Page 62 of Madness

“What do you need,miaamata? How can I show you this is different?”

She was quiet for a long time. I wasn’t sure she was ever going to answer. I wondered if I’d lost her. If my outburst, my loss of control, had ruined what I was trying to build. All I could do was wait.

I kept the demon at bay by touching Kincaid. I trailed kisses down her neck. Brushed the hair from her face. Licked her pulse. Inhaled her powdery scent.

“I don’t like Tristan.” I had become so lost in her body that her words felt like they were coming through a long tunnel. It took a minute for the shock to register. “I don’t want him to drive me anymore.”

This is what she wanted? She could ask me for anything. Money. Power. I could give it all to her. This girl always surprised me.

“He’s one of my best men.” I said.

“You’re the one who asked. If you’re forcing me to stay, then could you at least respect some of what I need?”

“Forcing you? It didn’t seem like I was forcing you the other night when you screamed and came all over my cock.” I nipped at her neck, where the bruises from my fingers still marred her body. Her pulse jumped beneath my lips, making my cock throb in response.

“Maddox, please.” She squirmed against me, only making me harder. But I pushed it aside to listen to her concerns. This is what I had to do if I wanted to change for her. “Tristan touched me the first day he brought me here. It was just a brush, but there was this look in his eyes like he thought he was allowed to do it. I didn’t know then if it was okay or not. I haven’t felt comfortable with him since. And there was that one time when he… saw us.”

I ground my teeth together at the thought of another man touching her. Any man. I might have treated her like I owned her, but no one else was allowed to. She was mine. Her body was mine to touch, no one else. I pictured all the ways I could make him suffer for upsetting her. The images cooled my anger enough to speak.

“He’ll be spoken to.” I could feel her relax as if she didn’t think I’d take her concerns seriously. It was my fault. I hadn’t made her feel safe here. I didn’t know how to do that. But I would try. “He’s not allowed to touch you. None of them are. No one touches you but me.”

Kincaid tilted her head to look at me, a smile on her beautiful lips. “What if I’m dying, and they need to give me mouth-to-mouth?”

“They can save you.” I placed a gentle kiss on her nose. “Then I’ll cut off the lips that touched yours.”

I swallowed her shocked gasp as I devoured her mouth. I poured everything I had into the kiss. I sucked her tongue into my mouth, feasting on her. I nipped her lip until she cried out as I fisted her hair.

I wanted to kiss down her neck. Between her legs. Wanted to hear her scream in pain. But I curbed the urge. I had a feeling fucking her would push her away. So for the first time in my life, I thought about how someone else felt.

34

Kincaid

My heart raced as Maddox broke our kiss. His lips trailed down my neck. I expected him to keep going, to finish what he started earlier. But instead, he settled back against the bed with me in his arms.

I had no idea what to make of all this. When I’d taunted him earlier, I’d never seen such rage on his face. I really thought I’d pushed him too far. That he would kill me. That all the words about wanting to keep me and me being his were well-crafted lies.

Then I’d touched his face, begged him to stop, and he did. For the first time since I’d known him, he listened to my words. He was giving me a choice. Asking me what I wanted. He’d looked so vulnerable when he told me he didn’t want to force me anymore.

I couldn’t let him believe that was the truth. As much as I’d fought him, fought myself, I wanted to be here. Wanted him. I didn’t want to want him. But I can’t change what I felt.

But we couldn’t continue the way it was. If it was going to be more, it had to be honest. I couldn’t be something he bought. We had to forge a real connection. Outside of sex. Outside of manipulation.

Maddox kissed the top of my head as he brushed my stomach. Even through the fabric of my clothes, my body tingled from his touch. “What else do you need, my little dove?”

“A connection.” I could hear the yearning in my voice. I wanted to know him. Know the man that fought with his demons. The one who was trying to show himself to me. “Tell me something about yourself.”

“Like what?” He nipped my earlobe. I didn’t know if he was purposefully distracting me, but I wouldn’t let it work, no matter how good it felt.

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “What’s your favorite color?”

“That’s the big question you have.” He laughed, making my whole body shake. I couldn’t stop the smile breaking out across my face.

“I’m just easing you in, boss.”

“Boss. I like that.” He growled. “You can call me that next time I fuck you, my little slut.”

“You wish.” He grunted as I lightly elbowed him. He trapped my arms and bit the side of my neck in punishment before soothing the ache with his tongue.