and pinches one of my swollen nipples in punishment. I cry out as the pain runs through me. His hands move to palm each side of my stomach, where he strokes it gently, his eyes are glued there, seemingly enraptured. Slowly he looks up and his eyes hold mine. The inky chocolate depths are so deep, I lose myself.
“I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in my fucking life, Nicole. Never.”
I close my eyes and replay his words. My man. God, this man has a way of shattering whatever self-doubt I have and making me feel like I am the most beautiful woman in the world. He manages to heal the wounds left by my parents and numerous other idiots that have passed through in my life, and I don’t even think he tries . He just does it. He believes it, believes in me. He makes me believe it, too.
Those are the last thoughts I manage to grasp before I pick up speed in my ride and focus on doing nothing but bringing us pleasure. He grips my hips, helping to support me as I slide down on his cock, over and over, doing my best to clench tight around him.
“That’s it, Mama. Give it to me.”
I can’t maneuver like I once did; I am not flexible, nor agile. I’ve worried that Dragon would notice the difference and miss it. I worried for no reason. I see that in the look in his eyes, the way his hands move over my body, and more importantly, by the way my climax triggers his. I fracture into a million pieces, pleasure rocking me to my core, but he is right there with me. I hear him call out my name and feel his release.
Minutes later I’m lying on my side. Dragon has fixed it so we’re now at the head of the bed and I’m using his chest as my pillow. It’s still early in the evening, too early to be in bed, I guess. I don’t care.
“Tell me about Dani, Mama,” Dragon says and I wish I didn’t have to.
“She’s not from Kentucky and we didn’t go to high school together.”
Dragon’s body tightens against mine and I feel shame for lying to him. He doesn’t say anything though and he doesn’t push me away, so I soldier on.
“I told you my parents insisted I go to college to find a suitable husband, but I refused; though not at first. I went for one semester. They sent me to Three Oaks Academy in Maryland. It was the premiere private college where trophy wives-in-training go.”
Dragon kisses the top of my head and squeezes me to him. I take this as a good sign.
“That’s where I sort of met Dani.”
“Sort of?”
“Dani is a name she picked out of a Red Hot Chili Pepper’s song. Her real name is Melinda Marinetti.”
“Fuck me…”
“Of the Marinetti shipping…”
“I know the name, Nicole,” Dragon replies and his voice is not happy. I take a breath and dive back in.
“Her father had just died. She had no one but him since her mom died when Dani was…”
“Melinda.”
“She’s Dani to me, she always will be,” I try to explain and I can hear how upset he is, but I figure at this point in for penny, in for a pound—or whatever. “Anyways, when the will was read her father made it a stipulation that Dani would marry Michael or she would not inherit anything.”
“Jesus.”
“Pretty much. Michael was nice to Dani. He held her hand through the funeral, helped make the arrangements, and became her support system in a way. She thought he was perfect.”
“He wasn’t?”
“He wasn’t happy she came to school. The will stipulated that Dani finish so many hours of college and other weird shit though, so he didn’t stop her. After they married, that’s when he changed.”
“Changed?”
“Controlling, beatings…and more, but those things are Dani’s alone to know, Dragon.”
“Why didn’t she leave?”
“Hard to leave a man who has that much power. She was young, terrified. There were a lot of reasons.”
“She reached out to you?”
“I hated Three Oaks, one semester was all I could handle. I came back home and moved in with Roy’s parents.”
“Roy?” Dragon asks
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