Page 32 of Ravager

“Oh, and remember to keep your hands off her now, Erik. You did a marvelous job breaking her in for me on such short notice, but I think I’ll take her from here.”

Erik could barely swallow, and he quickly shut the door behind them before he could spout something to Rolf he would certainly regret.

Cherine looked at him in wild confusion. “What did he mean by that? You broke me in?”

“Come on,” Erik told her and began to pull her down the hallway, not ready for this to see the light, even though he knew, oh he knew, that this day had been coming.

“You broke me in forhim?” she continued. He didn’t dare meet her face, keeping his eyes focused on the torch light that flickered from the sconces on the walls.

“Yes,” he said quietly. “Rolf wanted you and told me I needed to get you ready for him. I was only trying to help.” The guilt began to flood him as soon as he said the words out loud, like a net had been waiting to drop.

“You only slept with me because he ordered you to?” she cried out. She wrestled out of his grasp and fell against the cold wall. “You’re spineless.”

Hot flames fanned behind his eyes. “I am not?—”

“You’re disgusting!”

He couldn’t help but laugh, soft and cruel. “Oh, that’s rich. I’m not the woman who just gave herself to two men at the same time.”

“I had to, and you know it.” She glared at him and pulled the blanket around her tighter.

“You enjoyed it,” he volleyed back.

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. I enjoyed it! I enjoyed giving myself to both of you. I’m just trying to make the best out of this, this situation you put me in! Is that so wrong?”

Erik didn’t have the right answer for that, as the real answer would have given too much of himself away. Instead, he grasped her arm again and started pulling her back down the hall toward the underground.

“No one’s getting hurt here except for me,” she added. “Can you be gentler to my arm?”

He loosened his grip, only slightly, and they quickly made their way down the stairs. He saw a few men leaving the dining quarters, their eyes growing feverishly wide at the sight of Cherine clothed in only a blanket, and he pulled her along faster. They passed the guard and the baron’s prison, which was mercifully silent, until he practically threw her up against her door. He planted both hands on either side of her and leaned in. Her eyes glowed amber in the wall’s torchlight, and he had that terribly incessant urge to kiss her.

“You joke about that, dear maiden, but you will be the one getting hurt in the end.” His voice was low, soothing with an edge. He was trying to warn her not to take this lightly, but his own insecurities were getting in the way.

“I will,” she said, matching her voice to his, “or you will?”

Could she see through him? Did she know how badly his insides were churning, like his guts were being ripped apart at the mere image of Rolf’s hands on her?

“You’re his now,” he said. He tried to keep his voice steady, but he was afraid his eyes were betraying him. He couldn’t look away from her lips, couldn’t stop thinking about making her hisagain. He wanted to erase the touch of Rolf from her skin. He wanted to take her until he was all she knew.

“And you’ll let him just take me?” she asked, her eyes slanting with lust, her lips parting slightly until he could see the pink of her tongue.

He closed his eyes and placed his hand on the door, opening it. “Please go inside.”

“Or what?” she murmured.

“Do you wish to find out?” he said, voice bordering on a growl.

“Yes,” she answered.

His eyes flew open, and he took her by the arms, spinning her around until she was inside. He slammed the door shut, then took her by the waist and pinned her up against it, pressing her into the hard wood. His lips went for her first, kissing her violently, until they found her neck, where he started to bite her from earlobe to collarbone.

“Erik,” she whispered, trying to push him off but not pushing hard enough. She leaned her head back against the door in defeat, giving him better access to her neck. He could feel her pulse pounding beneath his lips. “What if he catches us?”

He paused to kiss her, pressing her body harder against the door as his hands got lost in her hair.

“He won’t,” he said breathlessly. “Not tonight.”

“And tomorrow?”