Page 36 of Hostile King

My knees go weak under his unsettled intensity, but I do my best to keep my spine straight and my stance solid.

I’ve witnessed this kingly man stroll through crowds where men practically bow at his presence and his formidable actions strike fear into the hearts of those he slaughters. On the flip side, I’ve survived against poorly stacked odds and withstood his volatile temperament when others believed it would be impossible.

Yet this stirring sight before me is unlike him.

He’s different.

Unhinged, but seemingly anchored.

The moment he nudges his hard dick into my pelvis, my nipples instantly harden. His smoky aura swirls around us—not just him. It envelops us both. Together, we tumble through his blackout, linked by blood cells, heartbeats, and unspoken wishes.

Somehow the goriness of our situation has become a rare and impossibly humbled token of love. Rather than shame him for smothering me in his blood, I feel oddly blessed.

He bleeds for me as I would for him.

Except in the carnage of euphoria, I see through the lusty haze to where he had handpicked his perfect bride. His destiny is a cartel princess, not this peculiar bond we’ve unearthed.

However, beyond the realms of my sanity and the boundaries of self-pride, an unfathomable arousal grips me in Cupid's chokehold.

I still crave his rough touch.

I’m still burning up under his mastery.

Only hot breath and blinking lashes move in this standoff between a damaged girl and her dominant king, cruelly making me wetter, hungrier, and more responsive than ever. I could live a lifetime without Tomás and never feel as alive as I do when we're together.

“I would have stayed with you, if you’d asked…” I whisper regretfully, quickly sliding my hand out from under his.

A smudge of blood glides in the movement, striping his tanned skin like war paint. It pains me to point out the errors of his ways. Emotions of distrust and hurt stab my chest until I no longer breathe for him. I breathe for myself and my honor.

“You terminated our contract earlier than agreed and cut me off. Business comes first for you, Tomás, and Bianca, she has your commitment. The only thing you promised me was freedom, and that’s exactly what I want.”

When the shaky truth escapes me, his eyes narrow as the crack splitting my heart in two could be heard in my broken voice. Despite what he did to me in the airless tomb, I would have considered a forever with him.

I know what he’s capable of and what he’s not. Perhaps there was a second of doubt when my cramping lungs ached for air, but ultimately the man had resurfaced from the monster.

He saved me from himself. That much I know.

For days now, I’ve vowed to myself to move on from us and learn a lesson that heart-stopping sex isn’t everything. Except, no matter how I try to deny it, I’m aware of the relentless threads tugging at every cell in my body. The connection we had shared ran deeper, surpassed limits, and traveled past fantasies.

It was real.

I brace myself for his crazed reaction to our dead-end situation. Tremors quake the world when he growls, “I’m not pushing you away now.” He captures my cheeks between his large palms, so I have nowhere to look other than into the sincerity blazing in his eyes. “I’ll fix this, Cari.”

My lungs expand, desperately trying to inhale a measure of courage. “You can’t.” I swallow the hard lump in my throat, wounded by the past and fearful of a false future. “You’re angry, because your royal ego is dented. You don’t want that guy to fuck me, because there’s every chance…he could be hotter, harder, and better than you were.”

His voice slips into darkness, dragging my accusation with it. “That’s bullshit and you know it. He doesn’t see you like I do. He doesn’t give a fuck about Carina Ferreira.”

Unreadable thoughts pass over his features, the powerful admission he offers claws its way into my armored heart making it hard to resist the forbidden touch of a man preparing to wed another.

“And you do?” A blast of air shoots free of my nostrils. “I obeyed you, Tomás. I worshipped you. I understood everything about you. I evencaredfor you. And it still wasn't enough.” I push my spine back and take a solid stance against the gritty cracked mirror, the walls of my bravado threatening to shatter like a sheet of wafer-thin ice

Tomás stiffens, his eyes glazed in chagrin. “I almost strangled you, Cari. You deserved better than to live in fear of me—you deserved to live a full, happy life.” His lashes lower, bringing his forehead to mine. “I eliminate people who get in my way. I’ve even assassinated people close to me. I pulled the trigger on us foryoursake. Foryou.”

My heart lurches. A defensive laugh bubbles from my throat, harsh and hollow.

“Tomás, you pulled the trigger because Bianca was waiting for you. A woman who’ll enhance your family’s business. That’s the truth.” I squeeze my eyes shut to block out his stern gaze, then try to refocus on the sparkly diamond stud in his earlobe for grounding. “Don’t try to disguise it any other way.”

Before I can argue further, his mouth brushes over mine with temptation. Once his silky lips settle, he kisses me with strained tenderness. His entire body goes rigid from the effort taken to show gentleness where violence exists.

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