Page 54 of Temptation and Tyranny

“That’s how your leg got injured. I knew that the damage wasn’t consistent with a car crash.”

She was a smart girl. I realized that her intelligence was an incredibly attractive trait, not one I’d ever searched for in a woman. Usually it was their body and their willingness in bed that took priority.

“Nope.”

“You didn’t give him what he wanted.”

I didn’t answer, because she really wasn’t asking me.

She sighed heavily, and I took that moment to roll her gently to her back. Her eyes widened, but they no longer held the slight dilation of fear from before.

“Allegra…” I muttered, adjusting her head on the pillow. I removed the tie in her hair, letting the locks contrast against the classic white hotel linens. She was stunningly lying on the bed, looking like sin and temptation rolled into one. I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers, just the softest touch. A gentle beginning, an unspoken promise that I’d be good to her, and that she was safe in my arms and in my bed.

She moaned, the quiet sound nearly inaudible. If I wasn’t so intent on watching her every reaction, I would have missed it. The release was deep within her throat, not escaping into her mouth.

Goddamn. I moved my body over hers, careful not to put any weight on her. I held myself above her, feeling the slight strain from my gunshot wound in my shoulder, but I ignored the pain. I’d had worse.

But with Allegra, I knew I’d never have better.

Chapter Nineteen

Allegra

I was still angry at Cooper, both horrified and embarrassed by his behavior. But the fear was gone, and with every tender kiss he placed on my lips, my resolve lessened. I found myself wanting more, desire seeping back into my bones. It was a foreign feeling. Tomas had broken me, but Cooper was slowly putting me back together. I felt my body respond to his nearness, and while I was nervous, I didn’t feel the pit in my stomach that I’d always felt with other men. Instead, excitement surged through me, and I shivered with anticipation. When Cooper and I had fooled around before, he’d left me satisfied, and I knew he would again.

His massive frame covered me, all hard planes and rippling muscle. His shoulders were impossibly broad, tapering down to narrow hips, and I couldn’t help but run my hands over the defined ridges of his abs. Despite his injuries, his body was a masterpiece of strength and power. The muscles in his arms flexed as he held himself above me, and I marveled at how someone so physically intimidating could touch me with such tenderness.

So, I let him remove my jeans and panties, my breath catching as he pulled them down my legs. Hekissed a trail from between my breasts down to my belly, then removed his own pants, then his boxers. The afternoon light streaming through the windows highlighted every curve and dip of his muscled form, casting shadows that made him look like a Greek statue come to life.

That flush of fear hit me again, making my skin tingle.

Cooper seemed to notice immediately. “Hey, stay with me.” He rolled off me and back to his side, looking into my face. The movement caused his biceps to bunch and flex, a mesmerizing display of raw strength held carefully in check. He rubbed his nose against mine, and I caught the faint scent of his cologne. “It’s me. It’s you. I’m not going to force you to do anything. The second you tell me to, or if something feels anything less than incredible, we stop.”

I nodded, my voice caught in my throat. I couldn’t deny that I wanted him. My eyes traced the strong line of his jaw, the corded muscles in his neck, the broad expanse of his chest with its intriguing mix of scars and tattoos. Even relaxed, his body radiated power.

“What’s the word, baby? Give me your safe word.”

My gaze moved to his chest, the broken cobra slinking along his skin. The tattoo stretched and moved with each breath he took, the defined muscles beneath it making the image seem almost alive. “Cobra.”

Eyes flashing with approval, his fingers snaked down in between my legs, meeting the apex of my thighs. I knew I was ready for him, every bit of me aching. He spread me apart, his fingers finding myclitoris easily. His hands were large and calloused, yet they moved with surprising delicacy.

“Oh, my sweetheart,” he cooed. “You’re so ready for me. My smart, perfect girl.”

I’d never been praised in bed before, and even though the blood rushed to my cheeks, I realized I liked it. Almost as if Cooper could read my mind, he continued. He complimented my beauty, my intelligence. Whispered words of adoration and worship. All while continuing to tease and pleasure me with his talented fingers. It didn’t take long before my legs were shaking, my climax rapidly approaching. I closed my eyes, needing that release more than anything.

“Baby…” Cooper whispered, trailing his lips along the side of my neck. “Do you want me inside? Do you want to try?”

My head was in the clouds, hardly aware of what he was asking. By the time my mind worked it out, I was so far gone that I just nodded, the only way I could respond.

“Fuck, Allegra,” he moaned, and I felt him push my legs up closer to my middle, opening me wider. Before I could even think about being embarrassed at how exposed I was, I felt his crown against my entrance. I instantly tensed, the reflex too strong.

But Cooper didn’t seem disappointed. Instead, he brought his mouth up from my neck and back to my lips, speaking directly into my mouth. “Don’t worry, angel. We’ll get there. You’re so fucking perfect, you’re worth the wait.”

“Cooper…” I was touched, moved that he didn’t seem to care that the biggest part of sex wasn’t going to happen for him. Instead, he just focused on me. He was still resting at my entrance, but his fingers went back to my clit.

“I mean it. I’ll spend every night in bed with you, pleasuring you until you can’t move. You’re the most beautiful woman in the world. The only woman I want in my bed.”

Tears came forth, but not from discomfort. The juxtaposition between him and Tomas was striking, and I felt myself becoming more and more attached to this criminal mastermind. I knew I should put a stop to it, walk out of this hotel and refuse to see him again, but I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.

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