“Please, Darius, no more,” she whimpered, the spray of the rainfall shower blinding her vision.
“One more, Adrianna,” he said in between thrusts. “One more for me.”
She screamed his name, her voice echoing and bouncing off the walls. He captured her mouth to silence her, his mouth devouring hers as he pummeled harder into her, grunting as she felt his cock spasm, his warm, sticky come pumping into her.
When the pounding of her heartbeat slowed down—or was that his?—she unhooked her legs from him. He pulled out of her and set her down gently on the floor. “You did great.” He kissed the top of her head.
“Uh, thanks?” She gave him a teasing smile. “I’m going to feel that though,” she said, wincing as she tried to take a step forward. “I’m going to feel all of it.”
“You did not protest when I woke you up this morning,” he said. “Or late last night. Or that time before dinner. Or after room service left.”
“You’ve made your point,” she said with a laugh. “We should—” The sound of the doorbell interrupted her.
“Are you expecting anyone?”
“No.” It was early in the morning and the car wasn’t picking her up to take her to the TV station until later that day. “I should go check who it is.” She grabbed her robe as she exited the stall and headed out into the main suite.
“All right, all right! Hold your horses!” The bell continued to ring impatiently and she picked up her pace. She yanked the door open. “What the hell is the matter—Julianna? What are you doing here?”
Her sister stood on the other side of the door, hands on her hips, a frown creasing her forehead. “I’ve been calling you since I got into the city,” she said. “And I sent you a message this morning about me coming here. Didn’t you get it?”
“Uh …” She didn’t get to check her phone first thing this morning, as waking up with Darius’s head between her legs had proven to be a distraction. “Sorry. I’ve been busy.”
Julianna stepped past her and made her way into the suite. “Mama called last night and asked that I come here. Why didn’t you tell me someone tried to kidnap you? Or that Darius apparently showed up here and—” She stopped suddenly, her eyes narrowing.
“Julianna?”
She glanced around, as if looking for something.
“Julianna, wait!”
But her sister had already dashed toward the bedroom. She cursed loudly as she tried to catch her before she got to the door. “Wait, I—”
Julianna’s eyes were as big as frisbees, and understandably so, seeing as Darius came out of the bathroom wearing only a towel around his waist. She looked at the rumpled sheets on the bed, then at Darius, then back at Adrianna.
“I can explain,” she began.
“If it didn’t stink of sex in here, I might have eaten up any lie you would have told me because I can’t believe you would do this!” Julianna raged, the fury in her voice barely contained.
“I wasn’t going to lie.” She looked to Darius helplessly.
“It’s not what you think,” he began. “We are—”
“I’d like to speak to my sister alone, please,” Julianna said, not even looking at him.
He flashed Adrianna a concerned look, but she nodded.
“Of course,” he said. “I’ll be outside.” He grabbed his discarded pants from the floor and headed outside.
Darius was barely out of earshot when Julianna started raving. “What. The. Hell!” she cried. “I can’t believe you’re fucking him! Is this some form of Stockholm syndrome where—”
“He’s not keeping me hostage,” she retorted. “And I know what I’m doing!”
“Know what you’re—” Julianna raised her hands in frustration. “Something’s not right with that guy! I know it.” There was a dangerous glint in her eyes. “He can’t stay here.”
“He’s here to protect me! Or don’t you remember Mama’s orders?”
“I mean,” Julianna began, “he can’t stay here in D.C.” She put her hands on her hips. “Tell me, when you spoke to Mama did you conveniently leave out the part where he didn’t have permission from Senator Burns to be in this territory?”
Dammit! She knew she should have secured permission from the Alpha as soon as Darius got here, but she had been too distracted. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.”
She spun around, unable to stay in the same room with her sister at that moment. Marching out the door, she found Darius standing by the bedroom door.
“She’s right,” he said. “We have waited too long to ask for permission.”
“I could still ask him.”
“But there will be a price to pay,” he said. “And you know how politicians are.”
“True, but it would be worth it. I don’t want to be apart from you.”
“Be practical,” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You’re headed back to Jersey tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah.”
“If I leave now, no one will know I’d ever been here,” he said. “Julianna will be able to protect you until then. Besides, I must drive my car back anyway.”
“I—” She knew he was right. It would be childish, not to mention risky, to let him stay here, even if Julianna didn’t threaten to rat him out. “Fine.”
“I’ll be at your house when you arrive. I promise.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her close, and smothered her lips with urgent fervor.
As usual, his kisses left her breathless. “I’ll hold you to that.”
“I know you will.”
As he turned to leave, she grabbed his hand. “Wait.”
“Yes?”
“Remember what I said.” She squeezed his palm. “This was my choice.”
Surprise flashed across his face, then he lifted her hand to his lips. “Stay safe.”
When the door closed behind him, an ache began to form in her
