117. Predatory and Unpredictable

My heart beats sky rockets.

The bed shifts under his weight, and his rich, musky scent hit my nostrils. A feeling of terror arises from the pit of my stomach, knowing how close he is to me.

*Oh God!*

I feel him a breath away. His presence feels like a dark shadow behind me, predatory and unpredictable.

One minute passes, then two, yet Dakota makes no move on me and it scares my little heart even more.

I keep my eyes shut, pretending it all to be a dream.

But his unsettling presence behind me doesn’t calm my raging nerves. They know, he is there. Silent like a storm, yet still capable of ravaging.

The silence stretches on, filled only with the sound of his deep breathings, steady and slightly uneven.

I do not know how much time has passed as I pretend to ignore the animal lurking behind me, ready to pounce at any moment. 

I could sense him staring at me which is quite unnerving. It’s almost as if he is still deciding what he wants to do with me.

There is a subtle shift in the air, a movement of clothes and then suddenly, I feel a surge of intense warmth clutching my neck.

My heart leaps to my throat as his hand closes around my nape, the strength in his grip sends a jolt of fear coursing down my spine. 

*Strength of a dangerous man.* 

I gasp, my flesh shivers in absolute terror as I sense the heat of his palm on my sensitive part of neck, and the sheer power they own to choke my life in a second.

But to my surprise, he remains calm, and very slowly the pressure of his grip eases on my neck.

I breathe in desperately, filling my lungs with his unpredictable scent, which is all over the room by now.

Dakota’s hand remains still on my neck, warm and unmoving.

My heart pounds against my ribs in anticipation, for what he is about to do. 

But I am too scared to move away. I feel extremely vulnerable and powerless in his hold. 

My skin quivers slightly as he squeezes my neck again in his murderous hands, and very slowly, releases his grip with a gentleness of a lover. 

I could feel adrenaline being pumped into my veins, heightening my senses as his thumb traces a path along the curve of my neck, feeling every nerve which is jumping under his touch.

Very slowly, his fingers encircle my shoulders, giving them a warm squeeze, before trailing his hand down to my back, exploring the territory which has not been touched before.

My chest rises and falls in panic as his calculative fingers uncalculatively travels down my naked spine, with a silence that amplifies my darkest fears.

I stay still, holding on to my breath, as if taking in his scent will intoxicate me, while his touch ignites a flurry of unfamiliar sensations coursing through my body. 

His fingers halt at the edge of my spine, lingering where the open V curve of my dress ends, and stay there for a second, as if evaluating their advance move. 

My breaths come out uneven, and his ominous presence behind paralyses me further. With a capricious movement, his hand slowly glides to my waist, settling on the most sensitive part of my body.

My skin tingles with the warmth of his touch, a paradox of roughness and gentleness that sends shivers down my spine.

Once again, he squeezes his hand, only to release it later with an action so deliberate and slow.

It takes me a few moments to realize that Dakota is massaging me.

As if apologizing to me with his *warm* touch, making my body feel good, after abusing and ruining it to nothing.

His warm fingers trace the curve of my waist. My breath rises as he gliding up my ribs, occasionally taking pauses and massaging, before curling around my arm.

Dakota grips my upper arm and I feel him moving closer. 

Goose bumps form on my skin as his fingers *oh so* slowly travel along my hand, touching me, feeling me, until they interlock around my fingers possessively. 

A gasp leaves my lips as he presses our inter-joined hands against my chest, drawing me back towards his warm beating chest. 

The fabric of his shirt grazes against my naked back, and I bite my lips to not let out any sound, though I am quacking from inside. 

Dakota squeezes his hand around mine, and I feel my heart thrashing against my chest wildly, not able to stay calm any longer.

And that’s when I feel his warm, *oh so* soft lips pressing at the back of my neck.

An audible gasp leaves my lip, and my back arches away from him, and his fervent lips.

But Dakota holds me tightly in his grip, and plants his hot lips even closer to my flesh. A shiver runs down my spine, as his lips trail along the sensitive skin of my nape, while kissing me softly. 

A spark of shock courses through me, realizing how warm and pleasurable his lips feel on my skin. I close my eyes, trying to block out every enticing feeling which is ignited by his erotic touch. 

My lungs take a deep breath as I feel his another hand, pushing away my hair, exposing more of my neck while he presses his lips hotly this time. 

An involuntary moan escapes my lips, as Dakota holds my hair gently in his clutch and feathers me with his sensual kisses, as if making up for all the brutal ways he has exploited me. 

His tongue licks the cavity between my neck and shoulder, sending an electric current down to my abdomen.

I feel feverish.

My entire body is ignited. 

On one hand, I feel this anger coursing through me at how horribly he has treated me all this time. Yet, on another hand, I feel this intense pleasure of being touched so lovingly, something I have always wanted.

Very slowly, Dakota runs his tongue along the ridges of my shoulder, all while keeping his mouth pressed lightly against my skin and feathering me with kisses.

I take a shaky breath, mustering up the courage to walk away from his on-slaughter of seduction on my bruised heart and tries to stand up. 

But he holds me even tighter in his arms, like a prayer. 

“Emara..”

The sound of his deep voice breaks the long silence, and I squeeze my eyes shut, letting a sob crack through my stoic walls.

I hate when he calls my name gently like a lover, after degrading me as his whore.

“I am sorry, baby.” Dakota whispers huskily against my skin.