Page 107 of The Trouble With Bad Boys

Carina whimpered under the force of my thrusts, clung tight to me as I took the punishment I deserved out on her.

“All those women,” I continued, my breaths heaving from my chest as I drove myself into her, “every last one of them was a slave. He bought them and used them and killed them whenever he wanted. He kept me and Brigid and killed all the rest. He wanted me to carry on his legacy, to take his place at the helm. But I couldn’t, Carina, I couldn’t. I never could have, even if he hadn’t?—”

I bit my fist, tightened my grip as I drove harder, faster, until I was out of my fucking mind. My eyes blackened with rage, my heart ripped in two, and the festering wound I’d been carrying inside of me for more than a decade started to bleed. A stabbing pain tore through me, a knife wound through my chest, and if it weren’t for Carina’s words and her soft touch, I would have thought I was dead.

“It’s okay, baby,” she said, her voice choppy as I slammed into her core. “You’re alright, you’ll be okay. I’m here, sugar, I’m here.”

My voice was strained as I buried my face in the crook of her neck. “I couldn’t let my father get away with it.”

“What’d you do?” It sounded like a whisper. Like a blaring siren’s song that pierced my ears and strung me up by my balls. That razor sharpness traced up my spine, tearing at my flesh until I was sure I was bleeding all over my desk.

A roar tore through me, my cum surging out of me until I was sure it was stabbing her too. She whimpered and shook and tightened her grip on my tie, pulling me into her and not letting go.

My body was soaked, my muscles weak as I fell atop her and breathed in her sweet scent. My lips found her throat, my tongue traced a line up to her ear. I nipped at her earlobe, pressed a kiss to her temple. Then I whispered, “I fucking killed him.”

Carina twisted in my grip, and I knew I’d lost her—the one woman who had ever owned my heart. But instead of kicking me off her or tearing my flesh from my face with her nails, she grabbed my head and slammed her lips to mine.

Her kiss was brutal, a punishment of its own, and I lived for it, let it breathe life into mine. She bit my lip, soothed it with her tongue, then sealed her mouth over my own. I plunged and plundered and took from her everything I’d never deserve. She gave me her body, her trust, and this…

This…

Whatever this was.

“I never wanted to hurt you,” I told her when our kisses finally slowed. “Everything I do is for you. To keep you safe. To keep you here. I need you Carina. I don’t want to live another day without you by my side.”

“King.” She buried her face in my throat, wrapped her arms around my neck. “Don’t tell me things like that unless you mean it. I don’t think my heart can take it.”

“Everything I’ve said is the truth. You’re the only one I want, darling. The only one I’ve ever wanted. Tell me you want this, and I’ll be yours as long as I still walk this earth.”

She lifted her head, locked her eyes on mine. “I want you.” She smoothed her hands down my chest, her head tilting to one side as her lips curled into the most perfect smile “Spoiled rich boy. Asshole. A man with secrets I’ll take to my grave. I want you, Kingston Donaghue. Every last piece of you.”

“Then you’ll have me, darling. Forever.”

Nine

CARINA

Each day, King proved his devotion to me, taking every chance he could get to pleasure me the way he said he would. But at night, he was the same asshole he always was, storming through the casino and sending threatening glares to the girls if they showed too much favor to the men.

While he’d stopped using go-betweens when he needed to tell me something, life at Starlight hadn’t really changed.

Tonight, not even a week after he’d whispered his confession against my skin, I found myself standing outside his office door after one of the bouncers told me King had summoned me. Despite the mind-blowing sex, I was ready to go in guns blazing and put him in his place.

Except, when I pushed inside without bothering to knock, the man was sitting on the edge of his desk with a self-satisfied look on his face. I narrowed my eyes as I approached and grew more suspicious when he took my hand—a direct violation of his “no PDA” policy for work.

“What’s going on, Kingston?”

He tugged me closer, until I was standing between his knees. He reached up and pinched my chin. “I spoke to Mr. Leonetti about what you said.” In the beat of his pause, my chest pinched so tight I had to gasp for breath. But instead of telling me I’d lost my job for daring to push for what I needed, he said, “I got you a raise.”

Crossing my arms wasn’t an option—King wouldn’t let go of my hand. Still, heat rose inside of me. “Is this because I slept with you?”

He pulled me closer, wrapped an arm around my waist. With his mouth grazing my neck, he whispered, “That might work for you, darling, but I promise I haven’t slept with the rest of the girls.”

“What?”

“It’s not singular. The raises are for all of you.” He kissed down my throat, then groaned and edged back. “Mr. Leonetti sees the importance of having you here, and how imperative it is that you don’t put yourself in harm's way.” He gripped my chin, drawing my attention off the flush of heat overtaking me. “When I explained the unexpected conundrum that we put you all in, he was willing to negotiate an increase in pay.”

King lifted my hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to my knuckles.

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