Page 135 of The Secrets That Kill

I sink my teeth into him, biting hard, sucking, and running my tongue over the salt of his flesh. He hisses and starts to move, fucking me hard, slamming into me over and over again.

And I’m there for it. He spins us so high, each thrust of his cock so deep. I bite him harder as he goes, channeling the scorching pain and pleasure from my body to his.

Somewhere along the line, he switches into a slower pace, just as deep. I let go of his throat and he kisses me, spinning kisses that dance me around our blissful, sex-soaked world.

He pushes his hand between us, slipping a finger into me as he uses his thumb to rub against my clit. A resounding pulse of orgasm starts to hit, ready to shatter me into carnal pieces, one that is unlike anything else, except when he takes my ass. The orgasms from anal are their own beast. They start in a deep place and ring out like fierce bells, joining in with the intense throbbing of my clit and G-spot.

I’m coming from everywhere. I’m vibrating and contracting, rocketing and soaring, and he groans. “Fuck. Ivy.”

And then his cock twitches, each spurt of hot cum is like heaven from him.

I’m just gone in that wild orgasmic cloud, clinging to him as the primal rush cascades over me.

Slowly it all settles, and my body finally stills. He pulls out, then pulls me into his arms. “Well, fuck,” he says. “If you told me that’s what you want from aftercare, I’d have started being really attentive earlier.”

There’s something light in his voice, like he’s just Mercer, as he is without all the chains of life.

I think of his tattoos. The bird. The broken chains.

Does he think he managed to rise like the phoenix and shatter the chains of his old life, but still carries them like an anchor around his neck?

I don’t know. I think so. Right now I’m not going to ask. The moment is too lovely to ruin.

“Maybe if you’d done your job, you’d have found out.”

“Brat.”

He bathes me because he says it’s part of the whole aftercare experience, and I’m shocked when he climbs in, too. I lean back against his thick muscled chest, his strong arms wrapped tight around me. I let myself play with the fantasy that I found our version of aftercare in a world where nothing can touch us, and we can live in our lust-filled cloud forever.

I’m a million miles from the girl I was before all of this happened, before my life turned upside down and Mercer ordered me to get into the back of his car. My sister’s the only one I’m talking to. I wish I could talk to Cara, though, because I have a lot of questions about her knowing Mercer.

But she’s been gone too long, and I get the feeling she’s not coming back. A small part of me is afraid she might have gotten sucked into the same darkness and depravity that Ruby did. I really hope she didn’t end up the same way. But there was obviously a lot about her I didn’t know. I can only pray that she is somewhere safe and happy now.

Lachlan’s called to check up on me. He wanted to know if I’ve been okay since Mercer turned up. He has a right to be concerned after his first impression at that bar.

A couple of more people wanted to know why I didn’t show up again after break, why I deferred admission, which is something that has Mercer written all over it. I want to be angry, I do. But it’s just a semester, and I’m sure I can undo it when we’re done here.

Not that I want to think about it right now. I’m happy just basking in him.

He picks up the sponge and lazily circles my breasts and belly, the fingers of his other hand on my inner thigh.

I’m going to ache tomorrow, worse than I do now, blooming a field of violets on my back and ass and thighs.

And every time I move, I’ll remember what we did.

“I should feel dirty.”

“Why?” he asks as I lean my head back and rest it against his chest.

I splash the water and run my hand up over his thigh and knee. The hair on his thigh is dark and wet and I pull some.

To his credit, he doesn’t say a word. Or hiss.

“For what we did. I’ve sucked you off in front of people. You’ve tied me up. Made me perform for them.” I gaze at him from under my lashes. “I’d have done that naked. For you.”

“I know.”

He’s not smug, it’s just quiet acknowledgement.