfort in a form he’d accept.

I shuffled off his lap, but I didn’t stand upright. I sank to my knees between his legs.

He stiffened, and his thigh muscles bunched tight. “Vienna.”

I lowered his zipper, fished his cock out of his boxers, and curled my hand around it. Even semi-hard, it was impressive.

I’d licked and sucked it on occasion, but he’d always stopped me at some point, wanting to fuck me.

“Vienna.” It was a warning.

I slanted my head and licked the side of his shaft from base to tip. “You don’t want me to suck you off?”

His eyes flared. He put his hand on my head, as if to push me away, but then he snarled again. “Don’t start this unless you’re prepared to finish it.” In other words, he’d want to come in my mouth.

I lathed the silky head with my tongue. “Why else would I have started it?” I closed my mouth around the tip and sucked hard.

He drew in a sharp breath through his nose and whispered what could have been a curse, I wasn’t sure. I also didn’t care. I had him; he wasn’t going to push me away. That was all that mattered, because I couldn’t leave him alone like this.

Humming, I slid my mouth lower down his shaft and sucked as I retreated. I did it again. And again. And again. His cock hardened, lengthened, and thickened, stretching my lips. I fisted his shaft a little tighter, liking how it pulsed in my grip.

“Other hand, Vienna. I want to see your rings while your fingers are curled around my dick.”

My nipples beaded. Um … okay. I switched hands and then closed my lips around the broad tip again.

Dane gathered my hair and bunched it on top of my head. “That’s it, baby girl, keep sucking my cock.”

I expected him to take over; to guide my movements. But he seemed content to just watch my head bob up and down his long, thick shaft.

I took him into my mouth over and over, keeping the suction tight, gliding the flat of my tongue along the underside of his shaft. He whispered praises and encouragements; they feathered over my skin and sank into my bones.

“I don’t like knowing that my wife’s had other men’s cocks in her mouth.” Right then, his dick hit the back of my throat. He groaned and dug his fingertips into my scalp.

I took him a little deeper, but I couldn’t swallow all of him. So I added some hand action; jacking him off while sucking as much of him as I could take.

Sometimes I’d work the entire shaft with my mouth and hand. Sometimes I’d simply curl my fingers around the base while concentrating on the head, licking and sucking and blowing cool air over it; teasing the hell out of him.

I occasionally stopped to twirl my tongue around the tip, dip my tongue into the slit to scoop up pearls of pre-come, or flick the sensitive bump beneath the crown. All the while, I’d fist his shaft tight, loving how he was so hot, full, and heavy in my hand. And then I’d swallow him down again.

Feeling his cock throb and thicken in my mouth, I knew he was close. I tightened my lips around him and sucked so hard my cheeks hollowed.

He hissed out a breath. “Fuck.” Gripping my hair, he pumped his hips, forcing me to take him deeper. “I’m going to fill that talented little mouth with my come. You’re going to swallow it all. I want you to feel it sliding down your throat. I want every drop of it in your belly.”

I gave up control without a fight. I sucked harder, faster, took him as deep as I could as he literally fucked my mouth. His hold on my hair tightened until my scalp stung so bad my eyes watered, which made his own eyes flare.

“Swallow,” he bit out. Dane lifted his hips and erupted with a low growl, keeping my head still, ensuring I couldn’t pull back as thick jets of hot come spurted out of him.

Finally, his orgasm subsided. His eyes closed, he relaxed in his seat, breathing hard. The hand he’d bunched in my hair loosened its death grip but kept my head in place. “I don’t want to lose your mouth yet,” he said, his voice thick. “Let me keep it a little longer.”

I could really do with a drink of water right now, but I didn’t struggle. I just stayed still and simply held his softening cock in my mouth, knowing he was probably too sensitive for me to suckle on him.

He glided his fingers along my scalp, kneading and lightly massaging. It felt like a reward. Or maybe even an apology for almost ragging the strands out of my head.

Soon, his eyes opened. They were all soft and languid, like dark velvet. His hand slipped away from my head. “Up, baby girl.”

I stood upright, surprised my stiff knees didn’t crack. The floor was not comfortable. I made a mental note to use a cushion if there was a “next time.”

Sliding forward on the sofa, he settled his hands on my hips and then planted his face in my stomach. He let out a sigh that seemed to come all the way from his soul.

I palmed the back of his head with both hands. Honestly, I was a little fired up, but I didn’t want him to return the favor. I wanted this, here and now, to be about him.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m dog tired,” I said. “Bed?” I held my breath, hoping he wouldn’t push me away or insist on staying here alone.

He looked up at me and gave my hips a gentle squeeze. “Bed,” he agreed.

My shorts and panties slid over my hips, down my legs, and then were gone. I frowned, shifting slightly. Warm hands spread my legs and smoothed along my inner thighs, reverent and possessive. I mumbled an unintelligible sound and squirmed.

A mouth brushed over my navel. “Shh, let me have my way.”

The folds of my pussy were gently parted, and there was a flutter of cool air that made me jump. A tongue licked my slit, acting like a lash of wet heat. I moaned, wanting more. I got more. And more. And more. And more.

Hot and restless, I bucked as that same tongue rubbed at the side of my clit. Oh God, that felt good. Too good.

It felt even better when the tongue rolled around my clit and then licked its way down to where I wanted it most. It didn’t enter me, though. It circled the entrance of my pussy—a tease, a promise of things to come. I frowned, writhing with frustration.

“Be still, Vienna.”

The cobwebs of sleep cleared from my mind. I opened my eyes to find that it was partially light, thanks to my sunrise clock. Lifting my head, I blinked at Dane, who’d settled between my thighs.

His gaze met mine, hot and determined; not blank as it was yesterday. “Morning, baby girl.” He clamped his mouth around my pussy and drove his tongue deep inside.

I arched and gripped the bedsheet. Jesus. My eyelids fluttered closed as his tongue did a slow swirl, stroking my inner walls. “Don’t tease,” I rasped.

Dane didn’t respond. He settled in and feasted—licked, nipped, lathed, rubbed, rendered me a quivering mess. Then he was pumping his tongue inside me, making me burn hotter and hotter, luring my orgasm closer and closer.

“Gonna come,” I moaned.

He growled and thrust his tongue faster, digging his fingers hard into the globes of my ass to hold me still.

My thighs quaked. My pussy rippled. My back bowed. And I came with a sob.

I slumped to the mattress, shuddering and panting. Best wake-up alarm ever.

Dane wiped his face on my stomach and knelt between my thighs. “Pull up your tee so I can see your tits while I fuck you,” he ordered, hooking my legs over the crooks of his elbows. “That’s it, good girl.”

My lips parted as I felt the broad head of his cock push inside me, stretching me open. I’d gotten used to the burn; liked it. He slowly but forcefully sank inch after inch of his dick into my pussy, relentlessly pushing his way past swollen muscles, refusing to be impeded by their resistance. It seemed forever before he finally bottomed out.

I closed my eyes, feeling blissfully full. His cock throbbed inside me, so hot and hard and … My brow puckered as I realized something. “Condom, you forgot—”

“I’ll put it on in a minute,” he said, curling his hands around my thighs. His eyes flicked to the nightstand, and I saw the condom waiting there. “Just had to know how it’d feel to be bare while deep inside you.”

He slowly reared back, watching his cock withdraw from my body, looking almost riveted by the sight of his shaft all wet and shiny. He let out a low growl and surged forward, burying himself balls-deep again.

I fisted the bedsheets as my back arched and my inner walls rippled around him.

He ground his teeth. “So fucking hot and slick.”

Again and again, he lazily pulled back, stretching out the moment, and then rammed his cock deep. I moaned, bucked, and whimpered as he stuffed me full over and over.

I’d never been a fan of “slow and hard” until Dane. The lazy rhythm forced my sensitive inner walls to really feel every thick, long inch of him; to feel every ridge, vein, and pulse of his cock. I loved it just as much as I loved feeling him hammer into me.

Pulling his hips back once again, he slid his gaze to the condom on the nightstand, a look of resolve etched into his face. I expected him to reach for the foil packet. He didn’t. He just stayed very still, his jaw tight, his mouth set into a harsh line.

“Dane?”

His gaze met mine—alive with heat, hunger, and possession—and his look of resolve crumbled. “Fuck it.” He rammed his cock home so hard my entire body jolted. Then, gripping my hips for leverage, he furiously pounded into me.

All sexual power and pure male domination, he used me. Possessed me. Ruled me. Took what he wanted how he wanted it. And I absofuckinglutely loved it.

There was something almost … feral about the way he fucked me. Like he was all primal instinct in that moment. It was rough and raw and wild, and all I wanted was more.

Still thrusting hard and fast, he curled over me, shifting his angle, hitting my clit, and going so fucking deep.

I groaned. “Fuck.” I scratched at his nape and shoulders. “God, don’t stop.”

“Not stopping until I’ve pumped my come inside you.” He snapped his hand around my throat and squeezed—not enough to affect my breathing, but enough to push my buttons in the best way.

My pussy began to spasm and tighten as my release crept up on me. I thought he’d ask me to hold back the orgasm, but he didn’t. He upped the pace of his thrusts and jackhammered into me.

“That’s it, come for me.” He squeezed my throat again.

I screamed as the orgasm tore through me like a fucking whirlwind, making my body shake violently and my pussy clamp down on his cock.

Dane bit out an expletive as he rammed into me once, twice, and then exploded. I felt his dick swell and pulse, felt jet after jet of hot come splash my inner walls. Then the energy seemed to leave us both in a rush.

Panting and shuddering, he buried his face in the crook of my neck and let my legs slip down to my sides. I weakly stroked his back, lost in my post-orgasm daze. We stayed that way for long moments.

Lifting his head, he dropped a light kiss on my shoulder and pulled out his softening cock. His gaze dropped to my pussy, and his eyes went heavy-lidded in pure male satisfaction. “I like seeing my come leaking out of you.”

Hmm, well, I didn’t need to ask if he regretted not wearing a condom.

He lay on his back beside me. Rolling onto my side, I used my finger to idly doodle circles on his abs. The room was much lighter now, so I knew the alarm would go off sometime soon.

“It was the anniversary of Oliver’s death yesterday,” he said, staring at the ceiling.

My heart sank. Losing a sibling would be bad enough. But Dane hadn’t simply lost his brother, he’d lost a part of himself. He’d been living with that void ever since, never daring to let anyone fill it. But, having seen what that date did to him, I had the feeling that there was so much more to it than grief.

“I hope you don’t blame yourself for what happened, Dane,” I said softly. “In your shoes, I’d probably blame myself. But I’d be wrong to do that. You didn’t fail him by not being there, by playing in the house instead of outside with him.”

“I wasn’t playing, Vienna,” said Dane, his voice remarkably flat. “I was curled up on the basement floor after my father caned my back, thighs, legs, and the soles of my feet.”

My head shot up as anger spiked through me. “He fucking caned you?” Motherfucker.

“Barron liked to hurt people. He was fond of delivering kidney shots, but he was content to punch you anywhere. He would make us stand in one spot for hours or sit in stress positions until our muscles cramped. I preferred the beatings, even when he used the cane.”

What a fucking bastard. “Didn’t your mother try to protect you?”

“If we looked to her for help, she’d say, ‘take it like a man’ and walk away. Sometimes he made her watch while he caned us, or when he tried forcing us to cane each other.”

My mouth dropped open in shock. “He tried forcing you all to …” I couldn’t finish the sentence; couldn’t wrap my head around what he’d said.

“The ‘offender’ would have to stand on a chair. Barron would instruct one of us to cane the back of the ‘offender’s’ legs. Oliver would go light with the cane; we’d flinch as if it hurt so that Barron wouldn’t notice. Kent used to go somewhere else in his head and get it over with. Travis couldn’t switch off from what was happening; he’d sob during and after, which Barron thought was amusing.”

God, that man was such a fucking monster. I slid my arm around Dane’s waist and kissed his chest, even knowing it wouldn’t really comfort him.

Dane looked at me. “I refused to hurt any of them, but don’t think my conscience stopped me. I’m not even sure I had much of one. In some ways, Oliver was my moral guide. I just hated Barron so much I refused to be under his control. He was set on beating the defiance out of me, so I spent a lot of time on the basement floor. He’d sometimes sneak into my bedroom in the middle of the night and drag me all the way down there to be ‘disciplined.’”

Which explained why he could snap awake so quickly and why he hated having anyone in his room. I swallowed. “This is what you meant when you said it’s your father’s fault that you’re not close to your brothers. He tried to make you all hurt each other so that there’d be no trust or loyalty.” And he’d made it automatic for them to never bond with the people around them.

“Divide and conquer.” Dane licked his front teeth. “People are easier to control when they’re not united. The reason Barron forced our mother to watch was that he wanted us to see that she’d never defend us; that we had no one to turn to.”

I rested my chin on Dane’s chest. “It’s a wonder any of you communicate with each other.”

“It’s our way of flipping Barron the middle finger, I suppose. And maybe the shared experience bonded us in a strange way. But it’s not a sibling bond. More like a survivor bond. And our years with Hugh helped. He gave us ‘normal.’”

“I used to wonder how Travis could so easily try to ruin your ‘marriage.’ But he was encouraged from an early age to hurt and betray; shaped to believe it was the norm. I guess that didn’t ‘stick’ with Kent.”

“It’s as if Kent decided he would be the absolute opposite of Barron. Maybe that was his own personal form of rebellion. Travis never finishes a meal, and I know that’s because Barron would force us to either eat every bit or eat the rest for breakfast the next day. But Travis also picked up some of Barron’s bad habits—the gambling, the cheating, the knack of getting into debt. He hates me.”

I frowned. “Why? You never hurt him.”

“Exactly. I held out against Barron. Travis hates that I resisted when he couldn’t, even though we were just kids and it doesn’t whatsoever make him weak.”

“He resents your strength,” I realized.

“Just as Heather resents yours.”

I kissed his chest again. I understood him so much better now. Understood his need for peace, quiet, and space—he’d quite simply never had those things. He’d spent most of his childhood in a house filled with fear, shouting, crying, pain, and abuse. The silence reminded him that he wasn’t there anymore. He only felt safe when alone. It was a wonder he hadn’t stuck me in his guesthouse.

I also now understood why he held himself apart and was always seeking more. The only person Dane had ever truly bonded with was his twin. After losing Oliver, Dane hadn’t ever let anyone close enough to fill the void he’d been left with, and so he moved through life feeling unfulfilled no matter what he achieved or gained. It was all just so … gutting.

The alarm went off, breaking into my thoughts.

Dane reached over and switched it off. “Do you have a problem with me not using condoms from now on?”

I blinked, taken aback by the abrupt change of subject. Then again, maybe I shouldn’t be. Dane only ever revealed sneak peeks of himself. Really, I was surprised he’d told me as much as he had. “No,” I replied.

Satisfaction flared in his eyes. “Good. I like coming inside you.”

Yeah, I’d noticed.