Page 23 of Defiant Queen (Mount Trilogy 2)
I remove the bra because I can’t imagine that would be comfortable to sleep in, and can’t help but admire the pale skin of her tits and those perfect pink nipples that pucker in the cool air of the room.
Not tonight, I remind myself, and tuck her under the covers naked, like that will somehow dull the temptation she presents.
Like Eve in that fucking garden. Adam never stood a chance.
A rush of satisfaction fills me to see her wild red mane spread out on my black satin pillowcase like fire. I’ve never had a woman in this bed before, but I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t pictured this exact moment more times than I’ll ever admit.
I knew I wanted Keira Kilgore in my bed, but what I didn’t see coming was how much she’d challenge me outside of it—and how addictive gaining her submission would become.
I back away from the bed slowly and retreat to my closet to shed my suit. I make a mental note that I need to contact G tomorrow to arrange for a full wardrobe for Keira. Up until now, I’ve had him provide only specific outfits at my request, but things have changed.
When I slide under the covers beside her, she moans and curls her body toward me as she shivers. If she were conscious, she’d never do that, so I take advantage and pull her back against my front. My body heat soaks into her skin, and I wrap an arm around her waist.
She makes a noise, like her brain is fighting to regain consciousness.
“Sleep,” I whisper, and in moments, she releases another soft snore. The fact that I think it’s cute tells me just how fucked I am.
I told Hyde the truth; it was never about the money. It was always about her. He was too blind to see a treasure when he had it in his hands, but I’m not.
I see Keira Kilgore exactly for what she’s becoming—the one woman who might be strong enough to stand by my side and rule an empire.
She’d stare at me in horror if I told her that right now. She needs discipline first, and what’s more, she wants it. I’ve never met a more stubborn woman with such a strong submissive streak. I look forward to taming it but don’t want to extinguish her fire, only guide it in a different direction. Tomorrow is soon enough to explain the rules of how things are going to work going forward.
She snuggles into me in her sleep, and I wonder what it would take to make her this pliant while awake. Short of drugs or alcohol, that is.
I close my eyes, not anticipating getting a single moment of sleep with my brain moving a million miles an hour, but shockingly, I drift off in minutes with Keira’s body pressed against mine.
Keira
An unfamiliar chime from my phone wakes me out of a nightmare. My hands are bound behind my back and I’m on my knees, begging a faceless man to kill me.
With chills racing across my skin, I jerk up in bed, the tides of fear from the dream receding until my eyes snap open and I find myself in a dark room. I reach for my phone as the chime rings again, and use the glowing screen to illuminate the room as my head throbs.
Mount’s room.
Last night.
The vodka.
“Oh fuck!” I jump out of bed, remembering what I have to do today.
My appointment is at ten a.m. at the bank. I’m supposed to withdraw the cash, put it in a duffel bag, and then walk outside and around the block and drop the duffel bag through the open back window of the black Suburban that will be parked at the curb.
I’ve run through the plan so many times in my head, I’m ready to rock.
A cool breeze sweeps through the room, and my nipples pucker. I cover them with my hands, shocked when I touch skin.
What the hell? I didn’t fall asleep naked.
That means . . . I search the dark room for the man who must have stripped me last night, but there’s no noise coming from anywhere in the room.
Using the glow of my phone, I stumble to the door to flip the switch of the overhead lights. I am most definitely naked.
That bastard.
My gaze drops to the time on the phone screen, and I convince myself I’m still drunk when I see the appointment reminder . . . for noon . . . in fifteen minutes. Is that why the chime that woke me sounded different?
I blink twice, because there’s no way in hell I’m really seeing that time. I set two alarms so I wouldn’t miss my rendezvous with my not-so-dead husband. There’s no way I slept through both of them. Is there?
