Neil (The Uncompromising Series Book 2) (37 page)

M
Y LEGS WERE SORE, MY
feet were screaming, but my wallet was full. I walked out of the back entrance of the strip club and sighed. Only four hours until Conner would wake up but I almost had enough money for a down payment on a one-bedroom apartment I found a couple weeks ago. I glanced down as I pulled my keys out of my purse and when I looked up, I froze.

My heart slammed into my ribs then jumped up my throat.

Three weeks did nothing to dilute the effect he had on me. Arms huge, jaw set, gaze unwavering, Viking stole my breath but he looked different. Harder, bigger, edgier… more determined. “Neil.” My voice faltered.

He didn’t say anything but the impenetrable stare I’d dreamt about wasn’t its usual cold mask. It was dark and churning and the storm was threatening.

My stomach fluttered and anticipation left a desperate taste in my mouth. Every second of his hands on my body replayed in my mind and became movie screen big.

I clutched my purse to my chest like armor. “You’re back.”

He pushed off his truck and took a step toward me.

Not even the clothes on his body could disguise the rippling muscles or hide the sheer strength of him. Viking was a warrior. He’d always be a warrior and that terrified me but I’d never fully understood why until this very second. Warriors weren’t permanent. They didn’t give away their hearts. They took what they wanted and the collateral damage was the hearts of those they left behind, trampled in their wake.

This would be my life with Viking. He’d show up unannounced, leave unexpectedly and expect me to drop everything. I couldn’t live like that and Conner didn’t need to lose another man from his life. “What are you doing here?”

He took another step.

I didn’t want him to come closer. If he touched me, I would lose all my resolve. I needed to get in my car and drive away, but just the sight of him was making me want to beg him to stay. “I, um…” I palmed my keys. “It’s late, I gotta go.”

“You are frightened. Why?” His deep, quiet voice didn’t drift across the alley. It filled every dirty corner and blanketed it in hope.

“Glad you made it back safe.” Ignoring his question, I unlocked my car. “Babysitter and all, you know how it is.” I yanked my door open, barely aware of the words that were coming out of my mouth.

“Ariella.”

There it was. A thousand times sweeter than I’d remembered. Dominating and unapologetically foreign, he said my name with so much confidence, it made my knees weak. “I can’t do this.”

“Do what?”

I sucked in air but it didn’t help. I was crumbling. I didn’t have any defense against a man who spoke my name like I was his queen but fucked me like I was his whore. I couldn’t compete with his intelligence or integrity. I couldn’t even hold my own against his alphaness. My purse clutched to my chest, my keys in my hand, I prayed for an ounce of the conviction he was radiating. “With you. Pretend.”

“I do not want you to pretend.”

“That’s just it. It’s
want
to you. It’s always about want. You want and you get. But my life, it doesn’t work that way. I don’t get to want. I don’t get to hope. It just is. I’m Conner’s mom. That’s it. I can’t be any more.” How come he didn’t understand that? “I can’t be what you want.”

“You are what I want.”

I closed my eyes for a brief second and simply soaked it in. Viking, warrior,
he wanted me
. But I couldn’t forget on what terms. He didn’t want to be a father figure, he didn’t want attachments, he wanted someone to fuck. I sucked in a breath and the words I’d so desperately wanted to hear from him became too heavy to hold in. “You said no attachments. You lied to me.”

“I told you why. I am not repeating myself.”

“You told me why you said no attachments but you never explained why you lied to me. About Jannat, about the scar on your chest. You didn’t even tell me about Marissa.”

“I never lied.”

Technically, he was right, I knew that, but I couldn’t play this game anymore. Nothing had changed except he had a piece of paper saying he wasn’t married. What was I going to do? Move into the spot his ex-wife vacated? Wait while he traveled around the globe saving other women? He was doing us both a favor when he’d told me to not get attached. I didn’t listen at first, but now I was. “I’m tired and I don’t want to fight. I’m going home. Glad you made it back in one piece.” I waved like it was normal as shit to wave at a man like Viking and got in my Land Cruiser. The old engine purred to life because of him and I pulled my door shut.

“
Ariella
.”

I didn’t want to hear another word, I couldn’t, because I would break down and give him whatever he wanted just to feel his hands on me one more time. I floored it out of the alley without once looking back.

Every second of the drive home, my heart pounded and my hands shook. I didn’t dare look in the rearview mirror but I knew he was close. His determination when I’d shut the door had been so palatable, I could taste the singular emotion as it slid down my throat and lodged in my chest. Viking wasn’t going to walk away from a battle.

I pulled up to my apartment and a second later, his huge truck parked beside me.

“Damn it,” I whispered.

I glanced at the stairs but in the few seconds it took for me to calculate if I could outrun him, he was already out of his truck and rounding the Land Cruiser. He didn’t hurry, he didn’t rush, his gaze focused on mine, and he strode purposefully.

My door opened and spice and musk assaulted me like a silent weapon and I tried to fight back. “You said you wouldn’t chase me.” Weak and thready, my voice gave away my nerves but I still accused him. And once I started, I couldn’t stop. “There’s nothing in my life that’s constant except your resoluteness. You don’t get to take that away from me. You make promises and you keep them. That’s how this works.
You can’t chase me
.”

He released my seat belt and his giant hands grabbed me by the waist. He didn’t speak. He didn’t apologize. He pulled me out of my car, my back hit the side of the old Land Cruiser and the storm that was Viking surged.

His lips landed on mine and his fingers sank into my hair as his palms cupped my face. Hot and dominating and unforgiving, he invaded my mouth and plundered me.

Nothing in my memory of the other time he’d kissed me came close because this wasn’t him kissing me. This was a Viking showing emotion. His body bowed protectively around mine, his grip assaulting, he swept his tongue through my mouth with a frightening gentleness so pure, it arched my back and settled in my heart.

My hands went around his neck and my fingers sought the only soft part of his body as they threaded through his hair. The very idea that Viking was letting me touch him this way, intimately, passionately, it fueled my desire almost more than the expert sweep of his tongue as he took exactly what he wanted from me.

He pulled back only enough to utter one command. “Upstairs.”

“Keys,” I panted, breathless.

He simultaneously cupped me and reached inside my car. Grabbing my purse and thrusting it at me with one hand, his other gripped me through my jeans and his thumb perfectly stroked my clit.

“Ohmigod.” I took my purse with one hand and fisted a handful of his hair with the other as I shoved my hips into his touch.

He took my keys out of the ignition and slammed my door shut. “Where is Conner?” He pressed his thumb down harder.

“Upstairs, asleep, babysitter.” I couldn’t even form a sentence.

“Turn,” he demanded.

I spun.

His whole hand squeezed my pussy through my jeans then ran up my stomach, over my ribs and palmed my breast. Pinching my nipple, he pressed down hard until my back landed against his chest.

I ground my hips, aching for contact, but his hands moved to my waist and stopped me. Propelling me forward, he led us to the stairs. Desire pulsed between my legs with every step and by the last flight, my jeans were soaked. I was out of breath and Viking’s heat at my back was making me tremble in anticipation.

The last two steps, he lifted me clear off my feet as if impatient with my smaller strides, and set me down in front of my door. His arm came around my waist as he used my keys to unlock my door and push it open.

The teenage babysitter who lived a floor below sat up groggily from the couch but when she saw Viking, she stiffened. “Hey,” she squeaked awkwardly. “Conner didn’t wake up tonight.”

“Great, thanks.” I reached in my purse to pay her but Viking was quicker. Without a word, he held a folded hundred out to her and nodded once.

Her eyes widened but she took the money. Scooping her backpack off the floor, she practically ran out of the apartment.

“You overpaid her.”

Viking locked the door and uttered one word. “Bedroom.”

I didn’t even have time to take a step. He shoved my purse off my shoulder and his hands were back on my waist. He propelled me toward my bedroom and suddenly, I needed to know what this was, what we were. “We should talk.”

He closed my bedroom door behind us and briskly swept my hair off my shoulders. His thumbs ran up my neck then slowly down between my shoulder blades as he increased the pressure. “About?” He massaged my back.

I groaned and dropped my head. “About this.” Jesus, his hands felt good.

“I am touching you.”

His strong fingers worked their way to my shoulders and kneaded deeply. “I know what you’re doing right now.” I fought to concentrate or even remember why I wanted to say anything at all. “That’s not what I meant.”

His mouth touched my ear and he lowered his voice. “I am going to touch you and I am going to fuck you. Then I am going to fuck you again.”

Oh God
. I got wetter. “Neil.” I tried to sound chastising but my whispery reprimand came out like I was begging him to follow through on his promise.

He spun me to face him. “Undress.” He unbuckled his belt and pulled it loose.

There was nothing romantic about Viking. He was abrasive and domineering and one hundred percent alpha. He didn’t whisper sweet nothings or tell me I was his everything. He bit out commands and expected subservience. It was so fucking sexy, my mouth watered.

He started to undo his pants and I couldn’t take it.

I dropped to my knees. Skimming my hand down his hard length, I slowly pulled the zipper down. His penetrating gaze locked on mine and I licked my lips as I reached for him.

His hand wrapped around my wrist and stopped me. “Did you wait for me?”

I stilled.

His voice rough, his tone laced with anger, it was the most vulnerable thing Viking had ever said to me. My stomach fluttered with warmth but my mind pushed back and I couldn’t stop the retort. “Did you think we were exclusive?”

“Answer my question,” he demanded.

Heat radiating from his body, my face inches from his hard cock as it strained against his tight boxers, I didn’t budge. “Answer mine.”

He threaded his hand in my hair and gripped a fistful. “You are mine.”

His volume, his tone, it barely changed but the three words still growled from his throat. The butterflies in my stomach traitorously swirled in joy but I wasn’t giving this up. “You don’t own me.” If he wanted this, if he wanted me, tonight, tomorrow, beyond that, he needed to give me more than a one-sided declaration.

He let go of my wrist, shoved his boxers down and fisted himself. “You. Belong to me.” His huge hand stroked his length once. “This. Belongs to you.”

I surged forward and took him in my mouth.

Both of his hands gripped my hair as my lips stretched wide over hot skin and hard cock. I swirled my tongue and took him deep.

His thighs stiffened, his fists tightened and he held me there. Slow, torturously slow, he pulled on my hair and slid out of my mouth only to plunge back in.

Sexy musk filled my lungs, my hands landed on his thighs and I moaned. He thrust into my mouth two more times then he abruptly pulled out and hauled me to my feet. He whipped my shirt off and unfastened my jeans before pushing me on the bed.

Grabbing a handful of his T-shirt, he yanked it off one-handed and stepped out of his boots. “Clothes off,” he ordered.

He was naked before I’d gotten my jeans past my hips. Taking over, he pushed me to my back, slid the tight material down my legs and spread my thighs. I sat up and licked the length of his cock. It jumped from my touch and I wrapped my lips around the head.

He stroked through my heat and I groaned, spreading my legs wider.

Knowing what I wanted, he shoved two fingers deep inside me and curled until he found exactly where I needed him.

His dick popped out of my mouth and I cried out.

Already working my bra, the lace fell to the bed and Viking hovered over me. His tongue swept up my neck and his teeth bit the sensitive flesh under my ear as his fingers circled deep inside me.

The orgasm reared up and took me completely by surprise.

My hips bucking, my legs shaking, I grasped his arms for support and fucking fell apart. The tide of pleasure took my breath and my reason. I rode his hand and he rode out my release until the last remnants whispered away but he didn’t let me rest. He didn’t even pull out. His fingers still deep inside me, his other hand grasped my waist and he pushed me on my back. Increasing the pressure and speed, he worked his hand and my G-spot until I was gasping.

“No, no, no,” I begged. “I can’t.” Pleasure-pain ripped through my core and my chest tightened.

His mouth closed over my nipple and he drew the hard bud between his teeth.

My back flew off the mattress and a wave of desire surged between my legs. “Oh God!” A new orgasm instantly built.

His fingers jerked out and the head of his hard cock pushed at my entrance.

I grabbed for his hips and Viking drove into me.

“
Ahhhhh
.” Stretching me, filling me, he stroked so deep I could feel nothing else as I dug my nails into his ass and thrust up to meet him.

A low rumble vibrated from his chest and he started to move.

Hard, fast, slow, rhythmic, Viking fucked me and gave me his all. His body, his skill, his desire, he worked me. Bringing me to release then easing me back down, he ground his hips and used his teeth. He bit me, he sucked on my flesh and he fucked me so good, tears of joy slid down my face.