Page 41 of The Night Runs Red

You killed a man, the voice whispered. You put a bullet in his head and killed him in his home.

No, I thought forcibly. I did what I could to protect others from ending up in the same position. Men like Von would never stop once they had tasted such a lifestyle.

“Are you okay?” Rion asked, brows furrowing.

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. He’d given me the choice, and I’d made it. But if he knew of my guilt, he would take the brunt of it, and something told me he had enough of it on his shoulders.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Rion and I walked through the foyer and up the stairs, stopping at the threshold. “It has been a long time since I’ve shared this space with anyone,” he murmured softly. He cupped my cheek, running his thumb across the bottom of my lip. He dropped his gaze to watch as I sucked the tip into my mouth.

Without warning, he bent down and scooped me into his arms. My legs went around his waist on instinct, and I leaned forward to taste the salt of his skin. At first touch, he slowly climbed the second set of stairs, placing teasing kisses along my neck and chest before he pushed open the door and deposited me inside his room.

It was everything I imagined it would be. Dark, earthy tones, leather, and mahogany wood. Gold accents adorned an ornate mirror that sat above his dresser, where I saw him watching me with caution. Outside, the moon was already taking on a reddish hue, signaling the beginning of the blood cycle. A large, round window looked over the Odesza.

“What is it?” he asked.

“All these years, I would look up at this window and wish to know what secrets it held.” I met his gaze. “It was you.”

He stared down at me, and for the first time this evening, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. I reached up, smoothing the lines between his brows. “What’s on your mind, husband?”

“You,” he whispered just before kissing my lips.

“What about me?”

He paused, pushing my hair out of my eyes. “How I wish I could live in this moment forever, but I cannot.” His gaze slid to the window behind me, looking at the moon. I wanted to know why he thought that, but I didn’t want to ask. Not yet, at least. Because I selfishly needed to allow myself this pleasure, to know what it would feel like to let my guard down, even if only for one evening.

We could go back to whatever we were supposed to be tomorrow. But tonight, I wanted to indulge in the fantasy he promised, and not think of the pain I’d endure when he tossed me away.

“We may not be able to make it last forever, but we can enjoy it while we can,” I said, taking his hand and leading him to the bed. “Come on.”

Rion followed without question, allowing me to push him onto the bed. There was no light except for that filtering through the window. Half his face was masked in shadows, yet his eyes still glowed. “Where are you going?” he asked as I stepped back and let his jacket fall to the ground.

I smiled. “Your patience will be rewarded, dear husband.” Reaching behind me, I found the clasp of my dress and let it fall to the ground, revealing the lace lingerie I’d worn. It was a last-minute decision I found myself grateful for as he devoured my body hungrily.

His tongue darted to wet his parted lips as I slowly approached him. He reached for me, but I swatted his hands away as I dropped to my knees. “Calia,” he breathed.

“Yes, husband?” I asked, looking up at him with innocent eyes, my lashes fluttering as I blinked slowly.

He groaned and fell back on the bed, covering his eyes with the crook of his arm. “You are too cruel to me, Calia.”

I fumbled with his pants, finally loosening his belt and tugging the zipper down before reaching in to grip his hard length. “I’m not a tease if I follow through.”

I pulled his cock free and rose on my knees to kiss the tip, relishing his sharp intake of breath. He fisted the sheets, restraining himself so I could explore his body without interruption. He was heavy in my hands, even more so in my mouth as I opened to take him.

“Fuck,” he gritted through clenched teeth as I drug my tongue from the base of his shaft to the tip. He moved his arm, and I met his gaze as he peered down at me with hooded lids. Without breaking contact, I slowly slid him into my mouth until I nearly gagged. “Fuck, baby… If you keep that up, I will come down your pretty little throat too soon.”

The endearment sent shivers down my spine, and I preened at his praise. I wanted more. I wanted to satisfy him, to make him crave my touch as I had craved his. I wanted to be his undoing. My tongue gently caressed his cock, exploring every curve and vein as I took him deeper until I knew what made him cry out and curse. I savored each slow, languid movement I made before speeding up and taking him down again and again.

Suddenly, he sat up and wound his fingers through the strands of my hair, jerking my head back. A thin line of saliva trailed from my lips, and he bent to lick it away. “Are you trying to torture me?”

“Maybe,” I said, smirking.

“Then maybe I should do the same.” With one hand still gripping my hair, he forced me to watch as he fisted his cock with the other. “Is this what you want, love?”

“Yes,” I said, watching each slow move he made. Precum dripped from the tip, leaking down his aching shaft. He let his head fall back in pleasure as he worked himself, pulling my hair tighter until small tears rolled down my cheeks, and I couldn’t help but whine.

“What does my needy little wife want? Does she ache for my cock?”

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