Stealing Cinderella(29)
Logically, I know it doesn’t make any sense. He could get any woman he wants, asshole or not. In Lavinia’s own words, he’s hot, rich, and royal. Nothing else matters to a lot of the women he comes across, I’m sure. And at this moment, as I kneel before him, worshipping his royal cock, I actually feel a fraction of sympathy for him.
What kind of life he must live, never knowing who to trust. Is this why he came for me? He saw my weakness, and he exploited it, but is it because he’s tired of being exploited too? I shake away those thoughts and suck him harder, deeper. His grunts of pleasure are my reward, and I don’t know why my body seems to respond every time I hear them.
I keep reminding myself that I’m not here because I want to be. But those lines become blurred when Thorsen’s fingers kiss my face, playing me like an instrument only he understands. His eyes are fixated on me when his body goes rigid, his cock pulsating while his grip intensifies.
“Deeper,” he urges, but it isn’t a request. It’s a command, followed by him forcing his cock into the back of my throat and holding me there as he growls, hot jets of come shooting into my mouth.
I gag, and he softens his grip, withdrawing his cock and leaving me to wipe my face as he studies me. I rub my jaw, peeking up at him as I swallow the last of his release, and in his eyes, I recognize his confusion. But I can’t understand the cause of it. Whatever relief he may have felt at the moment has been replaced by a renewed tension.
“Do better next time.” He tucks himself away and zips his trousers back up, standing abruptly. “You’ll have the week to practice until your patch is in effect.”
“Patch?” I question.
But he doesn’t acknowledge me. He’s already walking toward the door.
14
Thorsen
“What the hell is going on with you?” Calder removes the fencing mask and tosses his sabre aside. “You’re not even paying attention.”
“Nothing’s going on.” I tear off my own mask and chuck it onto the mat as I reach for a bottle of water.
“Talk to me.” He scowls. “Or you know I’m going to assume the worst.”
When I meet my brother’s gaze, a part of me feels guilty for hiding the little fire breathing animal worshipper in my guest room. Calder and I have never had secrets. Not since the first one almost tore us apart. But I’m aware of what will happen if he discovers her, and maybe I’m just selfish. We’ve had a history of sharing women. He helped me through my formative years, paving the way for the only semblance of a normal sex life I’ve known. For years, that situation has worked. He did the talking and charming, and I could just get a release. But when it comes to Ella, I want her only for myself. It’s a thought I don’t want to examine too closely. For now, it’s just better if Calder doesn’t know.
“You have no need to worry,” I tell him. “I’m just… distracted.”
Sorrow settles into his features. “The last time you told me I didn’t need to worry, I almost lost you.”
My throat squeezes at the memory of that dark day. Calder was the one who found me with the noose around my neck. If I learned anything from that experience, it was that it almost destroyed him to see me like that. Next time, I won’t make the same mistake.
“I’ve spoken with Dr. Blom,” he says. “He agrees that I should attend one of your sessions. Mor thinks it’s a good idea as well.”
I pivot, my palm twitching with the urge to deck my brother. “You told Mor about this?”
“She was concerned.” He cocks his head to the side. “You didn’t seem as excited as she thought you would about Lavinia.”
“That’s because I’m not.”
“If she isn’t the woman you’ve been looking for, then who is?”
I crane my neck from side to side, attempting to release the pent-up pressure that seems to be a permanent resident there. “It makes no difference.”
“I’ve never seen you so out of sorts. And then you showed up with a gash on your head, which I still don’t believe happened on your run.”
“Believe what you want.” I reach for my bag and start stripping out of my uniform. “I’d rather not meet with the inquisition every time I see you.”
“Then stop lying to me,” he growls.
“I have to go.”
“Thor.” He snatches my arm, halting me. “Just promise me… you aren’t going back to that hole again.”
My eyes cloud over, and my brother becomes little more than a blurry shape as I stare back at him. “I’m tired of this conversation. Don’t ask me again.”
“I have your lunch.”
Ella turns away from the wall, dropping the flogger in her hand with a guilty expression. She’s more curious than I expected her to be, and I’m not quite certain what to make of her behavior. I can’t imagine what her thoughts are. She isn’t easy to read like other women, and she never does what I expect. It fascinates me, and it irritates me.
“Thank you.”
She watches me as I set the tray down onto the small table near the door. Her arms are folded, and she’s in the robe from her bathroom. I should scold her for that, but I think maybe I like this small act of defiance just as much as she does.