When the elevator dings on the ground floor, I reluctantly step back, straightening her dress before holding the door open for her to exit. The disappointment reflected in her glassy gaze is enough to make my dick twitch, but I merely grin at her—a promise of what’s to come—and tug her out into the night with me.

  “Come on,” I tell her, “Let’s get you home and out of these clothes.”

  “Yes, please,” she says, breathless.

  Our driver waits, parked at the curb just like I instructed him to be when we arrived. Not that I’d planned on taking her to bed, exactly, but I know from experience with my father’s parties that Lexi wouldn’t want to stay beyond the point of fulfilling our duty. I climb in behind her, getting a face full of ass before she sits on the far side to make room for me. It takes all my control not to shove her face-first into the backseat and pull her dress up so I can bury my face in her right here.

  The image of it causes a hungry growl to slip free from my throat. But it’s the look Lexi gives me in response that makes it impossible not to touch her. As the driver comes around, I grab her around the neck and pull her in, claiming her mouth once more. She tastes deliciously sweet—a flavor that’s already an addiction and a weakness I plan to give in to again and again.

  My hands explore, roaming the fabric of her dress and delving beneath it to skim over the curve of her breasts.

  Still, my desire for her rages, and I know it’s more than just human lust I feel. My wolf wants her too, even if he can’t say so at this moment. He’s wanted her since the moment he laid eyes on her in that club. And tonight, I’m done questioning or resisting it.

  Pulling my jacket off, I drape it over her legs. Lips swollen from my kiss, she looks at me questioningly but doesn’t argue. Moving my hand beneath the fabric, I find the slit in her dress and slip my hand between her legs. My fingertips run along her smooth, silky thighs, and she shivers.

  I lean in close to her ear and whisper, “Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight, princess?”

  “You—Oh.”

  She bites her lip as my fingers slip beneath the flimsy fabric of her panties and find her folds, teasing her and running over her clit until she squirms in her seat.

  Yes. Squirm for me. Move for me. Come for me.

  “Have I told you that you look stunning?” I go on, enjoying the way my compliments seem to make her more desperate for me.

  “You haven’t,” she whispers, breathless as she grips my shirt like it’s a life raft.

  Rather than rescue her, I slide a finger inside her, and she gasps. Her wetness makes my cock harden instantly.

  “Sshh,” I tell her.

  I can’t help but grin at the way she glares at me. Slowly, I slide my finger out of her and tease her wetness again, but she whimpers at the loss, rocking her hips to meet me all while her shimmering gaze silently pleads for more.

  “You were exactly what I needed you to be tonight,” I tell her quietly. “Perfectly poised. Charming. Gorgeous. Lovely.” With every word, I pump my finger in and out of her hot, wet pussy. Then, I drop my voice as I add, “Sexy. Delicious. Dessert.”

  “Grey,” she says, a whispered plea.

  I grin, sliding out long enough to add another finger. “Yes?”

  “Yes,” she confirms, already half-moaning.

  I swallow her sounds with a kiss, pumping in and out of her beneath the jacket still draped across her lap. She moves against me, meeting me, and I can feel her walls squeezing around me as her pleasure builds.

  The driver turns the radio up, but I can’t bring myself to give two shits that he knows what’s going on. All that matters or exists in this moment is her. Pleasing her. Touching her. Having her come apart for me—finally.

  Kissing a trail along her jaw to her ear, I whisper, “I’m going to fuck you just like this when we get home. Except I’ll have you naked by then. And I’ll bury my cock inside you until you scream.”

  She squeezes around me, her lips parting, and my cock twitches at the thought of being inside her as she closes around me. As she comes.

  Almost home, I tell myself, finally noticing the city outside the window as we speed along its streets.

  “Almost there, princess,” I whisper, knowing full well she’s not lasting the drive.

  When she comes for me, I swallow her sounds with a kiss.

  26

  LEXI

  My orgasm sends me soaring, and by the time I’ve finally managed to bring myself down to Earth again, the car is slowing in front of Grey’s building, and the driver is coming around to open my door. I look at Grey, who still watches me with a devious sort of delight—clearly enjoying the way he’s sent me reeling with his magic fingers—but he only grins and waits for me to collect myself.

  “You’re evil,” I say.

  He laughs. “You have no idea.”

  Glaring at him, I turn away and climb out of the car. Grey steps out behind me and says something to the driver. I concentrate on calming my racing heart, enjoying the cool night air on my flushed skin. Every nerve ending sings from the way he’s just made me feel, but it’s not enough. I need more. I need Grey like I need oxygen, and until I have him, nothing else matters.

  “This way, princess.” He tugs my hand toward the glass doors gilded in gold that mark the main entrance of his apartment building.

  “Oh, I get to use the front door this time?” I toss back at him.

  He winks. “Unless you prefer the back door.”

  My face heats at what he’s insinuated. “Jericho Grey Diavolo, where are your manners?”

  He stops me just outside the doors, expression darkening as he leans in close. “No one calls me that.”

  “Actually, your mom said it’s reserved for when you’re in trouble. And I’d say you are.”

  He glares at me with a glint in his stormy eyes that steals my breath. “Princess, the only one in trouble here is you. Now, let’s go before I take you right here on the street.”

  I shudder because damn if I don’t want whatever punishment he’s offering to give me. His watchful eye doesn’t miss my reaction either.

  “That’s what I thought.” Flashing a devilish grin, he leads me through the lobby doors, which is a new view of the luxury apartments considering I’ve only ever entered from his private elevator inside the parking garage. The lobby floor gleams white beneath a chandelier that hangs high overhead. Two uniformed guards nod at us from behind the tall desk.

  “Evening, Mr. Diavolo,” one of them calls.

  Grey dips his chin and keeps me moving. His hand on my back is firm and possessive. Like he’s done being careful or keeping his distance. I’m not sure when we both decided to stop pretending we don’t want each other, but now that I’ve given in to him, I’m impatient for more.

  We can’t get upstairs fast enough.

  Inside the elevator, he turns to me, and I brace myself for more of the roughness he used when we left the party. But this time, when he kisses me, it’s slow and deep. Like a long drink of water from a thirsty man. Somehow, I feel more claimed in this kiss than I ever have.

  And I offer him all of me, without a single shred of hesitation.

  Somewhere in the back of my mind, I know this can’t last. The truce we’re calling in order to come together like this is way too fragile, considering the uncertainty of the future. I tell myself I can keep this from becoming too personal even while that voice inside my head screams at me for the lie.

  The elevator opens to his apartment, but for a moment, he stands here, kissing me lazily. His hand is snug against the back of my neck, angling me just right so his tongue can taste me at his pace.

  It should have been more than enough considering he’s already given me one mind-blowing orgasm, but already I can feel my own desire building into something more demanding.

  “Grey,” I say, breathless and already coming out of the front of my dress thanks to his roaming hand. “I need more.”

  He flashes a devilish smile. “Oh, there’s plenty more in store for you, princess. I’m only just getting started.”

  He leads me back to his bedroom, and suddenly that line between lust and intimacy blurs even further.

  I hesitate, but he tugs me harder.

  “What is it?” he asks, pulling me flush against him.

  “This is your room. It feels…personal.”

  “It is personal,” he agrees, trailing kisses down my throat. When he meets the fabric of my dress, he moves it away to continue kissing my neck and my chest. His mouth finds my breast, and I tip my head back to give him better access, sighing with pleasure.

  He straightens, yanking me back to reality when his mouth leaves my skin. I open my eyes to find him watching me intently.

  “Tell me you want this,” he says.

  “What?”

  “I need to hear you say the words, Lexi. I need to know you’re not going to use this against me later. You’re not my prisoner, do you understand me?”

  “I want this,” I say, my heart fluttering as the words reach my ears.

  They’re true.

  More than that, they’re new territory for us.

  Suddenly, I don’t know the rules anymore.

  His eyes darken, and he leans in again, his mouth skimming my jaw with feathery light kisses. My fear eases. This is Grey. He is a lot of things, but he won’t hurt me. Not like this.

  “I want this,” I say again. “I want you.”

  “I’ve wanted you since the moment I first saw you,” he tells me.

  His kisses become sharp nips with his teeth. I cling to him, pleasure and need building in my core. His hands reach for the strap of my dress, and I feel a slight tug against the fabric. Then, it snaps, and the whole thing falls off my body, pooling at my feet.

  “Since that moment, I’ve wanted to see all of you,” he murmurs, stepping back and scanning the length of me with dark, hungry eyes that leave my skin tingling in their wake. “I’ve wanted to touch all of you.”

  “Do it,” I tell him, brave at the way he drinks me in, clearly enjoying what he sees.

  “Take off your bra.”

  I obey him immediately.

  My heart thunders against my ribs as I reach back and unclasp the strapless bra then let it fall at my feet.

  “Now your panties.”

  I slide out of them too, aware that I’m fully submitting to his orders now. To his dominance—a dominance that only turns me on even more.

  Standing naked before him leaves me vulnerable and exposed, but his declarations about wanting me make me braver.

  “I want to see you,” I tell him, stepping closer and reaching for his bow tie. It comes undone in my fingers, and I toss it aside then start on his shirt buttons. He stands, letting me undress him as he grazes my skin with his fingers. I peel off his shirt and unbutton his pants, one by one, removing items until he’s completely naked before me. His bandages have held, and I’m glad because I don’t want to stop to play nurse—not yet.

  I lick my lips, unable to keep from staring at the hard lines of his chest, the rippled abs, and the deep V that leads to his cock already sprung to attention.

  My hand closes over it, and he hisses.

  Then, it’s as if the spell is broken. He kisses me hungrily, his tongue plunging inside my mouth, demanding even before I can offer myself up. My hand slides up and down the length of him, and he snarls from deep in his throat.

  His arms come around my waist, and he lifts me, depositing me on the bed with a grunt. I want to ask if he’s all right, but something about the way he watches me keeps me from questioning him. He lowers himself to me, his hand cupping my breast as he takes a nipple into his mouth.

  “Yes.” I exhale, arching into the heat of his mouth and the delicious flick of his tongue. “More.”

  “Mmm.” He releases that nipple only to do the same to the other. “How much more?”

  I rock my hips, need quickly bordering on desperation. Whatever satisfaction that first orgasm offered is gone. My body craves him, and my mind is lost to everything else.

  “All of it,” I tell him.

  His fingers dip inside me, driving so hard inside me that my breath catches.

  “So wet and ready for me,” he murmurs, staring down at me as he fucks me with two fingers. “Good girl.”

  He draws away and positions himself at my entrance. The tip of his cock brushes my clit, and I arch upward to meet him.

  “Good girl,” he whispers again.

  He slides inside me in one quick stroke, and I gasp as he fills and stretches me so perfectly. When he begins to move, the pleasure overtakes my senses, and I’m lost to everything except him. The way he makes me feel is beyond anything I’ve ever experienced.

  “Open your eyes,” he commands, and I do, unaware I’d even closed them. “Stay with me, princess.”

  “I’m right here,” I pant.

  My hips rock, meeting him stroke for stroke.

  His eyes never leave mine, his gaze intent as he propels me higher and higher toward my release. I wrap my arms around his shoulders, careful to keep away from his bandages but determined to feel as much of his skin as I can. He increases the pace, rocking me hard enough to send the headboard against the wall.

  “Grey,” I say, panting hard as my walls begin to clench around him.

  “Let me see you come,” he says, his voice rough. “Now.”

  The command is all I need to do exactly as he says. Behind my eyelids, stars explode as I soar with the force of my orgasm. Grey gasps, tensing suddenly before spilling himself inside me.

  Sweaty, exhausted, and boneless, I sink into the mattress with a soft exhale. Propped on his elbows, Grey looks down at me, lazily stroking my jaw with his fingers.

  “You’re breathtaking,” he whispers.

  I want to brush off the words, but something about the way his eyes glitter as he speaks them makes me believe he means them.

  “You’re not terrible, either,” I say, still unable to let my guard down completely, even after what we just did.

  He smirks and presses a kiss to the tip of my nose before rolling onto his back beside me. I feel better with the bit of distance between us.

  The sex was nothing short of amazing, but now that the heat of the moment is over, reality sets in fast, and I’m back to being unsure of what this is. And whether it’s safe to want it at all.

  “Stay here.” He rolls out of bed with a grunt, his movements a bit jerky until he’s on his feet.

  “I can get whatever it is,” I start, but he waves me off with a dark look.

  “Don’t you dare move,” he warns.

  I lay back and watch as he disappears into the bathroom. Water runs, and a moment later he reappears with a washcloth. He perches on the edge of the bed and gently nudges my knee aside so he can clean me. His touch is gentle, but even so, when he’s done, he looks up at me uncertainly.

  “Are you all right?”

  My heart softens despite every effort not to let it.

  “I’m fine,” I tell him, flashing a reassuring smile.

  He exhales. “I didn’t mean to be so rough…”

  I sit up and lean over, pressing a kiss to the side of his mouth. “I asked for it,” I whisper, and his lips twitch.

  “You did,” he agrees.

  He gets up and tosses the washcloth in the hamper then returns to bed. This time, he pulls the covers back, and when I try to leave, he grabs me by the waist and yanks me against him.

  “Not so fast,” he says against my ear, pulling me back against his chest. “I’m not letting you get away that easily.”

  “We need to change your bandages,” I tell him.

  “Mm. Tomorrow.”

  He tucks me in against him and settles in, clearly ready to pass out, and that softening sensation in my chest becomes complete mush. Sex is one thing, though. Sleeping together is another thing altogether. Despite how adorable and sweet he’s being, staying in this room overnight is a terrible fucking idea. I trust Grey with my life, but I’m not naïve enough to think I can trust him with my heart.

  I wake to sunlight streaming in through windows that are all wrong for the bedroom’s layout. Blinking awake quickly, I realize the windows aren’t wrong at all, the room is. I’m in Grey’s bed—and I’m naked. Grey is nowhere to be seen, but the scent of brewed coffee wafts back from the kitchen. I get up and slip into Grey’s closet, snagging a large tee from one of the drawers before making my way toward the scent of fresh caffeine.

  Grey looks up from the bowl where he’s mixing batter, and I tense as I wait to see whether last night will be acknowledged or forgotten. But the moment he sees me, he sets aside the breakfast makings to wrap his arms around me and pull me into his chest.

  “Morning, gorgeous,” he murmurs before brushing my mouth with a soft kiss.

  “Mm, morning,” I say, melting into his touch. Or maybe it’s my relief at knowing this is the version of him I’m getting today. Maybe I’m no longer his prisoner after all.

  “Sleep well?”

  “What little sleep I got was great,” I tease.

  He smirks. “Complaining?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Good, because I’d hate to have to send you to bed alone tonight.” His words are meant to be a threat, but all I can think is that he plans on continuing what we started last night.

  “What? No smartass comeback for that one?” he teases.

  “I just…wasn’t sure you’d want a repeat performance,” I say carefully.

  His humor vanishes. In its place is an intensity that makes me squirm out of his grasp. I cover my discomfort by grabbing a mug and pouring myself a cup of coffee.

  Behind me, he says, “I want to repeat the performance for as long as you’ll let me.” I turn back as he adds, “The question is, what do you want, Lexi?”

  “What do you mean?”