Page 49 of Queen Of WildCards

Loneliness.Pain.Regret.

EmotionsIwas well-versed in.

Hemight thinkIcouldn't analyze him, but he was wrong.Iknew that look that slinked through the bottomless fathoms of his soul, knew that blackness like my own hand.Theloneliness of isolating yourself from even those who stood next to you dug deep and often left you feeling adrift, touch-starved.Butthis man had no scruples with being touched—he wasn't likeBlackJack, with a phobia of the act.Hejust wanted to pretend that it didn't affect him.Thathe was above it.

Iknew better.

Thisman was a wound-up spring, coiled so tight he was an inch away from snapping.Andthe only thing on his mind was making me pay for perceived slights to mask his own reaction to me.

Iwasn't dead.Icould feel his hard dick against me.

Iwasn't happy about it, andIwasn't about to fuck him, either.

Hishot breath fanned out across my face, his beautiful, stunning jaw ticking in annoyance asIlooked away, playing his game.Ifit was a submissive he wanted, that's whatI'dgive him.Theend game here was survival, and if there was one thingIwas good at, it was surviving.EvenwhenIdidn't want to.

Justask my wrists and myERdoctor.

Hishand moved from my throat to my hair again, yanking my head back as he ran his aquiline nose along the soft column of my throat until he came to the junction of my shoulder.Ishivered in anticipation of what he'd do, a traitorous moan slipping from me as he let his teeth graze the sensitive flesh.

Hebit me in retaliation for my enjoyment, drawing blood like some vampiric cannibal.Thoseteeth of his were coated in a faint sheen of red as he pulled back and shot me a knowing smirk, licking the lingering drop of my life essence from his bottom lip.

Fuck, why were my panties wet?Ididn't want this.Ididn't want thisat all.

Butmy whore vagina did, fuck if she didn't want all this danger, all this pain, everything this man could give me that none other had yet to scratch the surface of.Myold therapist might call this my mind's way of coping with my past, butI'dnever really liked the strange kinksIdeveloped after failing to take my own life years ago.

Hissmirk fell whenIshot him a shit-eating grin right back and leaned into him, threading a hand in his hair this time asIyanked us together and licked my own blood from his lips, moaning my pleasure against him.

Hiships ground into mine, shoving me painfully against the counter as he responded with all the enthusiasm of a drowning man thrown a life preserver.Thehand in my hair tightened, sending little electric shocks straight to my core asIreturned in kind, our tongues tangling dangerously, feral gasps and moans escaping our joined lips every time one of us split for a breath.

Hisgrip tightened and he yanked my head back, tearing us apart with a groan of regret. "Stopthat," he rasped, chest heaving, eyes wide.

Itried not to smile too hard when he shoved me to my knees in front of him, crowding me in with the cabinets and his hips.Iknew before he did what his plans for me would be, andI'ddone worse for less valid reasons.

Drowningmyself in sex was a whole ass phase of my life before the suicide attempt.

Hiscock was at eye level, and even thoughIdidn't plan on my night going this way,Iwas still human, and the idea of this very attractive, very dangerous man—and what lay beneath his satin bed pants—being exposed to me, well, let's just say it gave me a thrill, a power high.

ArushIhadn't had in a long while.

Acemight think he was in control here, but it was the stiff dick in front of my face, twitching asIlicked my lips, that really had the power.Andby extension, nowIheld that power.

Hishand in my hair tilted my head back, andIwent willingly, staring up at the dangerous flash in his eyes, his lips turned down in a scowl. "Youanswer to me,MissStanton.You'remy property as long as you're in my custody, and you do whatIsay,whenIsay it, do we have an accord?"

Thethrill that went through me at his low growl should have slammed the brakes on this whole affair, butIwas far past caring if either of us was in control.Ididn't ask to be his fucktoy, but this man before me was far past asking for what he couldtake.

Therealization that a part of me was sickeningly turned on by the idea of himforcing meslammed home with a frightening lack of concern, and not for the first time,Iwondered ifIreally was fixed.ThetherapistIsaw who'd insistedI'dmake a hell of one myself always said thereisno such thing as being cured, butIthoughtI'dleft all my self-destructive habits in my past with the rest of those horrid memories that didn't line up with my new image.

Apparently,Iwas wrong.Obviously,Ihadn't.

"Fuckyou and youraccord,"Ispat, making sure to rise up against his tight grip just enough to cause myself pain.Theresponse fromAcewas immediate—his cock twitched in front of me, his lips parted, and his eyes nearly rolled back in his head at the fightIput up, though it was quite transparent.Hishand disappeared for a split second, as did the rest of him, andIalmost believedI'dchased him away—

Untilhe came back with a snarl and sank to one knee beside me, his eyes lit with something less feral and more unhinged this time, the cold metal of a pistol barrel caressing the side of my cheek pointedly as he dragged it downward, following the line of my jaw.

Thatother hand sank back into my curls andIwhimpered again, this time in genuine fear.

Hisanswering smirk had me questioning all the decisionsI'dever made up to now.

"Ah, not so brave anymore, now are you?"Hiseyes flicked to the gun, then back to mine, that tongue trailing over his bottom lip as the barrel slipped down the column of my neck, heading for my collarbone. "Yousee, you mightthinkyou can read me, sweetheart, but something you don't know about me is thatI'mnot whatIappear to beat all."Hisgun slipped between my tits, hindered by the low neckline of my top.Hisgaze lowered for a second, his hand moving the weapon to the outside of my shirt along my ribcage. "I'vegot a short fuse, andIwalk a tight line, doc, but when you push too hard, the beast comes out to play, the beastI'vetried for years to hide from the world."

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