Page 37 of Brutal Empire

I took a step back as he turned on the light and realized it was a wine cellar. My heart eased a bit. I didn’t go in but stood in the doorway and watched as Bastian grabbed a bottle, opened it, and proceeded to drink.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“I usually celebrate with pussy, but this will do,” he replied.

“Celebrate what?” I scrunched my nose.

“Not dying.”

He had a point. He stopped drinking, and my eyes went to his lips. They were glossy and wet from the alcohol. He took the back of his hand and wiped his mouth. Something in me felt funny, and I guess it was repulsion. Bastian then extended his arm, trying to pass the bottle.

“No, thank you.”

“Come on, let’s go get a room,” he said as he brought the bottle.

“You seem to know your way around here,” I stated the obvious.

“I lived here for a few months.” He shrugged it off.

We took the stairs up and then took a turn. We passed rooms and didn’t stop until we reached the last one.

The room was enormous, significantly more spacious than the ones down the hall. Once we were inside, Bastian closed the door. I was about to speak, but he covered my mouth. I didn’t wait for an explanation as instinct took over. I moved my arms and my leg. Since he wasn’t ready for my attack, he fell backward, taking me with him.

“Fuck,” he groaned, and I felt the vibrations of this voice in my chest since I landed on top of him. I shifted so I could get up, but he stopped me. He took hold of my wrists. His fingers wrapped tightly around them. I tried pulling them, but it only made his grip tighter. In one fluid movement, he flipped us. My wrists were pulled above me, and my heart started to pick up speed, and if he didn’t get off me, I would go into cardiac arrest. I felt Bastian’s knee wedge between my legs as he used it to propel himself above me.

I waited for my master to come and tell me he was here.

“I was trying to check for bugs, you crazy bitch,” he spat at me.

Oh, I guess that made sense. We didn’t want to be spied on.

“Get off me,” I hissed.

Our eyes met, and I didn’t realize how dark his were until this moment. They seemed so endless that I couldn’t see my reflection in them. Just as I felt his leg shift, ready to prop himself off me, I felt something graze my lower belly.

My breathing became shallow, and my breaths started to come out in pants.

Bastian jumped away and extended a hand for me, but I ignored it. Once I was up, my gaze went to his midsection.

“Stop,” he groaned.

I took a step back, still looking at it.

“For fuck’s sake, stop looking at it. I haven’t had sex in three weeks, and I’m about to fucking explode.”

Three weeks? But we had been together for the last four months, so that meant on those rare occasions he had gone out, it was to meet with women.

It bothered me. I guess because he should have been honest with me from the beginning.

I didn’t say anything to him; I didn’t think he wanted me to anyway. I stood there awkwardly as he checked the room. As soon as he was content, he began to speak. “This is the biggest of the guest rooms.” He paused to open a door. “Bathroom is here.” He then pointed to two double doors. “A balcony is there, and the other doors are a walk-in closet.”

I nodded.

“We are going to be sharing the room.”

I opened my mouth, but he didn’t let me get in a word.

“Unless you plan to fuck one of the men, I suggest you stay here. We are here because they are allowing it. We aren’t exactly welcome guests. I suggest we do not push their generosity.”

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