Her eyes roll back as I kiss her hard and rough. I don’t stop to allow either of us any breath. I don’t stop when she whimpers, her body going slack underneath me.

I kiss her like this is our first and last time, like I’ve been deprived of it for life, and I probably have. Why the fuck wasn’t I kissing this woman before?

It takes all my self-restraint to wrench my mouth from hers. She’s panting, staring at me with heavy-lidded eyes that are asking for trouble, something I’m more than willing to provide.

I release her neck so I can latch onto the delicate skin of her throat.

Rai’s back arches off the bed as small, needy noises leave her lips. It’s the first time I’ve heard her arousal, and fuck if that isn’t a bloody turn-on.

I ravage her faster, licking then biting down, causing her to gasp and moan at the same time, as if she doesn’t know which one fits the situation. Despite her stony external image, her skin tastes like fucking honey.

Her scent, something like roses and citrus mixed with alcohol, intoxicates me, and I become drunk on her. Not the liquor—her.

Her taste and scent hit me straight in the head, and the animal in me rears up, demanding to play.

I bite and suck on her skin, imagining how it would feel if I owned every last inch of her body here and now.

“K-Kyle…” Her moan hits me in the head, too, like a double shot. Then she does something sober Rai would never do. She glides her stomach up and down my dick, grinding against me slowly, seductively even.

Holy. Fuck. I might come here and now like a bloody teenager.

She doesn’t stop her up and down motion, keeping a steady rhythm. “A-are you going to punish me, Kyle?”

“Yes, I will,” I rasp against her throat.

“Now?” The uncertainty in her voice gives me pause.

After one last lick to her neck, I begrudgingly release her skin and pull away from her, causing her to stop the grinding.

I was too close to taking an irrevocable step.

Rai blinks up at me, her half-naked body still splayed in front of me, tempting me to fuck it and her to the point of no return.

I pull the sheets from underneath her and cover her to the chin.

“What about my punishment?” She doesn’t hide the disappointment in her tone.

“Not in the mood.”

“Fuuuuck youuu.” She forces her eyes shut and a tear slides down her cheek.

Soon after, her breaths even out and she lets out a deep, pained sigh. I wipe her tear and pull her to my side as I lie on my back.

My lips find her forehead and she whimpers softly, her leg wrapping over mine.

“I’ll take a raincheck on punishing and owning you, Princess.”

Because when that happens, there’ll be no going back.

13

Rai

Light assaults my eyes and they flutter open as I grimace.

Someone turn the lights off.

“Katia…” I groan when a stabbing pain lodges at the back of my head. “Katy, get in here.”

She usually appears at my side in a fraction of a second. What is wrong today? And why is my head on the verge of explosion?

“I didn’t know you swung in that direction.”

The strong voice coming from my right gives me pause. It’s close. Too close, as if…

Oh God.

I slowly stare up, and sure enough, my head is lying on a strong bicep. Kyle’s.

“What the hell are you doing in my room?” My voice strains with the force I exert to get past my headache.

“You are in my room, Princess.” He lifts my hand, making me see the diamond ring around my finger and the band around his.

The rings. The marriage. The attack. Everything slams back into me all at once, causing my head to swing. Oh shit. Fuck. I got drunk in Kyle’s company on our wedding night. What the hell was I thinking?

Closing my eyes, I try to recall what I did last night, but the only thing I can comprehend is a splitting headache. I lift the sheet to stare at my body and find myself in my underwear. That should be a good sign, right?

I sit up, disentangling myself from Kyle’s embrace. His head-turning scent is still all around me, though. I don’t think there’s a way to get rid of the traces he leaves on me anymore.

Licking my drying lips, I try speaking in my no-nonsense tone. “What happened last night?”

Kyle leans sideways on his elbow so he’s watching me closely like I’m his next target. Hell, I might as well be.

He’s only in a shirt and pants. I loosely remember him removing his jacket and pulling the cuffs over his strong, veiny arms before he touched me and…what? Why can’t I remember the following events?

“What do you think happened?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking.”

He raises a brow. “What do couples do on their wedding night?”

“D-did you…?” I hate the stutter in my voice, hate how unsure and confused I sound.

“What do you think?”

I don’t feel any soreness between my legs, so he couldn’t have, right? Unless he did other things to me? Whose brilliant idea was it that I should get drunk? Oh yeah—mine. Idiot.

“You didn’t,” I say, more to myself than to him, but I don’t cut off eye contact. I want him to look me right in the eye when he tells me.

“I didn’t because you were drunk.” He grabs the hem of the sheet before I can properly be relieved, and yanks it off my body. “But you’re not now.”

“Kyle!” I mean to scold him, but his name comes out as a surprised squeal instead.

“What? I was promised that I’d get to punish you today.”

I hold the sheet to my chest as he tries to remove it again. Our warring gazes meet over the cloth. “I made no such promise.”

“Drunk Rai did, and I take her word for granted.”

“You’re lying. I would never ever make such a promise.” Right?

“Your exact words were…” His voice lowers, mimicking mine. “Are you going to punish me, Kyle? Now?”

“Shut up. I didn’t say that.” I couldn’t have. But on the other hand, considering all the things I keep bottled inside, I could have let go of my inhibitions after the shitload of Jack Daniels. Note to self: never drink again, especially when with Kyle.

He runs the tip of his fingers over my cheek. “Why are you blushing then? Are you playing the amnesia game to get out of wanting me last night? You rubbed your pussy all over my dick, urging me to ‘punish’ you, and when I didn’t, you were so disappointed you went to sleep with a pout.”

I can actually feel the flames igniting all over my face at his crude words, at the suggestion of what could’ve happened. A flashback of that exact moment hits me straight in the head.

Are you going to punish me, Kyle? Now?

My voice…that was me.

My headache is forgotten as my eyes widen. Kyle’s right—I nearly begged the bastard for it.

Drunk me and sober me are not friends anymore.

My lips part, but nothing comes out. What am I supposed to say anyway? That I didn’t mean those words? He would never believe me. Hell, I wouldn’t believe me either right now.