Page 74 of The Villain
Paper wings flutter in my belly. Sweat breaks out under my arms, across my hairline. I look away, unable to hold his gaze. I shake my head, needing to clear it, unsure why I said what I said. Why I brought it up. Of course, I knew what Jet meant. I may be inexperienced,but I’m not an idiot. Although the second part about Cassian not fucking me, that I don’t understand.
But it doesn’t matter, not right now, not when I feel Cassian’s gaze burning into me. I need to remember that Cassian is not only older than me, but also more experienced than me. He’s probably had a hundred women in his bed. A thousand. I’ve had zero men. I’ve never felt what I’m feeling with him, but maybe it would be like this with any man. When Jet looked at me, what did I feel? No, I don’t want to think about that. I won’t think about whatever that was. All I know is that it was different than what I feel when Cassian looks at me. When he touches me. What I felt when Jet looked at me was angrier. Was, well, I’m not sure what it was, but Jet doesn’t have my belly fluttering.
“Moth,” Cassian says.
When I look up, he’s still watching me. I remind myself he cannot read my mind. He’s not superhuman. He’s a man. And now is not the time to unpack whatever that was.
He sets his hand at my lower back, and I shudder.
I clear my throat. “You can go meet whoever you want. You don’t need to, um, clarify anything.”
“Oh, but I do.”
We walk into the lobby of the casino. Atlantic City has several casinos along its boardwalk, but Blackstone’s stands out. I know it the instant I step into the elegant lobby from its huge blown glass chandelier in every color of the rainbow, to the rich polished wood of the front desk to the elegantly uniformed staff. Elevators stand ready to whisk us upstairs to the casino and exclusiveboutiques and restaurants line the hallways leading off on either side of the lobby.
One of his men is standing at the elevator. The doors open and a well-dressed woman exits. The soldier buttons his jacket and blocks the doors from closing as we step inside. He positions himself so as not to allow the couple who is also clearly waiting for an elevator to enter. Once the three of us are inside, the soldier slips a card into a slot and the button for the penthouse lights up. Does he feel the tension between Cassian and I? Because electricity is crackling, ready to spark a fire.
I watch the ocean as the glass-walled elevator carries us up. Once the doors slide open, he waits for us to exit then follows us. There are two sets of double doors at either end of the hall. Two penthouses, I guess. Soldiers stand at both.
Cassian leads me to what I assume is his. He punches a code into the keypad and, after a short beep, a green light blinks and he opens the door. He gestures for me to enter. I do and I’m immediately wowed. I stand just inside the door taking it all in. This apartment is as modern as the church is gothic. It has floor to ceiling windows along one wall with a balcony that spans the length of the room overlooking the water. Every polished surface shines, from the beautiful wide-planked, white-washed hardwood floors to the glass table tops, to the gold-veined white marble waterfall counter with its six stools and bowl of perfect green apples on top. In fact, they’re so polished that I’m not sure they’re real until Cassian picks one up, takes a bite and chews while watching me take it all in.
I slip my bag off my shoulder and walk to the wall of windows that overlook the ocean far below.
Cassian is beside me a moment later. I hear the crunch of another bite of apple and glance his way to find him watching me while he chews, a smile on his too-beautiful lips. He holds the apple out for me to take a bite. I bite into the crunchy, juicy fruit. We watch each other while I chew and he wipes juice from the corner of my mouth before taking one more giant bite and tossing the core into the trashcan. He returns to me and when he sets his hands on my hips, there goes my heart again, beating wildly.
“Good apple?” he asks.
I nod.
One corner of his mouth curves up wickedly. “Now that I’ve fed you, Little Moth, let me be sure you understand me.”
“I understand you just fine.” My heart races anticipation.
“No. I mean in here,” he says, pressing the flat of his hand to my chest. “Not just here.” He taps two fingers against my skull. “When I’m finished with you, you’ll know in your soul that you belong to me. Only me.”
Before I can even think, he lifts me in his arms, making me gasp as he carries me effortlessly into a bedroom. He kicks the door closed behind him and sets me down at the foot of the bed which is centered against the wall that faces the floor-to-ceiling windows with the same view as those in the living room.
“Cassian—”
“Quiet,” he says, bending his head to kiss me before pulling my top off and tossing it aside.
When I open my mouth to say something, I’m not sure what, he kisses me again, not giving me a chance to speak or even think. There’s something wild in that kiss as he pushes me to sit on the edge of the bed and crouches to undo my combat boots and slips them off my feet. My socks are next before he stands, pulling me up with him. He’s so much taller than me, especially now that I’m barefoot. He kisses me again, then pulls back to look down at me as he undoes my jeans and peels them off.
I find my arms have moved to his shoulders and when he kisses me, I’m kissing him back while his words circle my mind.
“You have belonged to me ever since the moment you walked into your father’s study with those ridiculous wings on your back. You’re the only woman I’ve thought about since that night. You’re wild and violent and angry and you are mine. Only mine, my Little Mothand once we’re upstairs, I’m going to show you exactly what it means to belong to me.”
Surely, he didn’t mean them like my brain wants me to think of them. Surely not.
He undoes the top buttons of his shirt before tugging it over his head so he’s standing bare-chested before me, all inked olive skin stretched tight over powerful arms, chest and shoulders and when he kisses me again, he cups the back of my head with one big hand as with the other he unhooks my bra, and I feel the straps slip off my arms. He draws back to look at me with those eyes that shine a deep blue sea around black pupils.
My panties are last to go. Cassian never looks away from me as he slides them off then pushes me to sit on the edge of the bed. He steps between my legs, nudging them apart before setting his hands on my knees and opening them. Only then does he shift his gaze, sliding it over my naked body to my core, to the very center of me.
“He will never look at you again.” He bends his head to kiss me, eyes open, teeth biting before moving down to my neck, my chest, between my legs.
I gasp when he closes his mouth over me, licking hungrily, the flat of his tongue tasting me fully before he straightens.
“He will never touch you, Allegra. Never.” He bends his head again, eating me whole as I arch my back to push myself against him, against his face, his mouth, his lips, his tongue, his teeth, my fingers curling in his hair to pull him closer, ever closer.
