Page 17 of Lord of Vengeance

“Aren’t you opinionated.”

“Aren’t you arrogant,” I countered.

We glared at each other for a few seconds and suddenly, another shot of tequila appeared out of nowhere. I also sensed we were being watched, our battle of wills garnering an audience, including the men closest to us.

“I’m curious,” he added.

“Oh, my goodness. Should I call out the cavalry in town because you’re curious?” Okay, so maybe the bantering was more fun than I’d realized. It had been a long time since any man had intrigued me, even though his comment about my attire and the look of me left everything to be desired.

He leaned in, allowing his nostrils to flare when he inhaled deeply. The tingling sensations tearing through me were like a thousand orgasms occurring at once, my core overheated. I was barely able to catch my breath, leaning in even more until his intense, exotic aftershave infused my senses with a combination of spice, citrus, and woodsy heaven. I could easily become intoxicated by his fragrance alone, which I had no intent of doing.

“How wet are your little lace panties and when was the last time you were fucked the way you deserved? Hard. Rough. And for hours?”

I don’t think anything could have shocked me more than what he’d just asked, although the damn bastard was right. My panties were soaked, my nipples hard, my pussy throbbing.

And I hated the man for seeing through my attempt at shutting him down. This was how I’d behaved since walking in on my ex fondling my friend. Sadly, I couldn’t curtail the irritation I felt for the man and his arrogant words.

My reaction was swift and without reservations.

I tossed the shot of tequila into his face. The crowd sucked in their breath, several making gasping noises. But I didn’t stop there, grabbing his drink from his hand and dousing him a second time.

That’s when I heard several people clapping.

I stood in satisfaction for a few seconds, before spinning on the heels of my lumberjack boots, taking long strides back to my table, confident in what I’d done.

Even if I was so aroused I couldn’t think straight.

CHAPTER 5

“Your greatest power in seduction is your ability to turn away, to make others come after you, delaying your satisfaction.”

—Robert Greene

Diego

The man I’d known as my father had tried to teach me that women were good for two things only. Fucking and procreation, providing an heir to the throne. After tossing my mother out for her supposed infidelity, Xavier Santos had gone through a solid dozen women by the time I was fifteen, some of which were married to prominent men in and out of Los Angeles. Fortunately for him, he’d been rich and influential, handsome enough that the girls he lured into his lair had overlooked his sadistic tendencies, his throwaway attitude somehow attractive.

For years, I’d bought into the same belief, treating women as possessions and nothing else. Given I was considered the most eligible bachelor on the West Coast, I had my pick of beautiful arm candy. The girls were eager to drop to their knees, while I acted on a business deal on the phone or with someone else in my office.

They’d had no shame, only desiring to use our coupling as a steppingstone to greater wealth or power, neither of which a single woman had ever been given access to. That hadn’t stopped them from throwing themselves at me, even enduring my own sadistic methods during sex. During the times I’d spent acting like the playboy of Los Angeles, not once had I been satisfied with the activity or the woman.

And not a single woman had ever challenged me other than calling me an asshole when I’d tossed them out the door after finishing with them.

But this girl, this stunning ebony-haired natural beauty with just a hint of freckles covering her nose had seen through my glittery surface, finding the jerkoff inside, the man who had no clue how to accept that what he wanted was a wife to stand by his side, not behind him, and a family that he could adore. Admitting that to even myself seemed ridiculous, especially at a point in my life and career when I didn’t need the extra baggage.

She also had a power over me that I found the most fascinating aspect of all. That’s because it had never happened. Not once. Her aura was similar to mine, a woman whose position held high authority. However, if I had to guess, I’d say she was walking on the other side of the line from my world where violence and bloodshed ruled. Should that make her forbidden? Perhaps, but I’d never allowed any form of innocence to stop me before.

I blinked several times, the liquor stinging my eyes, accepting the towel the bartender handed me. My cock was rock hard, throbbing so much I could no longer sit comfortably, forced to stand. The man behind me were still chuckling, which pissed me off as usual, but in truth, I’d fallen into her trap. She was a stunning vixen I wanted to tame, and I’d go to great lengths in order to do so, but I was right in that it had been a long time if ever since she’d been fucked by a real man.

Without thinking my decision through for any outstanding consequences, I took long strides in her direction, able to get to her before she closed the distance to the table full of desirable woman, but none so insanely gorgeous as the one I wanted more than I had anyone else in my entire life.

I wrapped my hand around her arm, jerking her around to face me. “You don’t talk to me like that.” My voice was booming, more so than I’d intended but I wanted her to know she’d crossed a line that couldn’t be undone.

“I will talk to you any way I want to, jerkoff boy.”

“Jerkoff boy?” Even her choice of words was intoxicatingly adorable, as if we were both back in high school.

She planted her hand on her hip, glaring at me just like she’d done before. And all I could think about was stripping her bare inside this cheap bar, fucking her over one of the tables while all the other customers watched. The thought tightened my balls and increased my desire.