Page 40 of Deception & Desire

When I return to her, I place my spare hand over her mouth. “Demanding little thing, aren’t you?”

She glares at me over my hand, green eyes half-clouded with lust as I align myself at her entrance.

“No complaints about entering a den of vipers, but as soon as you need something from me, well…” I push into her, barely past the tip.

My heart shudders at the sight of her eyes rolling back, her moan smothered by my fingers.

“It’s maddening.” It takes considerable effort to get the words out. “No regard for your own safety. Even now, you want it rough, don’t you?”

Her back arches as I push all the way to the hilt.

“Listen to me closely.” I withdraw, only to slam back into her again. This time, the sound she makes escapes my fingers. “I’m the only one who gets to be rough with you.”

I slam into her again, and my vision begins to blur. “You don’t take risks with anyone else.”

Her legs tremble with the effort to meet my next thrust, driving me even deeper. “And you’re going to start wearing a fucking heart rate monitor.”

Teeth bite into my hand as I lose all semblance of control. Her fingers scrape down my back, making her own marks on my skin. Dear God, do I love it. I love that she’s claiming me as I’ve claimed her.

I love the way her tightness around my cock gives me the most excruciating pleasure I’ve ever known.

I love that she’s here and safe and writhing beneath me. The only bruises and markings on her body are the ones that I’ve put there.

I feel it when her body clenches, when the spasms of her orgasm hit, and the most beautiful sound erupts from her mouth. I could listen to it forever, I could so easily stay with her like this, fall into…

My orgasm hits with brutal force and unnerving clarity. As I gaze upon the stars in my own eyes, the ones that cast her in an ethereal sort of softness, the pressure in my chest becomes too much.

This is too much. All of it, these feelings—the way she feels—is all too much.

Fuck.

I wrench my mouth from her skin, from where I could taste her sweat and desire, and push myself away.

It’s done. I’ve done what was needed. I can’t keep feeling this way.

Because it feels far too much like vulnerability. It feels too much like a weakness to be exploited by my enemies. It feels too much like clouded judgment.

I would have jeopardized the mission tonight for her in a heartbeat.

She moans out her protest as I yank myself out of her, but I keep putting the inches between us. Clawing away from that soft, raging thing that threatens to consume me whole.

It feels like anobsession.

Unnatural, unhealthy, unwarranted obsession. I want to lock the doors and never let her leave this room again.

My breath comes out in short pants as I try to gather my willpower. Every breath of distance between us gives me a new sense of clarity. I cling to it, pulling myself away and off the bed.

“Leon?” She looks up at me in half-delirious confusion, blankets pulled haphazardly over her perfect body.

It would be easy to close the distance again, soothe the worry of her brow, tease a hand through her hopelessly tangledcurls. But it’s too dangerous a path. I can’t fuel this obsession anymore.

“You can sleep here tonight,” I manage to choke out in a level tone. “We can debrief in the morning.”

I turn to leave, grabbing my discarded clothes from the floor as I do.

“Are you…walking away from me right now?”

The betrayal in her voice is the hardest thing to stomach, and when I reach the bedroom door, the bile tastes rancid in my mouth. “There was nothing in our vows that specified cuddling.”

---