Submit (Out of the Octagon, #1) Read online

  Rosa’s frown deepened.

  “I’m not always good with words. What I meant to say is you’re beautiful. And this just makes you more beautiful.” He kissed the round top of one breast again, watching her face as he placed a trail of kisses on her pale skin.

  He caught her smiling, the doubt leaving her eyes. Better...

  He lifted his head. “But...as beautiful as it is, it has to go.” He watched her for a moment, searching her face, testing the waters. He’d never been this cautious with a woman, so careful of how she felt, and he really didn’t know why. With most women, he just took what he wanted. None of them had ever complained. But now wasn’t the time to analyze his motives.

  Rosa nodded, her cheeks flushed and her breath coming a little faster. He undid the clasp at the front, pulling away the sheer fabric.

  “Even more beautiful...” Aedan growled, bending his head again, kissing his way down to one rose-colored nipple, circling it with his tongue, feeling it grow hard at his touch. Rosa sighed, arching her back. He moved to the other breast, kissing a soft line to that nipple, flicking it with his tongue, pulling it into his mouth.

  As he drew her further into his mouth, caressing her with his tongue, as the softness of her skin brushed against his cheek, he felt something course through him, equal parts fierce and tender. For a moment, it was utterly overwhelming, foreign yet hauntingly familiar. He wanted to pull her to him, bury his face in her breasts and lose himself. He’d sucked on women’s tits before, played with plenty of breasts, but now, with Rosa, it was different. It wasn’t just foreplay, it went deeper.

  There was something about Rosa, a feeling that calmed him even as she excited him more than any woman ever had. No woman had ever made him feel so much, so soon. On some level...hell, on many levels, this unnerved him.

  But he wanted more and he wanted it now; his body was taking the lead, impatient to move this forward. He sat up, pulling Rosa with him.

  “Come with me.” His voice was rough; even he could sense the immediacy in his demand. She looked up at him, her eyes going wide for just a moment, before they darkened, mirroring his desire. He knew then that she understood there was no turning back, for either of them. He hadn’t thought she wanted to stop, but he was glad to see that confirmation there now. The reflected want. Rosa was like no other woman he’d ever been with, something complex and unreadable in her.

  She let him lead her to his bedroom. There was no hesitation now as he tugged her skirt down over her hips, as his fingers slid beneath the elastic of her lacy panties. He was vaguely aware they matched her bra, but they, and that thought, were gone in an instant.

  Rosa’s fingers were struggling with the zipper and snap of his jeans. He looked down, the bulge of his erection huge against her delicate hands. As much as he ached to have her touching him, stroking him, the feather-light touches of her fingers as they accidentally brushed against him were exquisite torture. She finally undid everything and he tugged his jeans down. At the first touch of her soft fingers on his flesh, he exhaled a long breath, watching as she held him.

  Aedan’s hands were on Rosa’s shoulders, his fingers flexing against her skin. She looked up at him and in that instant, he saw she was ready for whatever came next.

  He kissed her hard, the gentleness gone, claiming her lips, his tongue plundering her accepting mouth. She met him fully, her kiss as insistent as his, her tongue meeting his.

  Aedan pulled her hard against him, molding her softness against his hard body. Her hands came up to his chest, her arms wrapping around his neck, fingers winding through his hair. He wanted to touch every part of her, to crush her against his body, feel the soft fullness of her breasts against his chest, his cock against her stomach, her ass in his hands.

  He broke away from her with a gasp, picking her up and carrying her to his bed. She rested her head against his shoulder briefly before he set her on the sheets, a gesture so full of trust he suddenly found himself almost overwhelmed with emotion.

  She lay on his bed, holding out her arms. He lay down beside her, letting her wrap him in her embrace, his head on her shoulder. His body was insistent, hers as well. He could feel her hips shifting beneath him, her legs moving restlessly on the bed. The scent of her perfume was everywhere, something delicate and floral over something deep and spicy, still driving him wild.

  His lips found her breasts again, the longing still there, but his desire to take her stronger now. Moving over her, he settled between her legs. She wrapped them around his waist, pulling him down to her. Her eyes were locked with his; he could read the passion and arousal in those green depths.

  Aedan shifted his hips, sliding himself slowly into Rosa, the brief thought that she might be a virgin hovering in his mind. But she wasn’t; he’d been with enough to know.

  He watched her eyes widen and her lips part on an exhale as he thrust himself fully into her. For the moment, this was enough, holding her, looking down at her, sheathed in her body.

  But the ache he felt, the desire for more was stronger. Aedan pulled back before thrusting hard into her, feeling her body respond to his, her hips rising to meet him, pushing back, accepting and then asking for more.

  It wasn’t long before they were locked in a primal dance. Aedan was surprised by her sudden aggression; her hands were everywhere, raking over his back, clutching his hips, her lips seeking his mouth.

  Pulling away, he held himself above her, bracing himself on his knees, pushing her legs further apart. He wanted to watch her face, watch himself as he slid into her, to see what he was doing to her. And to watch her body responding to him.

  “Oh...” Aedan looked up, startled. Rosa’s eyes were wide; she was watching as well, her eyes riveted on him, on his movements between her legs.

  Her eyes rose to his. “I’ve never...it’s never been...this...” She swallowed, closing her eyes. A flush rose in her cheeks and he stilled himself. He wasn’t sure if he’d done something wrong, if she was suddenly scared, wanted to stop...he didn’t quite get this girl yet.

  With her eyes still closed, she spoke, her voice just above a whisper. “I’ve never seen what...this looks like.”

  Aedan waited, aching to move, afraid he had scared her.

  She opened her eyes, her gaze locked with his, passion flaring in her eyes. “Don’t stop.”

  And he didn’t, until he took them both to the edge. Rosa cried out first, arching up beneath him, her hands clutching the sheets. He held himself above her, watching her face as she twisted, muscles taut. There was a moment where he felt her contract around him, pulling him deeper. The sensation of feeling her orgasm almost took him over his own precipice, but he wanted to wait, wanted to let her enjoy herself before taking his own pleasure.

  She cried out once more, another wave passing through her before he felt the tension leave her limbs. He held himself still inside of her, feeling the aftershocks of her orgasm against his own body.

  Rosa looked up, her eyes searching his. She reached for him and he lowered himself against her body, feeling the softness of her breasts crushed against his chest, her hands sliding over his back, moving up to caress his face. He could hear her voice, wordless noises in his ear, her hips rising, urging him to his own release. And he accepted what she had to offer.

  When he came, it was more powerful than anything he’d experienced in a long time. He spent himself inside her, his body shuddering uncontrollably, his sounds muffled against her neck. It seemed to go on forever, his body trembling, his hips flexing as he drove himself into Rosa until there was no more need.

  She was still holding him, her arms wrapped around his body, hands splayed against his back. He lifted his head, looking at her in the light from the window, the relentless light he cursed nightly, despite the curtains, but the light that now let him see her face.

  “Thank you.” The words were out of his mouth before he realized it. He shook his head, scowling. What the hell was that? You don’t thank a girl for sex.
/>   “You’re welcome.” Rosa’s voice was low, a smile on her lips. “And thank you, too.”

  Her smile deepened. She ran her fingers over his face, easing them across his forehead.

  “I meant...” Aedan rolled on his back, looking out the window.

  He felt her shift next to him, the swayback mattress dipping as she curled next to him, her head on his shoulder.

  “You meant what?” Her fingers were tracing the line of the scar on his chest. He put his hand over hers, holding her fingers, stilling them against his chest. He knew she’d ask about the scar, how he got it. Most girls...the girls who stayed, anyway...always asked. He usually gave them a shortened version of the truth: it was a knife cut. He never told them who held the knife though, or why.

  But right now he didn’t want to give Rosa any version. He was still coming down from the high he’d experienced with her. He wanted to enjoy that, enjoy the feeling of her next to him. And not ruin that with ancient history.

  Aedan turned toward her, holding her fingers to his lips. He took a deep breath. There was a sense of letting go of something, something he’d held on to for a long time.

  “I meant thank you. I don’t...it’s not something I say very often. Or ever.” He blew out a breath.

  “You’re a complex man, Aedan Kearney.” Rosa went quiet. It wasn’t long before she was breathing softly, asleep with her head still on his shoulder, her fingers wrapped in his.

  Aedan lay in the dark for a long time, his mind going over what had happened. He’d met a girl; that wasn’t unusual. He’d taken her home; he did that all the time. But what he felt was nothing like anything he’d ever felt before. And it scared him. Scared the hell out of him.

  Chapter 3

  Something wasn’t right. Rosa rolled over, her arm shielding her eyes. It was bright, too bright. Her room had blackout drapes, and was dark in the morning. At least until Sophie opened the curtains. But then, Sophie usually brought her tea and a scone, or a muffin. We’re not in Manhattan anymore, Rosa.

  There was a dull pounding in her head. She rubbed her temples, thinking back over the previous night out with her friends.

  And her eyes flew open. It all came back; she’d gone home with someone, with Aedan.

  There’d been the guys in the street, guys taunting them, intent on having their way. And then Aedan had shown up...there’d been a fight, he had scared the guys off. She cringed. He’d done it with such ease and grace, but at the time she hadn’t thought much about how aggressive...how violent...he’d been.

  The sound of breathing nudged her out of her thoughts. She turned; Aedan was sleeping beside her, his short dark hair messy with sleep, one arm wrapped loosely around a pillow. She watched him for a moment, struck by how handsome he was. Even in sleep his lips were curved in a seductive smile.

  It had been hard to keep her eyes off him at the bar. There was an unpredictable quality to Aedan, a look held deep in his blue eyes, the curve of his lips. She’d wanted to reach out, to touch that fire, and see what it would be like. She’d never met anyone like Aedan; the guys she knew were all predictable and safe, boring. Aedan seemed anything but boring.

  But now, his face relaxed in sleep, he looked less dangerous, but no less handsome. Maybe dangerous in a different sort of way.

  He’d taken them to some bar, a real dive. She remembered Sophia saying something about celebrating or thanking Aedan for rescuing them. They’d talked at the bar, some of it was hazy...and then she’d gone back to his apartment. And had sex with him. She smiled. That part I remember...

  She shook her head. This was so totally unlike her. There had been boyfriends, all boys her parents approved of, clean cut, wearing suits. All safe, with promising career paths. All with money. All able to buy her whatever she wanted, just like her father bought her everything she wanted. Except his love.

  There didn’t appear to be anything safe about Aedan. That sent a thrill through her, awakened a deep, dark longing inside, which excited her...and scared her. He was so different than any boy she’d dated. She guessed he was her age, somewhere in his mid-twenties, but he seemed older. The difference between her boyfriends and Aedan was startling. The boys she’d dated all seemed just that...boys. Aedan was a man. A man she found incredibly attractive.

  Rosa took a deep breath, looking around the bedroom for the first time. Last night she hadn’t paid much—or really any—attention to where they were going or to his apartment once they got there. All her attention had been focused on Aedan, on the overwhelming attraction she’d felt. And then on all the things he’d done to her.

  But in the gray light of dawn, she saw how dingy and sparsely furnished the room was. The sheets on the bed were clean but they were faded from age and wear. The walls were painted a nondescript shade of blue, or gray. It was hard to tell in the light that filtered through the grimy window.

  Aedan stirred, turning toward her, sliding one arm around her waist. She let him pull her against his body, her hands instinctively running over the hard muscles of his arms, down his chest, over the flat plane of his stomach. She wasn’t surprised to find him hard, and she ran her fingers over him, enjoying the response she got, his hips flexing forward, pressing himself against her hand. The dingy room faded away once she was in his arms.

  “Hmmm...that’s a nice way to wake up.” His eyes were still closed as he nuzzled her neck, his lips brushing her ear, moving along the tender skin beneath her jaw, one hand gently fondling her breast.

  Aedan rolled on top of her, holding himself above her, eyes open now, looking down into her face. She was held captive by that blue gaze, his eyes so dark they looked almost black. There was an edge to him that simultaneously excited her and scared her. And he was basically a stranger to her.

  “Good morning, Rosa.” His full lips curved into a sensuous smile, a smile that sent a wave of arousal through her body. His voice was low, a voice that made her squirm beneath him, her hips shifting on the bed, her legs moving apart on their own. He settled himself between her legs, claiming that space as confidently as he claimed her lips.

  But he was gentle this morning, different than the passionate kisses from the night before. There was a slowness to his movements, an unhurried pace, as if she were the only thing on which he needed—or wanted—to focus his attention.

  Aedan held her to the bed, his hips pressing against hers. She ran her hands up over his back, fingers eagerly tracing the contours of his muscles, marveling at his physique. There wasn’t any part of him that wasn’t hard muscle. She thought again about his training at a gym, that he said he was a fighter, but her questions quickly dissolved. Aedan’s body in her arms took all her attention. Maybe some other time...

  There was a brief moment where she wondered, again, what she was doing. But the now-insistent pressure of his erection against her stomach took that thought away as well. She realized there was nothing more she wanted at that moment than to have Aedan inside her, to feel that same dizzying pleasure she had experienced the night before.

  Aedan took her slowly, gently this time, every inch of her body aware of his. They moved together, no hesitation, each one focused on the pleasure they were feeling. Rosa’s body responded to Aedan, to every nuance, every subtle shift he made. Every move gave her pleasure and he knew it. She could see it in his face as he watched her, the look of confidence. Not arrogance as she’d thought the night before, but the confidence of a man who wanted to please her and knew he had the ability to do so.

  As she cried out, arching against Aedan as her orgasm began to take hold of her body, he was still watching her, his eyes moving over her face, as if seeing something there that was visible only to him. But she closed her eyes as the pleasure swept through her body, turning her head against the pillow, her legs wrapped around his waist, her hands clutching his solid, muscular shoulders.

  She finally drew a deep breath, opening her eyes. He was still watching her and she reached up, holding his face in her hands. His lips cu
rved into a brief smile before he closed his eyes as his body sought release, taking his pleasure in her now that she was satisfied.

  This was so very different than the previous night. He held himself above her, moving deliberately, until she felt his body stiffen before he buried his face against her neck. She felt his hips pushing forward once, twice...holding himself inside her then, the only sounds a series of soft exhalations that she felt more than heard.

  As he finished he rolled to his side, pulling her hard against him, his arms and legs wrapped around her body, before he gradually relaxed, the tension slowly leaving his frame.

  He held her so long she thought he’d gone back to sleep. But when she moved, he opened one eye, a lazy smile playing on his lips.

  “You want something to eat?”

  “Do you cook?” Rosa smiled back.

  Aedan made a face, shaking his head. “Not exactly. But I do know of a great little Greek diner just around the corner. Serves up an awesome breakfast.”

  “I should call home first, let them know I’m alive.”

  “Checking in with the parents? That’s....”

  Rosa caught his look and he apparently caught hers. She frowned. “I live at home. They worry. It’s just being considerate.”

  Aedan shrugged. “I’m going to take a shower. You’re welcome to join me after you make your call.”

  She watched as he walked across the bedroom, marveling at how she’d ended up here, in bed with this strange man. But then something caught her eye, something she hadn’t noticed before in the dim light of last night.

  Scars ran across Aedan’s back, white lines marring his perfect skin. They looked different from the scar on his chest, not raised. These were long and thin and there were many of them. She leaned forward, aware she was staring but powerless to look away.