Empire of Lust (Empire, #4)

by Rina Kent

There’s something powerful about owning a defiant woman like Aspen. I’m not exactly taming her, but I have her submit to me when my body talks to hers. I have a fireball on my hands and I can’t wait for what she comes up with next.

He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby becomes a monster. And if you gaze into an abyss for long, the abyss gazes into you.”

“Whatever you did, undo it,” Nate tells me, subtly pushing me in the direction of Kingsley’s office. “And what makes you think I have something to do with any of this?” “The fact that he looks at you like he wants to fuck you, then kill you. Or kill you, then fuck you. I’m not entirely sure about his hard limits and if they include necrophilia.”

Kingsley nor I were ready for one another then. Maybe we needed the time to reach this version of ourselves. A version that’s a little bit broken, a little bit dark, but still fits the other anyway. A version in which we’re each other’s worlds.

It became an uncontrollable lust, an unhinged obsession, and the darkest feelings.

What started as a hate-fuck, as a need to get her out of my system, gradually turned into the most peaceful, balanced time of my life. She matches my fire, but she also tames it. Douses it. Sings soul-soothing lullabies only she knows the lyrics to. And for the first time in my life, I want someone to be there for me. Someone who doesn’t shy away from my destructive energy and, instead, stands tall in front of it and me. A woman who can be my partner, my lover, and my submissive all at the same time.

Being in the same room with Kingsley has always been an experience. Like sinking in dark waters and knowing he’ll be the one to provide me with oxygen. He drips with power and authority that speaks to the secret submissive part of me without words.

I pull him by a handful of his shirt and slam my lips to his. Kingsley growls in my mouth, then wraps a big hand around my neck and kisses me with a hunger that steals my breath. Our teeth, tongues, and even our souls collide in a shattering kiss that turns my limbs into Jell-O. I kiss him with the desperation of a reborn woman while he breathes life into me.

“I had a connection with you before sex was even involved. Yes, I love your submission to my dominance and how you secretly enjoy the way I mark your skin, and sex plays a role in what we have, but it’s not all we are. You chase away my darkness and understand me on a level no one else does. You never shied away from my callous side. If anything, you stood right in the path of its destruction, challenging me for more. Not only are you my match and the woman who gave me Gwen, but you also make me a better man, sweetheart.”

“You make me a better woman, too, King,” I whisper in an emotional voice I usually wouldn’t allow myself to speak in. “I’ve wanted you since I was fourteen and I think I never stopped wanting you since. You’re the one man who sees inside both the old and new Aspen. You make me want to embrace my weaknesses and my scars because they’re a form of strength, too.” “As you should. They’re as beautiful as you.”

“Truth is, I searched for you more than you searched for me. In the beginning, I thought it was to teach you a lesson for abandoning Gwen, but in reality, I wanted you all for myself. You were the only woman who made me feel at a time I thought I was incapable of it. You looked at me as if I were the only person in the world.” “And you looked at me as if I were important. I never felt important until that moment.” I reach a hand out and stroke his cheek. “I love you, King. I think I’ve loved you since that first time.”

If he’s dark, then I’m willing to embrace that darkness.

“What I felt for you was obsession at its finest, but over time, I realized, this type of obsession ran deeper and wilder than I ever anticipated. This type of obsession is a twisted translation of love. You had me long before either of us knew, but now you own my heart, body, and soul, sweetheart. Just like I plan to own yours.”

You’re my king and I want to be your queen.” “You already are.”

I’m his. He’s mine. This time, permanently.

Nietzsche said that there’s always some madness in love, but there’s also always some reason in madness. And this infuriating man is my reason and my madness.

I know that a man like Kingsley comes with a lot of baggage, and I love that, just like every other part of him. In fact, I’m a bit twisted and love his dark side a tad too much. It’s the part that’s exclusive to me.

I’m the one who saw the devil in his eyes and fell head over heels for it. We’re a match made in hell like that.

“You’re the only woman I want with me every step of the way for the rest of my life, Aspen. When anyone looks at you, I want them to know you’re fucking mine.” “Is that a proposal?” “Depends. Are you going to say yes?” “You’re such a dick, even when you’re proposing.” “But I’m your dick. Literally and figuratively.” I smile. “I never thought about getting married, you know. But I want that with you.” His mirrored smile is blinding as he pulls me close. “That’s because you’re smart as fuck, sweetheart.” And then he seals the proposal with a tingle-inducing kiss.

There’s this constant need to put my hands on her, to chain her to me for eternity, so there’s no way out, no matter how much she tries. She’s a witch, after all. Not only did she cast a spell on my soul, but she also imprisoned my heart and enchanted my brain.

“Thank you.” “For what?” “For being the father of my children.” “I would have no other mother for them. You’re mine, Mrs. Shaw.” She pulls me down with a fistful of my shirt. “And you’re mine, Mr. Shaw.”