Not the war brewing outside these walls, not the mission tomorrow that needed to go flawlessly. None of it existed. Only Candice. Only her surrender.
I laid her down on the desk with a reverence that surprised even me. Her corset hung loosely around her waist, her body flushed and trembling from the pleasure that still rocked through her. But it wasn’t enough. I needed every barrier gone, every piece of fabric that separated her from me, gone. The hunger clawing at me was primal, a driving need to claim her, to mark her, to consume every inch of her.
Her body was a masterpiece, adorned with tattoos that only added to the untamed wildness she carried. Her chest heaved with shallow breaths, her skin still flushed, her blue eyes defiant even in the afterglow of what we’d done. God, she was breathtaking.
When I struck the deal to protect her little club, I knew what I wanted in return. Her. Completely. To claim her, to fuck her senseless until the only name she could remember was mine.
I circled the desk like a predator stalking its prey, my pulse racing with anticipation. "You know how long we’ve waited for this, Candice?" I murmured, my voice dark with lust.
"Ghost wanted to come for you weeks ago. Tie you up, fuck you until you couldn’t remember your own name. Until you begged us to claim you, to bite you." I shuddered, the raw need tearing through me. "And fuck, I wanted that too. Every. Damn. Day."
Her scent hit me again—floral, sweet, laced with arousal. It was enough to drive me wild. I inhaled deeply, letting it wash over me. A groan of pure pleasure escaped my lips.
"Your scent is so tempting, sweetheart," I growled, my eyes devouring every inch of her.
But her gaze, those hard blue eyes, told me she wasn’t about to make this easy. Candice hated being controlled, and I’d known that from the moment I met her. From the first second ourscents matched across the bar, it was burned into me that she wasn’t like the others. She was fierce, wild, and impossible to tame.
But now, she would learn that I was just as unrelenting. She was mine. And tonight, I would make sure she knew it.
Chapter 13
Viper
Icircled Candi likea vulture, watching as she lay sprawled on the desk. Every breath she took came in sharp,shallow bursts, her skin flushed with the effort to maintain control.
But her control was slipping—fast.
I could feel it, taste it in the air, thick and heady, like the storm I knew was coming.
Her body betrayed her, even if her words dripped with venom. The tremble of her thighs, the way her chest heaved, trying to catch up with her racing pulse—it all told me what her mouth refused to admit.
She wanted this.
Needed it.
Her omega instincts were screaming for her to surrender, to stop fighting, and give in to the heat simmering between us.
But Candi? She was too proud for that. Too stubborn, too headstrong. She didn’t break easily, and I loved her for it. That fire inside her, the way she clung to her independence, only made me want to claim her more. It would make her eventual surrender, all the sweeter, when she finally realized just how good it would feel to stop fighting us.
"You’re not forcing shit on me, Viper," she spat, her defiance clear. "One little orgasm doesn’t mean I’m about to submit to you or Ghost.I’m no one’s bitch."
She tried to sit up, but Ghost was quicker. In an instant, he was there, his tattooed hand wrapping around her throat—firm enough to hold her in place, but not to harm her. Her gasp was music to my ears, and a wicked grin spread across my face.
"Ghost!" she said in surprise. She hadn’t anticipated his cat-like reflexes. It’s why we call him Ghost. He’s silent, deadly, and you don’t see him coming until it’s too late.
"Let me go," she hissed, her voice strained as she tried to free herself. But Ghost’s grip remained unyielding. He stepped between her thighs as her back hit the oak desk once more.
"No," he growled.
"No?" she seethed. "What the fuck do you mean, no?"
She tried to get up again, but he held her in place. The power he had over her was intoxicating. If I were a better man, I’d make him listen to her. But I wasn’t. I needed her to be so overwhelmed with lust, that she couldn’t picture anyone else satisfying her but us.
I curled around the desk like a predator, watching her squirm under his attention. I leaned closer, my grin widening.
"So what? You’re going to force me?" she challenged.
I smirked, circling around her as Ghost’s free hand explored her breasts, squeezing with just enough pressure to make her moan. Her nails dug into his arm, leaving crescent-shaped marks where she fought for control.