Flawed: (A Psychological Dark Romance) (The Dark Necessities Prequels Book 1) Read online

  Lily’s mind began to race. All the time? Is that what he said? She inhaled deeply at the idea, the rational section of her brain more than aware of how foreboding that might have sounded to another woman. They’d only known each other a matter of weeks, so it shouldn’t be logical to think that way, and yet, to Lily, Ethan’s words were utterly alluring. It’s what she wanted—to always be with him, and there was no denying it. Ethan was her first love, and Lily had no doubt in her mind that he would be her only one. Being with him seemed more important than anything. More important than her work, more important than Jody and her other friends, and though she thought it was probably wrong, Lily knew he had also become more important than her parents.

  “That sounds good,” she whispered with a coy smile. “But we can’t. I have to work, and you must have things to do, too?

  Ethan tensed at the sound of her words, and she turned to catch his eye. “You are still doing your art, aren’t you?” she demanded softly. “I mean, look how talented you are, Ethan—”

  He lifted his left hand and pressed his index finger gently into Lily’s lips. “I don’t want you to worry about that.”

  His tone was gentle enough, but it had that insistent edge again, the one that made her want to catch her breath. “I’ll do my art when I can, and in the meantime, I have enough money for us both, Lily.”

  Lily blinked into his deep blue gaze, retreating from his digit just enough to plant a hot kiss at Ethan’s fingertip. “It’s the sixties, Ethan,” she responded with a laugh. “I’m a modern woman. I don’t need you to pay for me all the time. I can earn my own money.”

  Ethan’s hand shifted from her mouth to her nape at that moment, and Lily’s eyes fluttered closed at the sensation.

  “I know you can.” The sound of Ethan’s voice made her eyes flicker open once more, “and I’m fine with that. You’re a smart woman, beautiful. You can achieve whatever you want to, and I won’t hold you back, but I want you to know, I’ll also never expect you to earn. I have plenty saved up. Enough for us both.”

  She eyed him at that, unsure what Ethan meant, but too nervous to ask. He seemed so happy and relaxed, and Lily didn’t want to do anything to upset the balance between them. “Okay,” she whispered. “I don’t want to talk about money, anymore. Money doesn’t interest me. It’s not important.”

  In a split second, Ethan had nudged her back against the couch, his gaze holding her every inch as much as his body. “You’re right,” he told her in a low tone. “Money’s not important. How about we dedicate some time to things that are, instead?”

  In one fell swoop, he was on her. Ethan didn’t even have to think, he just felt; allowing his senses to do the thinking for him as he reached for her small palms, and dragged them north over Lily’s head.

  “How did you enjoy your last visit here?” His voice was like a low thrum, and he wondered if she could feel it vibrating over her the way it seemed to do so to him.

  “I…” Lily gasped as she met his gaze again. “I loved it, Ethan. You know I did.”

  “There’s no harm in asking,” he chided with a low chuckle. “I like us to communicate, Lily. You know that.”

  She nodded, splaying her legs beneath his body as Ethan shifted on top of her. “I know.”

  Lily smiled, goading him with her hips as they rolled forward against his groin. “But this is all new to me, Ethan, and, you know, it’s hard to talk about these things.”

  That made him laugh. Lily may be a relative innocent, but she was also an excellent communicator, so that excuse wasn’t going to cut it.

  “There is something hard between us, beautiful,” he purred. “But, I’m not sure it’s got anything to do with talking.”

  She shrieked with laughter at that, straining to be free of his grip, though Ethan never lessened his clasp on her hands.

  “You’re so bad, Ethan,” she murmured, gazing up into his eyes longingly.

  He reflected on that statement for a moment, the truth of it hitting him harder than he would ever have imagined. Lily meant the line as a playful joke—a moment of joviality between them—but she had no idea just how accurate her words were. Ethan was bad. Really bad, and maybe not even the sort of bad you could redeem. He was a predator by nature, and though he hadn’t given into those urges since Lily had come into his life, it didn’t change the awful things he’d done, or the way he’d enjoyed every single moment of the hunt. Nothing could.

  And it didn’t mean they wouldn’t return. One day.

  “Ethan?”

  The sweet sound of her voice broke his pensive train of thought, and he offered her an errant reassuring smile as he met her eye again. “You’re right,” he murmured, as he lowered his lips to her alluring mouth. “I am bad.”

  She moaned against him, lifting her head a little to meet his lips. Ethan permitted the act for a moment, before he took control once more, immobilizing her back against the leather of the couch as he claimed her with authority. Lily didn’t even try to resist. Instead, she did just what he wanted, her lips parting as she gave herself to him. He knew his cock was hardening at the thought alone, and the sensuality of the kiss meant he was aching to be inside her by the time the caress ended.

  “And I want to do bad things to you, Lily.”

  “Like what?” she gasped, those green eyes twinkling at the mere suggestion of naughtiness to come.

  If only you knew, his mind retorted, and the thought jarred in Ethan’s head.

  “Do you really want to know?” he asked in a soft murmur. “I mean, I don’t want to frighten you, but I want to be honest at the same time.”

  Honest? That’s a bad joke, the little nagging voice chided him. You’ve not been too honest so far, have you, Ethan? You’ve not told her who you really are—where you’ve come from—or what you’ve done, have you? It sounds like a rather selective honesty to me…

  Ethan tried to blink away the irritating monologue, but Lily didn’t seem to notice. She was already nodding excitedly in response to his question.

  “Yes, Ethan,” she replied in a raspy tone. “Yes, I want to know. I might not be ready for everything, but I want to try.”

  He inhaled, taking in the sweet floral scent of the soap Lily washed with. She was intoxicating. “I’d like to restrain you,” he continued, pressing what he sensed was an advantage. “And it would be great to keep you naked around the place most of the time.”

  The image of the picture he painted popped into his mind as the words left his lips, and his erection swelled with passion at the thought.

  “Like a slave?”

  Lily’s tone sounded raspy and excited, and the sound of it reverberated directly to Ethan’s cock.

  “Yes,” he replied. “You’ll be like my innocent Red Riding Hood, who wandered unknowingly into grandma’s house and found the big bad wolf.”

  Ethan grinned at the analogy. He liked it. It was perfect for what was happening between them.

  “Hmm,” she answered in what he assumed was an intentionally thoughtful tone. “I’m not so sure, Ethan. I mean, I’m not exactly innocent anymore, and you’re not the big bad wolf!”

  He chuckled, the noise a little darker than even he’d intended. “Ah, but you’re only tainted because of me. I corrupted you, Lily,” he reminded her proudly. “And as for your other point, I wouldn’t be so sure of yourself, Red Riding Hood. I can be pretty big and pretty bad sometimes, you know.”

  Lily laughed softly at his appraisal. “You’re not as a scary and intimidating as you think you are, Mr. Wolf,” she murmured. “You should know that.”

  Ethan shook his head at her analysis. His beautiful little woman really didn’t know whom she’d gotten into bed with.

  Chapter Twenty

  “So, what should I do?” she asked in a small, tentative voice. She didn’t understand all the implications of what Ethan was proposing, but the delicious tingle in her sex told her that she wanted to know more. “How do we try the things you have in mind?�
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  The full weight of his hot gaze fell over her face. “Really?” he inquired. “You know what you’re asking for, right?”

  Lily swallowed at the way Ethan put that, and for just a second her brain began to backtrack. Maybe this wasn’t the right thing to do, after all? Perhaps, she should just be happy with the sensual lovemaking she’d experienced so far, with a little spicy spanking thrown in for good measure? But the glint in Ethan’s eyes told her it might already be too late for that.

  “I want to,” she admitted in a breathy tone. “But I confess the thought makes me a little nervous.”

  “With good reason,” he told her with a mischievous grin. “You’ll need to really trust me for the things I have in mind.”

  She gulped at that, or maybe it was just that look in his eyes that made her throat dry. “I do,” she answered, but even Lily wasn’t so convinced by the reply.

  Ethan rose from his place on the couch at that, kneeling over her like some sort of dark God. “Let’s start with the basics then,” he said as though he was thinking out loud. “Up you get and let’s see you strip.”

  Lily’s body was moving at that instruction, but she honestly couldn’t remember the conscious decision to do so. There was an excited fire in his eyes now that seemed to be compelling her, and fleetingly Lily wondered if he had her under his control, the way she had seen him do to those morons in the car in the past. She rose to her feet, standing next to the couch as he settled back into a relaxed position in the place she’d vacated. Her fingers fumbled at the buttons of her blouse.

  Ethan wanted her to strip—it shouldn’t be such a big request.

  After all, he had seen her naked before, and had never been anything but complimentary about her body, but still, somehow the thought of intentionally getting nude in front of him was paralyzing.

  “Problem?”

  Ethan’s voice floated to her ears, and Lily’s gaze flitted back to the sardonic expression on his face.

  “This feels weird,” she confessed, though she forced her fingers to unfasten the top button as she spoke.

  His face darkened at her display. “This feels weird, what?”

  Ethan’s tone had changed in a heartbeat, morphing into that hard, commanding timbre that threatened to take her breath away, and she knew in an instant what he wanted. He wanted her to call him sir again—he liked it—and if truth be told, so did she.

  “Sir,” she responded, licking her lips in a reflexive manner as she conceded the point.

  That made him smile again, the sinful one that made her insides liquefy. “Better,” he replied with a nod. “Now, what’s the problem? I only asked you to remove your clothes. It’s a simple enough task.”

  He was right, of course. It was a simple task, but something about it seemed so strange to Lily. Ethan had always stripped her before, lifting her skirt for a spanking, or helping her with her attire. The fact that she stood in front of him with all of the lights on, was just mortifying, but she knew she had no choice in the matter. She had asked for this, and this was what he wanted. The fingers at her chest lowered to the next button, deciding that if she needed to be naked, Lily may as well achieve it as soon as possible. Within a moment, the front of her blue blouse was undone, and she shrugged it from her shoulders, before reaching around her back to unclip her bra.

  “Slow down for me, beautiful,” he ordered in that seductive purr. “Let me enjoy the show.”

  Lily was panting at his instruction. Enjoy it? Was he joking? Stripping for him was a difficult enough task without having to do it in slow motion. She knew whatever confidence she’d been clinging onto was slipping away from her fast.

  “I’m sorry,” she mumbled as she pulled the small white bra from her chest. Her nipples appeared to react to Ethan’s searing eyes, beading just as soon as his gaze fell over them. “I don’t know how, sir.”

  “Sure you do,” he said softly. “Take a deep breath, and relax. You’re beautiful, and you know I want you. You might be the one about to surrender, Lily, but you’re also the one with all the power here.”

  She closed her eyes, allowing his words to wash over her. Maybe he was right? She could do this, and as her eyes flickered open again, Lily resolved to take her time. She wanted to make Ethan happy. She needed to be good at this.

  This time when her fingers shifted to the small button at her waist, she consciously drew in a deep breath, making herself wait before she slid the zipper south. Slowly, she eased the dark skirt over her hips, raising her head to meet his hungry gaze as the material hit the carpet below. Christ, it was excruciating. Lily despised being in the spotlight like this, and she knew she was biting her lip as she stepped out of the puddle that was now her skirt.

  Ethan nodded. “Better,” he told her in an approving tone. “Now turn around and bend over as you peel those tights away. I want to see everything that belongs to me.”

  The pressure at her lip increased until Lily tasted blood. Fuck, he wanted her to do what? It was so ignominious, yet the way Ethan said it made it all so naughty and hot. She tried to get a handle on her erratic breathing as she turned, hooking her thumbs under the waistband of her tights before she took another deep breath.

  Slow-ly, she reminded herself as she slid the fabric over her arse. Lily tried not to think about how the whole spectacle would be looking to Ethan, because that thought was too much. All she could focus on was the task at hand, and that meant doing Ethan’s bidding.

  “Don’t bend your legs, beautiful,” he admonished softly. “Bend from the waist, and arch that back. Let me see that sweet pussy.”

  Lily actually felt the tremor that ran over her body at his words, but she did her best to comply. Straightening her legs, she allowed her weight to fall forward from her hips. The position seemed so awkward and ungainly that Lily couldn’t imagine why Ethan liked it, but as her tights pooled around her ankles, she heard an appreciative whistle from Ethan.

  “So fucking hot,” he purred, and somehow the compliment emboldened her.

  Daring to catch a glimpse of him from beyond her knee, Lily’s gaze shifted to his face, and to her surprise and relief, Ethan looked hungrier than ever.

  “Keep going,” he instructed, meeting her tentative eyes. “I want you naked.”

  Lily nodded, easing her feet from the fabric before her hand rose to the panties at her hips. Fortunately, she’d managed to find a slightly prettier pair than previously, so having Ethan see them this way wasn’t quite as unbearable as it might have been. By the time, she’d slid the knickers to her ankles, Lily was close to panting again. Exposed and vulnerable, and yet undeniably wet and ready.

  Lily stood bent over and completely naked in front of him. It was like something out of one of Ethan’s fantasies, and a part of him could barely believe they were both actually here and not dreaming.

  “Fabulous,” he purred as she stepped gingerly out of her adorable panties. “Now, just stay right there.”

  “Like this?” she gasped.

  Ethan was on his feet in a second, slapping her prone arse at Lily’s error. “What was that, Lily?”

  “Sir!” she exclaimed, correcting herself at once. “I’m sorry.”

  He gently trailed a finger over the curve of her behind, aware of the way his cock jumped at the touch. “You need to remember, beautiful,” he warned her. “You don’t want to add my belt to this evening.”

  Lily’s body tensed under his fingertip. He actually felt the discernible tautness as his hand shifted to the top of her thighs.

  “I will remember, sir,” she panted.

  He bet she would.

  “This is every inch as good as I’d imagined,” he murmured. “I need you naked around here all the time.”

  “Ethan,” she breathed. “Sir.”

  He edged left, tilting his head to examine her face. “Don’t you like being nude for me?” he inquired.

  Ethan watched as her face began to color.

  “It’s so… different,
” she conceded at length. “I feel so vulnerable like this.”

  That made him chortle. Vulnerable was exactly what Lily was now, and as if he wanted to reinforce the point, he moved his hand to the underside of her pussy and cupped her sex. Her nest of hair was wet already, suggesting Lily’s vulnerability made her horny, as well as helpless.

  “You’re mine,” he reminded her in a resolute tone. “All you need to think about is being my good girl. Do you understand?”

  One finger slipped idly into her sex, eliciting a gasp from Lily’s lips before she responded.

  “Yes, sir,” she panted.

  Ethan’s excitement swelled at the reply, combining with the incredible sensation of her hot snatch. He needed to slow down himself, and remember this was Lily’s first time following his instructions, yet everything about her made him want to shove his erection straight into her wet, needy passage.

  “I’d like to teach you something new tonight,” he murmured as he probed a little deeper. “Are you up for the challenge?”

  A small whimper escaped Lily’s lips.

  “Was that a yes?” he replied with a laugh, easing the digit from her wonderful sex.

  She gasped. “Yes, sir.”

  “Good girl,” he answered, slapping her exposed behind playfully. “Then let’s have you down on your hands and knees by my feet, Lily.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Ethan’s latest instruction washed over her as he resumed his place on the leather sofa. Falling to her knees gracefully, the sound of his belt buckle sent her heart rate into a spin. Surely, he didn’t mean to punish her with that thing? What had she done to upset him? Waiting on all fours, she watched as he opened the fastening at the top of his pants, releasing his monster cock in his usual unhurried way.

  Lily’s gaze fell over his erection, her sex clenching at the memory of the thing. She knew he was big. She’d been sore for several days after he’d claimed her last time, but somehow, she’d never appreciated just how huge Ethan was. She’d never truly laid eyes on the thing. Collapsing into his seat, Ethan beckoned to her with his index finger. No words were spoken, it was just that one finger and the carnal promise flashing in his eyes that drew Lily toward him. At least it seemed he didn’t want to punish her, and for that fact, she was absurdly grateful as she crawled the short distance to where he was sitting, his cock waiting proudly for her arrival.