“These two need to be alone,” Adriane said as he held out a hand to Rachel.
Lia was horrified when her sister took his offered fingers and then walked away without another word to Lia.
Then it was just the two of them — she and Shane, all alone — because the guards followed Adriane, and this was his private beach.
“Alone at last and we didn’t even have to go anywhere,” Shane said as he leaned forward.
“I don’t want to do this, Shane,” Lia said, holding out her hand.
“Oh, yes, you do, baby. Just as much as I do,” he countered.
Closing the small distance between them, he kissed her the way she’d been imagining him doing all day.
Her will went from strong to gone in a heartbeat as his tongue slipped across her closed mouth.
What was one more mistake? she thought as she caved in to her body’s demands.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“I HAVE NEVER wanted so badly to pound someone into a bloody pulp!”
Ari walked beside Rafe as they strolled down the beach, watching as the sun slowly lowered, and its beautiful rays cast colors on the calm ocean water. She smiled as he ranted about Adriane and what a terrible man he was.
“He just thinks he can do whatever he wants — take her away and not suffer any consequences from it!”
Now it was time for her to speak. She’d been waiting. “And you have never done anything like that?” Her voice was quiet as she waited for her words to sink in.
“I wouldn’t…” he began to say as he stopped and turned toward her. She simply raised an eyebrow in response.
“Why are you with me?” he asked as he saw his past actions in a new and thoroughly unpleasant light which left him amazed to see her still standing before him.
“Is that an honest question? Do you want the real answer?”
He looked at her, his mind spinning while the muscles in his jaw tensed in apprehension of what she might say.
“Yes,” he finally said, taking her hand and leading her to a small hill looking over the picturesque beach.
“I’m with you because you saw the errors of your ways. I’m with you because before you, I was merely going through the motions of life, doing what I was supposed to be doing, being the perfect daughter, the honor student, the person I thought everyone wanted me to be. And then I met you.” She stopped for a minute. “You certainly weren’t part of what I was supposed to be doing. You terrified me, Rafe. You were a monster in my eyes.”
Rafe winced as she spoke, until she lifted her hand and caressed his cheek.
“I was afraid of you, but not for long. Then, something changed. I was angry that you were forcing me into the situation you did, but the bottom line is that I wouldn’t have stayed had I not also felt some excitement about it. Yes, I was mad, and, yes, there were times I wanted to throttle you, but you also made me feel things I never imagined feeling. You may have been a barbarian in your methods, but — I am almost ashamed to admit this — you stirred excitement in me that I had never felt before.”
“The entire time?” he asked, as if completely awed.
“Yes,” she admitted. “When you pushed me to do those things in the bedroom, I thought I would be filled with terror and maybe even disgust, but I was aroused. When you tied me to that toy, that circular apparatus, my entire body was turned on. I was afraid of you for all of two seconds. I’ve been turned on by you since the moment we met. Yes, you were a very sexy monster. I didn’t want to be only your plaything, only someone you thought you owned; I wanted your love, too. But the way you make me feel has never changed. I feel desired, and sexy, and the sex …well, it’s out of this world.” Ari’s face flushed.
“Out of this world, huh?” he asked, his eyes darkening as the sun sank, and its tangerine hue started to evaporate into the gentle wind.
“Oh, Rafe, the sex is indescribable!” she said as his hand trailed up her leg and slid beneath the hem of her shorts, making her breath rush from her mouth.
“So my sweet little Ari likes a bit of excitement in the bedroom?” he pushed.
“Oh, yes,” she gasped as his fingers reached the edge of her panties. Thank goodness for loose shorts. Ari leaned back to give him easier access.
“I have been so afraid of chasing you away that I’ve been a complete gentleman for the last few weeks. I figured that was what you wanted.”
“I love the man you are, Rafe. I can’t wait to be your wife. I do like my control-freak lover, too, though,” she said shyly. Would he think less of her for admitting this?
“Oh, Ari. You have made me one very, very a happy man,” he said as he removed his hand, making her whimper in frustration before he grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her onto his lap.
“Then show me how happy you are,” she demanded, grabbing his head and pulling him closer so she could taste the sweetness of his lips.
“Are you trying to take control, my darling Ari?” he asked as he grabbed her arms and tugged them behind her back, holding them together with one hand.
“Would I try to do that?” she asked, pushing her h*ps against his, glorying at the friction as her tingling core met his arousal.
“I think you might. What should I do about that?”
The excitement in his voice made her blood heat as it all rushed to one very sensitive area of her body. This was a game she’d missed playing with him — it was a game she could play well. A game of who would be in charge. It was also a game they both got to win.
“What do you think you can do about it?” she mocked him, leaning back, exulting in the power she felt flowing through his grip as he held her tightly.
“You’re about to find out,” he growled before reaching his other hand up and tugging on her loose hair, pulling her face toward his.
His lips grazed her mouth, his tongue tracing the edges of her lips, but he didn’t connect their mouths fully. He tugged again, making her head fall back as he kissed her jaw, then he ran his lips down the sensitive column of her throat until he met her shoulder, where his teeth nipped her skin just enough to leave the slightest sting.
Before she could say anything, his tongue swept out, soothing the area and making her forget to admonish him. She tried to lift her hands to his shoulders, but his hold on her arms didn’t allow it.
She tried to pull away, but to no avail. Instead, her struggles made her core rub vigorously against the solid proof of his desire.