Page 42 of Beast

“Did I displease you?” Kaja is on her knees, her armscovering her breasts. She turned in on herself. I can see that now. Her facegoes blank when she retreats.

No. She didn’t displease me in the least, but I can’t saythe same for myself. The urge to walk away is right there like a knot in mychest that won’t let me breathe. I don’t want to feel this way. I don’t want tobe responsible for her. I want to be the man I always was before—the good-timeguy. I want to party and fuck pretty women and send them on their way. I don’twant to have my heart ripped out every time Kaja turns those gorgeous eyes onme. I don’t fucking want to care.

“I should leave then.” Kaja’s eyes turn down, but not beforeI catch the sheen of unshed tears. “I will find a place to sleep, but I won’tgo far.”

She will curl up and cry and wonder how she failed me. Iknow exactly what she’ll do. I can tell her it isn’t her fault, but she won’tbelieve it. She’ll only believe it if I show her.

I can’t let her leave. “Kaja, I’m not done.”

She bites at her bottom lip. “But you pushed me away.Perhaps if you told me what I did wrong, I could learn how to please you.”

I reach out and pull her close. Only when her arms go aroundme do I relax again. I fucked up, but I can fix it. “You didn’t do anythingwrong. I didn’t want to make love that way. I want to see your pretty face whenyou come for me.”

“But the mating…” she begins.

I shake my head and force her to look in my eyes. “Nomating. Mating is for assholes who want to use you and give you nothing inreturn. Put that word out of your mind.” I let my hands roam as I ease her ontoher back and get between her legs. I cover her body with mine. Yes, this iswhat I missed. I’m wrapped in her softness. “We’re going to make love, you andI. We’re going to fuck, but in the sweetest way possible. Do you understand?”

“No, but I already like it. I like being close to you.” Herlegs move against my hips. She’s already accepting me in a way she didn’tbefore. She didn’t move when I mounted her from behind. Now she isparticipating. Her hands run down my back to the muscles of my ass.

“And I like your hands on me. Oh, touch me everywhere. Iwant to feel you all around me.” I’m right there again, with my cock at herpussy, but this time she’s the one who pulls me inside. Her hands grip my ass,and she spreads her legs.

“I like this making love, Dante,” she says. “I like this somuch more.”

So do I. She’s with me this time. I take over, thrusting ingently and pulling out, simply enjoying the feel of being inside her. I let myhead drift to her neck. I can hear the soothing sound of her heart racing andfeel her warmth surrounding me. I fuck my wife for the longest time. She comesover and over, her mouth opening and crying out my name as her legs tightenaround me. Five times she shudders and comes beneath me before her arms fallaway.

“Dante, I can’t.” Her head has dropped back, and though shebegs for mercy, there’s a smile on her face.

“One more. I want one more, and then we can be done. Fornow.” I don’t want her to get it into her head that she’ll be allowed more thana night’s rest. I intend to be inside her again as soon as she wakes in themorning. I intend to fuck her until she forgets there was a man before me.

“I can’t,” she whispers.

But she can. I push myself up and grind my pelvis againsther clit as I fuck my cock as deeply into her as I can go, and she lights uparound me.

Then it’s finally my turn. I let go, and the pleasure makesmy body jerk as I come.

Another feeling flows through me. Utter satisfaction. I’msatisfied because I am complete in this moment. And then I realize the feelingisn’t mine. It’s Kaja’s. Her heart, her sweet, brave, loyal heart, is at peacefor the first time as I come inside her. She holds me, clinging to me. So muchof her pleasure comes from pleasing me.

I shudder one last time and let myself fall on her. Herbreath comes out in a happy sigh, and she squeezes her arms around me.

I should roll off her. Some voice deep inside me tells me torun, but it’s a distant thing now. There’s another voice that tells me to revelin her. She’s mine, but this voice doesn’t tell me to take her because shebelongs to me. This voice urges me to take care of her, to cling to her as sheclings to me because we belong to each other.

After the longest time, I rise to my feet. We need to beddown for the night. Kaja doesn’t protest when I lift her into my arms andcradle her to my chest. Her arms drift around my neck.

When I take her into the water this time, she doesn’tflinch. She simply trusts me.

I know I’m in way, way over my head, and there might not beany way out.

ChapterSixteen

Chalen Palgrave

I feel my blood pressure rise as I attempt to processthe words my employee is saying. It was a rude awakening from a sound sleep.“What exactly are you trying to say to me, Roan?”

Roan’s expression never changes. His face is utterly blank.From what I can tell, the damn Brit never has an emotion at all. “Dellacourtgot away.”

Yes. That’s what I thought the fucker said. I forcemyself to lean forward when all I really want to do is to take my tablet andthrow it off the balcony. Hell. That’s wrong. What I really want to dois wrap my claws around Roan’s throat and squeeze until the Brit dies. “What doyou mean he got away? Dellacourt’s an idiot. You’re the best mercenary moneycan buy, or at least that’s your reputation.”

I wasn’t able to hire a truly reputable firm. On the Vampireplane security is always handled by private firms, but they tend to be touchywhen it comes to potentially breaking the law. Roan and his men are outsidethat circle, but they are damn expensive. Of course, I never actually meant topay them, but Roan doesn’t need to know that.