Chapter 13

I don’t give her time to respond. Or to argue.

The only reason why I don’t kiss her right away is because I want to watch her take me. I want to see her lips part wider… her lashes flutter… her eyes roll back… and that blush spread from her neck to her cheeks when I guide her up and then pull her back down on me.

She’s all velvet heat wrapped tightly around me, and it’s fucking heaven.

“Demyen…” She gasps again. I can feel her start to tremble.

I hold her in place as I grind up into her, working every fucking inch of my cock inside her until my balls are nestled against her sweet ass.

Clara whimpers with pleasure. Her eyes flutter closed.

“Look at me.” It’s an order. She immediately obeys, and I want to reward her for being so good.

But first, I need her to agree to my terms.

“You’re coming home with me.”

She starts to whine, her hips writhing for relief. But I tighten my hold on her and she stills. Only her lips quiver, and it takes every ounce of self-control to stop myself from sucking on them.

“Okay,” she finally whimpers.

“I will take care of you.”

Her body is on the very edge of release, but I won’t let her tumble over just yet. “O-okay.”

I gaze into those enchanting green eyes a bit longer. And I realize… this is real. She’s real. She’s so sweetly responsive and none of it’s rehearsed. None of it is a show for my benefit. Every shuddering gasp, every whimper and moan, is raw and pure and⁠—

“Mine. You’re mine.”

I say it without thinking, but it feels right. Something snaps into place deep inside me, and it just feels so fucking right.

That same something snaps into place for her, too. I see it in her eyes. In the way her lips stop trembling as this new reality washes over both of us.

Clara nods. As much as my grasp on her will allow, anyway. “Yes.”

That’s when I kiss her.

That’s when I release my grip, only to hold her close in my arms and guide her on me until we’re both breathless and moaning and writhing uncontrollably.

I’m vaguely aware of my voice growling, then snarling her name. All I can hear is my heartbeat pounding in my ears, perfectly in time with my thrusts as I pour myself into her.

All I can think, as I hold her trembling body in my arms, as I breathe in her sweet honey hair…

… is that any motherfucker who comes for her will never get through me.

10

DEMYEN

Bambi pulled through with my early morning text for her to grab some clothes for Clara. As gorgeous as she looks in that sequined cocktail dress, it’s not suited for breakfast. She’d only look like every other woman doing the Walk of Shame, and there is absolutely nothing for her to be ashamed of.

Not on my arm, anyway.

She’s been pleasant all morning, and pleasantly surprised when the linen dress arrived for her to slip on. Paired, of course, with comfortable sandals that won’t aggravate her ankle.

But Clara has also been quiet.

In the shower, she was quiet, at least until I made her cry out my name and spasm on my cock again. The beautiful afterglow spread across her delicate cheekbones and tinted the curve of her neck as I dried her off.

She was quiet while we dressed, except when she smiled at me and thanked me for everything.

Our walk to the car was quiet, too, save for the few required comments about checking out and giving my chauffeur the address to her friend’s place. Once inside the car, Clara shifted her gaze out the window and hasn’t spoken a word since.

It’s been ten minutes.

I’m losing my goddamn mind.

I pretend to check something on my phone. As I do, I see a few missed text messages in the notifications. But before I can open the first one, Clara finally says something.

“If anything happens to my daughter… or me…” She sighs and slowly turns her gaze to me. “You’ll have the Las Vegas Police

Department to deal with.”

I stifle a laugh. If only she knew how empty of a threat that really is to a man like me. “That’s usually the case when things happen to people.”

“No. I mean…” She shakes her head and rubs the bridge of her nose. “My ex. Willow’s father. He’s a detective on the force.

And my dad is his boss.”

I snort. “Wow. Okay. Tell me how you really feel.”

“I don’t know.” Her voice takes on a new edge. There’s a desperation in the corners of her eyes, almost like a panic. “I don’t know how to feel,” she says again. “Last night was…” Her mouth quirks in a wistful smile, then fades just as quickly as it appears. “I have a child. A child. And I don’t know you, and⁠—”

“You don’t know if you can trust me.”

I get it. I do, truly. The bruising around her ankle is a colorful reminder of what her trust in men she “knew” earned her; there’s no telling what a man she doesn’t know would do.

I’d applaud her instincts if I wasn’t feeling so offended.

“It’s nothing personal,” she adds.

“It never is.” I know I’m being abrupt, and I need to stop it. Especially if I need her to trust me to do the right thing by her and her kid. So I offer her a playful little smile and take her hand in mine. “Listen. LVPD will never darken the doors of my estate. They wouldn’t dare. You’re safe. Your daughter is safe. And I get the feeling that neither one of us wants to see that asshole’s face any time soon.”

That earns me a small laugh. Clara nods. “Thanks.” She sniffs and sits up a bit straighter, confidence settling into her limbs. “Thank you, Demyen. Really. I don’t know how to repay you.”

I have several ideas. None of them involve clothing.

“We’ll figure something out,” I assure her with a coy wink. It takes a moment for the meaning to sink in, and when it does, that pretty blush pinks her skin.

I’ve never liked the color pink until I met this woman. Now, all I ever want to do is lick it.

She pulls her hand from mine to fiddle with the hem of her dress. I pretend like it doesn’t suddenly bother me, because it shouldn’t. But it does.

Distractions. I need distractions, and I need them right now. So I flip to the messages in my phone and do my best to focus on work.

It’s not difficult, because the first message I open yanks my full attention.

CHARLES: Medusa’s Wrath jackpot winner tried cashing out. I caught up with her and comped her a high-roller suite.

CHARLES: Thought you should know—fingerprints pulled up a few records.

The attachments show Clara’s fingerprints and a scan of her I.D. on the payout forms that The Meridian requires from high rollers. But then there’s another set of attachments that make me sit up straight. And my heart slams inside my ribcage.

There’s another set of fingerprints. Confirmed match.. But this document is a court docket and a testimonial dossier from fifteen years ago…

… with a very young, very familiar face staring up at me.

No.

No.

I don’t know what curdles first—my stomach or my blood.

I can’t bring myself to look at her. I can’t bring myself to read the name on the court documents despite knowing exactly what it says.

I can’t force my mind to make sense of this.

“Clara—” I shut my mouth when I realize I can’t stand the taste of her name on my tongue anymore. “Yes?” She peers at me and must see the darkness clouding my face. “Is everything okay?”

No, it sure as fuck is not.