“Can I, Belle? Can I make you come like this?”

  “Yes.” I moved against his hand, urging him to continue.

  He brought his mouth back to my nipple, the pleasure from his tongue and pain from his teeth almost more than I could bear, my body a raging inferno as he pushed me closer to the edge of oblivion. His rhythm becoming more frenzied, he inserted another finger, then another, fucking me with his fingers as he feasted on my breasts.

  I’d gotten used to his pattern, was able to brace myself for when he’d suck. When he’d nibble. When he’d tug. But when he clamped down on my nipple in a harsher bite, I screamed out, my orgasm crashing through me unexpectedly.

  “That’s it,” he growled, his motions becoming more chaotic as he did everything in his power to prolong my bliss. A blinding light flashed in my eyes as the world spun around me at such a dizzying speed, I was certain I’d be tossed off.

  When I couldn’t take it anymore, I clutched his cheeks, forcing his mouth to mine. “Get inside me. Now.”

  He stiffened as he inhaled a sharp breath. Then he treated me to a soft kiss. “As you wish.”

  Pulling back, he stepped off the bed and went to his jeans, grabbing his wallet. When he tossed the condom on the mattress, my pulse kicked up, excitement filling me as the reality that we were really doing this set in.

  His stare locked with mine, he hooked his hands into his briefs and pushed them down his legs. The instant his impressive erection sprang free, I gulped, eyes going wide, jaw dropping.

  “God bless Australia,” I murmured, not realizing I’d said it out loud until his sexy chuckles filled the room.

  After rolling on the condom, he crawled back on top of me, teasing me with his arousal as his lips found mine. “I could say the same thing about America. I am officially a fan of all things Southern.”

  He kissed me again, a sweet exchange of breaths. I hooked a leg around his waist, gently pulsing against him. He even made a kiss feel amazing, like I was ready to fall apart from the tease of his tongue against mine.

  “I’m going to go slow, okay?” He peered deep into my eyes, gaze awash with sincerity and understanding. “If anything’s too much, tell me and we’ll stop.”

  I nodded quickly, a hint of trepidation finding its way back to the surface.

  “Words, Belle. I need your words. Need you to say you want this.”

  Wrapping an arm around his neck, I circled my hips against him, a spark of need shooting through me when I felt his erection against my core.

  “I want this. I want you.”

  “Good.”

  He pulled back slightly and brought himself up to me. His gaze focused on mine, the normally vibrant blue hue darkened to a midnight sky. Then he slowly eased inside, filling me in a way I never thought possible. When he was fully seated, he paused, relishing in the sensation for several moments.

  “My god, you feel amazing,” he said on a long exhale, a visible shiver rolling through his body. Then he retreated and pushed into me again, making me moan.

  In my old life, sex was never about pleasure. At least not mine. It was something I felt obligated to do.

  But with Chris, it was different. I didn’t think sex could ever be so pleasurable. So incredible. So addicting.

  Resting on his elbows, he took my face in his hands, keeping my eyes on his as he moved inside me. It wasn’t the sinful, lust-filled, depraved fucking we’d originally agreed on. But with every minute we spent together, the less our original deal mattered. This was infinitely better. The way he slowly, sensually rotated his hips took me to places I never knew existed, my body climbing higher and higher with each thrust.

  “You’re close.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know if I can. I’ve never…”

  He pressed his lips to mine. “Don’t fight it, love. Don’t overthink it. Just live in the moment.”

  “Oh god.” An unexpected moan fell from my throat as he hit that spot inside of me, desire burning.

  “Wait for me,” he grunted, gradually picking up speed. “I’m almost there. Just… Fuck.” He bit his bottom lip. “I want to bury myself in you and never come out.”

  I hooked my legs around his waist. When the heels of my shoes dug into his back, he released a wild growl and increased his rhythm even more. Each desperate thrust hit me deeper than the previous one until I couldn’t keep it in anymore and fell over the edge, my body convulsing and shaking.

  “Fuck, Belle…” Straightening, he forced my legs to either side of him. Clutching my thigh, he lifted it and plunged into me with a punishing rhythm, my orgasm never seeming to end as he drove in harder, deeper, rougher.

  Finally, a strangled groan tore from his lungs, his body jerking through his release until his muscles seemed to give out and he collapsed on top of me. His lips collided with mine, our breaths coming fast as we struggled to come down from the high of experiencing each other.

  But I didn’t want to come down.

  For the first time in ages, I felt…happy. Felt like I was enough. Like I no longer had to live in the past.

  Maybe Naomi was right. Maybe I should have done this years ago.

  “It’s official,” Chris panted after several moments, slowly easing out of me and standing.

  “What’s that?” I rolled to my side, admiring his physique as he padded across the carpet and into the bathroom to dispose of the condom.

  When he re-emerged, there was a sinful gleam in his eyes. “I am a huge fan of your hummingbird cake.” He returned to the bed. “I’ll eat it any day of the week.”

  Smiling, I ran my hands through his hair, pulling him back toward me. “I’m glad you like it. Hope it was satisfying enough for you.”

  He covered my mouth with his. “It was more than satisfying. Addicting. I’m going to be itching for your cake all day and night.”

  “It’s a good thing I have plenty to go around.”

  He deepened the kiss, tugging me closer as his tongue swept against mine. “You’d better not. For the next week, every single one of your pieces belongs to me.”

  I beamed. “I like the sound of that.”

  “As do I.”

  He cradled the back of my head, urging my lips to his once more, when the distant sound of a buzzer ripped through the silence, forcing us apart.

  “Speaking of cakes, I suppose we should finish up on the one we already started. Don’t you think?” I cocked a brow.

  “I have no desire to leave this bed.” He grinned deviously. “Unless it’s to fuck you in the shower. Or on the lanai. Or on any other surface within these four walls. I’m an equal opportunity lady fucker.”

  I playfully swatted him away. “And I’d rather not burn down this house.” I managed to duck out from beneath him and stood, placing my hands on my hips, wearing nothing but my heels. “Let’s go finish what we started.” I narrowed my gaze, noticing his erection already returning to life. “I’ll put the apron back on.”

  He jumped to his feet, dragging my body to his. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Lachlan

  A buzzing startled me awake, cutting through the muted ocean waves in the distance. I snapped my eyes open, looking around the darkened space, disoriented.

  Until my gaze fell on Belle’s slumbering form beside me. A smile crept over my face. It should have felt strange to wake up next to another woman. The last person I spent the night with was Piper. Since then, I’d made it one of my rules. No spending the night. Ever.

  But I couldn’t have left Belle last night even if I wanted to. She was dopamine for my soul. Elixir for my heart. The cure for my past.

  And the frequent sex throughout the night was a rather nice bonus.

  The buzzing forced my thoughts to return to the present. I squinted at my phone on the nightstand, Nikko’s name on the screen. It was still mostly dark, the first light of day beginning to fight its way on the horizon. Whatever Nikko wanted had to be important if he was calling this early.

  Carefully slipping out of bed so I didn’t wake Belle, I grabbed my phone and pulled on my boxer briefs before sneaking onto the lanai, mindful to be quiet as I closed the sliding glass door behind me.

  “Nikko,” I said in a hushed tone, hoping he could hear over the slight breeze and crashing waves in the background.

  “Where are you, bruh? I stopped by your house to talk to you before you went out to catch some waves.”

  “I, uh…” I cleared my throat. “I’m not home.”

  “Not home?”

  “No.” I didn’t elaborate. It wasn’t worth it. Not when Belle would be nothing but a distant memory in mere days. “Why did you stop by? Is everything okay? Did you already figure out who this Lucretia is?”

  He exhaled a deep breath. “Not yet. There was no one in any of your guest logs by that name. I checked first, middle, and last names. I’m moving on to see if any of your guests had friends or family by that name who might have stayed with them, but with trying to keep this off HPD’s radar, it’s going to take some time. I did find something that might be of interest, though.”

  I straightened, my heart rate kicking up slightly. “What’s that?”

  This investigation was slowly becoming a double-edged sword. On one hand, I wanted answers about what really happened to Claire. On the other, I feared I wasn’t going to like what those answers would uncover about Piper. I already didn’t.

  “For shits and giggles, I ran a basic internet search for the name Lucretia. Honestly, I didn’t expect to find anything.” He laughed under his breath. “Shows you how much I paid attention in my ancient history class.”

  “Ancient history? What does that have to do with any of this?”

  “Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. I spent half the night going down the proverbial rabbit hole.”

  “Care to share what you learned?”

  “Fuck no, but I know I have to.”

  I pushed out a nervous laugh. “That’s not exactly reassuring.”

  “Apparently, Lucretia was a Roman noblewoman who lived a few hundred years before the birth of Christ. At the time, Rome was under the rule of a tyrannical monarch. Don’t quote me on the specifics. I’m not good with this shit. English and history were never really my strong suits.”

  “Mine, either.”

  “Keep in mind there are, like, a dozen different variations on the story, so I’m only giving you the highlights. Anyway, Lucretia was known for being this virtuous woman. One night, Prince Sextus came into her room while she was sleeping and gave her a choice. Let him fuck her, or he’d kill her and one of the male slaves sitting outside her room, then arrange their bodies to make it look like he caught her being unfaithful to her husband with the slave.”

  “Sounds like a real upstanding guy,” I retorted sarcastically.

  “I agree. Being the virtuous woman she was, Lucretia refused both options. And being the narcissist he was, Sextus raped her anyway. Now, in ancient times, adultery carried a penalty of death, regardless of whether the wife consented. If she was married and raped, that was still considered adultery.”

  “Why am I not surprised?” I mumbled under my breath, glancing over my shoulder to make sure Belle was still asleep.

  A warmth filled me as my eyes skated over her form, the comforter draped across her waist. She was stunningly beautiful. Every curve, every valley, every dimple longing for me to explore and uncover her innermost secrets.

  “So, after she was dishonored…” Nikko’s voice forced my attention back to him, “regardless that she didn’t consent, she threw herself on the mercy of her father and husband, asked them to avenge her honor. Then she grabbed a knife and plunged it into her heart.”

  I inhaled a sharp breath, my mind spinning as I processed the story. Did Claire mention Lucretia in that voicemail because she’d been raped? I didn’t even want to consider the thought. If she’d been assaulted, surely that would have aroused suspicion during the examination of her body after her death.

  Did they do a thorough examination of her body, though?

  I had no idea.

  “Are you trying to tell me you think this was what happened to Claire?” My voice rose in pitch toward the end, emotion heavy in my throat. “That she was—”

  “I don’t know what happened,” he interrupted, saving me from having to say it out loud. “But I have a hunch that voicemail wasn’t simply a bunch of nonsensical and inconsequential ramblings. I could be wrong. It could very well be nothing. That’s the thing about chasing potential leads. Sometimes they end up being a dead end. Other times, they lead us down a path toward the truth. Lucretia may be a dead end. But I’m going to keep turning over every damn rock until there’s nothing left to uncover. Figure out why Claire left you a voicemail mentioning Lucretia. And what connection it might have to Piper.”

  “There isn’t one,” I insisted. “Piper didn’t commit suicide. Wasn’t even made to look like she did. Not like with Claire.”

  “Initially, I thought the same thing. But then I got to thinking. What would have happened if you weren’t in the house? If Claire hadn’t walked in and surprised him?” He paused. “How do you think it would have ended? By this guy assaulting Piper, then walking away?”

  “Was that what Claire figured out?” I asked softly, partly to myself, partly to Nikko.

  “I have no idea. But I’m going to find out. Even if it costs me my badge. I got your back, bruh.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  “You bet. I have to get to the restaurant to help with the pig. The second I hear anything, I’ll let you know.”

  “Thanks, Nikko,” I said again, then ended the call.

  Standing there, I admired the view. The picturesque Hawaiian landscape as the morning’s first glow illuminated the horizon was a complete contradiction to the turmoil filling me.

  Claire mentioning Lucretia on the night she died could have been merely a coincidence, like Nikko suggested, but that didn’t stop my brain from going to that darkest part of my soul, thinking the worst, my heart squeezing at the mere suggestion of my sister enduring something so horrible, so vile.

  But why? Why Claire? Who would have wanted to hurt her? Everyone loved her. I struggled to come to terms with the idea of anyone wanting to harm her in any way, especially like this.

  Needing to do something to push down the emotions bubbling to the surface, I returned to the bedroom. After stepping out of my briefs, I slipped into bed beside Belle.

  I needed her. More than I had before. Needed her to chase away these feelings of guilt. Of remorse. Of shame.

  As I pulled her to me, her back to my front, she released a raspy moan, settling into my embrace.

  “Morning,” she whispered, her voice lazy from sleep.

  “Morning.” I peppered kisses along her shoulder blades, her body sparking to life underneath my mouth.

  My hand roamed the contours of her frame, my hips slowly circling against her. When I rolled her nipple between my thumb and forefinger, she whimpered, leaning her head back against my chest as she succumbed to my ministrations.

  “Do you want me?”

  “Mmm-hmm,” she exhaled.

  “And god, I want you.” I circled my hips against her, hardening at the feel of her heat against my arousal. “But we used up all my condoms.” I squeezed her nipple. “You little minx.”

  “It’s okay. I can’t get pregnant. I’m fine with it if you are.”

  I forced her onto her back so I could peer into her eyes, making sure she really was okay with this. Then I crashed my lips to hers, drinking her in.

  “You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to be inside you with no barrier.” I stole one more kiss, then rolled her back onto her side, continuing my exploration of her body.

  “Say you want me to fuck you,” I murmured into her ear.

  “I do.”

  “Say it.” I tugged on her nipple, eliciting a yelp, followed by an appreciative mewl.

  “I want you to fuck me.”

  I smoothed my hand along her torso, lowering it between her thighs, warmth radiating from her. Gripping her hip, I lifted one leg, placing it over me. Then I plunged a finger inside her, moving her slickness around.

  “Is this where you want my cock?”

  Her muscles tensed, breathing becoming uneven. “Y-yes.”

  “And what is this?”

  “My pussy.”

  “No.” I bit the sensitive flesh where her shoulder met her neck. “It’s mine. For the next week, I own this pussy.”

  I brought my erection up to her and thrust into her from behind, her body tensing at that initial invasion. Exhilaration washed over me at the feel of her soft flesh against mine, nothing between us anymore.

  “I’m the only one who’s allowed to do this,” I continued, finally feeling the control I desperately needed after Nikko’s phone call. “Who’s allowed to make you feel good.”

  I was relentless as I drove into her repeatedly, thinking about only one thing — Belle, and this all-consuming urge to drown in light to chase away my darkness.

  Her moans grew more uneven, her ragged breaths intermingling with mine as we both used each other to chase what we wanted. What we needed. What we fucking deserved.

  Peace.

  Serenity.

  Understanding.

  I moved my hand to her clit and toyed with her, rubbing gently, yet with the intensity I knew she liked, needed, craved. In just twenty-four hours, I knew this woman’s body. Knew what made her hum. Made her purr. Made her blind with lust.

  My free hand went to her neck. I wrapped my fingers around it tightly, forcing her head back. Then I took her earlobe between my teeth, sensing she was on the precipice of coming undone.

  “I’m the only one who’s allowed to make you come, Belle. Only me.”

  My words acting like a trigger, she detonated, her body quivering as she screamed out in pleasure. My motions became even more frenzied, my body a slave to my libido, racing after the high that only being with this woman could give me until I succumbed to the feeling and released all my pent-up frustration, anger, and guilt inside her.

 

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