Page 12 of Promise of Hellfire

I kissed across her neck and hooked my fingers into the waistband of the underwear she was wearing. Her legs relaxed, and she lifted her hips as I tugged them down her thighs, leaving them around her ankles. I pushed her thighs apart and settled my body above hers. As I waited for a response, any response, to come from her, I was met with nothing except her nails biting into my skin. Brushing my lips across hers again before rolling my hips against her once more, I rubbed my cock through the slick heat. She arched her back towards me.

“Say it,” I commanded as I plunged inside and pulled out completely.

She groaned at my actions. “Why?” she whispered.

I thrust in again, this time harder. “Because I need to hear it.” I pulled out before thrusting into her again. “Because I want to know you aren’t leaving.” I alternated bites and kisses along her exposed neck. Every thrust became more demanding and her pants filled the room. I reached between us and teased her clit. Her muscles tightened in her legs, and she met my movements, getting lost in the motion of our bodies. I pulled my hand away from her and cradled her hip.

Her face fell as I slowed my strokes. “Why did you stop?”

I pulled her shirt up, exposing her breasts to the chilled air of the room. I nipped at one before I soothed it with my tongue. “You know,” I said before licking across the hardened nub. I lifted her legs and sat them on my shoulders. When I pushed in again she gasped. I rubbed her clit, and the headboard banged against the wall behind us. Emotions warred in my chest. I had bared my soul to her, and she was too afraid to admit how she felt. Or worse, she didn’t feel the same way.

Her voice broke me from the thoughts inside of my head. “It means that I’m yours,” her voice cracked. “I belong to all of you.”

Her words sank in as I buried my head in her shoulder and bit at her skin, completely losing myself inside of her. “Promise me. Promise that you’re ours and you won’t leave.”

Her heels dug into my shoulders, and her hands grabbed at the sheets beneath her. I watched her face, enraptured by how it contorted as she came beneath me. I memorized the way she looked, writhing under my body as whimpers escaped from her lips. Several thrusts later, I shuddered against her and kissed her forehead. Sweat clung to our torsos and our breaths were ragged.

“I promise.” It wasn’t an eloquent declaration of love and devotion. Our words and actions were clumsy, but I knew what they meant. They were enough for me. At least for now.

I rolled over, holding her against my chest as our breathing slowly evened out, eventually falling asleep.

When I woke up the next morning, Rayne was gone. I rubbed my fingers over the linen, wondering if I had imagined the entire night before.

Chapter seven

Rayne

Earlythenextmorning,I woke up and couldn’t fall back asleep. Hunter slept soundly beside me, his chest slowly rising and falling. He looked almost peaceful with his dark hair fanning across the pillowcase. I couldn’t fix the fact that Wayne Ayers was his father, but maybe our “discussion” last night would put him more at ease.

I promised not to leave. It was the first time that I had admitted out loud what I thought about our relationship. It was exciting but terrifying. Admitting, no matter how awkwardly it had come out, that I wanted him. I wanted all of them.

The sun wasn’t up yet, but too many things weighed on my mind. I was restless as I carefully pulled back the covers and tiptoed from the room. Tonight we were going to the Ruby Rose and would have some answers to the questions that were weighing on me.

My vision was still blurry as I rubbed my eyes and tried to navigate the apartment. Dishes clattered in the kitchen as I staggered into the room. Ethan stood at the counter, mixing batter for something before the sun came up. His shoulders and jaw were tense and he hadn’t changed out of his clothes from yesterday. I wondered if he had been to sleep yet.

“Why did you leave the other night?“ I mumbled, sleep still coating my tongue.

He stopped what he was doing and lifted his eyes to mine. “Don’t worry about me. Everything is alright.”

Don’t worrywas the least reassuring phrase in the English language. I stood there stunned, unsure of what to say. “What’s going on?”I stared at him, my thoughts racing. What was he thinking?

He wandered over to where I was standing and pressed a kiss against my forehead before cupping my cheek. “Let me finish up here before we talk about it. Are you ready for tonight?” he asked as he moved back across the space.

“Yes and no,” I answered, moving to the cabinets to search for a coffee cup.

He didn’t push further and comfortable silence enveloped us. I made myself coffee, and he poured batter into muffin pans. He popped them into the oven and set a timer as I sat down on one of the stools.

“Are you okay?” I asked him, blowing across the hot liquid filling my cup.

He ran his fingers through his golden hair and shook his head. I waited patiently for him to say something, but he didn’t. When the timer for the muffins went off, he pulled them from the oven and offered me a small smile. “Do you like blueberry muffins?”

I inhaled and took a moment before I replied. I did like blueberries and they smelled heavenly, the light scent of cinnamon mixing with the fruit in the air, but he was avoiding my question. “Ethan…”

“Just eat a muffin with me and then we’ll talk,” he promised as he sat one in front of me. I tore a small piece off to help it cool and blew on it before shoving it in my mouth. I closed my eyes, savoring the taste. When I opened my eyes, I found him watching my expression carefully. “How are they?”

“Good,” I admitted, even though he was delaying our discussion. I was worried about him, especially after he had shown up at the apartment bruised.

I finished eating what he had placed in front of me, and he grabbed my wrist. “Come on,” he told me as he led me back upstairs to his bedroom. I sat on the bed while he stripped out of his shirt and his fingers made quick work of the button on his jeans, leaving all of his clothing in a pile on the floor. Ethan slid in beside me. He laid on his side and snaked a hand beneath the shirt I wore, resting it on my stomach.

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