Page 70 of Beast

“Dante, put me down.”

He does not bother to reply, simply carries me down the hallto the second bedroom. All the last week, deliveries came and workers walked inand out of the room. I was told not to take a peek. It is supposed to be asurprise. Now my heart races as I realize I am going into the room he says isfor play. Sex. That is what he means by play. He means sex, and I get thefeeling it will not be easy, lazy sex. It will be rough.

He is right. If I am going to leave, I want a last time withhim. I will never forget him, and I will hold the memory in my heart.

He kicks open the door. It flies back and slams into thewall.

I struggle to see. The room is utterly transformed from anice bedroom into something dark and exotic. Dante does not bother to explainthe strange cross on the wall or why there are so many hooks in the ceiling. Hesimply walks to the center of the room and sets me on a plush ottoman. It iscircular and large.

Before I can move, he has my hands in his. He drags thembehind my back, and cold metal snaps around my wrists. I tug, but my hands arelocked together.

“Clothes, off. Command 125.” With his words, my clothesrecede around my body, shrinking to a neat pile at my knees. Dante smiles, butit is a harsh thing, without an ounce of humor. “I programmed your clothes,love. I could have had you naked at any time.”

My eyes slide from his. “Well, you did not want to.”

He tugs my head up. “Is that what this is about? Baby, I’mtrying to figure this out. You think I don’t want you?”

It is so much more than that, but this is a question I cananswer. “I think you like sex, but I am just a body.”

He groans and hauls me against his body. “So untrue. Gods,if you could sneak a peek into my brain during the day you would know it’salways Kaja—all the time. I have to concentrate to not think of you. You invademy thoughts all day. I sit in meetings and all I can think of is you riding mycock. It plays hell with me. I can’t properly explain why talking aboutmarketing gives me a hard-on.”

I do not understand him at all. “But you are never with me.”

His eyes soften now that he has me naked. “It’s work. Youdon’t get it. This is the way my plane runs. You’ll settle in.”

I will not, but I am unsure how to make him see it. How canI make him understand that my heart hurts every time he walks out the door? “Iwon’t. No one will accept me.”

His hands cup my shoulders. “I accept you. You have tounderstand. I can’t let you go. I won’t let you go.”

I feel deliciously vulnerable. I am naked, my nipplespuckering in the chilly air. I cannot move my hands. The way they are chainedbehind my back thrusts my chest out. He cannot seem to take his eyes off mybreasts. It is so odd. I am naked, and he is clothed. He looks like a perfectlypowerful vampire, proper, even in his business suit, though his erection tentsthose expensive pants of his. I will still call Meg when this is over, but Iwant this time with him.

He runs his fingertips over my nipples. “I haveresponsibilities. Can’t you see that? I have to provide for you. I have to notbe a fuckup.”

It is important to him. He takes his work seriously, and Iunderstand he needs to have a place in this society. Appearances are veryimportant on this plane. I am going to ruin his. I am never going to be thelady consort he needs, but for tonight I can be his comfort, and he can bemine.

I lower my head. He sighs, and I can feel him open. Hisrelief at the fact that I am submitting practically pours across my skin. Hedoes not want to fight—not me. There is a fight building in my Dante, but I donot sense that it is a fight with me. He is genuinely surprised at my anger.

Oh, it is getting so easy to read him when we are trulyintimate. When we are together and open, I do not want to run. When I can feelhis soul brush mine, nothing can keep me away. But the times when he holds itback from me, those times cause an aching chasm to open inside.

He pulls away, his hand running through his hair. “Sorry. Iwas pushing myself at you, wasn’t I?”

I bite back a sob. “I didn’t mind.”

“I don’t understand this connection thing. I wasn’t raisedto expect it the way Beck and Ci were.”

Mates on my plane, true mates, can speak without talking. Wewill never have that because Dante fears the binding. I will always be alone.It will not work if he never wants it. None of this will work. I shouldremember that. When he finds a place for himself inside my brain, I am in his.It cannot be nice to be me. I will never force that on him. “I will behave. Iwill go and have my supper and cause no trouble.”

He curses and pulls my hair back. “See, I’m fucking upagain, and I don’t want to. I want to do what’s right. I just haven’t figuredout what that is yet. You want this? You want me to flood you with myself?”

I look at him through a veil of tears. “I think you are sobeautiful, but it does not mean anything if it is not shared. You do not wantto see me. My essence is not lovely. I understand.”

He growls at me. “You don’t understand a thing, but I ambeginning to.”

He kisses me, his mouth covering my own, his tongueplundering. He hauls me against his body. His erection prods at my belly.

“I’ll give you what you want, Kaja. You give me what I needfirst.”

I gasp. His desire sparks across my skin and into my brainlike lightning striking. He wants so much, all of it from me. He wants me softand willing. He wants my trust and my submission. He wants to be in charge ofme because no one thinks he can handle anything. I am important to him. I canfeel it.