His hand tightened around her wrists and she felt bruises form. She didn't care. It felt delicious. Her hands were pinned in one of his behind her back, underneath her, his lips on her neck.
As she arched against him, he pushed her down with his chest, keeping her still and in place. If she tried to kiss him, he'd turn away and then continue his assault on her neck. She could feel him grinning.
He kissed her as her quick pulse and heavy breathing fueled his testosterone, raging him on. He moved down her neck to her shoulders, nuzzling and then biting, making her arch against him, demanding more.
Lauren had been with different men, but none like Roderick. Before, she'd had two types of lovers: one, who would be gentle and kind, stare into her eyes as they made love, who'd keep asking her if it was okay or if she wanted to do something else, one who would stifle her and make her want to kick them in the balls and out of her bed. The other, one who would get to the point, take what he wanted, and leave her unsatisfied and annoyed.
Not Roderick.
Roderick was rough, always bringing her to the border of pleasure and pain. He liked the way her muscles relaxed in pleasure but then tensed when he would pull her hair back or grip her hard. He was in control and he liked making her feel it.
Lauren loved it. She loved seeing him come alive and to see the fire in his eyes, the satisfaction in his breath. She knew he wouldn't hurt her intentionally but she liked that he was rough with her. She liked it the same way he did.
Oftentimes, if her hands were free, hers would come to cover his, squeezing his, silently urging him to grip her harder, letting him know that wasn't enough yet. He would happily oblige, spinning her around and pushing her onto the bed, daring her to ask him for more again.
Roderick was a man who lived on the edge of pain and pleasure- he could easily see if the scale was being tipped in one direction to heavily. He could feel by Lauren's breathing and by her pulse if the pain was too much, if she wasn't enjoying it anymore and he would retreat, settling until she made her demands again.
As much as he enjoyed, even relished, inflicting extreme pain, he wouldn't do it to her like this. Not when she was vulnerable, naked under him. She trusted him, urged him to bring her to the fine line with him… he wouldn't betray her in a moment like that.
But this wasn't about the pain, it was indeed forcing her to walk the line with him. He wanted her to beg him to be rough, rather than to ask him to stop. Her breathlessness in his ear urged him to continue.
He loved that Lauren wanted him to be rough and that she encouraged it. He could tell that she wouldn't settle for anything less from him.
If he succumbed in a moment of pleasure and softened, he'd find her hands behind him, pulling him roughly, or a stern look from her eyes to not back down.
In those moments, he'd grin devilishly and always think that he'd created a monster, but he loved it.
Like he, she always ended pleased, feeling both bruised and satisfied. He'd tumbled down beside her, out of breath and sweating.
Before he could fully regain his breathing pattern, she was already up, pulling at his hand and dragging him towards the shower. She was always up for more.
But tonight, after he'd tumbled down beside her, catching his breath, he looked over at her to see her laughing.
"I think you're getting soft in your old age, Sherriff," she teased, grinning.
Roderick shot her a look in the dark, sliding through he sheets and covering her cooling body with his.
"We'll see how soft I am with you now!" he growled playfully through his teeth, hands already sliding around her throat roughly.
She swatted his hands away, laughing and smiling. He smiled and let his hands fall to her waist, her cool skin feeling refreshing.
"You know I'm now going to promise to stick around this time," he mused quietly, looking down at her.
She shrugged. "I wouldn't have believed you even if you said it."
He opened his mouth to protest, to say that she should believe him if he said it but the point was moot. He wouldn't have said it anyways.
He felt alongside her body, feeling her curves from memory and her hand found his hair.
His hands slid the length of her body and back up, smoothing along her skin and feeling her shiver.
He liked being this intimate with her… to know that she knew exactly what he was, who he was, and what he'd done… that she knew him as Roderick, but still allowed him into her bed.
With other women, who knew him as Sheriff Nelson, he still felt like he was acting, making him more enraged when they said they liked it and called him Sheriff. It annoyed him.
With Louise, she only knew him as Roderick and demanded him to be as ruthless as his reputation as Joe's secondhand.
Lauren knew both. She knew him as Sheriff first and then as Roderick, she knew more pieces to him that others had. He felt like he could breathe around her.
She felt him tense abruptly and tension furrowed his forehead.
"I don't want you running out on Route 5 anymore," he said suddenly, his tone turning aggressive.
She opened her mouth to protest but his hand gripped her in rebuttal.
"No," he ordered, masculinity dripping from his voice, making Lauren twinge inside.
Thinking about Louise had reminded himself of the other followers at the manor. If he'd been able to run into Lauren on the road, someone else could have easily done it… and she wouldn't have been so lucky…
"Joe's forbidden it, but I just don't know what they'd do if presented with the opportunity…" Roderick said carefully.
Lauren realized what he was saying before she could ask. There were scarier people here than him now.
Roderick knew that if someone from the manor ran into Lauren they'd either kill her or recruit her. He wouldn't let either of those happen.
"Yes, sir," she replied obediently, smiling, trying to ease off some of the tension, "I won't run at all, okay?"
Roderick sighed, relieved. "Good… I'd prefer you off the roads."
Lauren nodded. "Understood."
Roderick settled back down on the bed, folding his arm under his head, his broad chest rising with each breath.
Lauren knew that within minutes, he'd be asleep next to her, breathing soundly. In an hour or so, he'd be turned on his side towards her, hand tangled in her hair. By morning, he'd be on his stomach, head on her pillow with her, arm flung across her stomach, pulling her closer if she tried to get out of bed without him.
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