In Wicked Chains (The Wicked) (2 page)

Elina laid her head on the headrest and closed her eyes. She had one load off her chest. Others remained, but at least she had Sasha by her side. She didn’t lose her friend, and that was the one positive in all this.

* * * *

Kingston stood with a fist raised, ready to knock on Elina’s, door two days later. His sister’s yells echoed in his ears, demanding he fix whatever he did to Elina.

He’d been stalling, but Sasha’s command wasn’t the only reason he now stood at Elina’s door, unprepared to face the condemnation in those wide, brown eyes.

He felt like he should apologize, but he didn’t know for what. Despite his feelings to the contrary, there was nothing between him and Elina. He did his best to hide what he felt for her. Everyone in his circle knew his habits when it came to women, but the hurt and anger Elina flashed him at the club cut deep.

A self-deprecating smirk curled his lips. Wait until she found out about his tainted genes. She didn’t yet know that he had the blood of a predator running through his veins, his reasons for keeping women at arm’s length, his reason for staying as far away from Elina as possible. Not that he’d ever tell her. The shock in her eyes brought back all that uncertainty and shame he’d lived with during his childhood and early adult years. Hell, they’d never really left. He simply used his disposable women to hide from it. That didn’t work, hence the revolving door. The loathing and shame remained with him, in him.

He blinked away the morose thoughts and knocked, mentally stiffening his spine and blanking his features.

“Who is it?”

The tentative voice hit him like a punch to the gut. The word soft always came to mind when he pictured Elina Vicente.

“It’s Kingston.” He swore he heard her swift intake of breath from the other side of the door. A pregnant pause filled the silence and he pressed his forehead to the smooth wood surface. “I just want to see if you’re okay, Elina. One minute, then I’ll leave.”

The knob turned. Elina’s pale features appeared in the tiny space. Nostrils flared, she stared at his shoulder. “I’m fine. You didn’t have to come over.”

He forced a chuckle. “Well, my sister thought otherwise. She ordered me to apologize to you.”

Her gaze jerked to his. “That’s why you’re here, because Sasha forced you to?”

Why did she look so hurt? “No. I-I wanted to also make sure you’re really okay.” Damn, he was repeating himself, but her eyes always had him off-balance. He sighed. “Look, can I come in?”

She moved out of the way, allowing him to step inside the penthouse. He spun around at the sound of the door slamming shut. Elina stood against it, hands behind her back. He’d be willing to bet she hadn’t let go of the knob.

Her gaze danced around the room.

His gut tightened. “What’s up, E? Suddenly you can’t bear to look at me?” Christ, saying those words hurt. “Are you afraid of me now?”

Her features, pale before, leached of all color. She opened her mouth, then closed it. “No,” she spoke barely above a whisper. “I’m not afraid. Of you.” She said the last two words like they were an afterthought.

“Then what?’ His voice hardened, but he couldn’t help it. The thought that Elina looked at or considered him different now iced his blood. “Tell me how to fix it and I will.”

She jerked the door open. “I don’t want you to fix anything, King. I just…I want you to leave.”

That’s it then. Regret heavy on his chest, Kingston walked past her and stepped out into the hallway. If only he was normal instead of a sick freak like his father.

“Why her?”

He stopped short at the soft question. Kingston spun around, wrinkling his brow in confusion. “What?”

Elina shifted. Tilting her chin upward, she met his gaze squarely. “The woman I saw you with. Why her? What’s so special about her?”

Of all the things he expected, that wasn’t it. He shook his head. “I don’t get it. What are you asking me, Elina?”

“Did I stutter?” Her voice rose sharply. “Why her and not me? Why?”

He burst out laughing. The surprises kept coming, didn’t they? Elina glowered at him before turning and stomping away.

Taking two strides after her, Kingston grabbed her by the shoulder and forced her to look at him. “What the hell are you asking me, Elina? Why I’m not fucking
you
?”

Color appeared in bright spots of red on her face and neck. She couldn’t possibly mean it like that. She couldn’t—

“Yes.” She shrugged away his touch. “I’ve been here, waiting for you to see me as someone other than your sister’s best friend.”

“No.” One word, but his voice still trembled. Kingston spun away before she saw the reaction her words had on him, on his body. “You’re not—I’m not the person for you.”

“You are, King. It’s always been you. You’re the one I want.”

Those fucking soft words
. “Don’t say it. I won’t…it can’t happen.”

“Why not?”

He faced her again. “I choose those women because I can walk away after the fucking is over. No one’s looking for anything other than skin on skin contact and no one’s fazed when I move on to the next. You’re different.”
So different.

“But I want it.”

She stepped closer, laying a gentle hand on his chest. Too close to his thumping heart for his liking, but Kingston couldn’t move away from her touch even if his life depended on it.

His deepest fantasies where coming true in front of his eyes, yet Kingston couldn’t allow it. He’d wanted her for so long. From the moment she fainted at his feet inside his club, he’d needed to touch her. And now that she offered herself, he had to say no.

“Not going to happen, Elina.” He removed her hand from where it lay on his chest. “Don’t bring this up again.” He shifted away, but her fingers dug into his upper arm.

“Test me. Test me and if I don’t pass, we can forget it.” Elina stepped back and clasped her hands in front of her. Voice strong, gaze steady on him, she said, “I was made for this. For you. Only you can make me feel like this. Whatever you require, I accept.”

Kington wanted to gather her up in his arms and hide her away, from him, from the explicit images in his head of Elina spread wide, lips wrapped around his cock, pussy wet and dripping, ass high in the air as he drove in and out. All these things he’d learned to stop wanting from her, all needs he’d kept at bay for so long.

Whatever she saw on his face, Elina smiled. “You’ve thought about this before. Me at your feet. You doing things to me.” Her entire face seemed to glow with the knowledge. She had power, time to take it back.

Kingston grabbed her hair. She arched for him beautifully, exposing her neck. Stifling a groan, he dragged his tongue down the smooth, creamy column. His cock, aroused since his first sight of her, pushed against his zipper. He winced. Elina moaned and he thrust her away.

“Clothes off,” he rasped. “Now.” He didn’t look to see if she followed his command, instead he strode over to the camel-colored couch and sat down. In no time she’d dispensed of the faded jeans and black t-shirt and stood before him in nothing but pink and black ankle socks. When he first saw her he’d thought her too thin, but she’d gained muscle and weight, filling out nicely.

Her café au lait skin was creamy smooth with small, firm tits, brown, nickel-sized nipples, and a flat stomach. Her chest heaved with every breath she took.

His balls ached with the need to explode.

She stood about five-six in her flat feet with toned legs. Her pussy was shaved though a thin landing strip remained.

No underwear. How…intriguing.
He smiled and shifted to ease his dripping cock. “Come here.”

She bit her lip, reddening the skin. He wanted to kiss it away, but Kington reminded himself of the matter at hand. He had to make it so she didn’t want this, didn’t want him.

Elina walked toward him with sure footsteps. Their gazes held. Trust and need shone brightly in hers, and fuck if he didn’t blink to hide the raw lust running rampant through him. She stood between his parted knees, fists curled, waiting.

He smoothed a shaking hand down her front, sweeping between her breasts and stopping at her pubic mound. She held herself still as tiny sounds drifted from her. Staring down at her, emotion clogged Kingston’s throat. Fear of her negative reaction to him, even more afraid of the positive, raced inside him. After all this time of wanting from a safe distance, he had her in his grasp.

“Get on your knees.”

She dropped as if she’d been waiting all her life for his command.

Christ
. His fingers flexed at the urge to hold her close and never let go. Lifting his hand, he dragged his knuckles down her cheek.

Her lashes fluttered and she leaned in to his touch. He didn’t linger. Swinging a leg over her head, he stood up and moved behind her.

She jerked and turned around, but he sank his fingers into her hair and held her head steady.

“Don’t move, look straight ahead.” He unbuckled his belt and pulled it free, watching the way her shoulders stiffened at the sound. “Hands behind your back.”

She complied silently.

“You say you want me, El, but I’ve been noticing things.” He dropped behind her on the floor. Catching both her wrists in his bigger palm, he wrapped the belt around them and buckled, drawing it tight. When she was secure, he leaned in and brushed her hair away from her neck.

She shivered.

“I’ve noticed you don’t like being touched, El.” He rubbed his nose over the shell of her ear.

Elina turned slightly, giving him better access.

“The only man you’re comfortable around is Niko, and he’s taken,” Kingston whispered in her ear.

She shook her head and panted. “Even with a different face, Niko’s familiar to me. He’s safe.”

Kingston’s gut twisted.
Fucking jealousy.

“If you stayed around me long enough to notice, you’d see I like your presence just as much,” she said. “Maybe more. But you’re always running away and I’m always left needing you near.” Frustration brought her Spanish accent to the forefront as she rolled her
R
s.

“I can’t be what you want,” Kingston’s voice cracked. Couldn’t she see how bad he’d be for her? His father made sure to ruin him for anybody.

“Let me be the judge.” Elina tilted forward, arching her back as she said, “Do whatever you want. I can take it. I can take you.”

Kingston ran his gaze down her curved back, to the hands shackled just over her ass, and her butt cheeks, so pale and taut. His mouth watered. He pictured himself sinking his teeth into the unblemished flesh, drinking in her cries.

Fucking. God.

Pressing a kiss to her nape, he trailed a shaky finger down her spine. Elina undulated like a dancer, mesmerizing, intoxicating. He licked her shoulder, then nipped.

She groaned.

Her aroused musk teased his nose. His hard cock dripped, aching to be buried between those pale thighs. He cupped himself through his jeans, shuddering at the contact.

“Balance on your knees.” King smoothed a hand over the curve of her left butt cheek as she changed positions, knees apart. Pressing himself against her back, he reached in front and palmed one of her tits.

Elina gasped. He squeezed her nipple, pinching and pulling before moving on to the next.

Her hips rolled, ragged moans left her throat, and he fought his own needs and wants to give her this. With one hand occupied with her tits, he trailed a finger of the other down her ass crack.

“King.”

Fuck, I love the way my name sounds on her lips. Soft and breathless.
His balls drew up at the sound. Kingston gritted his teeth and counted to ten in his head. By the time he got to ten, her fragrant musk scented the air and his entire body shook from restraint.

He bent and slid his tongue over her spine, laving it. Her knees widened. Removing his hand from her nipples, he gripped her hips to hold her still, but she rocked back on him.

“King, more.”

A plea and God help him, but he wanted more. It wasn’t enough what he’d done, not nearly enough. Pulling apart her ass cheeks, he ordered roughly, “Open.”

Automatically, those legs opened, giving him an eyeful of juices glistening on the inside of her thigh. “Higher.”

She arched, opening herself for him. He plunged two fingers into her.

Elina cried out. Her fiery pussy clamped down on his fingers, juices squishing as he thrust in and out. She rode his fingers, her cries echoing around the room. He bit down on the inside of his cheek, stifling his grunts.

He hooked his fingers. She stiffened, then her hips rocked faster. She ground down and he ground up, the heel of his palm rubbing her ass. The rough material of his jeans rubbed his cock just right as his hips snapped forward in time with his hand. Contraction after contraction gripped his fingers as Elina came, slick moisture raining on his fingers, sliding down his palm.

Arm aching, shuddering as he came in his pants like a teenager, Kingston groaned.
I’m
fucked
.