NERO: Alliance Series Book One
NERO: Chapter 20

I’m holding my breath when I turn into my bedroom. And even though I knew he’d be here, I still startle.

Sitting on my bed, just feet away, is the man from my patio.

The only hint of light is coming from behind him, so he’s a silhouette. But there’s no mistaking that it’s him.

The broad shoulders. The air of menace.

And just like last time, he’s in a suit. Only this time, his tie is loose around his neck and several buttons on his shirt are open.

I wish I could see more. I want to run my eyes over every inch of him.

His shoulders rise as he takes a deep breath. “Closer.”

My feet comply. Sliding forward, coming another foot nearer.

The hands resting on his knees clench into fists before slowly releasing again.

I know he can’t see me any better than I can see him, but I have to fight the urge to cross my arms over my body. There’s no use hiding now.

“This is your one chance, Payton.” His voice is rougher than I remember. The deepness of it filling the room. “Your one chance to make the right choice. The only time I’ll let you tell me no.”

It feels like my heart is going to beat straight through my ribs.

I should tell him to leave. I should put an end to this madness while I still can. But that’s not what I want. And for the first time in my life, I’m going to throw safe out the window and give in to my wants.

I want to take control of my body.

To be touched.

I want this man.

I step closer, trembling all over. But not a single doubt crosses my mind, because this is what I want.

Taking a breath, I answer him with a question. “What do I call you?”

A low sound rumbles from his chest. “I’ll tell you when I’m inside of you. Now strip.”

“St— W-what?”

Did he really just say that?

His shoulders roll back, like he’s fighting himself to not move. “Yeah, Sweet Girl, strip for me. Show me all of you.”

Every word out of his mouth hits me in the chest before gliding down, straight to my core.

This is what I want.

My fingers are unsteady, but the top button on my shirt finally pushes through, coming undone.

I’ve never let anyone see me naked. And I’ve certainly never stripped for an audience. I don’t know if he’s expecting me to move around while I do it because I don’t have the skills it takes to be a stripper, so the rest of me stays perfectly still until the final button slips free.

The material parts an inch, but remains clinging to me.

“Off, Payton. Show me those fucking tits.”

He sounds almost angry. Yet I don’t think anger is the emotion he’s feeling.

He’s turned on.

Somehow this handsome, intimidating man is attracted to me. Pining for me.

With a confidence I only partially feel, I pull the front of my shirt open before shrugging it off my shoulders. The material floats to the floor, pooling at my feet.

I’ve been too overwhelmed to even think about sucking my stomach in, and it’s too late now.

“The rest.” His voice is so scratchy, it sounds like it hurts. “Take off the rest.”

This is it.

I’m taking control.

With one quick motion, I shove my shorts down my hips and they drop down my legs. I kick the bunched material away from my feet. I don’t wear underwear to bed, so I’m bared to him. Completely.

Standing there, unsure what to do, I just let him look.

The man’s breathing is audible in the still room. And I can almost see the tension crackling in the space between us.

His knees widen, making room for me. “Closer.”

Trembling from nerves, or the cold, or excitement, I move forward until I’m standing between his spread legs.

My bed isn’t high off the ground, but his height puts us nearly face to face.

He raises his hands, ghosting them over the flesh at my hips… my sides… his thumbs brushing ever-so-softly along the underside of my breasts.

“This isn’t going to be gentle.” His sentence is punctuated by his hands closing around my breasts.

The heat startles me. It all startles me. The feeling of someone else’s hands on my bare skin is all new.

His fingers squeeze as he groans, pushing my breasts together. “I’m not going to make love to you, Sweet Girl.” He drops his hands to my hips, allowing my breasts to bounce free, and he jerks me forward, my body colliding with his. “I’m going to fuck you.”

He closes his mouth around one of my nipples.

A startled sound leaves me, and my hands fly out to grab at his shoulders. “Oh my god! What are—”

Teeth scrape against my pebbled flesh before he sucks. Hard. Sensations rolls through my body. And when he moans against my skin, I feel the answering call between my legs.

His mouth pulls free, dragging a wet kiss across to the other breast.

“Fucking divine,” he growls as his mouth closes around my other peak. His tongue swirls around my nipple before he devours it. Every flick of his tongue echoed in my clit. The pulsing growing stronger with each second.

This feels so good.

Who knew it would feel so damn good?

Every part of me is throbbing. Needing more.

“Please?”

His hands flex around my hips just before sliding around to my backside. His palms smooth over my ass. Then lower.

He pulls me even closer, and then I feel his fingers push at the junction of my thighs from behind. His fingers running along my seam, easily slipping over my entrance.

We both groan at the same time, the man releasing my nipple. “You’re soaking wet for me.”

“I am,” I agree, even though it wasn’t a question.

Without warning, he stands.

I start to stumble back, but he catches me by the upper arms.

“You should’ve kept your door shut,” he growls.

Before I can respond, he spins us and shoves me backward.

I yelp as I fall, landing with a bounce on the mattress.

His gaze doesn’t leave me as he strips. Moving just as quickly and efficiently as I had. The suit jacket drops, the tie, then his shirt is gone.

He’s all sculpted muscles and flexing forearms and my mouth is watering before he even starts working on his belt.

With our positions switched, him facing the bed, the light illuminates his face, I can finally see him. And he’s perfect.

Even better than perfect.

He shoves the rest of his clothes off all at once and… And, holy shit. That’s his cock.

I’ve never seen a cock in person before.

I shuffle backwards on the bed.

Maybe this was a bad idea.

Maybe I should lose it to an average guy. A smaller guy. Because surely that’s not normal.

He steps out of his pants and closes the distance to the bed.

I try to scoot further away but he catches my ankle in one hand, holding me in place, as he crawls up the mattress.

“The time to run is over, Baby. Now it’s time to give.”

I’m so turned on and overstimulated that I can’t formulate a reply. And so when he presses my legs open, I let him.

“That’s my girl,” he praises me, rubbing a hand up the inside of my thigh as I keep my legs open for him.

His tongue swipes across his lower lip and he shuffles closer.

He lifts my foot out of the way, then does the same to the other, allowing room for his knees to frame my hips. My legs are left spread wide, feet in the air.

From his kneeling position, he’s looking straight down at my exposed sex.

“So wet, I can see it.” He swipes two fingers across my pussy, making me jump. And my eyes widen when I watch him rub those same two fingers up and down his length.

Is that… do people do that?

I want to ask if I can touch him. I want to know what a dick feels like in my hand. But there’s no way for me to ask without giving away just how little I know about this. And I don’t want to give him the chance to change his mind.

He strokes his fist up and down his cock a few more times, keeping his eyes between my legs. With his other hand he reaches down and spreads me open.

I shift on the sheets, not knowing what I’m supposed to be doing. What I should do with my hands. If I should be quiet.

“Such a pretty pussy.” He slides a finger up and down my slit but doesn’t push in. “I bet it’s gonna be tight. Bet you’re gonna squeeze the cum right out of me.”

His words make me squirm as much as his touch does.

I keep alternating between watching what’s happening and letting my eyes close in ecstasy.

I’ve spent a lot of time imagining what sex would be like, but it was never like this. Even in my dreams, I couldn’t have imagined a man like this.

Something bigger presses against my entrance, and my eyes fly open. The head of his cock is there. Right there.

It’s about to happen.

My hands reach out for him, but he’s too far away, kneeling just out of reach.

He can’t push in like this, can he? I thought he had to be more on top of me?

Without warning, he shifts his hips forward a few inches, and I feel myself spreading around him. My body slick, begging for his entry.

“Nero.” His voice is low as he slides his hands up to grip my waist. “This is when you call me Nero.”

The two syllables flutter over my skin. It’s exactly right. The perfect name.

“Nero,” I whisper his name and watch his eyes fall shut.

Bliss crosses his features and I open my mouth to say his name again, but what comes out next is a scream.