Deceit (Gallows Hill #1)

35. Chapter Thirty Four

Chapter Thirty Four

Vincent

T he next night, I watch in fascination as she types away on her laptop, finishing up her assignment that is due tomorrow for her history class. I’m sitting on the edge of the bed, while she’s at her desk. The bottom left corner of her mouth is slightly pulled in, those beautiful white teeth holding that plump lip hostage. I want nothing more than to brush my thumb along that lip to free it from her hold and sink my own teeth into it. It takes everything in me not to.

Me, Ronan, Liam and even Asher have been using all of the resources at our disposal, quietly, to keep our ears to the ground. We don’t want to start asking the wrong questions to the wrong people, that would no doubt sign her death certificate faster than doing nothing.

Everyone knows that the Parris Princess has an expiration date on her head. They always do. Women rarely last in the inner circle, hence why, almost none of the Elders are still married. They get married out of tradition, have a kid or two, and then poof. They are gone.

Anger begins to burn beneath my skin as I think about that happening to my Siren. Fuck if I’ll let that happen. I’ll be there, ready and waiting. As soon as Putnam looks like he will even breathe on her wrong, Asher or his father really, I’ll fucking blow their brains out and take her away from all this.

I’ll no doubt have her two boyfriends to deal with in the fallout. That is, if they keep their interest in her after she’s married to Asher. I’d be shocked if they didn’t. They both seem quite taken with her, and in part, I can’t blame them. She’s fucking perfect. As long as they remember that, at the end of the day, it won’t be one of them holding her at night. It will be me.

“You know, it’s really hard to work when you just stare at me like that,” Skyla says, not taking her eyes off her screen as she continues to type.

“I’m supposed to watch you,” I respond.

She scoffs and turns to face me with a small smile that makes my empty chest tighten, just a bit.

“I don’t think Ronan meant literally.”

“Don’t give a fuck what Ronan meant. I’m keeping you safe. You just do your thing, pretend I’m not here.”

An airy laugh escapes her, and I want nothing more than to bottle the sound, keep it trapped forever and only pull it out on my darkest nights.

“That’s impossible. It’s fine, I just finished,” she says, as she closes her laptop, nodding to herself before turning to face me.

“So, what are we doing tonight?” she asks.

“Is there something you want to do?”

She shrugs. “Get out of this place,” she smiles sadly. “That’s probably off limits for now, though, huh?”

Technically, yes. We all agreed we would keep her on campus, but if my Siren wants to leave, then we’ll leave.

“Grab your shoes and a jacket,” I say, as I stand and move towards the door.

“Really?” she asks, practically bouncing out of her chair.

“Quickly. Before I change my mind.”

She slips on the first pair of shoes she sees in her closet, before pulling on a black jacket. I encourage her to step through her door first and she does so as I come to walk behind her, always just a half an inch apart. Close enough to almost be touching, but far enough that I won’t be tempted into grabbing her, hauling her over my shoulder and fucking ruining her.

She continues looking back at me, checking to see if we are going the right way as we make our way out of her dorm and to the closest parking lot. She goes to walk past my ride when I reach out and squeeze her hip, stopping her on a dime. Her eyes come down to my bike, surprise and a bit of intimidation in those deep green gems.

“You drive a motorcycle?” she asks, crossing her arms over her chest as a gust of wind picks up.

Her jacket is skintight and thin, it won’t be nearly warm enough for her. Peeling my leather jacket off, I hold it out for her, helping each arm in before zipping it closed. When it’s zipped to the top, I can’t help but smirk. The thing is five sizes too big for her and it’s practically swallowing her whole, I fucking love it. Seeing her in my clothes provokes something carnal inside of me. The urge to keep her dressed in me forever is suddenly an overwhelming need.

Forcing myself to turn away from her, I grab the helmet I have but rarely use, handing it to her before swinging my leg over the bike and firing it up. She purrs to life, that throaty exhaust taking up the night air around us.

Skyla tries and fails to get the helmet fastened, as I gesture for her to come closer. When she does, my fingers quickly move against the straps, tightening it just enough before tapping the helmet in a ‘you’re good’ gesture.

She’s wearing a pair of leggings and white tennis shoes that she looks like fucking heaven in, before she lifts one leg, tossing it over the bike behind me. To my surprise, she doesn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around my torso, laying her head against my back.

My own little backpack.

I pop the bike into gear and take off slowly at first, enjoying the way her muscles tense around me, plastering herself against my back. I find myself pushing my bike a little faster and harder than I normally would for a leisurely drive. The more I do, the tighter she holds me, and her body wrapped around me like this gives me an adrenaline high like no other.

We drive for over an hour, weaving through the backroads, before coming up to a dirt road. I turn onto it, slowing down in preservation of my paintjob. After a mile or so, we make a sharp left turn down a small trail that could barely fit a bicycle, let alone a motorcycle. We just barely fit, I've been here enough to make sure of it.

When we get to our destination, I shut the bike off and climb to my feet. I help Skyla with her helmet, pulling it off her head and resting it on the handlebar, before offering a hand. She slips her slim fingers through mine as I pull her to her feet. She tries to wiggle her fingers free, but I have no intention of letting her go, gripping her tighter until she gives up her struggle.

“What is this place?” she asks, her eyes taking in the hidden meadow.

“Hot spring,” I say, gesturing towards the body of water in front of us.

She looks back at me in surprise before she steps towards it. I go with her, insistent on not letting go of her hand as she bends down, dipping her fingers into the water.

“Oh my god! It’s like a hot tub. How did you find this place?” she asks as she stands up.

“Found it a couple years ago on a drive. Want to go in?”

Her brows knit together.

“We don’t have bathing suits.”

I raise one of my brows in question, waiting for her to come up with a viable excuse. Her mind seems to race for several seconds, her eyes bouncing back and forth between mine before she reaches for the zipper of my leather jacket that she has on. I stop her in place, though, dropping the hand I was holding hostage as my fingers come to the zipper, slowly lowering it for her.

Her breathing upticks when I push the material off her shoulders and down her arms before my fingers come to the hemline of her shirt. My thumbs graze the bare skin beneath and a chill runs through my body at the brush of her skin against mine. I clench my jaw, doing my best to remain composed as I carefully peel the shirt up and over her head.

I watch with rapt attention as her thumbs hook into the waistline of her leggings, kicking her shoes off and peeling them down before removing her socks as well. Suddenly, it’s as if every fantasy I’ve had of her has been shattered to pieces, because nothing is as beautiful as the real thing.

She’s wearing a nearly sheer white bra, her hardened nipples straining against the thin fabric with a pair of matching white panties. I can see just the outline of her slit and the sheer top part of the panties allow me a quick view of her bald pussy. Fuck!

“Your turn,” she says breathily, a sound that goes straight to my cock, making it hard to a painful extent.

I grab the back of my shirt with one hand, pulling it up and over my head before tossing it to the ground. My hands move to my belt then, undoing it with the other as I unbutton my jeans and push them down. I’m left in just my black boxers but to my dismay, that’s not where she’s looking. No, her eyes are focused on the extensive tattoos littering my torso and arms. They are hidden just enough with a suit, per the Brethren’s requirements but every other inch of my skin? Covered.

“This isn’t the first time you’ve seen my tattoos, Siren,” I remind her.

She shakes her head.

“They’re just so…pretty.”

An amused huff escapes me as I close the distance between us. Normally, I try to keep a little space but not right now, I’m only fucking human and I need to know what it feels like to hold her bare flesh in my hands.

My hands travel down her back, before resting on her hips as I tilt my head down to meet her eyes.

“You think I’m pretty, Siren?”

“Why do you call me that?” she asks softly.

I don’t respond, just continue to stare at her as she asks again.

“Why?”

Swallowing roughly, I allow my hands to skim down her body, pausing when I reach her thighs before I lift her into the air. She panics for a moment, plastering herself against my chest as she wraps her arms around my neck. When she can tell that I’ve got her, she relaxes a little and looks down at me. I easily walk us to the edge of the spring, slowly sinking myself in before the tips of her toes graze against the surface.

“Oh my god,” she practically moans in my arms, as I sink us lower and lower.

Once we are immersed enough to swim, I begin kicking my feet, pushing us to the far end where I know there is a perfect makeshift seat. I press my back up against the wall, the water hitting just above my pecs as I sit down, Skyla still wrapped up in my lap. Her eyes are closed, body leaning back slightly into the water. I hold onto her like that for several moments, enjoying the soft sway of her body against mine.

She looks so free, so perfect. Like she was always meant to be here. With me.

Her eyes slowly flutter open as she draws herself up to sit, our faces now only inches apart as those full pink lips speak.

“Why do you call me, Siren?”

I take a deep inhale before I exhale words too true for her to hear.

“You’re entrancing. Like a mythical creature dwelling in bodies of water, luring men to their death just for a look at you.”

Her mouth parts slightly, and I feel her breathing stall for a moment.

“That’s how you see me?”

“That’s how everyone sees you,” I say, tightening my hold on her as I do.

She shakes her head as if she doesn’t believe me.

“I thought you despised me. You acted like you hated me.”

I lift one of my hands out of the water, using my thumb and forefinger to trace the outline of her jaw before coming to her lips. The water from my thumb wets her lip, making them all the more tantalizing as I speak.

“Don’t you know the line between hatred and obsession is extremely thin?”

Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t speak, instead she moves closer. I’m not sure if she can tell that she’s doing it or not but either way, I wait for her. I let her come to me until she is a hair’s breadth away.

My hand falls to the back of her neck, cupping it tightly to make sure she won’t try to flee from me. Letting her go was never an option, but now? With her straddled in my lap, her breath mingling with mine and lust and desire for me drowning those pretty little eyes. No, now she’s tied to me forever.

She leans forward just a little bit more, forcing the water to move around us and our lips to gently bump together. That bump is all it takes for my self-restraint to snap in two. Much like last night, I smash my lips against hers, having no time or patience to be soft or gentle. Not with her. I want to break her in half and then kiss the pieces back together. I want to force tears to pour down her face from choking on my cock, and then I want to lick them clean. Pain and pleasure, blending together in an addictive combination that will intertwine our souls for all eternity.

Her lips move against mine, all too willingly, all too giving. I have no choice but to take it all. Take absolutely everything I can, after all, it’s mine. Every inch of her. Mine.

Our tongues tangle, though she is easily subdued. Her head tilting back, granting me the pleasure of tongue fucking her mouth as she begins grinding that soft pussy against my cock. I lift my hips, giving her the friction she needs as she continues humping and grinding against me. Her breathy moans spilling into my mouth as I continue to devour her.

Every movement of her body against mine, every whimper and tremor. It fuels something inside of me, something dark and unruly. Something fucking feral for her.

I feel her begin to shake in my hands and her movements stutter before she begins to scream. I tear my mouth away from hers, sinking my teeth into her shoulder as her screams ricochet through the woods around us. It only intensifies the harder I bite, and it makes my cock ache and twitch that she enjoys the pain I give her.

Her screams and moans slowly dissipate, and I release my hold on her shoulder before I begin covering it with kisses. Softly, I kiss and lick away the pain I gave her, giving her a new feeling to hold onto. A new one to associate this mark with. My teeth indented perfectly into her creamy skin, it’s no question what that bruise will look like in the coming days.

Good.

I want her to bear my mark. I want the world to know that she is mine and I am hers.

The logical side of my brain is screaming at what a terrible plan that is. About how discretion and patience are the only way I’ll be able to save her from the impending fate she is awaiting. The primal side of me beats its chest in pride, ready to mirror the action to the other shoulder and every square inch of her fleshy body.

Amazingly so, I restrain myself, my eyes coming to hers. She lets out a shaky breath, but she doesn’t say a word, her brain working a million miles a minute as she begins to overthink and spiral before me.

Not allowing her to do so, I press a tender kiss against her lips, one I’m even impressed I could deliver. When I pull away, a little bit of that panic ebbs.

It’s a start.

“I’m with Ronan and Liam. I can’t….we can’t…I—”

“Do you want me, Siren?” I ask, rubbing soft circles against her skin beneath the water.

“I can’t,” she practically whimpers, like it pains her to say it as she closes her eyes.

I tighten my hold on the back of her neck, squeezing the sides and forcing her eyes to flash open.

“Do. You. Want. Me?” I repeat.

Her chest is practically heaving, her eyes racing across my face.

“Yes,” she breathes out softly.

It’s music to my fucking ears and for the first time in years, I feel a thud come from inside my chest. I thought the organ in there had died long ago, with no chance of revival. Apparently, all it took was a perfect Siren to bring it back to life.

“Then that’s it,” I say simply, like nothing else matters.

“I won’t leave Liam and Ronan.”

“I didn’t expect you would,” I say, though I had hoped. “I understand you need to explore your feelings with them. As long as I’m the one inked into your soul when all is said and done.”

She looks hesitant, like she doesn’t want to promise me that. I don’t like what it does to me inside. I want her to agree, to profess her love for me and at least agree that when she tires of them we can go on and live our perfect life together. She doesn’t though, and it takes everything in me not to blow the fuck up.

“I need to talk to them…I don’t know if they will be okay with this,” she says, worrying her lip between her teeth much like she was earlier tonight.

My thumb pulls it free, sucking the abused lip into my mouth before releasing it with a pop.

“The part where you were grinding against my cock and came, or the part where you never want to stop?” I ask with a tilt of my head.

“Both,” she rasps.

That forces some of my temper to ease and a smirk to pull at the corner of my mouth.

“Good.”