I push his hand off my chin and hang my head to hide the tears. “There’s nothing to talk about. You were hired to kill me. I tried to kill you. My father and… and the baby got caught in the crossfire. Collateral damage. End of story.”
“This story is far from over. Listen to me.” He lowers himself from the sofa, grabbing my hand as he kneels before me. “We are going to live the rest of our lives with the repercussions of our decisions . We have to lay it all out and promise that we will forgive each other, or this will never work. We will never work. Look at me, Alex.” I look up from my lap and his eyes are pleading with me. “Alex, I am on my knees asking for your forgiveness. I know that there will be times when you will look at me and you’ll think of your father. There will probably be times when you’ll want to poison me or step on my throat, but I need you to promise me that you won’t.”
I smile reluctantly through the tears. “I promise I won’t try to kill you… even when you infuriate me by making fun of how I tried to kill you.”
“It’s not funny.”
He smiles as he says this and I shove his shoulder. “It’s not funny. And it’s especially not funny because I know you’re right. I will try to kill you. It’s what I was trained to do. It’s my natural instinct.” My gaze falls to his hand in my lap. I take it in mine and squeeze. “I need you to save me, and you, from myself.”
He brings my hand to his lips and lays a soft kiss on the back of my fingers. “It would be my honor to save you and me from you.”
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I wasn’t ready for a baby,” I whisper the shameful words that have been haunting me since this conversation began. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.”
“But… if I wasn’t ready… why does it hurt so much?”
He squeezes my hand, though he’s silent for a moment. “The baby was a part of us. It always hurts when you lose a part of yourself.”
I lift my hand and run my fingers through his dark hair. “Promise me it won’t always hurt this much.”
“I can’t,” he replies, taking a seat next to me again. “But I can promise I’ll be there to hold you when the pain becomes unbearable.”
He takes me in his arms and I remember what my mother told me. The monsters we can’t see are the scariest ones of all. I finally understand what she meant by this. The monsters we can’t see, the ones that dwell only in our minds, are the scariest ones of all. Because there’s only one way to fight those monsters.
With the help of someone who loves you.
I squeeze Daimon and he holds me tightly until the tears stop. It must be the hormones raging inside me after the miscarriage. I don’t think I’ve cried this much in all my life. But something about the way he holds me, as if he’d tear the Earth apart before he allowed anyone to tear us apart, it makes me feel safe. Like I can let go and… feel everything.
Finally, I draw in a cleansing breath and look up at him. “I’m ready. Tell me about your plans for the princess.”
Chapter Seven Daimon
The private jet we charter to Nice is well-appointed and the air-conditioned air is the first reprieve we’ve had from the oppressive humidity of the warehouse. The first thing Alex wants to do after the plane has reached cruising altitude is no surprise to me because I’m in complete agreement.
I follow Alex into the jet’s bathroom, then I close the door behind me. She’s frozen for a moment, staring at the shower stall enclosed in double-thick tempered glass, to withstand falls caused by turbulence. I step toward her until my chest is brushing up against her back. Reaching forward, I take her left hand in mine and lean forward to whisper in her ear.
“If you prefer, I can wait outside.”
“No,” she replies with haste, shaking her head. “Don’t go. I need you to help me.”
She turns around to face me and raises her arms in the air so I can remove her T-shirt. I pull the shirt off gently and toss it onto the counter. I wrap my arms around her waist and kiss her slowly as I undo the clasp on her bra. Her mouth opens wider, inviting me to quell her thirst for more.
I slip the straps of her bra off her shoulders, then I plant a tender kiss on her neck as I let it fall to the floor. I reach for the button of her jeans, being careful not to touch her stab wound. Kneeling before her, I help her step out of her pants. Her black panties follow her jeans and I gaze at her beautiful body for a moment before I lay a soft kiss on her abdomen. I look up at her and her chest is heaving with anticipation.
She traces her finger over the discolored skin on the left side of her torso. “This is the first time you’ve seen my body in the light.”
“And you’re more beautiful than I could have imagined.”
I have to go easy on her so I don’t exasperate her injury. I grip the back of her knee then slide my hand up slowly until it’s between her legs. She closes her eyes and leans her head back as I glide my middle finger inside her. I move my finger in and out a few times, then I gently drag it forward onto her swollen clit.
She whimpers and her knees begin to buckle. I tease her with soft caresses; not firm enough for her to climax, but just enough to drive her crazy. When she begins to double over, I remove my hand from between her legs and stand up.
She cups her hand over her throbbing clit, watching me undress as she tries to catch her breath. When I’m naked, I turn on the shower and adjust the water temperature. I turn around and she’s smiling.
“Are you real?” she whispers, reaching forward to run her fingers over my abdominal muscles. “You’re exquisite.”
I smile at the compliment, then I take her hand in mine and lead her into the shower. “Turn your back to the water.”
She stands under the showerhead with the water cascading over her glistening skin, which has been bronzed by the island sun. I sweep her hair over her shoulders as she leans her head back. I kiss her neck, sucking gently and savoring the flavor of salt on her skin as my hands land on her waist.
Pulling her body flush against me, my erection slides over her slick abdomen then down and between her thighs. She gasps and twirls her hips in a greedy gesture that rubs her clit against the head of my cock.
I hold her hips steady to still her movement. “You just stand there and relax.” I issue the command in a low growl. “I’ll give you what you want.”
I grab a small bottle of body wash off the marble shelf and deposit a good amount into my palm. I massage the soap into her neck and shoulders, kneading away the tension before I move down her arms and legs. I get some soap in my hand and she nods in anticipation.
I slide my hand between her thighs and she grabs onto my neck to steady herself as I caress her tender flesh. My fingers glide between every crease and she whimpers each time I hit her clit. After a few seconds, the soap has washed away. I remove my hand and kneel before her.
Reaching behind her, I grab her ass firmly as I lean forward and slip my tongue between her swollen lips. I slide my right hand down the back of her thigh and gently lift her leg so her foot is resting on the top of my thigh. She grips the shelf as I use my tongue to massage the flesh around her clit. I want to go easy on her. I also want to draw out the pleasure as long as possible. I’ve been longing to put my mouth on her since the last night we were together. I must savor this moment.
Using my left hand to part her lips, I lick all around her pussy, purposely avoiding her clit. Her whimpers come more high-pitched the longer I tease her.
“Oh, God. Please, Daimon.”
The sound of her pleading gets my cock painfully engorged. I want to be inside her so bad, but she needs a couple weeks for her body to recover. But that doesn’t mean I can’t pleasure her orally.
I slide my finger between her cheeks as I close my lips around her clit. I massage her tight opening while sucking gently on her delicate rosebud. It takes a moment before she’s relaxed enough for me to slide my finger inside her. She lets out a deep moan followed by audible panting. I push in a bit further as my tongue glides over her clit in tight circles.