Carnal: A Dark Shifter Romance Read online

  “Uh-huh. Yes.” Why the hell was I answering him or buying into this bullshit? Yet I slowly pulled the dress over my head, allowing the material to slide through my fingers before dropping to the slick wooden floor.

  “Beautiful. Perfect.” His words were smooth velvet.

  Now standing in only a bra, panties, and heels, I glanced at the bank of floor-to-ceiling windows, holding my breath. His apartment was housed in an old factory, the open air feeling expanded by the incredible number of windows located on three sides. I’d driven by the building dozens of times since moving to the neighborhood but had never given it a second look.

  The trouble was he had no window coverings of any kind, the second floor location allowing other apartments ample view directly into his living space. I was mortified, utter embarrassment keeping my fingers numb and my heart racing.

  “Now, Kathleen. I don’t want to have to tell you again or your punishment will be much worse.”

  I snapped my head in his direction, trying to recoup some of my normal hard-headed personality. This... man didn’t have any right to command me. Sadly, when he had the belt completely in his rugged hands, running his fingers along the coarse grain of leather, I did the unthinkable.

  I obeyed him.

  Turning slightly, I unfastened my bra, dropping my head as I eased the crimson lingerie away from my body. After swaying back and forth, I kicked off my shoes, struggling to turn away from him as I slipped my fingers under the thin elastic of my thong. The second I pushed my panties past my hips, my mouth became bone dry, apprehension and excitement nearly tearing me apart.

  I could feel his eyes burning into me, searing every nerve ending. I could also hear his heavy breathing, guttural just like the beast I imagined him to be. I kicked away the panties, shivering to the point my teeth were chattering. God, I had to be crazy, unhinged for doing this. What was I thinking? All the training I’ve received as an officer of the law had been tossed out the window. All my secure methods of remaining safe—gone.

  Poof.

  And I was standing here.

  Fully naked.

  Prepared for a spanking.

  As if in a hypnotic state, I walked toward him, entranced by the sparkle in his eyes as well as the belt in his hand. When he slowly sat down on the couch, patting his lap, I swept my gaze from his chiseled face to his broad shoulders, my thoughts turning filthy. And I continued to creep forward until I was merely a few inches away. My nipples were swollen, hard, and aching, the longing I felt extreme, the scent of my pussy juice tickling my nose.

  Another round of guilt shifted into my system, but I knew without a doubt I wouldn’t resist.

  Or couldn’t...

  “Mmm... I think you realize you need this, Kathleen.”

  Even the way he said my name as if he’d known me his entire life created waves of tingles.

  Max ran his fingers down the length of my arm before grasping my fingers into his, gently pulling me over his lap. As my hair fell past my shoulders, I planted my palms on the floor, taking several shallow breaths.

  His cock throbbed against my tummy, another reminder that he was all male and one I was dangerously attracted to. I closed my eyes once again as he brushed the tips of his fingers down my spine, caressing first one side of my bottom then the other. God damn, the man made me feel like some wicked woman, prepared to give him anything he demanded.

  When he tapped his hand on my ass, I sucked in my breath.

  When his fingers pushed between my cheeks, I issued a single whimper.

  When he slipped the tips past my swollen folds, I wiggled, grinding my hips against him.

  “You’re wet for me. Hungry for me,” he said with a dusky vibe.

  I couldn’t answer. I shouldn’t answer. He didn’t deserve an answer.

  The first smack of his hand and I jumped. The second and I gulped in air. There was no pain, merely another flash of embarrassment. Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh... God. This was really happening.

  “Do you enjoy the feel of leather?” he asked as he rolled the thick strap back and forth across my bottom.

  “I... I don’t know.” I shuddered to the point goosebumps popped along every inch of naked skin and I realized I’d parted my legs. As he rubbed the strap between them, I almost lost it, my pussy clenching and relaxing several times.

  “The strap is the ultimate in providing required discipline. I think thirty will do for today. Such a dirty little girl you are.” He wasted no time, bringing the implement down in an aggressive manner, slapping first one side then the other.

  I yelped from surprise, shocked that there was no hint of pain, no blinding moment of anguish that I’d anticipated. Okay, I could do this. I could handle the round of discipline.

  He exhaled as he kneaded my skin. “You’re going to wear my marks, just as you should.”

  The cracking sound wafted into my eardrums a split second before he brought down the strap several times, moving in rapid succession. I was thrown at the dichotomy of sensations.

  Until the moment when anguish found a home, exploding in a flurry of electric shots pummeling up and down my legs.

  “Oh, fuck!” I threw my hand back, my chest heaving as I gulped for air. Tears sprang to my eyes, the single moan turning into a ragged whimper.

  He grabbed my wrist, pinning it against the small of my back. “Stay in position or I’m going to take my time starting over again and I assure you, I’ll add to the number you receive.”

  My God, this wasn’t sexual foreplay of any kind. He was really punishing me for acting like such a bitch. Did I blame him? Not necessarily. I was pitched into a vacuum, ready to plead for leniency. As he brought down another volley, two of the strikes hitting me on my upper thighs, I thought I would die from the pain. Everything became intense, including the rapid beating of my heart.

  I wiggled uncontrollably, scooting back and forth on his lap. His cock continued to twitch, pulsing against my leg. He was hard as a rock, adding to the wildness of the event.

  “You need to learn to control yourself,” he commented, rolling the strap between my legs. “I’m just the man to make certain you obey.”

  Obey. He was serious, as if this was going to happen again.

  Never.

  I shifted once again, blinking furiously as he allowed his fingers to tickle my pussy lips. I was so wet, the building heat almost suffocating in nature. All I could think about was having his thick cock pressed between my folds, driving in and out in a crazed manner. I held my breath as the spanking continued. There wasn’t a part of me that wasn’t shaking, the combination of pain and pleasure unthinkable in my mind.

  But here I was, the throes of pleasure pushing me into a moment of raw ecstasy.

  Bad girl. Bad... girl.

  He threw his head back and roared, tossing the belt aside as he thrust his fingers into my pussy. The act was so brazen, so blissful that I bucked, riding his hand like some crazed wanton woman. Flexing his fingers, he drove them in and out. Even the sound of my juice slickening his fingers was a powerful aphrodisiac.

  “Oh, God. Oh...” I could no longer feel my legs as the electrified sensations exploded like a vibrating blanket, pushing me further and further toward a raging orgasm.

  “Good little girls, they receive pleasure unlike anything they’ve ever experienced. For bad little girls, there’s only severe punishment. Which will you be, Kathleen?”

  “I... I...” Words failed me as he plunged brutally. I was close, so very close. “Please... Please...”

  “Please allow you to come?”

  “Yes. Yes!”

  His chuckle was as dark as before, sensual in every manner and bringing almost as much pleasure as his savage actions. I had to be in a dream. This couldn’t be real.

  “Then I’ll give you exactly what you’ve been craving,” Max muttered in a scattered manner as he pushed his thumb past my bruised bottom, finding my dark hole. The moment he thrust his thumb into my asshole, I clenched, unable to
hold back the orgasm.

  Lights floated in front of my eyes as the climax jetted through me. I opened my mouth in a silent scream. The single climax turned into another.

  And another.

  His fingers worked magic, drilling into me hard and fast. I couldn’t breathe as stars floated in front of me, leaving me limp and almost desperate for more.

  White-hot heat seared into my skin and I fell into the most incredible state of bliss. When he lifted me into his arms, jerking to his feet, I realized I was drunk on the moment. He stared down at me as he took long strides, moving his lips luridly, his breath coming in scattered pants.

  “Now, I fuck you.” Max eased me down onto my feet, using both his hands as he ripped his shirt over his head.

  I backed away, taking gulping breaths and licking my lips as I gazed on his physique. Every muscle was toned to perfection, chiseled out of the finest stone. His broad shoulders shifted into long arms, veins popping along both, six-pack abs that had seen months of long days at the gym.

  His eyes never left me as he unzipped his pants, peeling them over his carved hips. A savage smile crossed his face as he yanked them down, merely kicking off his shoes before tossing away the beautiful linen. When he was fully naked, he crowded my space, walking me against the hard surface of the glass.

  Trembling, I darted a look over my shoulder, peering down onto the road, imagining all the people walking the busy street—neighbors and coworkers.

  Watching.

  Hungering.

  He slapped his hands on the window on either side of my head, his upper lip curling as he growled. The sound was far too primal, sexual in every manner.

  I crawled my hands down his torso, my fingers digging into his chest. Even the feel of him was intense, scintillating.

  Max lowered his head, brushing his lips across my cheek. “Do you want my thick cock buried deep inside of you?”

  “Yes.” My answer was far too easy.

  “Do you hunger to have my shaft thrust deep inside your tight little ass?”

  “Uh-huh.” A single whimper escaped my lips as I allowed my fingers to fall to his cock, running a finger down the underside. The moment I wrapped my hand around his balls, squeezing, he threw his head back and roared.

  I was shocked the sound echoed in the heightened space, reverberating in my ears, exciting in every way. I kept the pressure on his testicles as I rolled my other hand around the base of his shaft, creating a wave of friction. My heart raced to the same beat his shaft throbbed, leaving my mouth watering to taste him.

  To lick him.

  To suck him.

  When I glanced at his face, his expression was dark and dangerous, his eyes penetrating into mine. His chest heaved as I stroked up and down, twisting my hand back and forth.

  “Such a tease,” he hissed.

  “Mmm...” He allowed me to play, tempting him for a full minute. Now I knew I was guilty as sin and should be ashamed for my behavior.

  Finally, he’d had enough of my mischief, wrapping his hand around my throat and jerking me around to face the window. “I want everyone to watch me fucking you, using you. I want them to know that you belong to me.”

  He had no way of knowing how thrilling his words were, the effect they were having on me. I couldn’t stop trembling as he kicked my legs apart, immediately thrusting one hand between them, cupping my mound. When he rubbed his fingers up and down vigorously, I knew he was repaying my actions, enticing me until I couldn’t stop moaning.

  “Keep your hands on the glass, my sweet Kathleen. You are mine to play with.”

  When he yanked me by my hips, forcing my back to arch, I dragged my nails down the glass and closed my eyes. I wasn’t entirely prepared for his brutal behavior, the single ravaging thrust of his cock inside my pussy.

  “Oh!” My scream filtered around us, my heart racing as my pussy muscles clenched tightly around the thick invasion. The man was huge, long and thick and perfect. Panting, I slapped my hands against the glass as he pulled out, driving back inside in even more savagely. I was tossed into ecstasy, the rapture all consuming.

  “Do you see them, every man and woman studying you?” he asked, his mouth positioned by my ear. “Open your eyes and watch as they gawk. As they... hunger.”

  I obeyed him without question, staring down and blinking and a moment of guilt and shame rolled through me as I could swear a crowd of people had formed. All with their heads tilted. All with their eyes pinned in our direction. I shuddered, moaning as he thrust in and out, the force pushing me hard against the glass. My hot breath skipped along the window’s surface, creating a fog. I almost laughed, praying to God the light foam would hide my identity.

  As the hard fucking continued, I knew I wouldn’t be able to control myself, or the raging orgasm that was already rearing its beautiful and sensuous head.

  He rolled onto the balls of his feet, one hand wrapped around my neck, the other gripping my hip. With every barbaric plunge, he growled and tossed his head from right to left. All I could think about was he was a wild animal, claiming his mate.

  “Oh. Oh. Oh...”

  “Come for me, little one. Come on my cock for me. I want your juices soaking my skin, your scent covering me for days.”

  His command was one I couldn’t ignore or deny. Within seconds, the climax raced up from my toes, shooting straight into my womb. “Oh, God!”

  He picked up the intensity, powering into me like a crazed beast, pushing me into a climactic wave that shattered my last resolve.

  I could no longer think or breathe, focus or care whether the entire city was watching us. This was simply far too superb.

  “You are mine, all mine,” he whispered.

  And dear God, I believed him.

  Only when I lolled my head, struggling to relearn how to gasp for air did he slow down. When he removed his cock, running the tip up and down the crack of my bruised bottom, I was forced to suck in my breath once again.

  “And bad girls get fucked in the ass.”

  I could swear I’d dropped into nirvana as he positioned the tip of his shaft at my dark hole, pushing only an inch inside. Oh, God. Oh...

  Max slid his cock in an inch at a time, pushing my muscles aside as if meant to be buried inside my ass. The pain was incredible, creating white-hot heat searing every nerve ending. As the sheer bliss took over almost instantly, I’d never felt so full and so dirty in my entire life.

  I opened my eyes, studying my shimmering face over the foggy haze billowing against the window. Were my eyes dilated? Then I shifted my gaze, staring into his. The iridescent glow had shifted, flecks of gold burning around his irises. I was so drawn to him, mesmerized by the intense beauty, stunned how different they appeared. “I... I...” As I stuttered, trying to form any rational words, I noticed a smile crossing his face seconds before his nostrils flared. The face of a famished man.

  Or beast.

  The sound of skin slapping against skin interrupted my gleeful reverie, driving me to an even higher plateau of pleasure. I sensed he was close to coming, spewing hot cum deep inside. The moment I squeezed my muscles, the joyful sound of his husky howl was delicious and sweet.

  A primal man.

  A sinful interlude.

  A secret...

  Minutes later, Max wrapped his hand around my hair, twisting as he jerked my head. As he leaned over, the guttural whisper he issued was one I would never forget, ones that would haunt me long after the night was finished.

  “You belong to me. You always have and you always will. There is no place you can run where I won’t find you. You are my possession.”

  “Um...”

  “But remember, Kathleen, I am a very dangerous man.”

  Chapter Four

  Kathleen

  Predator.

  I’d seen dozens of them through the years. I’d arrested some of the most loathsome excuses for human beings on the face of the earth, the kind of vile creatures who deserved to burn in hell fire f
or centuries. Nothing disgusted me any longer.

  Except for the sight of the two victims from the recent case I’d been assigned. The method of killing wasn’t just horrific. It was heinous. Now there was a third.

  As I drove into the park, I realized my grip on the steering wheel was firmer than normal. Perhaps from terror of what I’d find. Or perhaps I was just frightening myself. I glanced into the rearview mirror and even though it was impossible to catch a glimpse of my eyes in the darkness, my gut told me they were laced with a haunting sadness.

  Then for a fleeting moment, my thoughts drifted to two nights before. The same chill shifted down my spine as it had several times, creating a lump in my throat. I hadn’t planned on ending up at Maximillian’s apartment nor had I anticipated the rather perverse events that had occurred.

  A damn spanking.

  Then fucking like wild animals.

  The arrogant man had made good on his promise, taking me in every manner he desired.

  I took a deep whiff, realizing his scent still covered me even after a long, hot shower. Maybe my imagination was working overtime. My nipples hardened again, my legs trembling.

  Maybe the entire ugliness was nothing but a rich fantasy brought on by one hefty bottle of cabernet. I could at least hope. Thank God, I never had to see him again. I thought about Amber’s encouragement and there was no denying I enjoyed the wicked tryst, but I couldn’t allow extreme pleasure to interfere with this case.

  Lives were at stake.

  My gut was screaming that the kills would soon escalate in both brutality as well as timing. The first murder had occurred a little over two weeks ago, the second nine days later. Now this one.

  The beast is hungry.

  I rolled my eyes, shoving the little voice back inside my head. A human was behind the heinous crimes.

  The moment I shifted in my seat, I was given a harsh reminder of the punishment I’d endured from the rugged man. I was exhausted from lack of sleep, visions of his face filling my mind every time I closed my eyes. I’d been so damn attracted to him, more so than any man I’d been with my entire life.