Grievous (Wanted Men #5) - Nancy Haviland Page 0,95

danced in the sides of her vision. That’s when his words came back to her.

If I see it anywhere other than around your neck, I will make you hurt. I will not lay a finger on you, but you will hurt.

She placed her hand over her heart as cracks formed and it started to bleed. “No, Lucian. Oh, God…don’t…”

One of the women moaned, and the distinctive sound of bed springs squeaked.

♦ ♦ ♦

Lucian sat in a chair he would hate to see go, but triggers were triggers, he thought as he sipped his drink.

“Harder! Please! Oh, God, yes! Fuck meee! Give me that cock! Harder!”

His lip curled at the vulgar plea for another orgasm. He didn’t look at the display of sex but kept his gaze on his phone screen.

She was up again. Pacing in the far corner of the bathroom. She still wore the black dress, and it was easy to see the tension keeping her spine in that straight line. The disjointed agitation in her every step. The stress around her mouth and eyes. Yes. She was almost ready.

“Use my name,” he said quietly.

“Oh, my God, Lucian! I’m coming! Oh, yes!”

On the screen, Yasmeen’s head whipped toward the door at the sound of the girl’s orgasmic cries. He watched disbelief then denial then acceptance cloak her features. When she slid to the floor where she stood and dropped her face into her hands, it was to hide a helplessness that let him know he’d punished her enough.

“Finish up. Sorin will pay you on your way out.” He left the heavily panting trio and went next door.

♦ ♦ ♦

Just when she thought she could take no more, the sound of that woman’s shout reverberated in her head once more. Yasmeen’s stomach lurched sickeningly around the betrayal carving her chest out. The pain was spectacular.

“How have you let this happen?” she whispered, never more disappointed in herself.

Her feelings were resolutely engaged. There was no question. After all her bullshit talk of fucking him until he felt better able to cope with his loss. The shit about going home and moving on. She was a pathetic, weak, lying, masochistic disappointment. She’d let it happen. The man bent on tormenting her had wormed his way into her breaking heart. She didn’t love him; she couldn’t. What kind of pitiful creature would she have to be to give this feeling that special label? This wasn’t the beautiful light that glowed in Miranda’s eyes whenever she looked at Eric. That was love. This? This was a gnarled and twisted Stockholm Syndrome meets a boil-the-bunny obsession. It was warped and wrong, and so powerful she didn’t know how to stop feeling what she was feeling.

But it wasn’t love.

The throbbing behind her sternum flared. She laid her head on the chair seat next to her and stared straight ahead, listening to the low murmurs she could still hear even though she was as far away from that connecting door she’d found behind a hanging tapestry as she could get. As her glands watered anew, she felt another small part of her die. She kept her gaze locked on the base of the toilet. The pain had to ebb soon. It had to. They’d been at it for hours. And she’d had to listen to every minute of it. She could no longer get through the wailing in her head to even ask God to help her through this.

She stared longer, her breaths shallow, and wasn’t aware she was no longer alone until he squatted in front of her.

“Is my naughty pet ready to tell her owner how sorry she is for disrespecting their relationship.”

A fresh wash of agony had a whimper trying to squeeze through her constricted throat. She was only now realizing why men like him considered disloyal behavior so deplorable. It wasn’t only about their secrets being leaked or a business deal tanking because someone had loose lips. They detested unfaithful people because of the pain their actions produced.

“Nothing, hmm?” He straightened and walked out, shutting the bedroom door with a snap.

Yasmeen remained where she was, unmoving, but a pressure began to build inside her as she strained to hear the pleased sound the women would make at seeing Lucian reappear. Her stomach started to ache at how tight her muscle grew. Had one of them pleasured him on her knees, worshiping him the way Yasmeen had done before everything had gone so wrong?

She started almost violently when his legs came into view and