Chapter 20: Torture [Part 1] (Review Bonus)

Chapter 20. Torture [Part 1] (Review Bonus)

I lifted the whip. She flinched. But it didn’t land harshly on her skin. Instead, I traced her skin with it. Starting at the nape of her neck, I drew the leather down her spine. The line of fire followed me, a slow, deliberate path. When I reached the small of her back, I stopped and circled the tip around the dimples above her hips.

Her breath hitched.

The sound was soft.

Almost swallowed by the silence.

I leaned down, bringing my lips to her ear. "Relax, Ariel."

My voice was a low murmur.

The leather continued its journey, tracing the curve of her bottom, then down the back of her thighs.

I saw the tension in her shoulders begin to ease.

Saw her breathing grow deeper.

More even.

Her eyes were wide.

Fathomless pools of fear and... something else.

Something I didn’t dare name.

I raised the whip again.

This time, I brought it down gently on her shoulder.

A soft caress.

Then her other shoulder.

Her breaths came faster now, but not from fear. I traced the line of her collarbone with the tip of the whip, then down the valley between her breasts.

A shudder ran through her.

I dropped the whip.

It landed on the rug with a soft thud.

My hands replaced the leather, tracing the same path I had just made. I cupped her breasts, my thumbs brushing over the sensitive peaks. Her head fell back, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "R-Rey? W-What are you doing?"

"I’m torturing my wife," I said, my lips finding the pulse point on her neck. "In a way she’ll never forget."

I distanced myself and smiled. She looked at me in confusion. Confused why I didn’t hurt her. Confused why I didn’t whip her.

Walking back to the bed, I undressed, exposing my torso. Then I sat down in front of her. My gaze locked on her.

She looked at me.

For several long seconds, Ariel simply stared.

Her eyes were filled with so many conflicting emotions that I couldn’t separate one from another. Fear was still there, obviously. Confusion sat beside it. Suspicion lingered beneath both. And somewhere deeper, somewhere she probably didn’t even understand herself, was that strange flicker of anticipation.

Well.

Fair.

At this point, the poor woman had absolutely no idea what I intended to do with her.

Considering Rey Valen’s reputation, that uncertainty alone was probably torture.

I lifted one hand.

Then curled two fingers toward myself.

Come here.

Ariel swallowed.

She obeyed.

Slowly.

She crossed the small distance between us, still on her knees, crawling.

My fingers slipped beneath her chin.

Ariel stiffened immediately.

I tilted her face upward. "Look at me."

She did. Her blue eyes met mine.

My thumb brushed across her cheek. Her skin was ridiculously soft. Warm, too, despite the faint trembling still running through her body.

I traced her lower lip.

Once.

Twice.

Her breathing changed.

Tiny thing.

Almost nothing.

But I noticed.

Researcher habit.

Observe everything.

Unfortunately, apparently that habit remained extremely useful after reincarnating into the body of a terrifying married psychopath.

Wonderful career development.

"Open your mouth."

Ariel hesitated.

Only for a heartbeat.

Then her lips parted.

I pressed my thumb lightly against her lower lip, letting it slip just past them. She drew in a sharp, soft breath.

I could feel the slight tremble that ran through her before I slowly withdrew my thumb, tracing the moisture it left behind.

Her cheeks immediately flushed.

I tilted my head.

"Promise me one thing, Ariel. Whatever happens tonight..." I brushed my thumb over her lips again. "I want you to make a good sound for me."

She blinked.

Then blinked again.

Her expression became adorably confused.

"You..." Her voice came out breathless. "You want me to scream?"

I smiled.

Slowly.

"Yes."

Her body tensed.

I leaned closer. "Scream."

Her eyes widened.

"For me."

But rather than hurt her, my lips went down to hers, pressing against them. My tongue delved deep, tasting her with an urgency that surprised even me.

She froze in shock.

I broke the kiss, my breath coming in ragged gasps. "That’s a start," I murmured against her swollen lips. "But I want more."

My hands moved to pull her into my embrace. Her knees left the floor as I lifted her. My muscles strained, but not with effort. The strain was in holding back. This closeness, this warmth, it was a balm I hadn’t realized I was starving for.

Both for me and Rey.

I pulled her onto the bed. Her body was light in my arms. I pulled off her dress. The silk ripped. The sound was loud in the quiet room.

"Rey!" she gasped, not in fear, but in surprise. Her hands flew up to cover herself.

I caught her wrists, my grip firm but not painful. I pulled them away, pinning them above her head with one hand. "Don’t hide from me," I growled, my voice low. "Never hide from me."

My other hand traced the curve of her hip, then up her side. Her skin was smooth, like warm marble. I could feel the frantic beat of her heart beneath my palm. It matched the frantic beat of my own.

My mouth found hers again.

This kiss was different.

It was not a question.

It was a claim.

I poured all of the longing, all of the fear, all of the desperate, aching need into that kiss. I explored every corner of her mouth, learning her taste, her texture. She tasted of mint tea and something else. Something uniquely Ariel. Something sweet and wild and utterly intoxicating.

She responded.

Her hesitation melted away, replaced by a matching hunger. Her lips parted wider, her tongue met mine, shyly at first, then with growing boldness. A small, desperate sound escaped her throat.

Then my lips went lower. I nipped at her jaw, then traced a line of hot, open-mouthed kisses down the slender column of her throat. I could feel the vibration of her moans against my lips, a delicious, trembling melody that fueled the fire raging within me.

"Love me..." I said. It didn’t sound like a plea. Instead, it was a demand.

My lips moved to her breasts, to the hardened peak. I took it into my mouth, sucking gently, then harder, my tongue swirling around the sensitive bud. Her back arched off the bed, a sharp cry tearing from her lips.

My hands roamed her body, learning every curve, every hollow. I traced the delicate line of her collarbone, the smooth expanse of her stomach, the soft skin of her inner thighs. She writhed beneath me, her body a language I was desperate to learn.

And learn I did.

I learned that she liked the light scrape of my teeth against her shoulder.

I learned that she gasped when I traced the sensitive skin behind her knees with my fingertips.

I learned that her breath hitched when I whispered her name against the swell of her breast.

I was a researcher.

And I was determined to understand her.

I knelt between her legs, pushing them wide apart. She was beautiful, all flushed and glistening, open and vulnerable for me. I could feel the heat radiating from her core, a siren’s call that my body answered with a primal, aching need.

"If you don’t want this, tell me. This is your last chance," I said. " Say no. I will stop. I won’t be mad at you."

Her answer was a whispered, almost inaudible, "Yes."

A single word.

But it was enough.

I leaned down, my breath ghosting over her slick folds.

She shivered, her hips lifting slightly in silent invitation.

I smiled, a predator’s smile, and then I tasted her.

My tongue delved into her heat, a slow, deliberate exploration. I lapped at her, tasting her sweetness, savoring her flavor. She was delicious, a heady, intoxicating wine that I couldn’t get enough of.

Her hands fisted in my hair, her nails scraping against my scalp. "Rey... please..."

"Please what, Ariel?" I murmured against her, the vibrations of my voice sending a fresh wave of pleasure through her.

"I... I don’t know... just... please..."

I chuckled, the sound dark and full of promise. "Oh, I’ll please you, my dear wife. I’ll please you until you forget your own name."

And then I set to work.