Page 149 of Beautiful Cruelty

I try to focus on her pleasure, on making this good for her. My thumb finds her clit, circling slowly as I continue my measured pace. She gasps against my mouth, inner walls fluttering around my cock.

"That's it,zvyozdochka," I whisper. "Let me take care of you."

Her breath hitches as I hit that spot inside her that makes her tremble. I do it again, maintaining the same gentle rhythm. Her nails dig into my shoulders, but the pain feels right.

It's penance for my sins.

I can feel her getting close, her thighs starting to shake. She buries her face in my neck, muffling her soft moans against my skin.

"It's okay," I murmur into her hair. "I've got you. Let go for me."

Her walls pulse around me as her orgasm builds. I keep my strokes slow and deep, thumb still working her clit. She's so beautiful like this—vulnerable and trusting despite everything I've done.

"I've got you," I promise again. "Let go."

She shudders against me, so different from the violent crescendos earlier. Her body trembles in my arms as she cries out softly against my neck. The sound pierces straight through my heart.

I capture her lips with mine, pouring everything I feel into the kiss. She responds with equal fervor, but I keep myself in check, making sure she has room to pull away if she wants.

She doesn't.

Shifting my grip, I lift her higher against the wall, steadying her with my body. The new angle draws a gasp from her lips. I start moving faster, but still gentle. Still careful.

"Yes," she breathes. "Yes, yes..."

Her whispered encouragement spurs me on. Water streams down her face, making her eyelashes glitter like stars.

"You're so beautiful," I murmur. "So perfect,zvyozdochka."

She shivers at my words, her inner walls fluttering around me. I kiss her neck where the necklace left its mark, trying desperately to replace the memory of violence with tenderness.

"That's it," I praise as she rocks against me. "Just like that."

Her fingers tangle in my hair as I continue making love to her, each thrust an unspoken apology, each kiss a silent promise.

"Don't stop," Lacey whispers, her voice a fragile thing against my lips. "Please don't stop."

I can't deny her anything right now. Not when she's asking with such raw vulnerability. Steam curls around us, making the air thick and heavy with moisture. Water streams down her face, her neck, between her breasts until every inch of her skin is glistening.

My thrusts stay measured and gentle—everything I wasn't before. Her body responds beautifully, her warm slick inner walls gripping me with each stroke.

"Never," I promise, though I know it's a lie.

Everything ends eventually.

Her hands slide over my wet shoulders, down my back. No scratching, no biting now. Just soft touches that leaves my heart aching for more.

I can feel my release building, pressure coiling tight in my core. "I'm close," I warn her, slowing my pace. "So close,zvyozdochka."

"Me too," she breathes, amber eyes locking with mine. "I'm going to?—"

I capture her lips in a deep kiss, swallowing her words. Her body tightens around me as her orgasm hits. The sensation of her pulsing around me sends me over the edge. I spill inside her with a groan, our releases perfectly synchronized.

The shower continues to rain down on us as we share the moment, bodies trembling together. Her lips move softly against mine, and I pour into the kiss everything I don't deserve to say to her.

44

LACEY

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