Page 51

BRIAR

Standing in the darkness, I stare up at the soft porch light, the rays caressing the ground underneath. A cricket chirps in the distance, and the leaves rustle in a light breeze. The balcony overhead is empty, but a shadow moves behind the French doors.

It’s her; I’d know it anywhere. My body tightens, a shock of electricity running along the edges. She walks away, and with it, she takes the air in my lungs.

My blood has been pumping, cock hard, since she sent me that picture earlier.

She consumes me. I thought I was in control—that I could temper how I feel with surveillance and text messages. But I can’t. I need her—and I’m tired of fighting the pull she has on me.

Glancing around the compound, I wait for the guards to cross. Right on schedule. They turn the corner, and I sprint across the gravel driveway, slinking back into the dark, and grab hold of the white trellis. Scaling the side, I ignore the thorns that cut me deeply, swinging over the ledge on quiet feet.

I don’t wait, slipping inside. At least I was in my right mind when I cut the alarm. Right now, I’m not thinking clearly, and that spells trouble for everyone.

The notes of lilies, jasmine, and fresh-cut grass slap me in the face. Fuck, I’ve missed that scent.

I stand in the corner, tug the hood over my head, and search. She’s not here, but there’s a splash of water from her bathroom. Good, I have a moment. Smacking the light off the end table, I break the bulb and go to the camera at the back.

Pulling the side down, I cut the wires and add in my smaller camera. It’s sloppy at best, but no one else is getting to see her again.

It’s only a few moments before the water drains and her bathroom door cracks open. Fresh steam escapes, smelling of her essence, and I inhale deeply. She appears like a fucking vision and so very naked.

My cock throbs as a damn reminder of my need.

I’m not this person. I’m smart; I plot and plan and wait. But there is a fuck-ton of reckless energy inside my soul where it concerns Valentina, and I don’t fight it. I can’t—I won’t.

She stops at the threshold, blinking against the dark.

“Hello, Sunshine.”

She yelps, an adorable noise, grappling for her comforter to cover her form. Her slick skin tightens my gut, mind wandering to what she feels like.

Tsking, I round the bed, shaking my head.

“You’re going to hide from me now?” My gaze lingers on her face. “You weren’t so bashful at the store.”

There’s a moment of hesitation before she drops the blanket with a flick of her wrist.

Tempting little minx.

Standing before me, completely bare, I grip the end of the bed to keep from falling to my knees.

My monitors do nothing for her. She is the physical manifestation of beauty in a glowing form. Perfectly toned legs, small chest, supple skin—she’s everything I’ve imagined. Every dream, nightmare, and torment has led me here.

Mother of God, she’s mine. I refuse to waste another second.

“On the bed.”

Valentina doesn’t move. Coming closer, I crowd her against the wall, keeping the top half of my body covered. “Bed, Sunshine. Or I'll take you right here.”

Her chest heaves, dots of water thumping with every beat of her heart. I’ve never been so fucking jealous of water before.

“No,” she whispers, voice soft. There’s a bit of an accent—something I can’t place—but I can’t hear over the pounding urges inside me.

“No?” I drawl, lifting my thumb, I lazily follow her collarbone. “And why not?”

She swallows thickly. “I’m a virgin.”

Fuck, that’s right. My cock kicks painfully. Yep. Definitely a virgin kink.