Her Chosen Mate: A Quarantine Romance (Venus Quarantine Initiative Book 1) Page 3

  My eyes downcast, trying to understand what he’s telling me.

  “You look at me with hunger-filled eyes, and I’m sorry, but a man would much rather be looked at with lust.” His hand falls away. “Venus be damned.”

  The silence that lingers between us is dreadful. I’m angry that he’d be so selfish as to put his own vanity ahead of our most basic needs, and what’s more basic than food and shelter?

  But a part of me gets it. When he came up behind me at the sink and put his hands on me like he did, it lit my body on fire. I could barely breathe, and if he had continued on, I would have damn near melted.

  And I guess that was lust.

  After a full minute, I finally gather the courage to speak.

  “I’ll never experience what you have in the way that you experienced it, but maybe I will in my own way. And maybe it will be with you.”

  I place a hand on his thigh, hoping to ignite a spark that we could kindle. Hoping to connect with him.

  But any chance I have of doing that would mean I have to cast Venus’s rules out the window.

  “I want to want you. This would be so much better with someone that I enjoy, and there’s no reason that it can’t be you.”

  Instead of being passive as Venus had instructed, I get up and straddle his lap.

  His eyes grow wide as they look from my face down to my hips. He clearly desires me on some level. He’s just stubborn. Not wanting to be tamed.

  And, he apparently wants to be desired by me. All I have to do is show him that this is more than a setup by Venus.

  But I’m paralyzed. I have no skills in the art of seduction outside of what Venus taught me, which wasn’t much. All the men I’d lain with were during desperate times, when I needed to shut the world out. I did precious little, barely moving the entire time.

  Venus advised me to do things that would encourage a lasting bond, like kissing, and I must admit, his lips are tempting…

  Fuck, everything is tempting. So much about this man moves me to desire, from his large hands to his steel-blue eyes that bore into me, promising me sinful bliss.

  Luckily, he makes the next move as his hands find my hips, caressing them softly as his gaze roves my body. He looks pleased, which shouldn’t be surprising. Venus told me I looked like what they called ‘the girl next door,’ and men would find that pleasing.

  He scoots me closer to him until my core presses against his growing bulge and a tiny yelp escapes my lips.

  His hand travels up the curve of my hip to my waist, and after admiring for a moment, he rips open the wisps of white fabric covering my body like they were tissue.

  Seated on his lap with my breasts on full display, I’m exposed in a way I’ve never been before with a man. Every other carnal moment I’ve had was a rushed affair, with no real intimacy. Heck, I lost my virginity on a staircase with tears running down my cheeks, begging the man to make me forget everything.

  My intended grabs stray locks of my hair and breathes them in deeply as he pulls me closer to him. “I love the scent of a woman. Not the flowery shit they put in soaps and perfumes. I want to smell you.”

  His lips graze my neck as a large hand grabs one of my breasts.

  I’ve always hated my breasts. In the hell I’m from, I hid them in ambiguous clothes, because if I wore anything form-fitting, they’d get too much attention from men, and never the good ones…if there are any left.

  My intended seems to delight in them, which makes me glow with pride.

  He releases my hair, using both hands to cup my breasts and roll my nipples between his thick fingers. My breathing grows heavy, every heave filling my lungs with his masculine scent.

  “You’re so fucking sexy,” he says, taking my puckered nipple into his mouth and sucking lightly.

  Waves of pleasure course through my body, making me feel more alive than I’ve ever felt. I’ve never wanted a man like this before. So intensely…so wholly. He wanted to be wanted, so he filled me with desire. Fuck…Venus never prepared me for this.

  As he suckles my breasts, a hand travels down my body, slipping into my white lace panties. The pads of his fingers rub at my seam, setting my body ablaze with passion.

  A moan escapes my throat as I feel myself grow sticky and wet. This doesn’t feel as dutiful as I thought it would. It feels incredible, powerful, and raw.

  His mouth and fingers seem to work in a rhythm, making me feel sensations I never knew existed. For the first time ever, I want to be fucked, not to numb, but to feel.

  He releases my breast and kisses the lobe of my ear. “Show me how badly you want me.”

  How the hell am I supposed to do that?

  Suddenly, instead of lust, I feel panic. I try to remember back to my training with Venus, to the things that guys might expect.

  Despite my experience, before Venus, I knew precious little about sex. Just what went where. Once, I rubbed a man’s cock, and I was half afraid I’d get pregnant. I was crying at the factory, and a kind woman took me aside. I told her my fears, and she said a mere hand job wouldn’t get me with child.

  Still, I was terrified.

  My hands move to the button of his pants, fumbling to get it undone, but when he sees how inept I am, he brushes my hands away.

  “Relax,” he whispers. “There is no rush.”

  He grabs my hips, pressing me firmly against his thick bulge.

  “Look at me,” he snaps, and I bring my eyes to his.

  The heat between us is palpable and greater than anything I could have imagined.

  “Do you enjoy fucking?” he asks coldly.

  Don’t tell him about your past partners, Venus warned.

  “I’ve never enjoyed it before,” I whisper.

  “Well, let’s see if I can change that.”

  He undoes the button on his jeans and lowers the zipper. I raise my body slightly, so he can pull his cock out.

  It’s massive, a blue vein running prominently along its shaft. There’s no way that it will feel anything less than agonizing, yet still, I find myself craving his trespass.

  He grabs the thin fabric of my panties and rips them off me, leaving nothing between him and me.

  As much as I want the lights extinguished, a part of me likes that he sees my body.

  He buries two thick fingers inside of me, pumping them while he uses his thumb to toy with the small cleft above my entrance.

  Fuck—this man is good.

  I can barely breathe; I’m so overwhelmed by his skillful fingers and their sinful caress.

  “I feel…I feel dizzy,” I gasp out as a rush of intense feelings overwhelm me.

  He slows his rhythm slightly. “Have you ever had an orgasm before?”

  “Huh?”

  His brow draws inward. “Jesus, this world knows nothing of the art of seduction.”

  I hate the thought of disappointing him, not just because I’m afraid of what Venus would do…

  I’m afraid he’ll stop.

  “Ride me,” he growls, grabbing his erect member and positioning it for me to impale myself on.

  “I’ve-I’ve never done this before…”

  His brow draws inward. “You’re no virgin.”

  “It’s not that…It’s just I’ve never done it like this.”

  “You might enjoy it.”

  My hand presses against his chest, and I feel his heart racing. The realization that it’s me causing this reaction in him makes me flood with warmth.

  I bring my body into position and lower myself onto his engorged shaft.

  His head is huge, and even though I’m dripping wet, it’s hard to fit him in.

  “God, you’re so fucking tight,” he hisses, pressing down on my hips, trying to get deeper inside of me.

  When he finally breaches me fully, I cry out just as much from pleasure as I do from pain.

  “Ride.”

  I obey, moving slowly up and down his shaft, timidly at first, then gaining confidence.

  H
e brings his hand between us, dancing his thumb on my sensitive flesh.

  My spine involuntarily jerks as pressure builds. I’ve never felt this way before. This very real physical reaction seems too strong, and I worry I’m going to have a heart attack.

  Still, I want him so badly, so desperately that it feels like any risk is worth the reward that’s building.

  He unleashes a guttural groan, and with his other hand, he grabs my breast, bringing my nipple to his mouth.

  I can barely stand the torrent of emotion coursing through me. It’s too strong. Too much.

  His thumb quickens, and my body comes alive with a rush so powerful, I throw my head back and cry out as I slam myself hard against him.

  The wave of pleasure is so intense, I’m surprised I don’t faint. Instead, when the chaos abates, I slump over onto the man who won’t even tell me his name, shaking like a leaf.

  He holds me against his chest, stroking my hair and placing soft kisses on my forehead. I feel safe with him. I never want him to leave.

  “That’s what sex can be like when you set out to enjoy yourself,” he whispers.

  I lay against him, trying to imprint his scent into my memory. This couldn’t have gone better or worse than it had. Better in that I couldn’t want him more than I do, and worst because I’m unsure what Venus is going to think about how sideways this all went. In the end, all that matters is our offspring, I suppose.

  “Can I have your name?” I ask weakly.

  “Colton,” he rasps out.

  Colton…

  He scoops me up into his arms and carries me over to the bed, setting me down gently and pulling the blankets up over me.

  I feel his seed spill out of me, and I know I should probably wash up as such things are uncouth, but I’m exhausted, and I don’t want to leave the lust-filled haze of possibilities.

  Unfortunately, Colton doesn’t crawl into bed beside me, and when I begin to grow anxious, I look around and see him back in the chair.

  To me, what we just did meant something that extended far beyond the boundaries of the Venus Initiative. We connected, joining in a way I never dreamed possible.

  Or at least I thought we had. I guess, to Colton, it’s just more of the same.

  Colton

  Sunlight breaks through the window, illuminating the beautiful deception of what is now my life. Though I cannot say how much longer that will be for.

  I told myself I’d play by the rules. That I’d smile brightly, cast a playful wink, do my part in this little charade that is supposed to ensure the survival of mankind.

  But when the door to the cabin opened, and I caught a glimpse of what life would be like on the other side, dread bloomed instead of hope.

  The woman that stared up at me wasn’t joyful. She was afraid. The fear in her eyes when she failed to greet me properly didn’t sit right with me.

  The cabin was filled with rustic charm and a few modern amenities. A place I’d be lucky to both live and die in, in today’s fucked up world.

  But the one thing you won’t find inside these warm, protective walls is freedom.

  I played along as best I could, which basically means I fucked the whole thing up. The poor girl was terrified, though I never intended for my actions to result in that, and I deeply regret my carelessness.

  Looking back, I should have just left after dinner, and I was going to. I had taken a seat to think over my plans, where I’d go, how I’d survive. I wasn’t stupid enough to think there was much of a life outside this setup for me. Things were getting worse by the day, it seemed.

  But then, she came out in that sheer, white gown. It was so thin, I could see her taut nipples poking through the fabric, and that’s all it took to weaken my resolve.

  I’m not a man that relishes taking advantage of a woman, but after seeing her kneel before me, looking up at me with those gorgeous green eyes of hers, I couldn’t help but get swept away by the carefully constructed illusion Venus Initiative concocted.

  Still, I couldn’t take her the way they had wanted me to. I had to be honest. I had to tell her what I was giving up—what she was giving up. I could have sworn that some part of her understood and even wanted me, though she may just be a good actress.

  And as prideful as I am about these things, I have to admit, fucking her felt damn good, and her enjoyment of our bodies joining was no act.

  I look over to see Eva still asleep, clutching a pillow where I should be. It would be so easy to fall in love with this life, to fall in love with her.

  But it would be a lie. This cabin isn’t something I built with my own hands, and Eva is here under duress.

  The best thing I can do for her is get her with child and secure her spot in this damn world that Venus cooked up.

  Then…leave. There’s no place for me here, and I’ll only end up making her life miserable. I’d rather die in the free world than live here by their rules.

  Eva was meant for the rules.

  Chapter Five

  Eva

  For the briefest moment, my mind tells me I’m not alone in bed.

  It’s a lie I wish were true.

  I wake up naked with my arm slung around a pillow, a blanket pulled up over my body.

  Colton!

  His name startles me from my drowsiness, and I look around the cabin to locate my intended.

  But he’s not here.

  I get out of bed, wash up, pull on a dress, and make my way outside.

  It’s a perfect morning, the sun kissing my skin as I remember it doing as a child. When the world was still good.

  Birds chirp, bees buzz, and my intended is making fast work of the woodpile.

  Everything is as it should be, or at least I tell myself that. Last night was…a bit of a rollercoaster. At first, I wasn’t sure he even wanted me, but he was just being stubborn. I guess it’s hard to tame a free man.

  His touch shattered me, breaking me apart in the most beautiful way possible. He made my body sing a song that rocked my soul.

  And I want him to do it again. I want him to do it right now.

  I remember my chores and go to collect the eggs, hoping that I’ll catch Colton looking at me.

  His eyes never stray from his good work, though.

  I do everything I’m supposed to do, manage the animals, put on some coffee, and make breakfast, all while keeping myself presentable.

  As I’m about to go out and ask Colton to join me, he surprises me by stepping into the house.

  He’s shirtless, with sweat dripping down the expanse of his muscular chest, and I remember what it felt like to be pressed against it.

  I felt so small, yet, protected.

  “Food smells good,” he mumbles, and I can’t help but feel a smidgen of satisfaction at his approval.

  “Eggs, bacon, biscuits,” I gesture toward the table, “topped off with some orange juice.”

  “They want this whole experience to be authentic, and then they go around having orange trees in a place they ought not to grow,” he grumbles, and I frown.

  We sit, eating in silence, which only makes me feel empty inside.

  Is he going to be like this once we have children?

  Anything’s better than starving, I guess.

  Once we’re done, I take the plates and bring them to the sink to clean, and just as he had yesterday, Colton comes up behind me, one hand snaking from my hip to my stomach, the other brushing my hair away from my neck. I feel my center tingle with want, and I hope today goes better than last night.

  Why can’t this be easier?

  “I worked up quite a sweat out there,” he whispers into my ear. “I’m going to go clean up.”

  Inwardly, I sigh. How is this supposed to work if we’re never around each other?

  “Okay.”

  “Would you like to join me?”

  He pushes my hips against him, and I feel his thick cock pressed against my ass, which sends waves of electricity coursing through me.

 
I throw my head back, and it connects softly with his shoulder. His lips plant gentle kisses down the hollow of my throat.

  How can he illicit such feelings from me?

  His hand moves from my hip to my thigh, his fingers dragging up my leg, under my dress, until he reaches my moistened panties.

  “God, you’re so fucking wet,” he rasps into my ear.

  He begins to withdraw his hand, but I grab his wrist and hold it in place.

  Colton chuckles as he peels his body from mine.

  The loss of his touch guts me, but luckily, there’s more to come.

  He spins me to face him, then lifts me, setting me on an open section of countertop.

  His large hands grab the front of my dress and tear it open. The barbaric act startles me, but I hardly have time to think on it before he grabs both of my breasts, bending to take one of my hardened nipples into his mouth.

  A low moan escapes my throat. Coming here, I was prepared for a lot of things, ranging from someone hideously ugly to someone mean and ill-tempered.

  But Colton…fuck. He makes me want to be here for an entirely different reason than I came here for.

  He brings his hands down and places them on my knees, spreading them wide, but instead of pulling out his cock to take me, he kneels, moving the tatters of my dress up my hips.

  My first instinct is to kick him in the face, but I’m paralyzed by fear and humiliation.

  His fingers peel my wet panties away from my core, and he gazes at my sex in reverence, taking a finger and rubbing it along my seam.

  “You’re fucking gorgeous,” he says. “I can’t wait to taste you.”

  Taste me?

  Without thinking, I close my legs as much as I can, bringing my hand down to shield me from his view.

  How did Venus find this weirdo?

  He exhales a disappointed sigh as I mull over his words.

  Before Venus Initiative, I knew precious little about sex other than how to have it, and it seemed like it was more trouble than it was worth. The last thing I wanted was to become pregnant, and it wasn’t particularly satisfying. I never understood what the fuss was about.

  Colton is the first man I’ve been with that has made the experience remotely pleasurable.