Submit (Surrender Series Book Two) Page 16

  “You just don’t get it, do you?”

  “Get what, Rafe? Yes, I know — we have an agreement. You want to own me, blah, blah, blah. I was kinda hoping to have some great angry sex and then pass out.”

  Rafe’s eyes bulged, as if she’d sprouted a third head. She smiled at him and sent a wink, making him growl while he walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of cold water and a few pills.

  “Drink it all up and take these or you’ll be worthless tomorrow,” he demanded as he held out his hand.

  “I think that ship has sailed, Rafe. No matter what I do I’m going to be miserable,” she muttered. When he didn’t move, she finally took the bottle and horse pills from his hand. Choking the pills down, Ari then forced herself to finish off the bottle. It wasn’t easy with him glaring at her the entire time.

  “I really have to use the bathroom,” she said as she stumbled to her feet, her knees nearly giving out.

  “You’re not a stupid teenager, Ari. Don’t you think it’s a little ridiculous to get so drunk that you can’t even walk?” he snapped as he saved her from face-planting on the floor.

  “You know what, Rafe? I’m not a teenager, and you’re not my dad, so why don’t you lay off the lecture?” she snapped back. Her temper was rising as some of her buzz began to fade. Her night of angry sex was fading further and further away, and that was putting her in an increasingly bad mood.

  “Believe me, I know I’m not your father. That doesn’t change the fact that I want to bend you over my knee right now and see how pink I can make your cheeks.”

  His words made her stumble to a stop. If he so much as tried to paddle her backside, she’d hit him where it hurt. Still, the thought of being bent over his knee didn’t sound bad at all.

  With a come-hither smile, she leaned into him and kissed his neck before she disappeared behind the bathroom door. Once inside, Ari got the bright idea of taking a shower.

  The last thing she remembered doing was sitting down on the built-in bench and feeling the hot water cascade over her muscles, soothing away the aches now consuming her body. Rafe found her passed out a few minutes later, and he carried her off to bed.

  *****

  Rafe woke up with Ari in his arms. With surprise he noted the time. It was after ten! Not only had he stayed in bed later than he had in at least a decade, but he’d slept with Ari all night.

  He’d lain down with her only to make sure she wasn’t going to get sick and then pass out in her own vomit. He must have fallen asleep within minutes of her snuggling up against his chest.

  Rafe allowed himself a moment to glide his fingers through her soft hair before he untangled her limbs from around him and slid from the bed. He wouldn’t fault himself for a moment of weakness, but to continue lying there, especially after her behavior the night before, would be ridiculous.

  He took a quick shower, ordered room service and sat down to read the paper while he waited for his coffee. Ari’s phone buzzed on the table next to him, and he planned to ignore it until he noticed a man’s name flash on the screen. Years of suspicion surfaced, and though he knew he shouldn’t pick up her cell, he did so anyway.

  Who in the hell was Stephen?

  Without thinking twice about her privacy, Rafe opened the message; Thanks for a great time last night. Hope you didn’t get too busted. We had to call it a night after you left because you took all your luck with you, beautiful lady.

  What was this guy thanking her for? He began searching through Ari’s phone to find out. At the images he pulled up, his mood went from stable to downright critical condition.

  In Ari’s drunken stupor last night, she’d requested angry sex — well, she was about to get some.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Ari awoke to feel her hands being pulled above her head and her shirt being yanked off. Before she had a chance to react, her pajama bottoms were gone and she was lying on the sheets naked with her hands immobilized in Rafe’s strong grip.

  The ire in his eyes should have frightened her, but instead, heat flooded straight to her core as she anticipated what was to come. She’d seen Rafe upset before, but the fire leaping from his gaze was hotter than lava. What had riled him up?

  “Do you want to explain the pictures on your phone?”

  In her half-asleep state, it took Ari’s brain a few extra moments to figure out what he was asking. When comprehension dawned, a shiver of apprehension rolled down her spine as she recalled the pictures Rachel and Lia had taken.

  She searched her memory, trying to figure out what they’d documented on film. She’d been having such a fun time, she hadn’t worried much about it. What should have been on her mind now was what he’d been doing going through her phone. That was a clear invasion of privacy, and if the situation had been reversed, he’d have been furious. But now wasn’t the time to bring that up.

  “Just pictures of our girls’ night out,” she answered with a weak smile.

  “Why in the hell were there pictures of men with their hands and mouths all over you?” he snapped.

  “There weren’t!”

  “That’s crap. I saw the pictures, Ari. Some man had you locked tight in his arms with his lips right on yours,” he growled.

  “We were winning. He just grabbed me. It wasn’t anything. I didn’t know the girls thought it a Kodak moment,” she said, thinking she would repay both Lia and Rachel with a slow and torturous death.

  “You are mine! Get that? No other man can touch you.”

  “I wasn’t cheating!” she snapped, starting to get irritated by his interrogation. He’d done far worse things in his life than kiss a stranger while playing roulette. How dare he try to belittle her!

  “That’s not what it looked like. Do I need to remind you what it means to belong to me?”

  Oh, yes! Ari wanted to shout, but she decided it might be wiser to let him get through his tantrum.

  Ari attempted to wriggle away from him and find a more comfortable position than spread out before him while he fired off ridiculous accusations.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” he informed her as he threw off his bathrobe, then lay over her. The heat from his skin nearly seared her as his hips settled between her thighs.

  Even in his temper, he was highly aroused, his thick shaft poised at her quickly moistening entrance. She pushed up toward him, willing him to plunge inside. How could she be so angry with him and still desire him at the same time?

  “You don’t deserve rewards, but I can’t keep from showing you who you belong to.”

  Rafe’s head descended and he took her lips. His tongue demanded entrance, and she willingly opened to him, wanting to taste him deep inside her mouth. As his hands gripped her wrists tightly, and his mouth plundered hers, she fought to catch her breath.

  Though with little seduction, she was melting beneath him, ready for his touch across her heated skin. In a matter of seconds he brought her body alive as only he could do.

  Rafe groaned as he pushed his hips against hers, his considerable length rubbing along the line of her wet heat, but not entering. She wanted to demand he take her hard and fast, but she kept her thoughts to herself, too afraid he’d pull away as punishment. She hated it when he left her aching, resented the way he used it as an effective tool to prevent disobedience.

  When Rafe’s head moved from her mouth to her throat, she shuddered. He was so masterful with both his tongue and hands. She couldn’t get enough of his sweet touch. Engulfing her breasts in his palms, he kneaded the soft flesh before squeezing her swollen nipples.

  Ari reveled in the sight of his dark hair brushing her light skin. As he held his mouth back and ran his tongue along her nipple, she tried to move, tried to reach for him, but couldn’t, for he had her trapped. Not being able to touch him was torture.

  When his mouth finally captured her tight pink bud, her back arched into the air, her body straining against his as he devoured her skin. The nip of his teeth made fire spread through
her core, intensifying her need to monumental proportions.

  He moved his head and she groaned in protest, and then nearly panicked when he lifted his head before turning over onto his back. She would hate him if he left her unfulfilled again. How could a man bring a woman so much pleasure only to deny her the ultimate satisfaction?

  When Rafe’s arms stretched out and gripped her to him, her breasts flattening against his hard chest, she greedily sucked from his lips. Feeling a need to taste the salt of his skin on her tongue, Ari moved down his body, sliding open mouthed kisses along the firm ridges of his stomach, as she moved toward his straining erection.

  But before she was able to reach his satin covered steel and pull his hardness into her mouth, he leaned forward and grabbed her by the hips, lifting her over him, and sat her body down on his chest. She was just a couple of feet too high up on his body. She tried to inch down, but he held tightly to her behind and began tugging her forward.

  “I want to taste you,” he cried as a guttural groan rumbled from his chest. Ari looked down in embarrassment as he positioned her spread legs over his face. Before she could protest, his tongue slipped out and moistened her heat, making her cry out. She forgot her discomfiture and leaned forward, gripping the headboard.

  Rafe’s fingers kneaded the flesh of her behind as his mouth devoured her heat, his tongue igniting sparks that shot through her limbs. Without conscious thought, she moved her hips in rhythm with his tongue, seeking more pleasure.

  When he sucked her swollen pearl into his mouth and caressed the flesh with his lips, she shot over the edge, and continued to crash over and over again, her body shaking with the intensity of her release. He slowed his movements, drawing out her pleasure as she cried out, giving her much more than she’d expected considering his state of anger and agitation.

  Before the last of her spasms ended, his strong arms lifted her up before he slid out from under her, leaving her gripping the headboard as her body continued to quiver. When he stood she thought he was done with her, but instead, he gripped her legs, twisting her body around so her back was flat against the mattress as he tugged her to the edge of the bed. His pulsing erection poised at her very wet entrance as he loomed above her.

  “Don’t ever kiss another man. Not in roulette,” he demanded as he plunged forward. “Not in blackjack.” He slammed hard inside her again. “Not in poker.” He forced his entrance again as she tensed for his anger. “And certainly not for Any…Other…Entertainment.” He bore into her with a momentum unlike anything before, emphasizing each word he spoke with his powerful thrusts — filling her to absolute capacity, rocking her entire body. He pushed her legs up high, exposing her core fully to him as he plunged in and out of her swollen flesh.

  “I won’t,” she promised with a moan of painful pleasure.

  “You are mine. I want to hear you say it!”

  “I’m yours,” she gasped, the pressure building higher within her.

  “Say it again!” His movements were furious as he buried himself deep inside her again and again.

  “I’m yours, Rafe — only yours,” she cried and her body shattered, the orgasm even more intense than the first.

  “I want your beauty all to myself,” he called out as he shuddered, and his body collapsed on top of hers. She knew now how he felt — she felt as if she’d been ripped to shreds and was still searching for the pieces. Being with Rafe was like surviving a class five tornado. They would destroy either everyone and everything around them or each other — maybe both.

  “I don’t ever want to find out you’ve been out with another man — do you understand?”

  “I already said it was a freak occurrence. I didn’t mean for it to happen,” she answered with exasperation. How many times was he going to bring this up? She just wanted to enjoy the afterglow of some incredible sex, not fight with him over a triviality.

  “I’m a possessive man, Ari, and I’m used to controlling my world. You are not making my life easy. You break every rule I set, ignore my wishes and then flaunt your freedom in my face. With you, I do not feel in control, and I’ve had it. I want you to understand that this won’t happen again — or there will be consequences.”

  Again, his overbearing attitude just rolled off Ari’s back. Instead of shaking with fury, her body stirred to life, to her utter amazement after two incredibly electrifying orgasms.

  As his body melded with hers, the message behind Rafe’s words hit her. Between what his sisters had said and his bizarre behavior, her heart cracked open a bit. Maybe he had been wounded more deeply than she’d thought possible. He did a great job of presenting a cold, calculating face to the world, but in rare moments with her, his mask slipped.

  Could it be that he did want love? Was he afraid of being hurt? Could she open up her heart and give him a chance, or would that only end up making her a fool?

  All Ari knew was that, in this small moment of time, she was satisfied, mentally and physically. She ran her fingernails across the damp skin of his back, breathed in his spicy scent, and felt her heart beat strongly against his.

  She didn’t know how things would progress, but somewhere along the line she’d started to develop feelings for this man of steel. She’d started to let her guard down. He’d been a downright bully, but she couldn’t help but get back to her old habit: dwelling on what ifs…

  “If this is your idea of consequences, then maybe I should go look for another drunken bachelor party and have some more pics taken,” she said with a relaxed laugh.

  With a furious growl, Rafe pounced, his body pinning her to the bed, the fire blazing again in his eyes. She couldn’t keep the smile from her face as he tried to sear her with his gaze. What brought her joy was the laughter behind the ire. He might have wanted to be angry, but he seemed to be enjoying their moment as much as she was. It appeared that Raffaello Palazzo had a sense of humor.

  “You are nothing but trouble,” he accused with a smiling glare.

  “I never promised to be anything but trouble,” she reminded him as she pushed her chest against him, loving the feel of his muscular chest rubbing against her peaked nipples.

  “Let’s shower,” he said, surprising her. Before she could agree or refuse him, he was out of the bed and lifting her into his arms.

  As the hot water cascaded over them, and her soapy hands massaged his rapidly recovering arousal, Ari couldn’t remember ever being happier. If only this small moment would last forever.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “Hurry up, Ari. You are really dragging today.”

  “That’s because you kept me up half the night, and then your brother woke me up way too early, Lia,” she answered grumpily.

  “It’s two in the afternoon. You’ve had plenty of time to sleep. We’re in Las freaking Vegas. You can recover once we get back home to our boring lives,” Rachel said.

  “I have to go back to work as soon as we’re home. I won’t get to recover even then,” Ari replied, though they did have a point. When would she get to come back to Vegas again? She didn’t see it happening anytime soon.

  “We know your boss. We’ll put in a good word for you so you have adequate time to rest,” Lia assured her. If anyone could convince Rafe to give her a day off, it would be one of his sisters. They were the only two she could envision getting their way with Rafe. Ari certainly didn’t win rounds with him often — not once that she could recall.

  “OK, let’s go for coffee and then I promise to be in a better mood.”

  The three girls made their way across the casino and found a coffee shop; Ari guzzled down her first cup there, then ordered one to go before she let the girls drag her to who knew where next.

  “Do you know what Rafe and Shane are up to today?” Lia asked.

  “I don’t have a clue,” Ari answered. Rafe had been gone when she woke up. She assumed their fight was over, but she never knew with him. He ran hot and cold too often for her to be a good judge of his character.

&n
bsp; “Why, Lia? Are you wanting to see Shane?”

  “No! It’s not that; I was just curious,” she answered defensively.

  “Oh, the heck with them. You promised me we’d get to go swimming. It’s a hot day, and I can use the sun, so let’s just relax. I’m sure Ari’s all for that.”

  “Yes. That sounds perfect.”

  “Good, then its settled,” Rachel said. “Let’s run to the room and change and then get some sun. We can explore after dark.”

  “OK, the two of you win. I want you to know that I’m going against my will.”

  “Quit being such a sore loser, Lia. I’m sure you’ll see your lover boy, Shane, again real soon.”

  Rachel took off running as Lia went to smack her. Ari hung back laughing at the sibling rivalry. The two were so charming and full of life.

  It didn’t take the three of them long to change into their swimsuits, and soon they were off to the pool. As they stepped outside, music could be heard drifting toward them. There were a few pools at the hotel, but as soon as Rachel found out which one had a live DJ, she tugged them in that direction.

  “This looks like a scene from every spring break special I’ve ever seen,” Ari grumbled as she looked around at the bikini-clad women dancing alongside the pool, with shirtless guys trying to decide which girl was catching their eye the most.

  The pool was filled with nearly naked bodies playing a round of volleyball, and it looked as if there wasn’t any available space anywhere. Ari had planned on a nap, but she didn’t think she was likely to find a lounge chair in the massive crowd.

  As if Rachel could read her thoughts, she turned and gave Ari a wink. “Don’t worry, darling, I’ll get us lounges.” With that, she sauntered through the crowd, and Ari had no choice but to follow behind.

  As she and Rachel went in search of a comfortable place to sit, Lia went to find them drinks. After her headache last night, Ari didn’t want to taste another alcoholic drink again, but as the sun beamed down on her, she was willing to give up her ban on liquor just as long as it was icy cold.