Chapter 3

SERAPHINA

Maybe I was a fool, blinded by the fact someone had offered a helping hand. But I knew what I felt. If anyone had told me I'd end up here on a night that should've been fun and carefree, I would've laughed in their face. Turns out you can't really trust anyone—not even someone who promises safety. Maybe except this stranger who wasn't promising anything at all.

"What do you want me to do?" His voice was gentle, careful not to frighten me further. And believe me, I was already terrified to my core.

"I… don't know." I couldn't meet his eyes, my tongue darting nervously across my lower lip.

"I think you do, little one."

Little one. The name stirred something in my chest. Was I really that small at five feet? Did I look tender and fragile, especially with alcohol still swimming through my veins? Maybe that's why the guy from the bar thought he could take advantage of me when he invited me back to his room.

The truth burned—this was my fault. I shouldn't have left Mom to wander off alone. Her soon-to-be husband had flown us to Sin City for her bachelorette party, a celebration before their wedding this weekend with a few of her friends. But I was bored, restless for excitement, so I slipped away to explore the resort. That's when I met him—the handsome devil with the soft voice who made sure my glass was never empty.

Things escalated fast once we reached his room. Got physical. Uncomfortable. But somehow, with whatever clarity I had left, I'd escaped and found myself with this breathtaking man—someone who looked like he'd never held back a day in his life.

"What's your name?"

"Seraphina."

"Then I think you do know, Seraphina. Tell me what you want." He lifted my chin, his pupils dilated as I stared into those warm brown eyes.

"You're very handsome."

"You think I'm handsome?"

"Very much. But you already know that." I swallowed. "What's your name?"

"It's best you don't know."

My fingers curled around his shirt, using the leverage to pull myself closer. "I want to know. Please."

God, I sounded desperate—some needy girl begging for attention. Hadn't I learned anything from tonight? The thought was ridiculous, yet the pull toward him was magnetic. Resisting would hurt more than giving in. How messed up was that? He had no idea what his voice alone did to me.

"Azriel." He studied my face. "Now tell me what you desire, little one."

"Make tonight disappear."

"I'm not certain I can do that." His thumb traced my jaw. "What can I offer you right now?"

The rain was still falling, wind rocking the car. My breathing turned ragged. "Help me feel something other than fear."

"How?"

I tilted my head until our lips were almost touching. "Fuck me. Please. Make love to me tonight. Just one night."

Jesus Christ. Where did that boldness come from? The adrenaline mixing with alcohol must've stripped away every filter I had.

When I pressed closer, his gaze darkened. I refused to take it back.

"Do you understand what that means?" His voice could seduce angels into falling.

"Tell me. I want to hear it."

"First, I'll bury my face between your thighs until you come on my tongue screaming my name. After that, I'll fuck you like an animal—like I hate you. It won't be gentle. It won't be making love. Not tonight. It's going to be hard, brutal, raw. The kind that leaves every inch of you aching and breathless but completely satisfied. If I fuck you, you'll remember it forever—you'll crave it, dream about it, do anything to have it again. And you will try."

Heat flooded between my legs. My pulse thundered in my ears. I'd never imagined anything like this, but it was exactly what I needed.

"Now tell me if that's really what you want."

My chest heaved, the dim light catching the glassiness in my eyes, the tremble in my lip. I wanted to devour his mouth.

"Yes," I whispered. "That's exactly what I want."

He cupped my face, the rough pads of his fingers pressing into my skin. When he captured my mouth, I knew this was a terrible decision. I didn't care. As long as I got one taste of this gorgeous man.

"Azriel." I whispered his name, the sound tickling my lips. My world. My heart was thudding against my chest. I was dizzy with want, every nerve ending alive with anticipation. To be taken—that's what I craved so desperately I didn't care that I'd placed my life in the hands of a beautiful stranger.

Azriel could be a monster. But no worse than the one I'd just escaped.

His crude words about what he'd do to me were precisely what I needed to hear.

When his hand slid to my thigh, fingers digging into my skin, being his felt completely different from earlier tonight. Azriel wanted one thing—raw pleasure. And I was giving it freely. No force, no violation. Just intensity we'd both remember.

He was almost too beautiful to be real, and I found myself mesmerized in a way I'd never experienced. The fact that he left me speechless spoke volumes about my attraction.

Here I was in a car with a mysterious stranger—someone who could be a serial killer for all I knew—yet I felt perfectly at ease. The horrible experience from earlier had already faded, leaving only bitter residue.

"Be careful what you ask for, little one." Azriel's growl sent shivers down my spine. "I won't stop even if you beg me to."

"Good. I don't want you to stop."

I wanted this man with the devastating eyes to fill my thoughts with sin. He was insanely hot—so much so my pulse skipped with every breath.

He looked amused, aroused, his nostrils flaring. His dark laugh awakened something primal in me, conjuring vivid images of the filthy things I wanted him to do.

"One thing, little one. You're not in charge. I am. I'll make certain you understand that."

"Meaning what?"

"I'm giving you exactly what you need."

He shoved his seat back and yanked me over his lap. Shock froze me in place.

"What are you doing?"

Mortification flooded through me when he pulled up my wet dress, exposing my bare skin, the thin thong doing nothing to hide me. Before I could process it, his hand came down hard. Again. And again. He didn't hesitate.

The shock dissolved into pain, the kind that made stars dance across my vision.