Tess moaned as my tongue entered her mouth, licking her, tasting her. Her lips opened, welcoming me deeper.

Our heads tilted, following each other in perfect synchronicity as the kiss evolved from tender to passionate. Her breath filled my lungs; my fingers burned to touch.

Never breaking the kiss, I found the bow at her lower back, undoing the restraint. Following the billowing material, I released the dress.

Tess shimmied from the silk, letting it fall from her shoulders. Her hands slid up my back to my arms, removing my blazer in the same slow intoxication.

Our kiss continued, lips locked, hearts linked as my jacket fell to the floor. Her hands went to my waistband, quickly undoing the zipper and button, allowing the trousers to cascade down my legs, leaving me completely naked. My hard c**k sprang upward, freed from its prison, thudding against my stomach. The head prodded a bruise—a small undercurrent of pain in this dream of lust. But everything was bruised—so the pain didn’t matter. All pain became great pain. And Tess was the greatest pain of all.

She affected me right where it mattered.

I was immortal holding my paramour.

Tess tried to pull away, but I kept her mouth glued to mine. She moaned again as I kissed deeper, tasting every morsel, demanding her utmost attention. With questing fingers, I found the garter belt clips and undid them. Reaching around, I unthreaded the first corset lace, working my way slowly, teasingly up her back.

You’re mine to unwrap. The ultimate gift.

What the hell did I do to deserve her?

With every loosened lace Tess shivered, her mouth working harder on mine until her fingers landed in my hair, tugging me ruthlessly.

I stumbled, unwilling to use stomach muscles that’d been beaten with a baseball bat. We tripped together, never letting go or breaking the kiss. Our lips were hot and wet. Our thoughts connected—our bodies linked.

Regaining our footing, I undid the final lace. Unwrapping the corset from her body, I dropped it to the floor. Tess breathed a sigh of relief. Her br**sts went from squished and high to natural and heavy.

Her ni**les called to me—wondrously beckoning to my cock. I wanted to thrust between her br**sts. I wanted to grace her perfect throat with a necklace made from come. So much I wanted to do. And I can. She’s my wife.

A bolt of ultimate happiness chased away everything I’d lived through. Lynx and his f**king mind-games were over. I would get over my issues with towels and never look back.

Tess had defeated me in more ways than one. In so many ways that mattered.

My balls twitched in anticipation. A shooting pain radiated in my stomach. I couldn’t tell if it was the overbearing need to fill her or if my body suffered under pressure. Either way—I ignored it, focusing on her heat and liquidity.

Tugging on the leash trailing between her br**sts, I jerked her close. She gasped against my lips, her tongue dancing with mine in a tango full of need.

I wanted to make love to her forever.

I will make love to her forever.

Nothing would stop me from spending the rest of my days worshipping this woman.

My eyes opened, diving into hers. Our lips never stopped taking but messages were sent and understood.

I love you.

I adore you.

You’re mine.

I’m yours.

Her hands dove into my hair, pulling me ever closer. Her touch claimed every part of me—she lived in my skin, my heart, my mind.

I drowned in her taste. I wanted her crying as she came. I wanted her unravelling on my tongue.

With strong arms, I plucked her from the floor, walking her to the bed. We never stopped kissing, licking. Time had finally obeyed me—stopping in this wonderful moment. The world ceased to spin—letting us indulge.

When my knees hit the mattress, I lowered her gently. Her weight transferred to the crisp white bedspread; her blonde hair fanned out in lazy waves.

I broke the kiss, leaning over her. “Fuck, you’re so damn magnifique.”

Tess rolled upright, not caring her hair fell around her shoulders, hiding her br**sts. With sharp determination, she pushed my lower belly, placing me where she wanted.

Her fingers wrapped around my h*ps and she gave me exactly what she promised. Her mouth swallowed my length in one long delicious pull.

“Holy shit, esclave.”

My brain stuttered out, blanking every sense, every thought. All I could focus on was the slippery heaven of her lips. Every nerve ending went straight to my cock.

Her head bobbed, sucking hard—almost violent in her speed and possession. I was her hostage, governed by a body desperate for a release. She was my witch. My whore. My wife.

“Tess—fuck.” My hands landed in her hair, fisting her thick curls. My ass clenched, rocking into her wet talented mouth. Her hand grasped the base, stroking me in time with her sucks.

My eyes rolled back, giving every inch of control to Tess. For once, I didn’t care she’d taken away my power. For once, I had no issues with her being in charge.

She owns me anyway. There was no difference if she took what she wanted or accepted.

“My mouth is yours, master. Always,” she murmured, kissing the tip, sliding back down—down and down—her teeth whispering over delicate flesh.

Her fingers found my balls, rolling them, squeezing. They tightened, drawing close to my body, so hot, so f**king ready to blow.

“Q…I want to drink you,” Tess said, wrenching my head back as she deep-throated me.

I groaned, losing my eyesight completely. “God, Tess. Your mouth is f**king magic.” My body stiffened, bliss blasting down my legs. My stomach clenched, working through the pain, wobbling in her hold.

I want to come.

So come.

I can’t.

All enjoyment faded.

I crashed from my blowjob high to a crevice of lows. My mind filled with images of the slave sucking me. Her tentative lips—her juvenile touch compared to Tess’s mastery.

Shit.

Pushing Tess away, I swiped a hand over my face. I don’t want to tell her.

Did I have the strength to tell her what Lynx did? That another woman had been forced to lick the same c**k forever belonging to Tess?

Secrets will ruin you.

Tess had accepted me despite knowing nothing of my past. She loved me in spite of knowing my present. She promised to never leave, regardless of what happened in the future, and I couldn’t dishonour her by not being honest.

“Is everything okay?” Tess’s lips were swollen, waiting for me to slide back inside and forget—forget about everything.

But I couldn’t.

Falling to my knees, I took her hands. I didn’t know where to start. She had to understand my reasoning before I blurted out the horror. Taking a deep breath, trying to find my runaway courage, I said, “I was so f**king frightened when I couldn’t find you, Tess. When you were taken, I lost a part of myself. I willingly gave that part up to hunt for you—mainly because in some dark recess—I thought I’d never see you again.

“You own me completely, so when you were missing, I had nothing.”

Her fingers twitched, linking around mine with encouragement.

“I did things, esclave. I butchered men and feel no regrets. I tortured traffickers and feel no remorse. I do things society wouldn’t approve but I don’t care because I do. It fits within my law—do you see?”

Tess shook her head softly. “Your law? Q…what are you talking about?”

It was surreal holding her dressed only in a collar, pantyhose, and knickers. I kneeled before her naked, spilling my heart. Way to pick a f**king time. But I couldn’t go any further until I’d purged myself. She needed to know how f**king sorry I was.

“Q, you’re scaring me. Why are you telling me this?”

Swallowing hard, I replied, “Because it’s time you know the truth about me.” I’m doing this. I’m truly going to spill everything in one messed up conversation. “I don’t talk about my family because my father was a heinous f**king bastard who raped and murdered women. I hated what he did. And I shot him. I brought a gun and premeditated murder all because I couldn’t listen to the screams anymore. But the moment I pressed the trigger, his tendencies shot into me. His evilness found a new host—in a boy who was his father’s true heir.”

I wanted to cut out my tongue. I never wanted to tell her. I always believed my past would remain hidden, yet I’d just spewed it on our wedding night.

Tess captured my chin, stroking my bristles. “There’s nothing evil about you, Q. You aren’t—”

“Let me finish.” Her acceptance granted false hope. I was nowhere near done.

I had to rip off the bandages—exposing myself sharp and quick. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t finish and the secret would fester for the rest of my life.

I needed Tess to forgive me. Please, forgive me.

“You guessed right at dinner. I had a sister. Her name was Marquisa. She died at my father’s hand, and I was too young to kill him. I lived with the man who raped and killed my sister because I was weak.” I glossed over the grotesqueness, not willing to flay that particular memory.

Tess sucked in a gasp, her na**d br**sts rising with horror. “Q—no. That’s awful.”

“I wasn’t going to tell you—I didn’t want you to know, but I have to tell you something else—and I hope to God you don’t f**king hate me.” My eyes latched onto hers, filling with fear. “Don’t despise me. I don’t know what I’ll do if you do.”

Tess stiffened. Her lips popped wider, alarm flushing her skin. But she didn’t untangle her fingers from mine. I took strength from that. “Why would I despise you, Q? I’ve accepted everything about you. Nothing you say can change that.” She was so beautiful, so pure.

I hung my head. God, I hoped so. “I haven’t been faithful to you, esclave.”

Her face turned white; her fingers turned to icicles. “Excuse me?”

Fuck. “Lynx made a slave girl suck me. I didn't want it. I fought it and chose to die rather than be unfaithful, but I had to tell you. I can’t live with the knowledge I let it happen. It wasn’t for long and I never broke my honour to you in my heart. But I had to apologise, so it never comes between us.”

Tess didn’t move.

My heart charged like a monstrous thing, wheezing for forgiveness.

When she didn’t say anything, I squeezed her fingers. “Please. Say something.”

Slowly, she tugged her hand from mine. My stomach hollowed out.

Then she laced her fingers in my hair, holding me still, peering deep into my eyes. “You chose death over some woman giving you o**l s*x?” She blinked. “Why?”

“Why?”

“Q—you almost died…all because—”

“I almost died to protect my integrity. That’s the only part of me I have left. Don’t you understand? I’ve killed my father. I’ve seen my sister be raped and murdered. I’ve watched and done nothing as my mother drank herself into the grave. I’ve built my life on nothing. I’ve run from a past I want nothing to do with. I have no control over that. None.

“But I do have my honour. It’s the only thing I can control.” I gritted my teeth. “I survived with the darkness in my blood by one means only. I thought you’d figured that out by now, esclave.”

Her blue-grey eyes glossed with sadness, radiating kindness. “No, Q. I haven’t figured you out at all, but this is helping.”

I rushed ahead, hoping to make her understand. “Honour is my driving force. The only thing I can rely on when the monster gets too strong or the beast takes control. Honour is the only law I obey.

“I broke my unbreakable law when that woman sucked me. It ruined everything I stood for because I broke your trust in me.”

Tess’s lips clamped together. I captured her tears with a fingertip. “Don’t you see, mon amour? I would rather die than have that honour taken away from me. It’s my only guideline on right and wrong. And I love you too much to besmirch it. Please, I need you to understand and forgive me.”

Tess cried softly, her cheeks flushing with emotion. “Forgive you? Q—there’s nothing to forgive.”

I trembled. My back hurt, my body screamed with pain, but I couldn’t move. Not until I believed her. Not until I’d been granted absolution from this angel who was my wife. “Please…just say you understand.”

Her hands captured my cheeks, kissing me hard. “If you need to hear it, then yes I forgive you.” Her lips landed on my jaw, my cheekbones, my eyelids. “I would’ve forgiven you for anything because he made you do it. Q—you have nothing to feel guilty about because it was outside of your control.”

She stopped kissing me, temper blazing bright. “What I can’t forgive, is you willingly sacrificing your life because you let your morals sign your death sentence. We were almost too late, Q. Do you think I would’ve cared if I found you in bed with another woman—against your will—compared to hanging dead in a dungeon? Yes, it would’ve killed me to know you’d been with another girl but at least you’d be alive.”

She sucked in a breath, gathering courage like a cape. “You’ve told me more today than you ever have, so I’ll share the same courtesy with you. When you helped break me of Leather Jacket’s hold, I went through things I never want to discuss. I don’t know how much you saw or heard, but I would’ve willingly slept with him. In fact, I begged him to. I’m not proud of it. I hate myself for it—but I would do it again if it was the only way to live. Because my life isn’t my own anymore.”

My stomach rolled at the residual panic in her voice. Even now, after everything I’d done, they still had power over her. But I would make it disappear. I had a lifetime to make the past vanish. For both of us.