Blissful Masquerade: A Dark Why Choose Romance (Ruthless Desires Book 1)

“YOU’RE AN idiot, you know that?”

Elliot lets out an unamused laugh. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget.”

We’re both standing off to the side of the kitchen, giving Oliver and Wren a little privacy while they say goodbye. She decided she wants to spend the night at her apartment since she has to get up so early, and I volunteered to drive her home since my vehicle handles snow the best.

The thought of leaving Wren at her apartment for the night is like a punch in the gut. We’ve only had her for two days, but they’ve been so fucking perfect. I’ve always had Oliver and Elliot, and I always will. But none of us can deny how easily she fits in with us—like she was made for us.

When Oliver finally pulls away from Wren with one last kiss, I shove Elliot forward.

“Make it fucking count.”

As Oliver moves to stand next to me, Elliot stays frozen, staring at Wren. She gives him a watery smile, and only when she holds out her arms to him does he step into her reach.

I don’t know what they’re saying to each other, but based on the look of relieved adoration on Wren’s face, they’ll be okay—with time.

And we’ll make sure we have it.

A chance—that’s what we all agreed to. It’s too early to jump into any type of commitment until she gets to know us better, and vice versa. But all of us are determined to make this work, Elliot especially.

He just needed Wren to set him straight first.

Oliver checks his phone, sighing. “You shouldn’t have any trouble tonight. But at the first sign—”

“How about this?” I kiss him on the forehead. “I’ll call once Wren is in her apartment, regardless. And you don’t leave Elliot alone to his thoughts. Pretty sure he’s feeling like shit right now.”

He nods, and I squeeze his shoulder. “I’ll see you soon.”

Wren finally lets Elliot go, and I let out a relieved breath at the lack of tears in her eyes. If she ends up crying on the way home, I’m not sure what I’ll do. The best I really can do is hold her hand and try not to panic.

Shouldering Wren’s bag, I grab Elliot before he walks away. He avoids my gaze, but I guide his chin up with two fingers. Yup—definitely feeling guilty.

I leave him with a kiss and a murmured, “Let it go.” Then, with Wren’s hand in mine, we head out to the garage. She holds on until the last possible second before climbing into my truck.

“Thank you for taking me home,” she says as we pull out.

I just give her a smile, reaching over and putting my hand on her leg. With a happy sigh, she settles back, and we stay like that for the whole ride.

When I pull into her apartment building’s parking lot, Adam’s car is absent, as I ensured it would be yesterday afternoon. Still, I walk her up and check the place, just to be safe. Only then does she let out a relieved sigh.

But the tension in her shoulders returns a mere second later. Her gaze snags on a small table by the door. “Oh no,” she murmurs.

“What?”

“He broke my vase. It was my grandmother’s.” Tears form in her eyes. “She gave it to me as a graduation present. Adam knew how much it meant to me.” She looks to her torn-apart copy of A Tale of Two Cities. “Those are the things he seemed to have gone for first.”

I already felt like the beating I gave Adam wasn’t enough. Now? I told him to leave, but I might just hunt him down anyway.

Wren sniffles, wiping at her cheeks. “It’s just so heartless. He’d hurt me enough already. Why this?” She gestures to the empty table. “That vase was all I had left of her.”

Stepping forward, I cup her face in my hands. I have no clue what to say. So I just wipe away her tears with my thumbs and press a kiss to her forehead.

Her face finally crumples, and she lets out a sob, burying herself in my coat. I put my arms around her and try to keep myself from tensing too much.

But that prickly feeling spreads like wildfire over my skin, and I have to focus on the snow falling outside the windows just to keep myself from shoving her away from me.

She needs this. It’s just emotions. You can handle it.

So I hold her tightly, watching the snow and taking deep, even breaths. Her sobs calm after a few minutes, but her grip on me doesn’t loosen.

“I can’t get hurt again,” she says eventually, her words slightly muffled by my coat. “Please. I don’t think I can take it.”

I run my fingers through her hair. “We don’t want to hurt you, Wren. I promise that’s the last thing we’d ever want.”

She nods, sniffling, before relaxing into my chest. She feels so small against me, yet she fits so perfectly. Then, with a sigh, she says, “I’m sorry for crying again. I promise I normally don’t do it this often.”

You can cry all the time.

Wait, no. Whenever you want to. Need to?

Fuck.

I cup her chin in my hand, and she looks up at me with tear-stained cheeks. With another deep breath, I try to think of all the things I want to say, but I can’t figure out the best way to get everything out.

Fuck it.

“I know I’m not the best when it comes to affection, or a lot of emotions. But I want to be a safe person for you. I know this is all overwhelmingly fast for you, but I want to make this work. And last. So please—if I’m ever not giving you what you need from me, just tell me. I’ll do anything to keep you, Wren. Including holding you while you cry, however often that ends up being.”

She doesn’t say anything for a minute. Just looks at me. It feels like my throat is caving in on itself. So I focus on the fact that she’s still in my arms. Still holding onto me. Whatever I said couldn’t’ve been that bad if she still wants to touch me.

“That might be the nicest thing someone’s ever said to me,” she whispers. Then she stands on her tiptoes and kisses me softly.

Relief floods me. “I meant every word,” I say against her lips before deepening the kiss. I eat up her moans, sliding my tongue into her mouth. And then she’s tugging my coat off, and I’m letting her, because goddammit, I don’t want to leave.

Her hands come up underneath my shirt, hitting a hyper-sensitive spot, and I grab her wrists with a hiss.

She lights up. “You’re ticklish?! Oh my god, yes!”

“Don’t you dare.”

Somehow, she squirms out of my grasp, tickling my sides. I buckle over, hugging my stomach to protect myself. She’s giggling, trying to get to my armpits before she finally decides to go for the backs of my knees.

Once she’s bent over, I grab her and throw her over my shoulder. “You’re in deep trouble now, sweetheart.”

She just laughs, contorting herself to tickle my armpits. I almost drop her halfway down the hall, but somehow I manage to control myself until we get to her bedroom.

“You think you can do something like that without paying?” I say, throwing her onto the mattress. She bounces, grinning, before scrambling to the far side.

“Oh, so now you run.” I grab her leg and pull her back to me. “Your choice, sweetheart. Either I spank your sweet ass until it’s bright red, or I fuck you until I finish without letting you come.” I undo her pants and pull them down her legs. “Or I can tickle you until you can barely breathe.”

“Noooooo!”

“Then choose, before I choose for you.”

She gasps when I yank her shirt over her head. Then she narrows her eyes, thinking, before saying, “How many spankings, exactly?”

“I’ll go easy on you—this time—and say ten.”

“Ten spankings, or I don’t get to come.”

“Correct.”

She grins. “But if I choose spankings, you still fuck me?”

“Oh, it’s definitely happening.”

“And you’ll let me come?”

“Maybe.”

She bites her lip. Tilts her head. Unclasps her bra and throws it to the side. “Spankings it is. But if it hurts too much—”

“Then just say the word.” I give her a gentle kiss, and she moans. Then I throw her onto her stomach, pulling up her hips so her ass is ready for me. I slide her panties down her legs and leave them gathered at her knees, taking in the view.

She looks back at me, curiosity shining in her eyes.

“You felt so good earlier.” I watch as she smiles back at me, and then I wipe it off her face with a hard smack.

She yelps, and before she can recover I hit the same spot again. I massage her skin for a few seconds before moving to her other ass cheek, spanking the same spot on the other side twice.

When I look, I find her soaked and ready for me. “Are you going to tickle me again, sweetheart?” Smack.

“I mean, probably. It was funny.”

Smack. Smack.

“Owwww!”

“Do it again, and I won’t go so easy on you.”

I see the beginnings of a giant grin before she hides her face in her covers. I hit her again and she moans. “Do you like a little bit of pain with your pleasure, sweetheart?” Smack.

She squirms, gripping her comforter as I land the last hit. Then I step back, admiring the red spots on her ass.

“You took that so well.” I lean down, giving her clit a single lick before pulling my shirt over my head. “Come here.”

She crawls over to me, and her lips part as I finish stripping. Her eyes travel downward. When I grab her by the back of her head and yank her up, she gasps.

With my face mere inches from hers, I say, “What are you?”

I watch as her pupils dilate. “Your personal fucktoy.”

“That’s right.” I kiss her roughly, and she moans. “Tonight, I fucking own you. And I’m going to make sure you feel it all day tomorrow.”

“Yes, please,” she whispers, and then she runs her tongue across my bottom lip. “I want to feel you inside me, Rhett.”

Then that’s what you’re going to get.

After pulling her panties all the way off, I lift her into my arms. She wraps her legs around my waist, moaning when my dick slides against her clit.

“You’re so wet, sweetheart. Is all of that for me?”

“Yes,” she says with a breathy exhale. She grinds against me, shuddering, and I squeeze her ass with my hands.

I walk toward her closed door, pressing her against it. Then I hold her with one hand, reaching between us and flicking her clit with my other.

“Fuck,” she whispers. When I press small, gentle circles to it, her back arches. “Oh my god, Rhett.”

Her reaction sends a burst of pride through me. I’ve never wanted to hear a woman say my name this much in my entire life. “Are you ready for me?” My words come out low in her ear. I suck the soft skin of her neck into mouth.

“Yes. Yes, I’m ready. Please.”

When I finally sink into her, it’s with a low groan. Fuck, she feels good. Why didn’t I do this earlier this weekend?

Because you weren’t ready yet.

She grips my arms, slowly rolling her hips to adjust. I slide in further, and she clenches around me.

“Am I hurting you?”

She shakes her head. “Just give me a second.”

I nod, capturing her lips in a kiss. It deepens, and I work her clit gently while she moans my name into my mouth. She slips down another inch or two, taking all of me in, and she breaks our kiss with a gasp.

“I need you,” she whispers, looking at me with such trust it makes my heart skip a beat. “Don’t hold back, Rhett. Please. I never want to forget what you feel like.”

Fuck me.

I pull out of her, leaving in just the tip, before slamming back inside her. She cries out, and for a moment I think I’ve gone too hard. But then she smiles.

“More.”

So I give it to her. Her eyes roll into the back of her head, and it only makes me plow her into the door harder.

“Oh god—Rhett, I—I can’t last—oh fuck.” She buries her face into my shoulder and screams.

I keep up my pace, drawing out her orgasm as I feel mine approaching. I didn’t want it to end this quickly, but she’s just too fucking perfect.

She’s not going anywhere. You can savor it next time.

Wren moans as I bottom out inside of her over and over again. And as I get closer and closer, the tension building, her lips find mine in a passionate kiss.

“Fuck,” I hiss out, slamming into her one more time before I finish. It’s explosive, and addictive, and I don’t think I’ll ever get enough.

When I stop, Wren goes limp in my arms and rests her head on my shoulder. “Rhett,” she whispers into my neck, panting. “That was—that was so good.”

I kiss her as a wave of exhaustion crashes over me. Shit. How did I get so tired so quickly? I still have to drive back home.

“I have to pee,” Wren says.

I pull out of her, setting her down gently. As she disappears into the bathroom, I pull my clothes back on and collapse onto the bed.

My heartbeat is finally slowing, and I can’t keep my eyes open.

The last thought I have is the realization that I must finally be crashing for the first time since Tuesday.