Broken by His Hand - Piper Stone Page 0,75

when she squeezed her muscles again, her eyes lit up from the moment of control.

The rush as I erupted deep within her, filling her was incredible. I threw my head back and roared.

The beast was finally released.

Chapter Thirteen

Sophia

Passion.

What I shared with Michael was the kind of passion that few people ever experienced in their lives, but he was a volatile man, one capable of a certain level of violence. His anger was often uncontrolled, his past now colliding with the present. I couldn’t even think about the future.

Then again, I’d unleashed my own fury after he’d purchased the necklace.

I stood in the main room, a shudder coursing through me from seeing the shattered glass, the packages he’d had delivered thrown around the room, including the beautiful necklace. I’d stood at the door to the bedroom, listening to his angry words he’d spouted toward his dead father, my heart skipping beats from the agony in his tone of voice.

Then I’d heard his expressions of sorrow and I hadn’t been able to take it any longer. He was a good man, even though he continued to try to convince me otherwise. While my mind continued to tell me that I should follow through with my pledge to get the hell away from him, my heart told me otherwise. He’d gotten under my skin, able to bring me into moments of ecstasy.

I no longer wanted to maintain some rational level within my mind. I simply wanted to let go. And still... My heart ached for both of us. I had no idea how we could comingle our lives, his arrogance as well as the constant danger not something I was accustomed to. While I hadn’t promised him anything, I knew exactly what he thought.

That one day I would surrender to him, including giving him all of my heart.

I pressed my hand against the glass, the early morning sun providing a hint of warmth. Would I have the strength to survive whatever trauma would continue to unfold? I’d been the one to open the door, allowing a smartly dressed bellman inside, the oversized cart indicating a wide selection of food. While the fragrances initially made my mouth water, I wasn’t entirely certain I’d be able to eat anything.

I could see his hulking reflection in the glass and my mind instantly shut down, my body’s reaction taking over. The roughhewn man with the hint of gray at his temples was able to send constant shivers trickling down my spine.

Even now.

Even when I knew I should end this.

He’d remained with me for the majority of the night, but sometime after I’d finally fallen asleep, he left me alone. Awakening to an empty bed had been a keen reminder that he wasn’t necessarily ready for any kind of real relationship.

As if I knew what real meant.

He was dressed in his normal attire, no longer allowing me to see the kinder, gregarious man inside. The new suit fit him perfectly, accentuating his long legs and broad chest. While the selection of a crimson tie was a slight surprise, everything else was to be as expected.

All business.

Our night had been a mere blip in time, a getaway in his mind if nothing else. A part of me had wanted to believe he could find happiness in simple things; a small house on a grassy knoll, a white picket fence with a Golden Retriever happily greeting us when we arrived home, but I knew better. He’d grown used to the finer things in life, luxuries that I’d never wanted and certainly would never be able to afford.

Without his money.

That just wasn’t me and it never would be.

As he closed the distance, he adjusted his sleeves, his face pensive. He didn’t bother wrapping his arms around me or commenting on the incredible round of sex. He stood stoically, staring at the window. But I could feel the heat resonating from his body, knew by the way he clenched his jaw that he remained tense.

While he stood in a four-thousand-dollar suit, I remained in the five-year-old robe that I’d managed to stuff into my suitcase. Sighing, I turned my attention once again toward the magnificent city, watching the world go by.

“I took the liberty of ordering us breakfast,” he said quietly.

“Okay. Are you going out?”

“I have one meeting this morning with the other managing partners from this hotel. After that, the time is ours. Is there anything you’d like to do?”

I bit back an angry retort, uncertain of what he wanted me