22. Reagan

Chapter 22

Reagan

T he woods seem to be alive with the sound of our ragged breaths, heavy and labored as we come down from the dizzying high of fucking. I lie on the forest floor, my back pressed against the damp earth, still feeling the tingling warmth of Penn’s touch. The taste of his lips lingers on mine, the intensity of our connection still crackling like electricity in the air.

“Shit, hellfire,” Penn murmurs, a grin playing at the corners of his mouth. “That was...”

“Choose your words carefully if you ever want to do that again,” I reply, my voice barely a whisper as I catch my breath. I can’t help but smirk; it’s not every day someone matches my wild streak so perfectly. But then again, Penn Blackwood isn’t just anyone.

Penn props himself up on one elbow, his other hand idly tracing patterns on my bare hip. I roll my eyes at him but can’t suppress the unease prickling at the back of my neck. These woods are giving me the creeps, like they’re alive and breathing, watching and waiting .

“I was only kidding earlier about the hills having eyes. But seriously, it feels like we’re being watched out here,” I mutter, shoving his chest to get off me. I’m ready to go because these trees are creepy as shit.

“Didn’t you know, Reagan? We’re borderline in the woods surrounding the ever-so-charming town of Wraithwick. Rumor has it this is where the living and the dead cross paths. Spooky, isn’t it? You think they got off watching what I did to you?”

I snort out a laugh, shoving him away again. “You’re so full of shit.”

He just stares at me and shrugs. He didn’t rise to the bait, which is so unlike him.

I watch him closely as he reaches into his pocket, seemingly lost in thought. His fingers find the Blackwood ring that usually adorns his right hand. He holds it up between us with a mischievous glint in his eyes. My curiosity is piqued as he retrieves a lighter from his pocket, flicking it to life with practiced ease.

“Whatcha got there, husband?” I tease, propping myself up on one elbow, regarding him with amusement.

“Something special for you, dearest.” Sarcasm drips from his words, but there’s an undercurrent of darkness that makes my heart race. Penn holds the ring above the flame, letting the metal heat up gradually. As the orange glow reflects off his face, I can’t help but notice how it emphasizes the shadows lurking beneath his charming exterior. He wanted to creep me out about the living and dead, and the whole time I have my very own devil right here.

“Care to let me in on your little secret?” I ask, trying to keep my tone light, but I can feel anxiety beginning to gnaw at the edges of my confidence.

“Patience,” he chides, a wicked smile spreading across his face. “You love that I’m unpredictable. That’s why you let me do what I just did,” he whispers, his eyes locked on mine, daring me to run away from him.

My heart flutters in my chest as Penn watches me intently, his intentions becoming clearer with every passing moment. The heat emanating from the ring he holds seems to invade my very core, sending a shiver up my spine despite the warmth of our surroundings.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I demand, my voice shaking. I try to pull away from him, but he’s too quick—before I know it, he’s pinning me down with his strong body, his grip like iron on my wrists.

“Relax for me like the good girl we both know you can be,” he murmurs, his voice smooth as silk even as his actions betray something far more sinister. “You know how important symbolism is to me. This little mark will serve as a reminder of our time together long after we’re parted.”

His words do little to quell the panic rising within me. I’m no stranger to pain or self-destruction, but this feels different. I realize in the moment that I’m more bothered by the fact that he’s mentioned how this fake marriage will be over eventually. I’ll have what I thought I wanted. I’ll be free of my father and my sister will be safe.

But I’ll also be free of Penn Blackwood, and up until this moment I don’t think I realized how much I’ve come to find comfort in even the most psychotic things that he does. If he brands me with the Blackwood symbol, it’ll be a constant reminder of him, and what could never be. I have a suspicion that even without it, I’ll miss him every single day.

“Let me go, Penn!” I snarl, trying to twist my body out from under him. But he’s relentless, using his considerable weight and strength to keep me immobilized.

“That’s it, baby. Fight me,” he insists, his tone darkening. “This is happening whether you like it or not, but I’ll enjoy the process.”

“Like hell it is!” I spit back. But even as I struggle against his hold, I can’t help but feel a flicker of arousal at his dominance. A fact that infuriates me all the more.

“That’s my little hellfire,” he chuckles, his fingers tightening around my wrists until I can feel the bones grinding together.

“Fuck you,” I hiss, the words barely more than a whisper as the pain of his grip intensifies. And yet, despite my fear and anger, I can’t deny the part of me that craves this.

“Haven’t you had enough?” he smirks, his free hand expertly maneuvering the heated ring toward my vulnerable skin. “But for now, let’s make sure you never forget who you really belong to.”

As the searing metal closes in on my flesh, I brace myself for the pain, the mark that will forever brand me as Penn Blackwood’s possession.

The scorching metal of the Blackwood ring presses against the sensitive skin at the nape of my neck, searing pain lancing through me like a white-hot blade. I clench my jaw, fighting back the scream that threatens to tear from my throat. I won’t give Penn the satisfaction of hearing me whimper or beg in pain.

Even as the agony radiates through my body, I can feel the twisted heat of arousal coiling in my core.

“Like it or not, Mrs. Blackwood, you’re mine,” he growls into my ear, his breath hot and heavy against my neck. The words send shivers down my spine, a mixture of fear and excitement coursing through me. I hate how much I crave this connection with him. My pussy clenches, responding to his touch and the forceful way he holds me down. Tightening his grip on my wrists and leaning in closer, his hazel eyes are dark with lust, and I can’t help but be drawn in by their intensity. “You need to remember who I am. Who you belong to. And when we’re apart, you’ll still have my protection. This ensures that.”

He pulls the ring away and I can feel the raised, angry welt forming, a permanent reminder of his possession branded into my flesh. He admires his handiwork, fingertips tracing the tender skin around the mark.

“Beautiful,” he murmurs, voice rough with desire.

Before I have time to protest, he reaches down with one hand, wrenching my thighs apart. I buck my hips up against him as he forcefully penetrates me again, causing me to gasp at the suddenness of it all. He’s thick, hard and stretching me in the most deliciously painful way. My anger flares, but it’s quickly overshadowed by the pleasure that surges through me. I know I shouldn’t want this, shouldn’t let him have this control over me, but it’s impossible to resist.

“Admit it, baby,” he taunts as he thrusts deeper, keeping me pinned to the ground. “You love it, don’t you?”

“Go to hell,” I retort, choking back a moan as he hits a particularly sensitive spot. But my opposition seems to spur him on, making him only more determined to break through my barriers.

“Keep fighting me all you want,” he says between gritted teeth, his voice strained with effort. “It only makes this more fun for me.”

My nails dig into his back and his eyes roll up. He loves the bite of pain, and I scrape down his spine, giving him exactly what he wants.

As Penn continues to dominate me, a part of me wonders if he’s right. After being with him, I’m petrified to admit that I don’t know if I could go back. If I could go about my life with Reese and settle down with some nice, dependable partner. My entire adult life and most of my teen years have been chaos that I’m afraid that I won’t know how to function without it. It’s the one thing I can always count on. He’s chaos personified.

“Harder. Fuck me harder,” I whisper, allowing myself to give in to the pleasure, to let go of my anger and resentment for just a moment. To stop thinking about the what ifs of the future. “You may be a monster, but you’re my monster.”

My breath hitches as the intensity builds, Penn’s movements growing harder and faster, giving me exactly what I’m demanding. I wrap my legs around his hips and his mouth finds my breast, biting down and claiming me. Sweat glistens on both our bodies, highlighting every flex of muscle and curve of both of us. I find myself matching his rhythm, falling into a cadence that feels like we’ve been fucking longer than we’ve been married.

“My sweet fucking hellfire,” he groans, the sound almost animalistic as it escapes his throat. “You’re…incredible.”

“Please. Let me come,” I gasp out, my voice raw from the moans he’s ripped from my throat.

Penn’s hands grip my hips roughly as he thrusts into me again and again, his hazel eyes burning into mine. I try to look away. The connection between us is too fucking intense like this.

“Look at me,” he growls. “I want to see your pretty face when I let you come. ”

I glare at him defiantly even as I feel the pleasure building. He knows just how to play my body like his own personal instrument.

I crash my lips to his, biting and sucking as we move together. The taste of blood mingles with our kiss. I’m close, so close, and I know he can feel it.

With a few more powerful thrusts, the pleasure crests and breaks over me in waves. I cry out, my body clenching around him.

“Fuck, I’m...” Penn’s voice breaks, and he doesn’t need to finish the sentence.

“Me too. Come for me. Come inside me,” I breathe, my nails digging into his shoulders as I brace myself for the inevitable.

With a few more rough strokes, he follows me over the edge, burying himself inside me as he finds his release.

We stay locked together, both struggling to catch our breath. My inner thighs are slick with sweat and cum. Penn’s weight presses me into the ground, pinning me there beneath him.

When the waves of our orgasm finally recede, leaving us gasping for air and trembling with aftershocks, I let my head fall against Penn’s chest. He wraps an arm around me, holding me close, and I find myself nuzzling into the warmth of his skin.

He murmurs, his breath stirring the hair at the top of my head, “that was…fucking hot.”

“That’s one way to describe it,” I reply with a shaky laugh. “I think you just rewrote the definition of ‘earth-shattering.’”

“Only the best for my wife,” he teases, and despite everything—I can’t help but smile against his chest. “I’m gonna need you to tell my brothers that. Earth-shattering will send Lincoln to outer space.”

I laugh at Penn’s antics, smacking him in the middle of his sweaty back. Gross, we’re going to need like four showers and possibly a decontamination.

“Hey,” I say softly, playing with the Blackwood ring that’s now back on his finger, “I know this is going to sound crazy, but…I don’t actually hate the brand you gave me.”

“Really?” Penn raises an eyebrow. “Why’s that?”

“Maybe it’s because now I’ll have something tangible to remember this night by.” I pause, biting my lip as I choose my words carefully. “It’s like the time we spent together can’t be erased,” I admit, tracing my fingers along the edge of my neck. “Sometimes I feel like I’m just a mess of scars and broken pieces, and I wonder if I’ll ever find a way to put me back together again.”

“Maybe never, but at least we’re fucked up together.” He grins back. I press my cheek against his chest, feeling the rhythm of his heart beneath my ear as it starts to slow down and even out.

He murmurs, his fingers tracing lazy patterns along my spine, “I might let you go, but you’re still my wife and everyone who looks at you for the rest of your life is going to know it. Even if you’re in Paris at the Louvre.”

I can feel the intensity in his words, and despite the vulnerable state I’m in, I can’t help but respond with a teasing grin. “Well, it is an honor to be married to the Penn Blackwood.” My snarky remark is meant to lighten the mood, but I’m also aware that there’s a thread of truth woven through it.

His low chuckle rumbles in his chest, vibrating against my skin. “It really is, you know,” he agrees, his hand coming to rest at the small of my back, holding me closer. “Even if it’s just for a short time, I like the idea of belonging to you, Reagan. And having you belong to me.”

The possessiveness in his voice sends a tremble down my spine. As much as I’ve always fought against the idea of being owned by anyone, there’s something undeniably thrilling about being claimed by Penn Blackwood.

“Admit it, hellfire,” he teases, his breath hot against my ear. “You like owning me.”

I roll my eyes, but my racing pulse betrays me. “I do,” I concede, knowing there’s no point in denying what’s already so painfully obvious.

“Good,” he says, pressing a heated kiss to the top of my head. “Because I have no intention of letting you go right now. You’re stuck with me for at least another year.”