I ducked my head, abashed, wanting to hide the camera behind my back like a kid caught stealing.
“Um, maybe…?” I answered.
“I want to see it,” he said sleepily.
“Sec,” I answered nervously. “Let’s clean up first.”
He held the condom while I moved off him and disposed of it in the trash can next to the bed.
“Stay here,” he commanded.
I laughed again at his bossiness, but he disappeared out the bedroom door only to return a minute later with a wet washcloth and gently cleaned us both up.
I pulled the covers back and slid between the sheets as he threw the washcloth in the clothes hamper. He stood next to the bed a moment, looking down at me. I wanted to snap another picture of him, but figured I had pushed the limits far enough for one night.
“Are you... I mean, do you want me to— to stay?” he asked nervously.
“Of course,” I answered. “I always want you to stay.”
He smiled slowly, then crawled into bed next to me.
“Show me,” he demanded.
I pulled the picture up on the video display of the camera.
“Wow…” he said, his eyes dancing over the screen. “That’s an amazing shot.”
I nodded.
“I don’t think I’d want to share it, though,” I said. He turned and looked at me. “You’re mine. I’m not sharing you with anyone.”
His smile warmed me to my toes.
17
Nicki
We sleptthat night spooned together, Kaine’s body wrapped around mine. When I woke, it was to the feeling of him laying gentle kisses along my back. It took me a moment to realize that he was kissing each and every one of the scars my father had placed there over the years.
Tears filled my eyes at the feeling of him tracing each hurt with his lips. As he worked his way down my body, something inside me… eased… loosened. It was like the tangled web of hurt and loneliness that had bound my heart for so long was being clipped apart, set free by his touch, strand by ugly, painful strand.
His hand reached the swell of my ass, his fingers tracing the scars that dropped further down, sending a shiver through me.
“Good morning, Red,” his hot breath whispered across my skin.
“I hate that nickname,” I responded, only half-grumpily.
He slid back up my body and laid a gentle kiss on my lips.
“I know,” he whispered, his tongue tickling the lips I was trying to keep pressed together in a pout. He laughed at my sullenness and kissed me again, his fingers tracing the curves and divots of my body.
I finally gave up my attempt at being a brat, and groaned.
“What?” he asked as I rolled over and looked up at him. “Something wrong?”
“Wrong? No, for once, everything seems juuuuust right…” I said, my fingers playing gently in his hair. “Except… I have to get to work.”
He smiled. “No worries, Red. We’ve got all the time in the world.”
