Lie to Me (30 page)

Being nervous by their seclusion was understandable, but he had no intention of allowing her to run from him either. Normally he’d use every advantage at his fingertips, but for the first time in a long time he felt out of his league with a woman. Binding her to him through intimacy was the only thing he could think of. And...he
really
wanted to be the one to give her pleasure for the first time.

The idea she’d sold herself to survive churned his belly, but he wouldn’t judge her decisions. Not when it came to survival. Telling her she would’ve been safe as his wife were hollow words. She had to believe them, and for the moment she doubted everything he uttered. “You’re giving me something else, if not today then soon, but it’s something just as precious to me.”

Kella’s eyes widened, and her tongue snaked out, the tip swishing along her bottom lip. Heartbeats ticked by as they stared at one another. She sent a quick peek in the direction Reaper had exited, before her focus lowered to the kippy that’d returned to nestle in her lap. Her fingers slid through Retro’s fur, and the fur ball began to do her purring-slash-growling thing. The kippy tilted her puffy head toward Kella’s digits. Jealousy slammed into him. What he wouldn’t give for her to touch him like that.

Focused solely on her pet, her voice trembled when she finally spoke. “I won’t allow you to touch me.”

“Why?”

“I’m not interested is a good enough reason.”

“We both know it’s a lie.”

Kella ditched rubbing her pet and began to shuffle the cards, her movements easy as she watched them flicker through the scuffle and glide into a resting place. But her actions testified to her nerves. “We’re complicated, Stone.”

“Our contract simplified our relationship. Very uncomplicated.”

“I’m not ready or willing to pick back up with our relationship as if eight years of betrayal doesn’t hang between us.”

“You’re the only one clinging to the bitterness of those lost years.”

“I’m not even close to the girl I was then. There are things you don’t know about me. Things I’ve done that would change your opinion of me.” The
flick-flick-flicking
sound of the cards droned on and on.

Stone wanted to yank the goddamn deck from her grasp and demand she confront the real issue. “You sold your body to survive. How much worse could it get than that?”

A slight flinch. “A lot. You’re a Regent—”

“That doesn’t define me as a person any more than you being a terrorist defines you as a person.”

The cards went flying around her, fluttering to the carpet, table, and even her lap. Retro protested with a yowl. Panic created tiny lines from the corners of her eyes, and her breathing escalated. She tossed another glance at the doorway, and he predicted she contemplated making a run for it. “Why’d you call me that?”

The tremble in her voice gave her away. She wasn’t nearly as confident with her bluff as she wanted to seem. “You deny it?”

“Yes,” the word emerged as nothing more than a whisper, but she avoided his gaze. “Of course I do.”

A lie, he was sure. “Fleeing me makes you a terrorist by the laws of some Regents.”

“Don’t call me that here in this Quad, Stone, or you’ll find me executed in the next crimson rain. Proof isn’t required for a guilty verdict.”

Over my dead fucking body.

Scratching the scruff on his jaw, he pondered the actions of the X-Ds. He could only account for her whereabouts today, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t involved with the saboteurs somehow. “You know any terrorists, wife?”

“Should I?” She focused awfully hard on that animal in her lap.

All right, he’d try a different tactic to get his point across. “Remember the time you spiked the punch of the visiting Regent? Regent Eric, I think was his name?” He knew damn well the man’s name was Eric. “You had him tossing up his cookies for almost a week.”

“I remember. Momma was worried she’d lose her job, and your daddy took his belt to my ass.” She cringed and wiggled a little in her seat as if she could feel the sting of the belt on her bottom to this day.

Stone had held her through her sobs, angry with his parent for being too hard on her. She’d been honest about her guilt, but he’d known in his heart Kella wouldn’t have created mischief without a reason. Despite finding trouble even when she hadn’t been looking for it, she hadn’t been a vindictive girl, and often showed how gentle-hearted she was. If she went after someone, she
always
had a valid reason. Justice had been important to her then, and he had confidence she hadn’t outgrown that particular characteristic.

That evening Regent Eric retched publicly all over the dinner table, an embarrassment for a man of his esteem. The doctor had been called, and Eric had been so weak servants had carried him to his room. His father had instigated an investigation.

Later Stone found his parent and his girl in his father’s office. He’d immediately gone to her defense and received punishment for going against his dad. No belt had been taken to him though, because Regents rarely doled out corporal discipline to their own children. Physical penance was solely reserved for the dreg class. A double standard that disturbed Stone then and still to this day because there remained too much diversity between the classes. “You never told me why you did it.”

Kella focused all her energy on the kippy, shrugging. “Your dad promised my punishment would be worse if I told anyone.”

Worse? He’d interrupted what amounted to abuse, and he’d been horrified by his dad’s behavior. His parent had flipped her skirt up, put her over his desk, and used his belt on her naked bottom. Her tender flesh had been bruising when Stone discovered them, Kella screaming, knuckles white from holding onto the desk his father had bent her over, and begging for his mercy. Leniency apparently was reserved for the privileged too because his father had ignored her entreaties and continued to beat her, rearing his arm back and delivering strike after strike.

Icy fury had kicked him in the gut. That his father had dared to assault
Stone’s
girl, yeah, even then she’d been his in his heart.

The incident occurred a year before she left them, a thirteen-year-old girl, and he’d been vehement that her modesty should’ve been protected. Vehement that the punishment didn’t fit the crime, that it was the job of a Regent to shelter her too just like they protected the esteemed class. His father had railed that dregs, even girls, should respect their peers, and that Kella was lucky he hadn’t allowed the other Regent to execute the punishment. Stone couldn’t imagine Eric’s mistreatment could’ve been harsher, given Kella’s abused state.

If she would promise she’d never retaliate again, his dad vowed the chastisement would cease. Through their argument Kella had bawled, ignoring his parent’s demands to make the ‘goddamn promise’.

It’d been the first time he took a stand against one of his parents. Neither his father nor Kella would explain why she’d attacked the visiting Regent. But he’d refused to allow further punishment. Challenging Peter, Stone had blocked her from his dad’s heavy-hand, carefully pulled her panties up her legs and over her discolored bottom, lowered her skirt, and carried her out of his father’s office. He’d met his dad’s eyes right before exiting the room and said, “Never ever touch my girl again without my permission.” It’d been a bold move at his tender age, but he would’ve found a way to protect her before he’d allow her mistreated again.

Peter’s eyes had widened, and his nostrils had flared, but he’d never laid a finger on her again. If something occurred, he’d told Stone to deal with her and then derided him for being too lenient with her.

On the long walk to Stone’s bedroom that evening, she’d muttered over and over that her momma mattered too. She’d refused to explain more than that, and he’d eventually dropped the subject.

The too-harsh reprimand harmed his relationship with his father to this day. Any time Stone made a decision his father disliked, Peter brought up the incident.

“My dad’s no longer in charge, so why’d you do it?”

Peeking at him through her lashes, she seemed hesitant, but then murmured, “Regent Eric raped Momma...in the worst way.”

“Sodomy?” Stone asked to clarify.

She nodded. “He made me watch. Momma was hurt, required medical attention, and could barely perform her duties, but your dad wouldn’t release her from her duties. Regent Jackass Eric didn’t care because she was a dreg and ‘didn’t matter’. And before you ask,
yes
, he said that.” She pushed her hair over her shoulder. “He promised he’d slit her throat and rape me next if she told anyone.”

Anger bled through him. “I knew you had a reason. Did you tell my father?”

“Yeah, of course. He didn’t care either. He told me this was a lesson in the way the world worked and our station in it.”

This information rocked the foundation of Stone’s belief system. His dad had taught him all lives mattered, dregs and the privileged. Apparently, he’d been speaking out of both sides of his mouth because he’d sided with a rapist over an innocent woman under the protection of his home. His father didn’t deserve the respect of his rank.

This is the man I have running the show. That must change immediately
.

“What’s the point in this horrible flashback?” she asked, yanking him from his upsetting reflections.

“I knew you’d executed the action for a reason. I believed in you, Kella. You didn’t have a mean streak in your body. No way you’ve changed that much. Whatever actions you make, the ones you
think
will change my opinion of you, I know you have a reason for them, like you’ve always had valid reasons for any vengeance you’ve undertaken.” Stone came away from the table, caught the leg of her chair with the side of his foot, and jerked the seat away from the table, causing it to create a loud screeching noise against the wood surface. Retro bolted from her lap with a hiss-growl combo. Kella gave a small squeal of surprise.

Placing his hands on the arms of the chair, he invaded her space. She labored to maintain eye contact, but her gaze kept dropping to his mouth. He bit back a triumphant grin.
Not interested in me my ass.
He was playing for keeps, so he gave her the truth straight up. “Kella, I don’t give a fuck if you’re X-Ds, I won’t walk away from you. You’re mine for the next eight months, and I plan to use every single second convincing you to stay with me and praying you’ll somehow find it within you to determine I’m worth trusting with your darkest secrets. Now kiss me.”

“No,” a breathy whisper, nothing more, telling him she lacked the conviction of her standpoint.

Stone put his fingers through her hair, relishing the silky texture of the black locks. Sooner rather than later, he hoped to wrap the strands around his hand and hold her beneath him as he drove her crazy with climaxes. “Kiss me, and I’ll give you the present I had delivered for you.”

“I don’t want your present.”

“You’ll want this one.”

Her green eyes lifted. “I’m trying to protect you. Please let me.”

“Sunshine, I’m not sure what gave you the idea I can’t protect myself, but I’m pleased you care enough about me to try.” He leaned in, until their breaths puffed against each other. “Be brave and kiss me. I promise I won’t take it further than a kiss.”

She bit her bottom lip, and her lashes slid down. Shaking her head, she murmured, “I don’t want to want you.”

“I know.” Stone tugged her bottom lip free of her teeth and dragged the pad of his thumb across the abused flesh. “I want you enough for both of us.”

Kella’s breath grew ragged, and she blindly lifted her hand to trail her fingers across his jaw. She opened her eyes, her gaze connecting with his for a moment before she tilted her head to close the distance between them, meshing their mouths together. He allowed her to set the pace until her tongue gave a timid slide across the seam of his lips.

Stone threaded his fingers through her hair, and cupped the back of her head so he could angle her mouth to devour her. His tongue thrust inside to salsa with hers. Her little moan was his undoing. Keeping their mouths connected, he drew her to her feet and lifted her against his chest. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he turned and sat in the chair, snuggling her to him.

She draped her arms around his neck, and straddled him, with a knee on each side of his legs. She blanketed his body with hers, her nipples boring through their clothing against his chest. His cock punched against his zipper as her pussy connected with his crotch.

God
. He deepened the kiss and reveled in her deep-throated sighs.

With one hand in her hair, keeping her in place for his kisses, Stone slid his free hand up her spine. He loved the way she felt in his arms. Perfect. Where she belonged. And the way she rocked her cunt against his erection testified to her yearning, but he suspected she executed her erotic movements without conscious decision.

“I’m scared,” she whispered against his mouth, her lids half-mast with passion.

Her confession caught him unaware as he skated his hand beneath the edge of her shirt to rub his palm along the skin of her low back. “Of me?”

“No. Yes.” She buried her face against his neck. As he waited for her to explain, he kneaded her scalp and rubbed her silky flesh, while his dick pulsed an objection to their conversation, fancying an altogether different exchange. Good thing his lower brain wasn’t in charge since earning her trust was key to their future.

Kella’s fingers toyed with the short hairs at his nape. “I trusted your dad to do the right thing when Regent Eric raped Momma, and he failed me...her...us. I trusted you, and I got bought. I know what you said, but someone told me something different that night, and it contradicts your claims. I—I don’t know who to believe. I want to trust you, but...” Stone waited because her voice trembled with her insecurity, and he despised her ambiguity toward him. “I’m scared of giving in to you and losing myself, Stone, only to be deceived in the end. I’m so tired of getting burned. I couldn’t survive your betrayal. Not a second time.”