Cruel King: A Dark New Adult Romance (Royal Elite)

Surviving you shouldn’t be becoming all entangled in you.

What are you supposed to do when someone kidnaps you?

Kick and claw? Check.

Hit and scream? Also, check.

When I don’t stop screaming and hitting him every step on the way, Levi pushes me into the passenger seat of his car and retrieves a piece of rope from his glove box.

“What are you doing?” My frantic vision bounces between him and the rope. Why the hell does he even have rope in his car?

“Are you going to stay calm?”

“Let me go, you arsehole, let me —”

I cut off when he yanks both my arms behind my back, pressing his body flush against my front.

I seize breathing when his strong scent fills my nostrils. His hard chest flattens my breasts, making me all warm and fuzzy.

It’s only been three days since I’ve felt this warmth. Three measly days, but it’s felt like an eternity.

While I’m distracted by his sheer presence, Levi wraps the rope around my wrists, securing them behind my back. Then he hangs the seatbelt over my chest so I’m unable to move.

He steps back as if inspecting his handy work then taps my nose twice. “Be a good princess.”

“Fuck you, King.”

His eyes narrow the slightest bit, but he closes the door, hard, and I jump. I wiggle sideways, trying to free myself, but he’s already in his seat, securing the locks from his side.

The car’s engine revs to life and we’re flying in the streets.

I twist my wrists, but that only makes the ropes dig deeper in my flesh. “Kidnapping is a crime, you know.”

“I couldn’t care less.”

I groan from both frustration and anger. “So what? You think you can act like a villain and kidnap me on your black horse and I’ll have no other choice but to forgive you? Are you expecting a kiss in thanks, too?.”

He cocks an eyebrow. “I didn’t think about it that way, but that can work, too.”

“Ugh. I hate you.”

“You proved it by bringing that scum.” A muscle clenches in his jaw. “You’ll pay for that.”

“You have no right to tell me what to do. I’m not and will never be one of your subjects.”

He throws me a dark glance. “You’ll learn your place. Eventually.”

“How long are you going to keep me? A day? A week? A month?” I taunt. “As soon as I escape, guess who I’ll be going back to? Here’s a hint. His name starts with a Z.”

He steps on the brake so hard, I almost topple over and hit my head on the windshield.

My space is crowded by his body and his face that’s breathing menace in my face.

He clutches my chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing me to look straight into those pale eyes.

There’s so much intimacy in this moment; walls falling down and others pulling up.

I just don’t know whether those walls are his or mine.

“You can be upset and angry all you want, but don’t bring another man in my presence again.”

“Or what?”

“I’ll end them. Every last fucking one of them.”

My lips part. “You… you wouldn’t.”

“Try. Me.” His breath tickles my skin and he darts his tongue out to lick the shell of my ear before he murmurs in dark, hot words. “I dare you to fucking try me, princess.”

I want to think he wouldn’t do such a thing, but he can be damn crazy. He’s proved time and again how abnormal he is.

Hell, if I didn’t stop him, I don’t know how far he would’ve gone with Jerry all those weeks ago.

“You’re a good girl, aren’t you?” His lips hover against the corner of my mouth and my breathing turns into choked gasps. “So how about you be a good little princess and stop fucking everything up?”

I want to curse and shout at him. I want to tell him that he’s the one who fucked up my life, but I don’t trust my anger. I feel like I’ll say something that will only backfire on me. Besides, he’s too close, it’s impossible to concentrate.

He starts the car again and I decide to ignore his existence. If words didn’t work with him, then the silent treatment will have to do.

I stare from the car window, pursing my lips. Soon enough, the city’s loud life and the bright lights disappear until the road turns deserted.

The way to the Meet Up.

I recognise the road even before we pull over in front of it.

Levi steps out from his side of the door and opens mine. I look in the opposite direction.

He holds my chin, trying to make me look at him, but I keep my vision on the side.

“As you wish, princess.” His words are barely out when he yanks me from the passenger seat and carries me in his arms — with my wrists bound behind my back.

My breasts brush against his chest, creating a maddening friction. His strong arm against my naked thighs shoots tingles straight to my core.

Nope. I’m not going there.

The house is dark, but as soon as we’re inside, a white, automatic light turns on.

Levi carries me up the stairs and down two halls with his face stone cold. I breathe harshly both because of the sensations he’s illicing in my body and because I need him to know my displeasure.

Either he doesn’t notice or he doesn’t care.

My bet is on the second.

He swings open the door leading to a medium-sized bedroom with a large bed and crisp white sheets. There’s a small desk and a closet, and that’s it.

Levi throws me on the bed and I crawl to the other end, my throat closing.

All my courage from earlier is completely gone now. We’re all alone here. My shoulder blades snap together at the realisation.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

He doesn’t answer.

Instead, he removes his jacket, throws it on the table and rolls the sleeves of his shirt to his elbows. “You’re speaking to me now?”

“Let me go, Levi.” I blend with the headboard, my heart thumping so loud, it fills my space.

“You’re calling me by my name, too.” His voice is calm. Too calm. It’s frightening. “That’s progress.”

“Is this another one of your games? Are you trying to scare me?” I hate the tremor in my voice. It only proves how much his plan is working. “Go right ahead. Make me hate you for good.”

“Don’t you already?” The bed dips as he crawls towards me with black, impenetrable eyes.

“I do.” I fight the tears blurring my vision.

“You do, huh?”

“Did you think I’d run back to you because you stood up for me? Newsflash, King. I’m not a damsel in distress. I don’t need saving from what you caused in the first place.”

He grabs both my legs and pulls me towards him. I yelp when I fall against my bound hands and slide forward.

My legs spread open on each side of his strong thighs and my dress bunches up until my underwear peeks out.

He grips both my hips in his merciless, strong hands until I’m half-straddling his lap.

“The pictures aren’t my doing,” he says with fake calmness on his face.

Tears blur my vision as anger and shame roll off me in waves. “Don’t lie to me. I deserve at least that.”

“I never lied to you, princess. If I do something, I own up to it.”

“Yeah, sure. Then why was your face and even your damn car blurred?”

“I don’t know yet, but I’ll find out and whoever did this will pay.”

Every word coming out of his mouth is so sure and confident, I’m starting to doubt myself.

But isn’t that what he wants me to feel?

Isn’t it his purpose to reduce me to a mindless being?

A hand remains at my hip while his fingers snake up the hollow of my waist. I suck in a stuttering breath at the sensuality in his touch.

I can fight, but then what? He’ll just have me back exactly where he wants.

And maybe, just maybe I’m tired of fighting.

“You’ll also pay, princess.” His voice turns deadly and so do his eyes.

“For what?”

“For bringing that fucker when I told you to stay away from him. What were you trying to prove, hmm?”

I swallow as his deft fingers snake a path to the zipper of my dress, slowly pulling it down.

“Were you perhaps trying to prove that you’re not mine?” He yanks my dress down my shoulders with one tug.

I gasp as my breasts spill free from the built-in bra. My knee-jerk reaction is to hide them, but it’s impossible with my bound hands.

Levi’s black gaze turns feral as he takes them all in. He looks at me like he wants to devour me and leave nothing behind. A rush of need spirals through me and my nipples tighten and pucker as if begging for his attention.

It’s crazy how I’m ready to jump out of my skin whenever he looks at me like this.

Levi and I have always shared this weird, insane connection that I’ve never felt with anyone else.

A push.

A pull.

A current of power.

His thumb finds a throbbing nipple and he flicks it up and down. His pale eyes meet mine in a challenge. He’s teasing me, punishing me, and daring me to do something about it.

Tiny bolts of pleasure shoot between my legs as I bite my lower lip against the onslaught.

His mouth wraps around my other nipple and he bites down. Hard. A zap of electricity starts from his hot mouth on my breasts and ends pooling at my core.

“L-Levi… please…”

“Please what?” He speaks against the skin of my breast, his breath heating my skin. “Stop or keep going?”

I don’t know. I don’t know anything at the moment.

My head is dizzy and my legs turn into puddles around his thighs. Since I can’t answer with words, my body takes over and I push my breasts into his fingers and mouth, silently begging for more.

He speaks against my tender flesh. “Do you want me to suck harder on these tight pink nipples, princess?”

A small, needy voice leaves me as my eyes droop with uncontainable lust.

“Do you want me to make them tender and painful with pleasure?”

Oh. God.

His dirty words have always been my undoing.

I nod a little, pushing into him.

“Not so fast.” He smiles with contempt, looking up at me. “What were you trying to prove tonight?”

“That you don’t own me!” I shout, my voice hoarse.

“I don’t own you, huh?” His smile disappears and he’s back to his scary calm façade. “Is that what you really think?”

“You hurt me,” I bite out against the agonising mixture of pleasure, pain, and anger shooting through me all at once. “All you ever do is hurt me. You’re toxic, Levi, and I won’t continue being manipulated like a piece on your chessboard.”

He removes his mouth, but his thumb continues swiping back and forth on my other breast.

“All I ever do is hurt you,” he repeats as if he’s mulling the words over. Only this time, there isn’t that usual mocking edge. If anything, he appears genuinely confused.

I recall what Aiden told me the other time and feel horrible for saying what I said.

All the anger from moments ago withers away at the lost look in Levi’s gaze. It’s like he wants to act out on something, but he doesn’t know how.

And I might have said something wrong.

“No. Wait.” I wrap my legs around his waist tighter, not wanting to lose him. “I didn’t mean that.”

He tilts his head to the side. “You didn’t mean what?”

“That all you do is hurt me. You… make me happy, too.”

He raises an eyebrow. “I do, huh?”

“It drives me crazy, but yeah, you do. You take my mind off things and I feel free with you. And I guess, I hate that. I hate how vulnerable you make me feel. I hate that you’re able to hurt me so easily like no one else ever could.”

There, I said it.

My deepest, darkest fears are out in the open.

I swallow audibly after my confession, peeking at Levi through my eyelashes. I barely get a glimpse before his hand wraps around my nape and he crushes his lips to mine.

A strangled moan escapes me as he pulls me into him. My response is just as violent as his claiming.

I get lost in the kiss and the words hidden underneath the animalistic passion.

He doesn’t have to say it out loud for me to hear it.

I make him vulnerable, too.

Unlike me, he gets off on it, making it a strength instead of a weakness.

He pulls my dress all the way down my legs until I’m lying in front of him in only my black underwear.

Tingles erupt on my skin the more he touches me. The more my lungs fills with his scent. The more his pale eyes draw a path down my neck. The more his tongue trails from my ear to my collarbone to the valley of my breasts.

“Oh, God… Levi…”

“You’re not going to challenge me this time?” he whispers in my ear.

I buck against his hand as he trails a path to bring down the only piece of my clothing left. I lie completely naked in front of him while he’s still fully clothed.

“Do you want a challenge?” I breathe.

“I love it when you challenge me, princess.” He licks the shell of my ear and pushes his erection into the soft flesh of my thigh. “It makes my cock so fucking hard.”

“Unbound me,” I breathe out, fighting the tremor in my voice.

He shakes his head.

“How am I to challenge you, then?”

“Your mere existence is enough challenge.” A sadistic smirk tilts his lips. “I like you bound, princess. I like you at my mercy. I like you mine.”

His fingers hover over my folds, threatening but not touching. I might have pushed myself up off the bed, needing any type of friction. Hell, I’m ready to dry hump his thigh at this point.

“You want me to touch you?”

I nod slowly.

His hand wraps around my throat, squeezing the slightest bit. “And when I do, you’ll come for me, screaming my name so hard until you forget all other fucking names. You’ll be my good little princess, won’t you?”

I bite the corner of my lower lip as he teases my soaking folds.

Levi is the type of predator who plays with his prey. He drives me to the edge of myself just so he can devour me harder afterwards.

“Answer me,” he growls against my throat.

“Why do you like pushing me, Levi?” I crane my head to the side, silently giving him better access to my neck. “Why do you like playing with me until I don’t know whether or not this is real?”

“Because I don’t do things halfway. I take everything, princess.”

“Everything?”

“Your tears. Your laughs. Your pain. Your joy.” He drags his tongue along my lower lip then bites it. “Everything you have to offer is mine to own.”

He releases me just so he can yank his shirt open, causing a few buttons to fly all around us.

My mouth dries at the hard ridges of his chest and how his muscles flex with every move.

He’s so gorgeous, it’s unfair.

My body craves his with every breath I take. I’m tuned to him in ways words can’t describe.

He undoes his belt and shoves down his trousers and boxer briefs in one go.

My eyes bulge at how his rock hard cock points in my direction.

Before I can study him fully, his body covers mine. All his hard ridges mould to my soft curves like a vice.

Like this was always meant to be.

He reaches into the side table and pulls out a condom, ripping it with his teeth.

My breathing hitches as I watch him in all his naked glory, hovering over me like a God.

A sex-god.

I always had some images about my first time, but never in my wildest dreams had I thought it’d be with Levi.

And now, I couldn’t have it any other way.

My breathing hitches as he pulls me by the hips until his cock is at my entrance.

“It’s time you’re all mine, princess.”

He slams inside me into one long, brutal go. I shriek at the intrusive sensation, my eyes rolling to the back of my head.

Oh God. That hurts.

I close my eyes, trying to get used to the feeling of being stretched open. He’s so big, it’s hard to even breathe.

“Fuck. You’re a virgin?” He stops, staring down at me with a mixture of confusion and what looks like pain and awe.

“Was,” I try to joke, biting my lip against the pain. “Can you move or something?”

His lips find mine, and I’m momentarily lost in the kiss. He starts moving slow and steady as his mouth devours mine.

His hand reaches between us to flick my clit.

The pain withers away, leaving something entirely different in its wake.

His fullness.

I can only feel him filling me and it’s so intimate.

So… erotic.

Soft moans tear past my lips as he picks up his pace slowly but steadily.

“Harder,” I murmur.

Levi’s brows scrunch as if he’s as surprised as me for saying that.

“Do you like a little pain with your pleasure, princess?” He bites down on the lobe of my ear, drawing a shudder from me.

“I… don’t know.”

“Let’s find out.” He grabs my hip with one hand and wraps the other one around my neck.

It’s not tight to cut off my air supply, but it’s firm enough to let me know that I’m at his mercy.

A part inside me snaps at the feeling of him being all over me. There’s something about relishing all of my control to him that makes me feel at peace or maybe a little powerful.

With my hands bound against my back, Levi rams deeper and harder into me until I can barely breathe or think.

Everything fills with his scent and his presence. A maddening buildup starts at my core and spreads all over my body like hellfire.

I can’t breathe or think straight.

“Fuck, Astrid. You’re so fucking tight.” Thrust. “And beautiful.” Thrust. “And driving me fucking insane.”

The sensation swipes over me like a hurricane. This orgasm is so different from all the other ones he gave me with his mouth. This one unravels me from the inside. I can’t even think or breathe. I can only scream his name like he told me I would.

I almost blackout, but I’m brought back to the moment as Levi’s back turns rigid. His Viking hair sticks to his temple with sweat and all his muscles become taut. He comes with a groan, squeezing me into him.

And then, his mouth is back to devouring mine.

Best. Birthday. Ever.