CHAPTER 22
Kane felt her body clamp around him, tight and trembling, and every instinct he had snapped into a sharp, possessive focus. He held still for a beat, letting her adjust to his size, letting himself breathe through the primal urge to take everything she was offering and then some. He was a big man—no ego, just the truth—and she was gripping him as if she’d never taken a man like him before. Hell, maybe she hadn’t.
His hand slid down her spine as he pushed her forward until her palms hit the mattress. He straightened behind her, taking in the sight he knew would be burned into his brain forever—her back arched, her hair a wild mess, and her ass flushed from his earlier smacks. Beautiful and his. At least in this moment, she was his.
That possessiveness hit so hard it bordered on violent, the kind that made him want to track down every man who’d ever touched her and break them in half just because they existed. He dragged himself out halfway, the drag tight and almost too good, then slammed back in, watching the way her ass shook with the impact. He listened for any sound of discomfort, but all he got was a breathless moan.
When she wiggled her hips, silently begging, a low growl rumbled out of him. His hand slid around her body, cupping her breast, squeezing, feeling the way her nipple hardened beneath his fingers. A little pain, a little pleasure—testing her, learning her, and fuck, she responded to him like she was made for him.
Yeah, the guys called him a manwhore. And sure, he liked sex more than he liked half the people he worked with. But none of them knew the truth... he wanted more. A woman who could match him, challenge him, and give back as hard as he gave. Someone who didn’t want to tame him but could take the parts of him that could never be tamed.
Monica cried out his name, voice high and desperate. “Kane, please.”
“Patience,” he warned, giving her ass a sharp smack, though he couldn’t help the primal grin that tugged at his mouth. She wanted him. Needed him. And damn, that hit him harder than he expected.
He thrust again harder this time and felt her whole body jolt. Her knees wobbled, and he tightened his grip on her hips to steady her.
“That’s it,” he hissed, voice low and rough. “Give in to it.”
Her breathing stuttered. She tried to push back against him, meeting his rhythm, and something in him broke loose. He moved faster, his hips snapping against her, his fingers digging into her skin. The sounds she made were raw, needy, honest—no holding back.
“Kane—I’m—” Her voice cracked.
“I know,” he growled, leaning over her as he drove into her, his chest brushing her back. “Let go. I’ve got you.”
She shattered with a cry, her body tightening around him. He thrust through it, riding the waves of her climax until his own hit him like a punch. He buried himself deep, groaning her name against her shoulder as he came hard, pulse after pulse, until he was shaking.
For a long moment, neither of them moved.
Then Kane carefully eased out of her, his hands steadying her so she didn’t collapse. She trembled, and the protective part of him—the part he pretended didn’t exist—rose to the surface.
“Easy,” he murmured, running a hand down her back. His voice had softened without his permission.
He lifted her gently, turning her onto her back and brushing her hair out of her face. Her cheeks were flushed, lips swollen, eyes hazy, but she looked at him like he wasn’t just a rough bastard with a reputation. Like she saw something worth staying for. That messed with his head in ways he wasn’t ready to admit.
“Hey, you okay?” he asked, thumb brushing her jaw.
“Yes,” she said with a full, satisfied smile. “More than okay.”
Kane knew he’d been a little rough, and the fact she took it and owned it hit him in a way he wasn’t prepared for. He pulled the blanket over her, then lay beside her, his hand sliding to her hip as if it belonged there. Still claiming her, but softer now. Protective in a way he didn’t bother hiding.
“You?” she asked, and damn if that didn’t tug at him in a way nothing else had.
“More than okay,” he echoed, a slow smile touching his mouth before fading just as fast.
Monica rolled to her side, her own smile slipping. “What is it?”
“Nothing.” He tried to brush it off, but she wasn’t buying it—not with that look.
She pushed herself up, holding the blanket to her chest. “Kane?” She tilted her head at him. “I’m a confident woman, but when a man frowns after sex with me, it knocks that confidence down a notch.” One brow lifted, challenging him.
Kane reached out and tugged the blanket right out of her grip, exposing her bare skin to his stare. “When you’re in my bed, don’t hide your body.” His voice dipped low, a command wrapped in heat as his eyes moved from her breast to her face.
She wasn’t going to drop it. He could see that stubborn fire catching in her eyes.
“I want you to quit your job with Farrar,” he said bluntly.
“Excuse me?” she asked, head tilting again, but he knew she heard him just fine.