Raw (7 page)

Not taking even a moment to second-guess myself, I grip the bottom of my tank and lift it over my head. My breasts free to the cool air makes my body break out into goosebumps. My nipples stiffen. This doesn’t get past Twitch. His nostrils flare and his eyes flash before he reaches up and rolls my nipple between his thumb and forefinger. My mouth opens in a silent moan and I lean forward into him. He pinches my nipple a little too hard. I hiss in a breath. He softly reminds me. “I said strip, Alexa.”

God. This guy has me so hot and bothered I actually feel tipsy.

Placing my thumbs into the waistband of my pajama pants and panties, I slowly wiggle them down my thighs until they loosen enough to fall to the ground on their own.

So here I am. Naked. In front of the man who has been stalking me for as long as I can remember.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

Before I can process my mind’s question, Twitch reaches out. His hand grips my waist and he pulls me forward, pressing me into his body.
 

I’m not short. On the contrary, I’m kind of tall for a woman. But Twitch…he makes me feel small when I’m next to him.

His hand at my waist squeezes. “You sure you want this?” His hooded eyes search my face. “You need to open that pretty mouth and give me words, babe. This’ll be your last chance to say no.”

The thought of Twitch leaving
now
makes me anxious. Not happening.

Bare breasts pressed into his tee, I look up into his eyes and whisper, “I want you.”

Something in what I just said makes him react. His lips curl and his eyes turn cruel. “’Bout fucking time.”

Huh?

My mind shouts at me to think about what he just said, but when his hands slide from my waist, strokes back and then down over my ass, all thought is lost. Leaning my head back, I moan quietly as he palms my ass, none too gently.

His hands on my derriere, he pulls me back into his body. He demands, “Look at me.” So I do. His brown eyes harsh, he asks, “Who do you want? Say it.”

It takes me a second too long to answer. I know this because the hard swat that stings my ass jolts me so much that my body stiffens. I flush the brightest of reds.
 

What the hell? That hurt!

My eyes narrow at his, and just as I open my mouth to tell him my thoughts, one hand squeezes my ass so hard it aches, while the other tangles in my hair, fisting it hard enough to make me wince. Lowering his scowling face to mine til we’re almost nose-to-nose, I see it.

Challenge.

He’s daring me to say something. Anything. Daring me with nothing but a look.

My mind claps at my stupidity, clearly unimpressed.

This is what he warned me about. These are the terms I accepted.

Holding his gaze only a moment longer, I move my eyes down to his throat in defeat. What he does next surprises me.

Leaning forward, he places his lips at the top my head for a long moment before he softly kisses my hair and mutters, “Knew you’d be perfect. Fuckin’ knew it.”

My nakedness suddenly making me feel vulnerable, I pull my arms up between us and cover my breasts with my hands. Twitch kisses my head again. “You cold?”

I shake my head, feeling honesty is the way to go. He is, after all, a sociopath. I’d like to have his trust. He prods, his husky voice hushed, “You feeling uncomfortable?”

I immediately nod. Squeezing my ass once more, he places his lips at the shell of my ear. “Good. Get used to it. Because I’m going to do bad things to you.”

And just like that, any warmth or safety I was feeling flies out the window.

I can’t help but wonder what I’ve got myself in to.

Alexa’s face turns fearful.

She should be scared. If I didn’t know this woman as well as I do, I’d turn her over my knee for letting a complete stranger into her home.

But that’s just the thing. I’m
not
a stranger. And although she doesn’t understand it yet, she feels what I feel when we’re together.

Homecoming.

Which is a shame for her, because although I know her, it doesn’t mean I’m gonna go easy on her. Quite the contrary.

I
need
to punish her.

You need her. Just her. Nothing else.

Ignoring my mind’s voice, I look at my prey. She’s the reason I am the way I am.

It’s all her fault.

And she’s going to pay.

I should know better by now. I’ve dealt with bad people in my life before. I know the look Twitch wears, and although I don’t know where this is going, I know one thing…

This will end badly for me.

But it seems I’m a glutton for punishment, because I won’t stop what’s happening here.

My mind wanders.

If I ask him to stop now, would he?

The need to test the waters is too strong for me to stop myself. “Stop, Twitch. Please, stop.”

His hand stills on my ass. His face contorts in anger, eyes narrowing to slits. “I swear to you, Lexi…” He trails off, and I know I’ve made a huge mistake. I’m going to be punished for this.

When his lips twitch, I know he’s caught on, and all I can think is
I’m screwed
. He sounds amused when he says, “Oh Lexi. What are you doin’, babe? You think I was joking when I said I wouldn’t stop? You testing me, baby?”

Honesty. Be honest.

Sometimes I wish I had a rewind button for my mouth. I try to fix what I’m doing a really good job at wrecking. “I’m sorry. I just needed to know for sure.”

When he runs his hand up and down my back, I start to relax. I can’t get a read on this guy. He goes from cold to hot, then down to warm in seconds. He’s completely unpredictable. And that makes me uneasy.

Still fully clothed with his erection out, he continues to rub my back as he explains, “I told you you’re not being tested, Alexa.” Leaning forward, he whispers into my ear, “All you need to do for this to go well…is give in.”

That sounds easy enough. In theory. Right?

No. Not right. Not in the slightest.
 

When you come from a home like I did and get out of said home, you hold onto your freewill with both hands. Because sometimes, it’s all you got. And there is security in knowing you have a choice. So even though I get Twitch and his need to dominate, I don’t know if giving in is something I can do so easily. Giving in to a person I trust though…

You trust him. You don’t know why…but you do.

A sudden rush of humiliation slides down my body. I can’t believe I’m doing this. Quiet as a mouse, I avoid his eyes and beg, “Don’t hurt me, Twitch. Please don’t hurt me.”

The hand rubbing my back stops, thus ending the small amount of comfort I’d been feeling. His husky voice demands, “Undress me, girl.”

My heart thumps out of my chest.

This is really happening. I’m really going to let him do things to me.
Bad things.

I seal my fate when I grip the bottom of his tee tightly and gently lift it over his head. It drops to the floor with a dull whoosh, and I move my thumbs into the sides of his jeans. Lifting my eyes, I look directly into his.
 

He doesn’t give anything away. His face remains devoid. Expressionless.

Slowly pulling down his pants, they get stuck around his ankles. Damn. I forgot his shoes. Hoping I haven’t fucked up for the thirty-eighth time tonight, I look up at him wide-eyed. But he silently lets me know it’s okay when he shoots me a small smile. Kneeling by his feet, I undo his laces and remove his shoes and socks before working his jeans all the way off.

Well.

That was awkward.

For me.

He extends a hand to me; I take his offering and he helps me stand. Then he does something I don’t expect. He pulls me forward, takes my arms, and wraps them around his waist. His arms circle my body. And there we stand, naked, in a firm and intense hug. I want to listen to his heartbeat. I need proof that he has one. A heart, that is. Turning my head to the side, I rest the side of my forehead on his chest, close my eyes, and sigh deep, squeezing his waist.

Just as I begin to feel I was worrying about nothing, his arms squeeze me tight. Really tight. Too damn tight. I’m constricted and feeling bound, so I tense. He says softly, “Don’t fight me. I can make this good for both of us.”

I silently agree, but my body has other plans. I begin to struggle in his arms and he chuckles. “Or fight. Whatever. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I need to, Alexa. It’s your choice.”

I continue my struggle and hiss out through gritted teeth, “There is no choice. I have no choice. I can’t move to make a fucking choice!” Clearly, I’m panicked.

Gripping me harder than he should, he orders, “Look at me.”

And I don’t want to; I’m feeling indignant. And suddenly bitter. I don’t want my right to choose to be taken away.

I don’t want to be weak.

Without an answer, Twitch releases one of his arms, and before I know it…

Thwack!

My ass throbs. That was even harder than last time! My mouth opens before I have a chance to think about what I’m doing. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Stop!”

Thwack!

The throbbing on my ass cheek feels like it’s on fire. But I keep going, “I don’t want to do this anymore! Stop, Twitch. I’ve had enough of this. I don’t want to be a weak little whore for you! We’re done!”

What I’ve just said makes his brow furrow. Deep. He loosens his hold on me completely, and when his arms fall away, I feel a tremendous loss that I can’t explain.

Stepping away from me, he stares me down a moment before he says slowly but firmly, “I don’t take weak women to bed. Never.” The air in the hall stills. And it’s frightening. “Not ever.”

I want him to explain what he means, but all I can do is wrap my arms around myself, covering my breasts. Finding some courage I must have stored deep inside of me, I open my mouth to ask what he means, but nothing comes out. Mouth gaping, I shut my trap and come to terms with the fact that this isn’t going to happen.

My chest aches.

Eyeing Twitch and his tall, solid body, I feel like crying.

What a damn shame.

A few minutes pass and we stand there still. When I risk looking up at him, his lip curves up at the side, giving him one of the most beautiful crooked smiles I’ve ever seen. Stepping forward, he wraps an arm loosely around my waist. “See? You’re not weak.” As I look up at him, he clarifies, “A weak woman would’ve apologized by now. And I know you want this like I want this, but you still didn’t apologize for saying something you meant. A weak woman would’ve apologized, even though she wasn’t sorry. Like I said, I don’t do weak women. Do you realize how strong a woman has to be to do what I’m asking?”