The Skull King Read online

  He stopped filling out his paperwork and stared at the table before he turned to meet my gaze. He dropped the pencil, sat back, and gave me a glare so terrifying, it reminded me of my father—haunting me from the grave. “It’s done? We need to move on? You’re married to a psychopath—”

  “He’s not that bad.”

  “You’re defending him now?”

  “Not at all. But he’s not a psychopath. He treats me well.”

  “He forced you to marry him. How does that not make him a psychopath? He was obsessed with you and wanted to collect you like a trophy or a piece of jewelry.”

  “Aren’t all men like that?” I countered. “Wanting a trophy wife to show off?”

  “Not the same thing, and you know it.”

  “Well, there’s nothing I can do about it now. You need to accept it—and let it go.”

  He looked down at the table and clenched his jaw, like he didn’t know how to channel his rage anymore. “You did it to save that asshole—”

  “Let’s not go there, alright?” I raised my hand and ignored my pasta because my appetite was gone. “I don’t want to talk about him. I don’t want to talk about what happened ever again. I suffer enough for my mistake every single day. There’s nothing you can do or say to make me feel worse. Seeing your disappointment every time I look at you just…breaks my heart all over again. It makes me suffer over and over. So just stop punishing me, alright?” I couldn’t shed a single tear because I’d shed enough already. Now I was numb to the pain, to the heartbreak. It was the same thing as when you saw loved ones at a funeral. The family of the deceased didn’t cry because they’d been crying every single day since they’d lost that special person. Their eyes ran dry, and there was nothing left to give. That was exactly how I felt.

  My brother stared down at his paperwork, signed it in irritation, and then lifted his gaze to look at me again. “I just wish there were something we could do. I refuse to let you live your life like this. You deserve a husband you love, someone who makes you happy, someone I actually respect. Lucian is my brother-in-law, but he’s no family to me. It doesn’t matter how nice and polite he is to Dirk and me. I can’t stand the guy, and I never will.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at my plate. “There’s nothing we can do, Case…”

  “We could kill him,” he whispered. “Make it look like an accident.”

  “We would never be able to pull that off. Even if we could, I promised I would be cooperative. I promised I wouldn’t fight. I promised I would submit. I’m a woman of my word. And Cardellos always keep their word.”

  Case tilted his head down and ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s my job to take care of you. I feel like I’m not doing my job.”

  “But it’s not your job, Case. It’s my job.”

  “That’s not how Father would see it.”

  “Well, he’s not here. And this was my decision. I have to live with it.”

  He raised his head again then grabbed his pencil. “You want me to forgive you, but I don’t think I can. You want me to pretend everything is okay, but it’s not. What are we going to do when he decides he wants a family? My nieces and nephews will be the product of that asshole—”

  “And you will love them the same, Case.”

  He slumped his shoulders as he sat in the chair. “You deserve better, Cassini. My sister deserves better.”

  I knew his anger came from love, because this man loved me very much. He didn’t wear his heart on his sleeve, but he did have emotions bubbling underneath the surface. All he wanted was to protect me. But this was something he couldn’t protect me from. “It is what it is, Case. I made this decision—and I’ll live with it.”

  4

  Cassini

  Lucian went out of town a lot for work, so I was left unattended most of the time. He had security all over the property, so I was always protected, but I was free to come and go whenever I wanted. In the beginning of our marriage, he kept me on a tight leash, but once he realized I would honor my word, he slackened his hold.

  My thoughts returned to the beautiful man who gave me the best kiss of my life.

  I wanted to finish that kiss, wanted to let the kiss grow into something lustful, passionate, and beautiful. I just wanted one night, amazing sex with a man I would never see again.

  I probably wouldn’t get caught.

  Lucian didn’t really keep tabs on me. He hardly called me when he was away. He never kept his affairs a secret from me. He didn’t come right out and list all the women he fucked while he was away, but he didn’t make any effort to hide them at all.

  I could probably pull it off—one time.

  My lustful nature got the best of me, and I put on a backless black dress with matching heels then drove to the bar where I’d first met him. I didn’t expect him to be there; that would be too much of a coincidence. But that would be a great place to meet him if he was available.

  If he wasn’t already balls deep in someone else for the night.

  A man that gorgeous could get any woman he wanted—and at any time.

  Maybe he’d already forgotten me by now.

  He must have a lot of other offers. All I had was my asshole husband.

  I sat at the bar, pulled out the business card he’d left me, and then asked the bartender to use the phone.

  I was really going to do this.

  I was going to have an affair.

  I typed in the number and listened to the phone ring. I didn’t want to call him from my cell phone just in case Lucian had someone monitoring my texts and phone calls. If I suddenly started calling a random number, late at night, it might raise some red flags.

  He answered, his deep voice rough like sandpaper but also smooth like whiskey. “Balto.”

  That was his name—Balto. The second I heard it, I thought it suited him perfectly. It was deep, to the point, and unique. Maybe it was the way he said it, but the name was sexy too. “Cassini.” I decided to play a game with him—a dangerous game.

  He was quiet for a long time, as if he expected me to say something else. “I knew you would call. But I didn’t think it would take so long.” His surroundings were quiet, like he was somewhere private, and his sexy voice cut through all the random conversations going on around me.

  “You know who this is?”

  “I recognize your voice—sexy as hell.”

  Just listening to him talk turned me on. He wasn’t afraid to say what he wanted, to be brutally honest without shame, and he breathed slightly into the phone with a masculine undertone. Testosterone wasn’t a physical or audible thing, but somehow, I could feel it over the line. “I’m at the bar right now.”

  “Can I buy you a drink?”

  I smiled as I stared at his business card in front of me. “Actually, I was hoping I could buy you a drink.”

  Minutes later, Balto walked in.

  Dressed in a deep blue t-shirt with black jeans that hung low on his hips, he looked even tastier than the night we first met. He crossed the bar with a perfectly straight back, broad shoulders, and a height that towered over anyone else who was standing. His arctic eyes were set on me, as if everyone else in the room was insignificant.

  I was on the exact same stool as last time, so he lowered himself into the seat beside me, keeping his hands to himself, unlike the last time we were together. My martini sat in front of me, and he didn’t waste time ordering his scotch.

  He faced me with his elbow resting on the bar, his eyes taking in the fit of my dress. Lucian thought I was gaining weight, which he didn’t appreciate, but Balto didn’t seem to notice any imperfections. “Did you get more beautiful since the last time I saw you?”

  “I’m wearing different lipstick.”

  If I said the right thing, the corner of his mouth would rise in a soft smile, giving him a slightly boyish charm even though he was all man. “Yeah…that must be it.” He took his glass then brought it to his lips for a drink.

&nb
sp; I watched his throat shift as he downed the liquid, his Adam’s apple striking because of his overwhelming masculinity. He licked his lips when he finished, then returned it to the surface, the glass making a clink so small, I wasn’t sure if I’d really heard it. All of his movements were precise and deliberate.

  His shirt covered his chest and torso, but I imagined he was all muscle, skin, and strength. If his thick arms stretched the sleeves of his shirt that way, I imagined how muscular the rest of his body must have been. He was probably perfect from head to toe, sexier than any man I ever saw when looking at porn. Being married to Lucian forced me to turn to other means to fulfill my sexual desires, and porn was my number one resource. If he caught me, I wouldn’t even be embarrassed about it.

  But masturbation wasn’t cutting it anymore.

  I wanted to be on this man’s dick within the hour.

  I ignored my drink and focused on his looks instead. The shadow of facial hair was gone as if he’d shaved right before he met me. I liked the look because I could see the outline of his jaw so well. I wanted to run the backs of my fingers across his skin until I reached his full lips.

  He had brown hair that was much lighter than my jet-black locks, but the beautiful brown color complemented his features so well. There wasn’t a single thing I would change about him, not even the arrogant remarks that exploded out of his mouth.

  “Did you think about me this week?” He swirled his glass slightly as he stared into my eyes.

  “Yes.”

  “Often?”

  “Yes.” I would never see this man again, so I didn’t play it cool. This was my night to enjoy myself, to live a little and forget about the biggest mistake I’d ever made. I didn’t feel guilty for my infidelity, not when I was forced into his marriage in the first place. And I definitely didn’t feel guilty because Lucian had been sleeping around since the beginning. I was practically livestock to him, just a show animal. He didn’t actually give a damn about me. I was a size two, and he had the audacity to tell me I was gaining weight.

  “Did you think about me when you were with him?”

  I knew he was asking about the nights when my husband fucked me. “Yes.”

  His eyes darkened slightly as he lifted the glass to his lips to take a drink. He let the liquid slide down his throat before he licked his lips. “Did you come?”

  “That was the only reason why I came.” Sex with Lucian was an obligation. I got no pleasure out of it, and lube was usually involved. He knew I didn’t find him the least bit attractive, but that didn’t stop him from fucking me.

  His eyes darkened another shade.

  “Did you think about me when you were with someone?”

  “What makes you think I was with anyone?”

  “Look at you,” I said bluntly. “You must get pussy handed to you.”

  The corner of his mouth rose again. “I do. But that doesn’t mean I take every offer. And this week, I’ve been busy with work and bullshit. At night, I’ve been jerking off to that kiss and your curves.”

  The image of him jerking off in his bed turned me on more than I already was. Even if he wasn’t thinking about me, it was still sexy as hell. My thong was getting heavier because my arousal was seeping into it. By the time he pulled my panties off, they would be glistening with all my slickness. “I’m sure this goes without saying, but this is a one-time thing. My husband is out of town, but I can’t sneak around forever. He’s a smart man. He’ll notice eventually.”

  “What if I don’t care if he notices?”

  Lucian would wire a bomb to this man’s chest and watch him explode in the front yard. “I do. Not only would he kill you…but he wouldn’t be happy with me either.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Would he hurt you?”

  “I don’t know. He’s not usually violent with me, but he’s a very violent man.”

  “Not usually?” he asked, acid in his tone.

  I didn’t want to spend the evening being pissed off at my husband. I wanted a night of intense passion, intense fucking, and intense memories I could touch myself to later. “Anyway…it’s just tonight.”

  He drank from his glass and swallowed the last of the contents. “My place is just down the street. Do you want to finish your drink first?”

  I brought the glass to my lips and downed the whole thing in ten seconds. “Finished. Let’s go.”

  He lived in a building a few blocks away. It was four stories tall, but the base was surrounded by tall iron gates that made it impossible to step foot on the premises. Lush landscape blocked the front of the building from view. There was only one entrance, and he typed a code into the keypad before the gate opened and allowed us inside.

  There were men with guns stationed around the perimeter—at least twenty of them. All of them carried heavy rifles and wore bulletproof vests. I didn’t say a word as I walked beside him since we could easily be overheard.

  We stepped inside, got into the elevator, and rose to the top.

  “Why are all those guards outside?”

  “To protect me.” He hadn’t touched me during the walk or the elevator ride. He didn’t touch me at the bar either. Until we were completely barricaded behind closed doors, he didn’t seem interested in showing affection.

  “Why?”

  The doors opened, and he stepped inside a luxurious apartment, a large living room with a staircase that went to the other floors. It was decorated in masculine tones, and there was a big TV on the wall. “I told you I’m a powerful man.” When the elevator doors shut, he was on me. He moved into me, grabbed me by the back of the hair, and then kissed me as he pushed on my lower back to bring me flush against him.

  My desire had been disturbed by all the men and guns outside, but once his kiss overtook my lips, I stopped thinking about it. I felt that masculine embrace, a man claiming a woman, and my body melted like butter. I wanted all the things I used to have before Lucian came along. I wanted all the things I took for granted before I’d made that mistake. Balto was the sexiest man in the world, the sexiest man I’d ever been with, and I wanted him to take me how a real man took a woman.

  He lifted me and carried me down the hallway as he continued our kiss. It was dominant, seizing all the control without being overbearing. He sucked my bottom lip, gave me his tongue, and then breathed a sexy breath right into my lungs.

  My hands were in his hair as I kissed him like this was my last night alive. This was my chance to fulfill myself, to experience something exciting other than the dull existence I had with Lucian. This man would fuck me good, give me sex better than the fantasies I had in my dreams.

  He rolled me onto the bed as he moved with me, his hand still in my hair.

  My hands pressed against his chest, and my palms flattened like I was touching a concrete wall. He was hard, flat, and so solid. I moaned into his mouth and yanked his shirt over his head.

  He looked even better than he felt. He was muscular and ripped, with large pectorals and hard-as-steel abs. My hands started at the planes of his pecs and slowly migrated down to the riverbeds between his abs. “Fuck, you’re sexy.” I gripped the back of his neck and kissed his chest, tasting his skin and worshiping him for his chiseled perfection. “Jesus…” I unbuttoned his jeans because my patience level had dropped to zero. “Fuck me, please.”

  He pushed his jeans down along with his boxers, revealing a dick so thick and so long I did a double take.

  I stared at it like a woman who’d never seen a dick in her life. “Holy hell.”

  “You still want me to fuck you?” He kicked his bottoms away then rested on the balls of his feet.

  “More than anything.”

  “Good. Because nothing is gonna stop me now.” He pushed my dress to my waist then gripped the seamless black thong I wore underneath. He slowly pulled it down, moving it over my smooth and hairless legs until he reached my ankles. He noticed the inside of my panties, spotting the shiny contents my pussy had produced the second I heard his
voice over the phone. He smeared his thumb against the inside, getting the stickiness on his fingers.

  I was too aroused to be embarrassed.

  He smelled his fingers as he looked at me, those blue eyes throbbing with desire and adrenaline. “Yes, you do want to fuck me.” His cock twitched against his stomach as he said those words. Then he smeared my arousal across the head of his dick.

  I squeezed my thighs together to fight the overwhelming desire between my legs. I was so turned on, it actually hurt. I rubbed the insides of my thighs together and felt my own arousal smear everywhere.

  He grabbed my dress next and pulled it over my head, revealing my completely naked body. “Jesus Fucking Christ.” His hand moved into the back of my hair, and he held his head above my tits. He moved his face between them and took a deep breath, smelling me the way he’d smelled my arousal. Then he started to kiss me, to suck the skin of my tit into his mouth before he blew his breath across my nipple.

  My legs wrapped around his hips, and I arched my back in pleasure, pressing my tits farther into his face. He hadn’t even started to fuck me yet, and it was the best sex I’d ever had. I could feel his enormous dick right against me, so thick and long. It throbbed against my clit and became coated by my leaking slit.

  He sucked each of my nipples into his mouth aggressively then licked the valley between my tits. “Fuck…these tits.” He squeezed one in his palm while he sucked the other. He kissed each one everywhere, making sure every inch of skin was cherished by his mouth.

  I was going to come before he was even inside me.

  His kisses moved down over my stomach, caressing my rib cage as well as my belly button.

  My hands fisted his hair, and I closed my eyes as he kept moving farther and farther down. My hands pushed on him slightly in reflex, telling him I wanted exactly what he was going to give me.

  And then I felt his kiss in my most tender place. I felt his tongue circle my clit, felt his warm breath slide over my wet skin.