Does It Hurt?

by H.D. Carlton

“I wanted to say it was the truth when you asked if I hated you, but I couldn’t lie, so I said nothing. And every time I laid eyes on you today, all I could think was that I never really did.”

He pulls away enough to catch my watery gaze. “Choose to live, bella. Choose me.”

I’m not ready to walk away from the whispers of death, but something about the way Enzo holds me is so much more enticing. He doesn’t know it, but in this very moment, I am choosing him.

He’s most beautiful when he’s at his most primitive. He dips his chin, leaning back just enough to give room for spit to stream from his mouth and directly onto the head of his cock. I spread the wetness across his tip. I don’t waste any more time sliding the tip through my wet slit, earning another hiss before I seat myself on him.

I can’t fit him inside me easily, but I welcome the pain.

how fucking abrasive he is. I shake my head. “Not enough,”

“I can make it hurt,” Enzo says, a dark promise coloring his deep voice. “You will,” I say, dropping my head to meet his stare. “But only how I want it.”

smile on my face, I lean until my lips brush against his ear. “Good boy,” I whisper.

“Yes,” I inhale sharply, the acute combination of pain and pleasure clashing in a battle of dominance over my body.

My eyes begin to roll when he hits a particular spot inside me. But the moment I do, a sharp crack fills the air, followed by a searing burn across my cheek. “Eyes on me, Sawyer,” he demands hotly. There’s a moment of shock that he slapped me, but my body responds in a carnal way. My back bows and the bliss sharpens. The cry that follows is one born out of pure gratification.

“That’s it, you love being a good girl for me, don’t you, baby?” he drawls. “Just like you love coming all over my cock like a desperate little slut.”

“You were so close to coming, and I denied you, didn’t I?” Anger flashes across his eyes and the corner of my lips curl upward. “Does it hurt, baby?”

“Fuck, Sawyer, keep testing me. Your smile is only pretty because of those teeth. I’d hate to see them missing.”

“I’m a desperate little slut and want to feel you come down my throat.”

“Good sluts ask nicely,” he murmurs, biting his lip when I stick out my tongue, prompting him to slap his cock on it.

“I never said I was good. I said I was desperate.”

hard—fuck, yes, yes, yes,” he chants. His head kicks back; only his strong throat is visible as he erupts. He shouts, his chin snapping back down to his chest so he can watch me swallow every drop. Mouth parted, and his brows lowered over his eyes, his entire body vibrates from the force, and it feels like I can’t drink him down fast enough. Finally, he forces me away, becoming overstimulated.

“I’m going to choose to live because I refuse to die for Kevin. But the life I’ve chosen for myself is something I have to suffer through alone, Enzo.”

I asked him to hurt me, but it seems I’ve done a far better job of it.

I’ve known her for barely over six weeks, and she’s already got me falling at her fucking feet. Choose me. She didn’t.

“Lemme tell ya, women like that don’t come around often,” he remarks conversationally. “Tell me about it,” I mutter. Not every day you meet a girl that lures you between her thighs and then turns around and steals your fucking identity the next day. Nor is it every day the same girl drags you upward of a mile across the ocean to safety.

She’s walking lightning. Both beautiful and fucking destructive.

“And I want ya to know, if she decides to stay, I’ll make sure she’s...

“Why would she stay?”

“She clearly has no place outside of here, don’t you agree?” “No,” I retort.

“Maybe that’s ’cause you want to keep ’er. But women like that don’t want to be kept.” “Isn’t that what you want?” I fire back, arching a brow. “To keep her?” Something flashes across his eyes, an emotion that’s gone before I can place it. He smiles, revealing blackened teeth. “Ain’t no sense in keepin’ something that stays willingly. I don’t like possessin’ things, not unless I have to.”

“I don’t think I like what you’re implying.”

“That’s ’cause you don’t like that she might actually choose me over...

He’s banking on my anger, I can fucking see the anticipation crinkling his eyes. He wants me to snap, so he has the excuse to kick me out.

“Guess we’ll see,”

“Want me to put in a good word for you while I’m in bed ...

”Don’t be inappropriate, son,” he warns. “You should learn some respect. No wonder she runs from you.”

“I know how to catch her,” I drawl, then I glance down at his wooden leg. “Can’t say it’d take much to get away from you, stronzo.”

I’m sure you have people looking for you. Maybe we can see about reaching out to one of them to rescue you.”

“Me?” I repeat. “You mean us?” Her lips tighten. “I think I might stay here,” she says. “I know you asked me to choose you, but choosing you means dragging you into the mess I’ve created. If I stay, I won’t need to steal from anyone anymore. I won’t need to keep running.”

“Absolutely not,” I bark, shooting to my feet. There’s a restless energy buzzing in my bones. My fists clench and unclench, a useless attempt to abate the way my body is beginning to vibrate.

“You want to keep me because you hate me. I get it,”

“You want to punish me because I remind you of your mother. But please, just give me this. Give me freedom.”

“This isn’t freedom,” I argue. “This is just as much a prison and one that...

“So what if i...

“Don’t do that. Don’t suddenly give up when—”

“Didn’t I already tell you? I’m a coward, and I run. If you care about me at all, Enzo, you will let me stay here. Bringing me back to Port Valen… you’re asking me to either go to a real prison or go back to stealing.”

We have little trust in one other, and fuck, she’s a goddamn fugitive. I don’t see how a future could possibly work between us. Yet, the thought of leaving her behind is enough to send me into a blind rage.

“I think Sylvester wants me to stay.” “Because he’s a goddamn creep,” I snap heatedly. “He is,”

“Don’t worry, I’m used to living with a creep. I know how to handle them.” “That’s the problem, bella,”

“You should have never been put in that position, and you sure as fuck should never have to get used to someone so fucking vile.”

“What do you expect me to do? I don’t have any other choice.”

I close my eyes, and even though I’m giving in to her, it doesn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. “I’m going to protect you, Sawyer,” I promise her. Her eyes shoot back to mine, once more widening with surprise. “I don’t agree with how you live your life, but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand. You’re not a fucking coward. You’ve been fighting your entire life and deserve rest.”

“You can’t let them find me,” she whispers. “The only one who will ever find you is me, Sawyer. You can hide from everyone else, but you can’t hide from me.”

“Why would you help me?”