The Ravenous Dark, page 37
"Then why go to your quarters at all?"
Raphael gave a small tug to get them moving again. "Because I know for a fact Astrid's failed to back up her claim on you."
She stiffened. "Is that so?"
Raphael kept his voice low as they passed a few courtiers. "Everyone knows she chased you on the night of the full moon, but you slipped out of her clutches. If you come to my room willingly and stay for, say, an hour or two, my counterclaim will trump hers. Let the court's imagination run wild while we simply share a drink. No one will be the wiser."
"No offense, but—"
"You don't wish your good name and character to be sullied by a demon?" Before Bailey could stammer a response, he chuckled darkly and hustled them back down the grand stairwell. "Offense is only partially taken, but none will be if you indulge me in that drink."
With a sigh and tip of her head, she allowed Raphael to lead them to his private quarters on the fifth subfloor. He nodded to several courtiers as they passed, but Bailey didn't offer the same courtesy. Their delighted and sometimes sneering faces only served to rile her back up.
By the time he ushered her into his quarters, she was ready to punch someone.
"Talia and Sonja were right. You're practically overflowing with emotions. Care to share, or will a drink suffice?"
"Drink."
Bailey stood stiffly in the center of his receiving room, casting a speculative glance around the expensive furnishings and dark, sleek color palette. It was exceedingly modern, and not to her taste.
"Do you enjoy cognac?" He inquired from his curio cabinet filled with crystal decanters and label-less bottles.
"I will literally take anything."
Raphael paused his ministrations to stare at Bailey. "Why do I have the feeling this is going to be a long hour for both of us?"
The teasing remark meant to lighten the mood caused the opposite. Bailey huffed and spun back toward the door before Raphael could finish pouring the first drink.
"You know what? Fuck this," she fumed. "I don't care about stupid, demon-claiming bullshit. It's not as if they're going to abide by whatever unwritten rules your kind keeps! They'll ignore it, and I'll be in the same position." Bailey made a beeline for the door.
Raphael quickly gave chase, rounding on her as she began to open the door only to slam it back closed.
"You're making a mistake," he spoke calmly in her ear. "If you go out there now, you'll be—"
"I don't care." Bailey heaved the door open, gaining several inches before Raphael's opposing strength quashed hers. "I'll break down this door if I have to. I'm not even using all my strength."
"Or speed," Raphael countered with a slightly breathless grunt. "Which begs the question of why? Why not use both to escape my nefarious clutches, hmm? Perhaps it's because you do care what will happen outside this door. The ton are cruel. They will make a fool of you if they catch you running away, and I doubt that's how you'd like them to perceive you, is it? You're the only lycan in this court, and that gives you a certain piece of leverage. Don't waste it."
Sensing her hesitance, Raphael continued, keeping his voice low and smooth.
"Think of this situation as the advantage it is."
Bailey laughed dryly, her hand falling from the door handle to run over her hair. "And what advantage is that?" She turned to face him slowly and slumped against the door with her gaze aimed at his clavicle. The evergreen button-down he wore was open at the collar and a few inches down.
"Why, that you managed to snag the hottest commodity at court," he said with faux seriousness, while his eyes danced with amusement. "The halls will be filled with talk of your great exploits."
Bailey rolled her eyes. "Stop."
"Strange men will grovel at your feet," he persisted.
"Seriously. Enough."
"Nary, a dick at court will remain unhardened at the mere mention of your irresistible charm."
Bailey met his innocent regard with a glare. He chuckled and dazzled her with a wide smile. Quiet lapsed between them.
"On a more serious note," Raphael said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Word about court is you've been cut from the Wildings. Is that what's got your emotions so stirred up? Or are Talia and Sonja the sole cause?"
Raphael waited patiently for her answer, keeping a hand casually above her head against the door and dropping the other to his side. Bailey followed its descent. Tonight, he wore calf-tan driving gloves that buckled at the back.
Bailey bit her bottom lip. "No, it's… it's complicated," she sighed.
Bailey peeked up at him through lowered lashes.
Raphael hummed in response to her lackluster answer, his head dipping toward her. A boyish glint lit up his eyes.
"Do you know what's uncomplicated?" Raphael didn't wait for her answer. "Fucking."
Raphael forged on, despite Bailey's groan and short reprimand.
"It is! It is, in fact, the best way to get rid of one's pesky pent-up frustrations, and quite enjoyable with the right partner."
Bailey refused to meet his eye. She'd never have thought in a million years a demon would be going out of its way to make her feel better.
"Furthermore, a good fucking is also known to help clear the mind," he finished matter-of-factly.
Bailey's heart gave a tremulous thump-thump as gloved fingers tilted her chin to face him. His expression was bright with candid humor but dimmed in the wake of her unsettled look.
Her teeth sank deeper into her lip, contemplating the unspeakable while her soulmark rebelled against the very idea, turning her stomach. Being attracted to others might be the limit to what the soulmark would tolerate.
And yet, she still toyed with the idea of losing herself in another.
Sensing the shift, Raphael shifted closer. His gaze locked onto her lips and rippled to black. Bailey gasped. With a pained groan, Raphael rested his forehead against the door. She followed his movements with a minor twist of her head.
His eyes were closed as he inhaled through his nose. "If your plan all along was to seduce me, it's working." Raphael gave a hollow laugh. "Whatever it is," he whispered, eyes opening partway to reveal endless black eyes. "Whoever made you feel this way, I can make it go away."
Bailey swallowed roughly, as she contemplated his offer. One thought stood out amongst them all, hitting too close to her heart.
Is it so bad to want to be wanted?
Raphael's forehead furrowed. "Of course, it isn't," he answered.
Embarrassment flooded her body. Did I actually say that out loud? She squirmed as Raphael caged her in with his other arm.
"I want you, Bailey," he said in a roughened tenor. His breath ghosted over her cheek. He was so close, but not an inch of him touched her. He seemed to be an expert at that. "Let me help you forget."
She closed her eyes. What he offered was everything she craved; a release from her frustrations, the intimacy she so desperately wanted, and to put her worries to rest, even if for just a short while.
Then the barest brush of his lips grazed her cheek, igniting her desire to an unexplainable degree… and muffling the protests of her soulmark. Her lashes rose to stare incredulously at him as his lips retreated.
Bailey’s stomach tightened with the soulmark’s disdain. A silent warning should she continue.
But if his touch silences the pain, even for a short while….
Bailey wet her lips. "Okay."
XXIII
Their eyes locked. With a slow exhalation, he closed the meager distance between them. The weight of his body pinning her softly to the door inspired a new wave of warmth in her. Raphael's lips feathered over hers before claiming her bottom lip with a coy tug of his teeth and sweep of his tongue.
The simple yet sensuous kiss nearly undid the she-wolf and completely muzzled the soulmark.
Thank the Gods.
Bailey was familiar with a lust demon's manipulation, having been forced to endure it more than once. But this… this was wholly different. Tingles erupted over the length of her body, simmering over into a hunger too great to ignore. Bailey leaned into him, lips searching for more contact.
Raphael tilted out of reach and shushed her softly when a needy whine escaped her throat. "Let me lead, pet. Too much of my touch will have you so blissed out, you won't be able to properly enjoy my gift."
Bailey tipped her head back, breathing harshly, as she tried to regain her equilibrium and battle back the soulmark’s dissent as his touch left.
"It's different," she managed to say. She squeezed her eyes shut as his hot breath ghosted over her cheek.
"Indeed," he murmured. His lips grazed her temple, and her nipples tightened painfully. "I'm told my touch is equivalent to three of my kind. The potency of my power frightens many, but those willing to put their trust in my hands speak nothing of regrets."
"Can't you tone it back?" She asked, opening her eyes.
A naughty smirk played on Raphael's mouth. "Are you asking me too?" Bailey bit her lip but didn't respond in the affirmative or negative. "I can, but it takes effort and concentration. It's why I wear my gloves and will keep my clothes on while I fuck you here against this door."
She gulped, and his smirk deepened. Bailey clamped her teeth together to stem the ruinous want his words inspired and the tide of her soulmark’s rebellion. Her stomach cramped, but she ignored it.
"Turn around and put your hands on the door where I can see them." When she didn't obey immediately, his sights narrowed. Pinpricks raked themselves along the back of her neck. "Now," he commanded.
Swallowing roughly, she did as she was told, not entirely convinced that his voice didn't carry some magic as well. By the time she placed her shaking hands against the smooth wood, she had convinced herself she had finally tipped into the beyond and gone mad.
It was the only reason why she made no protest when he brushed aside her hair and kissed the nape of her neck.
Her palms sprawled out above her head as his gloved hands made quick work of her pants, dragging them down to her knees. Bailey shifted restlessly as her underwear followed.
She glimpsed him knelt over her shoulders. Hands cradled the back of her thighs, maneuvering her legs apart to his liking, with the constriction of her pants and undergarments still in place.
"Push your hips back, love. I want to see that pretty little pussy of yours."
Bailey rested her forehead against the door and inched her hips back, stopping only when his hands squeezed her thighs.
"Gorgeous," he whispered reverently. Soft leather glided up to cup and spread her cheeks. A ferocious blush stole over her face, neck, and chest as she instinctively peeled her hips forward. Raphael made a tsk noise and gave a warning squeeze that she ignored. "Don't go running scared. Hips back out. Now." His last few words were clipped and made Bailey's heart lurch in her chest.
A small part of her winced at her easy acquiescence. Ceding control wasn't in her nature, and to do so for no less than a demon was reckless and a true indicator of how far she'd fallen.
But another part of her thrilled at the surrender, even as her soulmark cried out in dismay at Raphael’s demonic magic.
What am I doing? The shaking thought ran over and over in her mind as she tilted her hips back out. A satisfied purr rumbled from Raphael, and then his tongue was darting out to taste her from clit to—
"Oh Gods."
Bailey almost collapsed at the unbridled passion that burned through every nerve ending in her body. The singular action left her teetering on the edge of orgasm and moaning obscenely. Raphael's soft chuckle danced up her spine as she pressed back into his hands.
"More," she demanded, peering over her shoulder at him again. His pitch-black eyes stared back at her with ageless knowledge.
Raphael stood, his gloved hands anchoring themselves on her hips. Bailey kept her head half turned toward him, watching his movements as prey would a predator. He nudged her face forward with his own, inspiring goosebumps across her decolletage.
"I would, pet, but we both know you're already soaking wet for me. I'm going to take you now," he whispered.
One hand left her to release his arousal. Bailey tensed in anticipation as the weight of him suddenly pressed against her lower back. She let out a long breath, unnerved by the almost crushing want that had seized her. "Try not to cum at the first stroke, and I swear I'll make you see the stars."
A fractured moan left her as he deftly readjusted. His hands held her ass cheeks crudely apart, thumbs digging into the soft flesh, before driving into her in one fell swoop. The effortless motion drew her to the tips of her toes as she gaped at the door in shock.
There was nothing to compare this experience to.
Her inside walls groped at his invasion, hungry and wanton for more. All thoughts and worries evaporated in exchange for the delirious pleasure his touch wrought.
If he asked her for the moon, she would snatch it from the sky.
If he asked for her life, she would gladly give it.
There was nothing she wouldn't do to stay locked in this euphoria. The notion should have frightened her, but all rational thought had fled.
A sob gurgled in her throat as Raphael shifted and lodged himself deeper inside. A hot gush of desire slicked down her thighs in response to the slight motion. She was acutely aware of the way he stretched her. Filled her. She trembled.
Raphael groaned and dropped his forehead to Bailey's shoulder. Curses cascaded from him as if the same intensity of pleasure ravaged him.
Bailey ground against him impatiently.
"Be still," he hissed. Another barrage of curses hit her back like bullets. His fingers dug into her ass more firmly. "Let me make this good for you."
Bailey wanted to tell him that he already had but couldn't form the words.
She was fit to burst. Every brush of fabric and minuscule movement drew her higher than she'd ever been. Her release hovered close, torturing her with tiny electric pulses that left her biting her lower lip savagely.
"Fuck." Her head rolled back as he rocked against her.
Raphael chuckled and moved his head away from her shoulder. A moment later, a finger traced her lips. Her eyes fluttered open as it pressed past the seam of her mouth.
"Bite," he instructed.
Her teeth captured the tip of his finger, and with a practiced ease she cared not to dwell on, he wormed his hand out of the leather glove leaving it in her clutches.
"Now open."
Bailey's molten walls clamped erratically around Raphael's cock as her jaw dropped open.
"Good girl," he purred and stuffed the glove into her mouth. Bailey's excitement redoubled as he flattened her body against the door.
She managed a weak growl at the condescension, but he smothered it, clamping his other gloved hand over her gagged mouth. Bailey breathed deeply through her nose, eyes widening at the spike of brazen want to be so possessed. To surrender so completely.
"I do believe I promised you stars."
Raphael's bare hand traveled down her side before stealing between the door and her body to reach her swollen peak. She shrieked against her gag, body near thrashing as his fingers strummed the sensitive bud and began to plunge into her without abandon. Every punch of his cock drove home her climax to unnatural degrees. Her eyes rolled back. Supernovas lined her vision as shock waves rocked her body.
Raphael didn't stop pounding until her body went limp against the door. His hot breath teased the hair at the side of her face as he tempered himself. He came to a stop at the hilt of her, keeping Bailey on the tip of her toes and in the sweetest agony.
A soft kiss ghosted over her shoulder. Bailey's eyes fluttered open.
"How was that, pet?" Raphael slipped out of her, still hard. If it weren't for his body still pinning her to the timber, she would have collapsed to the floor. Her arms and legs shook with the effort to stay upright. His hand slipped from her mouth, taking with it his glove. A small wave of embarrassment pinked her skin as a thin trail of saliva clung to her chin.
She barely had the wherewithal to wipe it away. His effortless manipulation of her desire left her hollowed out and desperate for more.
"Pet?"
"Good," she mumbled.
Raphael tsked as he straightened her clothing, going so far as to pull up her underwear and pants. Bailey muttered her thanks.
"Only good?" He guided her carefully away from the door, letting her lean into his side as he led her through his living room and down a hallway.
"Where are we going?"
He stopped them and released her. Bailey frowned as he put a foot of distance between them and placed his hands behind his back. His eyes had returned to their deep brown and stared at her with an indecent amount of heat.
"My bedroom, if you like." He glanced at the door to his side.
"Your bedroom?" Bailey repeated back dumbly. A flush of scarlet ran over Raphael's cheeks. He cleared his throat, and the color ebbed away.
"If you like." Bailey's mouth went dry at the thought. "You don't have to, of course. It should be safe enough for you to travel back to your bed undisturbed by now."
The delicious haze of their coupling was dissipating, leaving Bailey strangely hollow. Facing the court's stares and judgment was the last thing she wanted to do, not to mention what other consequences she would face from her actions. Her soulmark’s protests and influence were weak, but she didn’t know how long it would last. She gulped.
"No."
Raphael straightened slightly and cocked an eyebrow. "No to staying or no to going?"
"Going."
He stilled. "The same rules apply," he warned her. His eyes bled black as a vicious hunger took over his features. A shiver of preemptive delight made Bailey's toes curl. "The moment you step inside this room you're mine to do with as I please." His hand lowered to his crotch where the evidence of his erection strained against his pants. "And it will take more than fucking your sweet little quim against a door to get me off, pet. If you agree… you're in for the longest night of your life. Understood?"
