Page 32 of Ruthless Desire

Dante curses under his breath. "Alonzo," he growls. "Impeccable timing as always."

He turns back to me, conflict clear on his face. For a moment, I think he might let me go. But then his expression hardens, resolve settling over his features like a mask.

"I'm sorry, moy voron," he says, and for once, I almost believe him. "But I can't risk losing you. Not now. Not ever."

Before I can react, one large hand clamps over my mouth, muffling my startled cry. The other snakes around my waist, lifting me easily.

"I've got her, Alonzo!" Dante calls out, his grip on me tightening. "Meet me back at the house."

I struggle against his hold, but it's useless. He's too strong, too determined.

As he carries me back through the forest, his cock still lodged in me…I can't help but wonder - is this my fate now? To be forever caught in this twisted game of cat and mouse, desire and defiance?

Chapter 12 Dante

The forest pulses around me, alive with moonlight and the thundering of my own heartbeat. Natalie's soft body is pressed against mine, her warmth a stark contrast to the cool night air. I can feel every tremor that runs through her, every aborted attempt to struggle free.

It's intoxicating.

"Boss?" Alonzo's voice cuts through the silence again, closer now. "You out there?"

I grit my teeth, frustration coiling in my gut. So close. We were so fucking close to shattering that final barrier, to Natalie finally surrendering completely. And now this.

"I've got her," I call back, tightening my grip on my prize. "Meet me back at the house."

I don't wait for a response. I've got more pressing matters to attend to. Like the squirming, furious woman in my arms.

Natalie bites down on my palm, hard enough to draw blood. I hiss, but don't loosen my hold. "Careful, moy voron," I growl against her ear. "You don't want to start a game you can't win."

She goes still at that, but I can practically feel the rage radiating off her in waves. Good. I'd rather have her fury than her indifference. Anger, I can work with. Anger, I can twist and mold until it becomes something else entirely.

The trek back to Shadowcrest seems to take an eternity and no time at all. With each step, I'm acutely aware of Natalie's soft curves pressed against me, of the way she clenches around my still-hard cock. It's maddening, this constant state of almost-there arousal.

By the time we emerge from the treeline, my control is hanging by a thread. Alonzo is waiting on the back terrace, his face carefully blank as he takes in our state of undress and compromising position.

"Everything's prepared, boss," he says, pointedly looking anywhere but at Natalie. "Do you need, uh, assistance?"

I shake my head sharply. "I've got this under control. Make sure we're not disturbed for the rest of the night. Clear?"

"Crystal." Alonzo nods, already backing away. Smart man.

As soon as he's gone, I release my hold on Natalie's mouth. She immediately starts cursing, a stream of creative invectives that would make a sailor blush. I can't help but chuckle.

"Such a filthy mouth on you, solnyshko," I murmur, nipping at her earlobe. "I think we need to put it to better use, don't you?"

Before she can retort, I'm moving. In three long strides, I have her pressed against the cool stone of Shadowcrest's exterior. She gasps at the contact, her back arching instinctively.

"Fuck you," she spits, but there's a breathy quality to her voice that betrays her.

I grin, rolling my hips against her. "Oh, I intend to. Thoroughly and repeatedly."

With that, I claim her mouth in a bruising kiss. This is a battle for dominance, a clash of wills made physical. Natalie fights me for all of two seconds before melting into it, her hands coming up to tangle in my hair.

I growl my approval, deepening the kiss as I hitch her legs higher around my waist. The new angle has me sliding even deeper inside her, and we both groan at the sensation.

"That's it," I pant against her throat, setting a punishing pace. "Take what you need, Natalie. Take everything I'm giving you."

She whimpers, her nails raking down my back hard enough to draw blood. "I hate you," she gasps out, even as her hips buck to meet my thrusts.

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