I should let her go. I shouldn’t ask such things.

I couldn’t help myself. “You never answered me what other firsts you’ve been denied. I think it’s time we deleted a few.” My eyes locked onto her lips. “I brought you here for a reason. Perhaps that reason was to fuck you out of my system.”

Her breathing caught.

My cock hardened at the shock on her face, followed by a contorted mix of disgust, loathing, and fear.

I’d never had a woman look at me with such a recipe of hate.

Shit, it turned me on.

My leg tightened around hers, forcing my aching dick to press against her hollow stomach.

She gasped, turning rigid in my arms.

“Don’t worry. I won’t break another promise tonight.” I traced my fingertip over her forearm. “I’ve already broken a few by touching you. Best to keep the rest for another time.”

Her foot kicked, doing its best to dislodge me.

“Doesn’t mean I won’t take other things from you, though.”

I knew the right thing to do would be to let her go. She’d requested in her silent way to end this.

And I would, just not quite yet.

Cupping her nape, I brought her forehead to nudge against mine. Nuzzling her with my nose, I let go of my self-control, allowing the intense intoxication I always lived with to escape. “Do you know what I’d do if your tongue was healed?”

I didn’t know if it was her, the pot, or the night swim, but I was free for the first time in a very long time.

Her nostrils flared as if expecting me to request her voice again.

However, that wasn’t the reason I wished her tongue was cured. Not right now.

Sandwiching her breasts against my chest, I breathed, “I wish it was healed so I could kiss you.”

Her gasp was audible this time, sending my heart bucking.

So she does have vocal cords.

She could speak. How had stubbornness and silence kept her alive for so long?

She stared harder, fear, mistrust, hatred, even annoyance crossed her face. Her gaze darted to my lips as I deliberated kissing her despite her denial.

Some of her annoyance faded, replaced with feathery breathing, brushing her nipples against my chest.

I swallowed my groan as the same hint of vacancy overrode her mistrust. Shutters clamped down over her soul, protecting herself the same way she did with Alrik, while at the same time, sacrificing herself to whatever I wanted.

It doesn’t work that way.

Not with me.

My free arm cut angrily through the water. “You think you can compartmentalize your feelings? That you can give me your body but not your mind?”

She bit her lip, her dark hair swirling in the tide. I didn’t like the judgmental way she watched me, already condemning me to hell.

Bringing her face closer, I whispered harshly, “When I kiss you again, you’ll want me to kiss you. You won’t look as if I’m taking something from you. You’ll beg me to give you something you desperately want.” Dragging my lips over her salty-cheekbone, I ordered my body to behave even as our legs bumped and my cock jerked to sink inside her—if only to prove a point.

To show her sex felt fucking awesome.

Even if she hadn’t experienced such ecstasy yet.

She’s not ready.

As much as I wanted to rush ahead and take her, I refused to damage her psyche when her thoughts were more valuable to me than her body.

My fingers looped around her seaweed hair, tightening just enough to wrench her head back. “I order you to forget everything that that bastard did to you. None of that was sex. That was abuse, and it won’t happen again. You’re a woman beneath whatever slave he turned you into, and when I fucking kiss you, I expect a woman to kiss me back not a slave to shut me out. Do you understand?”

She flinched, her eyelashes sparkling with droplets. Her jaw worked, but beneath her rage, the mildest form of agreement glowed. She wanted to be normal. Despite her fighting me, she secretly hoped I’d smash her cage and teach her how to be free.

Well, I’d help her be normal.

But not tonight.

Her body softened infinitesimally as she licked her lips. My cock immediately reacted, understanding her message. In some small part of her…she wanted me to kiss her. Tongue stitches, black ocean, and whatever chaos existed between us be damned.

Fuck.

It took all my strength to shove her away from me. “Goodnight. I trust you can find your own way back.”

She sucked in a breath as I relinquished her to the ocean. For a moment, she frowned, then shook her head with a scowl.

I chuckled. “Is that disappointment, silent one?”

Her scowl turned into a snort.

“Despite what you think, you already look at me differently. You might hate the thought of what I’ll one day do to you. You might fear the thought of my cock inside you and my body smothering yours, but a small part of you wants me to do it.”

She jolted; a small splash from her fingers decorated the blackness.

I cocked my head. “Why is that? So you can stop wondering who I am and label me the same as your previous master? Or…” I rubbed my lips in promise. “Is it because you’re sick of pain and want pleasure instead?”

She scoffed, her arms spreading wide to swim away.

I should shut my mouth and let her go, but I liked making her uncomfortable. Words wouldn’t leave scars, but they could slice open old ones. “Beware of what you wish for, Pim.” I lowered my voice, thick and heavy over the waves. “Next time I kiss you, you’ll be wet and feel pleasure you’ve long since been denied. You’ll come. I won’t tolerate otherwise.”