Page 31 of Driven by Desire

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“No more games, Riley,” he said in a hard voice, shaking her hard. “Trust me, you do not want to come to my bed this way. I will hurt you, woman.”

She opened her mouth to deny him, but nothing came out. She realized she was both desperately frightened and aroused. They had been dancing around each other for weeks. And if there was one thing Riley loved it was the adrenaline rush of a good chase scene, but somewhere along the way things had changed. He had changed. Things became real. She sensed this was no longer just a fuck to him. He intended to keep her. To chain her to him. And she so wasn’t ready for that.

“Please,” she whispered, her lips shaking as she gazed up at him, hoping he could see the fear in her eyes. Hoping it wouldn’t call to the predator in him.

“We passed please when you took my car, little girl,” he growled, his fingers biting into her biceps. He pulled her closer until her breasts brushed against his chest.

“I’m sorry,” she offered, biting her lip and trying to look contrite. She really wasn't sorry at all. She’d won the fucking Sparrow Hawk Cup! She’d shown the world what the Regera was built to do.

He sighed angrily and shook her. She brought her hands up to brace herself against his chest. “Don’t lie to me,” he snapped. “You’re sorry you got caught. And believe me, Riley. I’m about to make you very sorry.”

She opened her mouth to snap back at him, but he brought his head down, closing the space between them. Crushing her lips with his, he took her mouth in a brutal kiss that told her exactly how their time together would be. Desire fled as fear set in when he continued to ravish her mouth with no thought for her comfort. When she tried to turn her head away, he took her ponytail in his fist and pulled it back in a brutal hold, twisting her head beneath his until her face was tilted exactly where he wanted it.

He fucked her mouth with his tongue until she was helpless to deny him what he wanted. The fight drained from her and she opened her lips with each invasion of his tongue. The hands that had been shoving uselessly against the immoveable muscles of his chest now clutched his shirt so she wouldn’t fall at his feet. Not that he would allow that. He had her pinned with her back against the window.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her until only the toes of her Sketchers grazed the floor. He crushed her against his body, forcing her to feel the length of his erection against the cradle of her thighs. She whimpered into his mouth as he moved to kiss down her throat, his mouth hot and demanding against her tender skin.

“Soloman!” she cried out, when he bit into the skin of her shoulder blade through her T-shirt.

His head snapped up and he immediately swooped down for another intense, dizzying kiss. She cried out in pain as the day old growth on his cheeks and chin scratched against the ravaged skin around her mouth where he had brutalized her. He jerked back and looked down at her with a frown. It was clear he couldn’t see what was wrong in the shadows surrounding him. Taking her by the arm, he dragged her roughly to the side of the bed and switched on a nightstand lamp.

Riley gasped and turned her head away from the sudden light. So he did pay his electricity bill, she noted bitterly. He took her ponytail in his hand once more and, before she could jerk it away, used it to turn her face to the light. His frown turned fierce and he swore so viciously Riley wondered if she was about to die. Instinctively, she tried to yank her arm away from him, but he held her tight. She flinched back when he brought his other hand up, but all he did was run his fingertips over the swollen, reddened skin around her lips.

He growled in annoyance and thrust a tattooed hand through his hair before dropping it to his side. Did he care that he’d hurt her? But she thought he intended to punish her for her constant defiance and denials. She was confused. Was the mafia kingpin about to fuck her or take pity on her? She glanced down to see if she was still in danger. Yup, still fucked. Or about to be.

“It doesn’t matter,” he growled quietly, almost to himself.

He pulled her in more closely and continued to watch her face. His was set in stone, his scarred mouth a relentless slash. He swung her around and began lowering her onto the bed. She brought her hands up in a panic and clutched his arms as though he might stop if she clung onto him hard enough. She suddenly understood what he meant. He wanted her bad enough to take her using whatever means necessary. He was a bad man, used to doing very bad things. Yet it bothered him that he had hurt her. But he didn’t understand why, because nothing in life had taught him to be soft. Her heart melted just a little.

She was still terrified though. Far too frightened to give him what he was about to ruthlessly take from her. She just wasn't ready. She stiffened as he lowered his hard body against her, crushing her into the soft mattress.

“Soloman!” she gasped. “Please can I take a shower?”

He stiffened over top of her, clearly not expecting that kind of a request from her. But he did stop. She pressed her advantage by wiggling a little, trying to get out from under him. He groaned and thrust his hips hard against her, forcing a sharp gasp from her throat when his erection pressed intimately into her. She stopped moving, looked up at him pleadingly and begged, “Please, Soloman, I feel so dusty from driving all day yesterday and this morning.”

He thought for a moment and then finally grunted his assent and rolled off of her. She shot off the bed as though it were on fire. They both knew she was buying time, but it didn’t matter. She would take anything he gave her. He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her against him.

“Ow!” she snapped. She was getting really sick of all the arm grabbing.

He hauled her into an ensuite and smashed his fist against a light switch, flooding a gorgeous, marble washroom in yellow light. Someone was clearly getting grumpy at being constantly denied his sexy time prize. She pressed her fingers against her lips and shuddered. His patience was running out as fast as her time.

She glanced around the washroom and quickly assessed her ability to squeeze through the window over top of the whirlpool bathtub. Yeah, no problem. She dropped her eyes so he wouldn’t divine her thoughts. Too late. His annoyed gaze met hers.

“Clothes off,” he said coldly, leaning a hip against the vanity and holding a large hand out.

Her jaw dropped. “Not with you in here!” she gasped, horrified.

“Do it now, or I’ll do it for you,” he snapped. “And I promise, little girl, if I get my hands on you right now, I will fuck you right here and now. I’m just about done waiting. Don’t want you jumping out that window and running.”

She continued to glare at him angrily until he took a step toward her. She gasped and jumped back until her elbow touched the immaculate glass of the huge shower stall. “Fine!” she snapped back at him. “It’s not like you haven’t seen it all before, asshole!”

His scar quivered and his lips thinned for just a moment before he spoke. “Watch that mouth, Riley.”

She glared fireballs at him, but kept her lips sealed. There was a whole lot she would love to say to him, but kept her peace for the moment. She could tell he was rapidly reaching the edge of his patience. She wasn’t used to playing with men like him. Fuck, she didn’t think anyone survived long enough to play with him. He deserved it though. He was a dick through and through. She would make him regret fucking around with her. Yeah, she’d burn his house down or something. Not his garage though. She bet he had some sweet deals in there. She’d boost those babies and sell them. Then she’d burn the garage.

She threw her T-shirt in his face, ignored his growl of annoyance and reached for her jeans. She did her best to pretend he wasn't there, but knew her face had gone cherry red as she pulled her jeans and panties down her hips. She didn’t bother taking her time. There was no point. She wanted him out of there as fast as possible. She reached around behind her and unsnapped her bra, allowing it to fall into her other hand. She was about to fling it at him when his hand closed over hers in a crushing grip.

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