Chapter 5 Darkest Hour

• “What will you have of me?” I asked cautiously.
• “Everything.” He caught my shoulders and turned me around. He plucked the tall hat off my head and tugged the pins free. Catching his fingers in my hair and shaking through the thick tresses until more bits of metal tumbled to the ground.
• Dropping black hair with blood red highlights over my shoulders.
• “Come here pretty thing.” He caught my elbows and led me to a wide dresser. “I’ll show you what I’d have of you.”
• My stomach sunk some and I was racking my brain as I decided how far I was willing to go to protect Blackstone.
• Sasha.
• I pictured my younger sister’s dark face and envisioned her as I’d last seen her. Cradling her new babe.
• Could I really tell him no and risk sending her and my new nephew to whatever fate the Mountain Mob would have waiting for them?
• What if he now sent them after her in particular?
• My throat tightened in fear as he set my gloved hands over the top of the dresser.
• He dragged his hands off the top of mine and walked behind me. Dropping his face into the side of my neck and top of my shoulder.
• “Mmm. You smell like the sweetest delights.”
• “Don’t touch me.” I said weakly.
• But his hands were already roaming my flat stomach and the corset that bound the front of my dress down. He caught both flaps at the center above my belly button and gave a rough tug that made my body jerk.
• Instantly my green dress loosened around me and hung freely. One shoulder dropping.
• I jerked my hands over his to stop him from more.
• “Be still.” He ordered. Catching my hands and slowly putting them back atop the dresser. “Stay as you are.”
• I splayed my hands over the rough wood, intricately carved with vine designs over the front.
• He reached beneath the skirt and grabbed my petticoats, lowering behind me as he slid them down around my feet. Standing slowly and dragging the skirts up with him. Palming the sides of my knees and letting his hand linger up the side of my thighs to flatten over them. He pulled them backward to him enough I had to slide my feet back some, making me lean forward and press my backside out in his direction.
• His hands roved freely along the insides of my thighs and up to touch the soft folds there.
• I caught my breath.
• “Mmm.” He scented my hair near my ear. Taking in my smell and whispering along my ear. “You’ve not been touched in some time.”
• “I’ve no wish to be.”
• “Then why are my fingers already dampened after barely touching you.” He lifted one hand before the both of us to inspect it.
• Only then did I realized there was a tall mirror off the top of the dresser reaching to the ceiling.
• I found myself staring at both of our reflection in it.
• His hand lifted before us. His eyes lightning flash blue as they observed the fingertips he brushed along his thumb. Which were indeed, shining with moisture.
• His other hand was still stroking along the inside of my thighs to rub along my soft inner lips before dragging back out around the front of my thigh and back inward. Brushing his thumb teasingly over the small nub just above my slit.
• I chewed my lower lip. Hating the way my eyes had widened upon my reflection.
• Behind him, I could see the sun setting behind the green hills across Ferus.
• In short time it’d be pitch black in this room. Something I should probably want considering what he was going to do to me in short order.
• “Your body is hot and wet. Just waiting for the greedy touch of a man.” His breath fanned my ear. Making me shiver deliciously.
• I hated him, because I knew it was true.
• “I’ll glide right into you. Won’t I?”
• I swallowed hard. Ducking my head in shame.
• He tossed my skirts up over my backside, to pool along my lower back, exposing me to his perusal.
• The cool breeze sweeping in to caress over me.
• I gripped the edge of the dresser, clutching it in desperation as I willed myself anywhere but here. I was about to serve myself to a monster in exchange for the safety of my people.
• He caught my hair and scooped it over to my other shoulder. “The things I’ll make you say to me.”
• “Like what?” I asked breathlessly. Trying to focus on anything but that touch which was stirring me to life.
• He twitched the tip of one finger along the inside of those folds. “So many things…The secrets you’ll admit to me that you’ve never told a soul. I’ll turn you inside out until you’ve known the kind of pleasure that will haunt you all your days and make you weep with shame in the darkest hours.”