“I’ll never let anyone hurt you likeshedid.” Her breath brushes against my lips. “This isn’t the first time you’ve spoken her name in your sleep. Let her go, Cian. For me, let go of her memory. I don’t want another woman in our bed, even if she is a ghost.”
Fiona has plagued my nightmares again, in a way she hasn’t in years. They started back up when I abandoned Ravenna and they haven’t stopped, even though I have my wife back.
“Let me help you forget about her.” Ravenna drops to her knees and takes the head of my cock into her warm, wet mouth. My fingers automatically fist her hair. I can never deny this siren anything.
“You don’t have to do this.” I groan as she takes me deeper. “Jesus.” Her mouth feels so good, heavenly.
Pulling back, she releases my cock with apoppingsound. “We haven’t had sex since… before everything that happened. I know we both needed time to heal, but I’m not waiting a second longer. I need to feel you in me. Please.”
That’s all she needs to say before I’m lifting her from the tile floor, pressing her back to the wall, and giving her what she desires. My mouth crashes down on hers in a desperate need to taste, claim, devour. When she moans my name, my restraint snaps.
I line my throbbing dick up with her entrance and thrust. She cries out as I bury myself deep in her pussy. For a long moment that’s where I stay, sheathed, surrounded by the woman I’mfalling in love with. I revel in the feeling of her body. My thumb slips between us, and circles her clit.
“I’ll never be able to forgive myself for hurting you, baby.”
Her soft gaze claims mine. “It was an accident. You were having a nightmare, which is something you can’t control.” She loops her arms around my neck. “I don’t want to live in the past. Step into the future with me, Cian. Let’s leave it all behind. Can you do that?”
“I can try.” I rest my forehead on hers. “No, I can do better than that. I’m done living in the past, too. All I want is us and our future together.”
She exhales against my lips. “We can have that. Now fuck me.”
A weight lifts from my shoulders. My chest grows lighter, airy. Heaven sent this woman to me. An angel. My very own angel.
CHAPTER 25
Ravenna
“If you could find the man who kidnapped her, then she wouldn’t be terrified all the time,” I tell Cian over breakfast, as I sip my Earl Grey latte. “She might leave her room, or even the house. She can’t go on living like this. Are there any clues? Any leads? It’s been weeks since Elle’s moved in with us.”
Even though our honeymoon is long over, we’re still in that phase. Enjoying each other’s company, we take breakfast in the privacy of our room every morning. I love having Cian all to myself for a while before he goes to work. Which he does for a few hours before we have lunch. And bylunch, I mean mid-afternoon sex in his office. My husband’s insatiable appetite matches mine.
Since that morning he accidentally tried to strangle me to death, we haven’t spoken of it again. Not because we’re trying to avoid the subject. If anything, an easiness has entered our relationship, a harmony that wasn’t there before. We’re open with each other. Real with each other in a way that has my heart singing every single moment we’re together.
Cian sighs. “Whoever he is, he’s gone. Vanished without a trace, and we haven’t heard so much as a rumor about him. I’m sorry. There’s nothing more we can do.”
“Didn’t the apartment give you any clues? What about the police report?” I’m unwilling to let this go. We need answers.
“All we found out was that the apartment was rented under the name of the dead man. Police identified him, and we looked into his background. For all the good that did. Turns out he was dying of a terminal illness, on one last vacation here to New York City before he died. The man was from California. He had no connections to any gang or criminal organization. No one has any idea how he ended up involved in Elena’s kidnapping. The place was wiped clean. No prints or anything to tell us who the other man was. Any trail he might have left has gone cold by now.”
I set my cup down. “That’s just… frustrating. Are you sure it’s where my sister was held captive?”
“I saw the cage they kept her in.” He grimaces. “For now, there’s nothing more we can do. I’m sorry. Of course we’ll be vigilant, but that’s all we can do for now. I’m sure the bastard will come at us again, another way next time, and that’s when we’ll catch him.”
“Are you telling me there’s nothing to do now but wait?” I don’t know how long I can remain on pins and needles.
“That’s right. I’m sorry, for all of our sakes.”
Disappointment hits me right in the chest. If there’s nothing more we can do, then that means Elena will live the rest of her life in fear of pretty much everything. Fear of being taken and held hostage again, of being used as a pawn to get to one of us. Fear of leaving the house. Of living a life.
That’s unacceptable. But what do I do now?
“Is that therapist doing her any good?” he asks, sucking on a piece of orange.
I shrug. “Not that I can tell, but these things take time. It could be months or even years before she sees the benefits.”
Cian grunts.
“Although…” Considering an idea, I chew on a piece of toast. “All of her bad memories are tied to this city. What if we get her out of here, far away from this place? Maybe give her a new identity and put her somewhere safer? Do you think that would make a difference?”
