Page 52 of Rawest Venom

“Shit.” Cal starts undoing my wires, and as he releases one arm, it falls at my side. Soheavy. Who knew an arm could weigh so much? “I-I can’t let you go. You’ll kill me.”

I toss my head back at his joke. It’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard him say. Now the tears are from his amusing gaze. I can’t stop. And the impending terror of his wrath switches to a caring warmth. If only I could lift my freed arms to wrap around him. How much do arms weigh? I should start hitting the weights again.

“Why would I kill you? You’re my deliverer. You’re all I’ve ever wanted. They thought they were training me to harm you, but I just wanted to bewithyou. I don’twantto go, Cal, can’t you see?”

Cal considers me as if I’m an invalid. “Lay back,Vera. Let me get you some water. You’re trippin’ balls right now.”

Smacking my lips, I feel as though my mouth could form sand, maybe even produce a diamond if my tongue grits against my teeth enough. Channeling all my energy into my hand, I lift it toward his face as he pours a glass for me. When he holds it to my lips, I place my fingers against his cheek and the light between the trees in his eyes fades as he closes them.

“Vera…” His voice is a whisper, and the wind coming from his breath hits my eyelashes, causing them to flutter. Cool liquid runs down my throat and fills my stomach. I’m satiated on water and my man.

After I swallow, I’m able to speak again. “Why? What is Vera? Who is she?”

Placing his hand over mine, he clutches them together, then warms me with his sincere expression. “Who do you want to be, Veracity?”

“Yours.”

He appears in pain as he squeezes his eyes shut, and all I want to do is to reach out and brush the wrinkles in his forehead away. “I can’t tell anymore. Are you lying to me? You have no idea how desperate I am to hear the truth from you.” If I could wrap the warmth of reality around him, I would. I would take away his worries, but even now, he’s not believing me. Maybe he’ll believe me if he’s inside me, if we’re joined.

As frantic as he is for the facts, I long for his love.

“Then let me quell your needs. Please, please fuck me, Cal.”

Hesitating, he scans my frame up and down. “I can’t. Not like this.”

“Please. I can show you. My body doesn’t lie.” Sitting up straight, his eyes snap open with a fierce gaze into mine.

“Goddamnit! Do you understand how much I want to give myself to you? You’re all I think about. You’veconsumedme. The feelings I have for you… I don’t even think I can exist without you. And I’m still not convinced I didn’t form you myself. Were you really there?” Pinching the bridge of his nose, he lets my hand drop back to the mattress. “Now that I know what that monster did to you…I don’t want that for you. I don’t want to be like him.”

Cal isn’t him. Franklin Von Dovish was the venom, and Calum is the antidote. He just needs to see this for himself. I’ve never gotten to be open with anyone else, until now. As desperate as he is to be with me, I’m more so to meld with him.

If only he would believe me.

“Please. Show me, Cal. Show me what it can be like. Show me it can be different. I want to know… I want to be someone, someone real.”

His hair sticks wildly in all directions, his face troubled. Muscular frame is still like a rock for a very long time. Just as I inhale to speak, he swiftly scoops me in his arms like I weigh nothing. My body flops against him and sways as he carries me through the basement and up the stone steps. By the time we reach a second story of his mansion, he kicks open the door to a largebedroom outfitted with several computers and a wall of monitors.

Not stopping, he leads us into the largest bathroom I’ve ever seen. Despite his compact body, Cal is strong as he walks to an arched alcove in the teakwood and white-walled room. Sparkling like stars, tiny quartz tiles dance in the light of faux candles lining the back wall of the alcove. Three wide marble steps lead down into a giant pool tub. Overhead hang three rain showerheads and covering one wall is what could only be described as a series of car wash nozzles.

As he places me on my feet, Cal steadies my weakness with an arm around my waist. “Lift up,” he says with his honey voice and spring green eyes staring into mine like he’s afraid I’ll vanish. Urging my body to cooperate, I ease my arms over my head as he lifts my lavender dress above it, tossing it outside the alcove. Lowering my diaper, he tosses it away, as well undressing himself. In between taking off his pants, he grips my waist, then again after he removes his T-shirt.

“I want to give you a name so I can call it out as I worship you. Do you remember yours?”

There’s nothing in my head before that day I was his, and when I think of it, tears form in my eyes again. Answering him with a small shake of my head, his face softens, a tiny glisten of emotion forming in the whites of his eyes. He turns on the hot water, which begins to fill the pool and sprinkles down in gentle droplets coating my skin. I lift my hands to catch more of them before he walks me with his body to lean against the side wall. There’s a small ledge surrounding the pool, and Isit as he parts my legs with his hands, his eyes searching for my resistance. He’ll find none.

“Please, please, Cal.”

One of his taut forearms presses against the wall as he brings his face close to mine, then tips my chin up to meet his gaze. His brown hair hangs over his forehead, the waves now straightened with the weight of the sheets of water dripping down from it. “You need me?” Dazzling specks of water spurt from his mouth as he says the words.

“Yes, please. I do. I always have.”

“But…do you need me?” He reaches down and grabs his thick, hard cock, stroking it once. The sight of it makes me feel empty inside, needy, desperate again, like when the toy was vibrating against my clit.

“Yes, please. I need it. I need you.”

Scanning my eyes, his sweetened tone replies, “I need to make you feel good.”

“Show me how. I don’t know what it’s like.” And that’s true. Other than pain and manipulation andduty, I’ve never experienced pleasure from sex. Even with Dash, I always felt like I had to prove to him how worthy I was to keep him there in bed with me, to show him that I was better than all the other women he slept with, to try to hold on to him. It was always a performance, just like with everyone else.

---