Page 21 of Kiss of Ruin (Brutal Empire)

I know I shouldn’t be doing this, but I can’t stop. Every part of me wants him to fuck me into the mattress. To take everything I’m offering him. His mouth moves down my chest, licking and sucking until his lips close around my nipple making me gasp in pleasure.

I clamp my lips close when I remember we are in his parents’ house. His mouth moves up to my ear and his teeth graze over the lobe before he whispers, “This is an entirely separate wing of the house. You can scream my name and no one will hear you.”

He devours my mouth once again, stealing all of my oxygen while his fingers find my clit. Rubbing the little nub back and forth in the just the right spot. My thighs tense. I can feel the pressure building up in my body. I’m almost there. Beautiful bliss is within reach when his hand moves and he slams full length into me.

For a moment, I long for the orgasm he’s denied me. “Soon, sweetheart.” He braces his hands on the headboard, sliding backward, then gliding tantalizing slow back inside. The contrast is my undoing. I grab for purchase on his shoulders, needing something to hold onto to keep me grounded.

Each thrust of his pelvis speeds up the pace and I’m not sure I’m going to survive this. It’s no longer only my thighs tensing. Every muscle down to my toes is tight praying for release.

“I love you,” I yell into the room, unable to hold the words back any longer.

He stops moving instantly. My eyes snap open when he pulls out. Cold rushes over me when he climbs off me and picks up his clothes. Without a word, he walks out the room, the door slamming behind him.

I lurch upright, a cold sweat dampening my skin. My hands fly to my chest in attempt to calm my racing heart. I scan the room, trying to reassure myself that it was only a dream. One of the most vivid dreams I’ve ever had about Nico. And the first one where he was in my arms since he left me at the hospital.

I pull in a deep breath and hold it, doing my best to calm down. I count to ten and release the air. Over and over again, I take in long gulps of air and hold them, releasing them slowly. After a few minutes, my hands are no longer shaking.

With great care, I move my legs over the side of the bed and put them on the floor. I wait a beat before standing. It’s taken me months to get back on my feet. I don’t want one nightmare to set me back if I fall.

Not that I could really call it a nightmare. The dream had started out so well until he walked out the door. Although, it’s the same way I walked away from him the night before. I glance at the clock. It’s a little after three in the morning.

Carefully, I make my way to the bathroom to throw some cold water on my face. I need to wipe away the last remnants of that dream if I’m ever going to get back to sleep. The woman looking back at me looks haunted. Her red hair is a tangled mess and pupils are dilated.

The cold water does almost nothing to cool my heated skin. I dry my face and get back in bed. I’d been so close to coming in the dream. I’m wide awake and wondering if a good orgasm will help me sleep. There’s no way the men in this house are putting their hands anywhere near my body. I’m staying away from Nico, not using him or letting him use me.

I reach my hand down between my legs. With all the times Luis left me alone, I’d become very good at pleasuring myself. I move my fingers over the little nub, in the same exact movement from my dream.

It doesn’t take the rest of my body long to catch up. I bend my one knee, placing my foot flat on the bed. Heat begins to race through me once more. With my other hand I take my nipple between my fingers, rolling it back and forth, adding more pressure until it’s almost painful.

The moan that leaves my lips is louder than expected, but dream Nico is right, I have the entire wing. No one else is down here. My thigh muscles tighten and begin to quiver. The pleasure is quickly rising to a fever pitch.

My teeth bite into my bottom lip. I can’t stop my hips from thrusting forward, seeking more. I move my hand from my nipple and slip a finger inside. The difference is instantons. I cry out and beg for release.

Every nerve ending is on fire and my finger moves faster and faster. Finally, when I can’t take anymore, I pinch my clit between my fingers hard. The shout from my throat echoes around the room as my body convulses with wave after wave of release.

I can’t take it anymore and remove my hands from my body. Laying there, I suck in breath after breath, trying to pull enough oxygen into my lungs.

As my breathing and heart rate return to normal, exhaustion settles over me. I pull the covers up over my satisfied body and fall fast asleep.

Bright light filters in through the curtains, pulling me from sleep. I roll over trying to get back to the mindless daze of sleep even though I know I won’t be able to. The remnants of last night’s dream still haunt me. I need to get out of this house for the day and away from Nico.

There’s no way I can skip breakfast without drawing suspicion from Isabel and Pedro. I’ve had breakfast with them every morning since I’ve been able to leave the house on my own. I have no idea what Nico told them last night when I left the table, or what else could have possibly been said.

Queasiness fills my stomach as I imagine what they think of me. They’ve nothing but kind and I was incredibly rude last night. In the broad light of day, it easy to focus on all the mistakes. The only way I can deal with them is to face them.

I force myself out of bed and take a quick shower, rinsing away all evidence of last night’s dream and activities down the drain. I put on a simple, strapless black dress. It’s not something I would normally wear, with the skirt flowing to the floor. I found it in a shop a few weeks back when Isabel took me to a few of her favorite clothing boutiques.

Many of the dresses and outfits that were packed were impractical for the heat of Miami. This outfit was classy yet would keep me cool.

I lifted the mascara wand to my lashes, applying a light coat on both eyes, making the green of my eyes pop. Satisfied with the way my face and hair looked, I left my room. I wouldn’t’ allow Nico to see me anything but put together from now on. If I planned to maintain the wall between us, I had to be poised and aloof all at once.

I reach the table and find Sofia dressed and ready for a day of shopping. She’d been more than agreeable this morning when I text her while getting ready for the day.

The moment I reach for a chair, it’s pulled out for me. I look up into a pair of chocolate brown eyes. Visions from last night dream continue to plague me and I have to forcibly shake them off.

“Thank you,” I say in a polite, neutral tone. Nico’s short hair is still throwing me for a loop. It looks good on him, but I refuse to pay him the compliment.

I sit down and realize that Nico has taken his father’s place and is sitting directly next to me. I turn my torso slightly, giving Nico my back. I don’t want to invite conversation from him today.

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