I can no longer help myself—I rest my hand on the middle of his back and my entire being comes alive with the feel of his skin under mine.
“What are these bodies?” I ask, letting my fingers trace the inked designs.
Sean looks at me in the mirror again. “They’re the bodies of my past.”
He stiffens under my touch as blood trickles slowly downhis cheek and then over his neck. I move to stand in front of him and he backs up to make room for me as I slide my hand down his arm. In the soft glow of the bathroom lights, I can see his cock is solid and ready for me, and my mouth waters at both his size and how perfect he is.
“And today, did you add more bodies to that pile?” My question is a whisper.
“If I say yes, how would that make you feel?” His emerald eyes search mine as he waits for my answer, as if he’s afraid I won’t speak the truth.
My heart drops but its pace escalates at the same time. “I would want to know why,” I answer boldly.
Sean leans down and kisses me. “Because they were a waste of human existence, and they needed to die.” His voice is thick and smooth. Certain.
“How do you justify that?”
He lifts my hands up and holds them tight as he speaks. “You watch a group of men abuse a girl, give her drugs to keep her just high enough that she’ll fuck any dick they put in front of her, and then steal from our clinics where we try to help people just like her. Then they keep all the money she earns selling her body and her soul. You watch that happen and then tell me that those men should live while she suffers.”
I look up at him. “I … can’t.”
“In war, we wouldn’t hesitate for one second to kill a man like that, but on the street, the law says we can’t.”
I swallow, trying to determine whether or not I can live with that.
“You shouldn’t hesitate.” It surprises me that I don’t feel any differently about him now that I know without a doubt he’s taken someone’s life—and not only that, I understand. I look down at him again. His cock is so ready for me as I slide my handdown to skim my finger along his shaft, unable to help myself. He shudders against me and adrenaline fills my blood. I look up into his dark eyes.
“Those girls were admitted to one of our recovery clinics today. Maybe there’s a chance for them to get cleaned up, or maybe not, but we have to at least try.”
I don’t say anything. I just reach up on my tiptoes and kiss him. Hearing his side of things makes what he does sound almost reasonable, and I can’t make sense of the various shades of gray right now. I just need to feel him close to me. My fight not to give into him dies a little more with every small detail I learn about him. I can hear myself panting and I feel like I’m having an out-of-body experience.
“You drive me out of my fucking mind, Layla June.” My knees go weak just imagining him inside me. He traces my cheek with his knuckle. “You take a man who’s never wanted andmakehim want.” His voice is a whisper. “You take a man who doesn’t care, and youmakehim care.”
Heat and wetness pool against the cotton of my panties with his words.
“But youwilllisten to me when I tell you to do something that’s for your own safety, Layla.” His tone is one I wouldn’t argue with. But the danger he presents turns me on even more, and I know there is no going back for me now. I’m positively fucked. I want his danger and I want him. There’s no line that divides the two.
“I was mad when you didn’t show up,” I say softly.
Sean looks down at me, still serious. “You’ve had a lifetime of people telling you what to do. I won’t do that unless it’s necessary, but when I do give you an order, youwillfollow it.”
Ihavehad a lifetime of people telling me what to do. I’ve only felt at home with one person before him, and now she’s gone. The fear of losing him now almost crushes me. I battlewith the thoughts I’msupposedto have versus the ones Iactuallyhave.
“You talk like I belong to you, but it’s only been a few days,” I whisper, still not believing this can be real.
Sean’s eyes are ominous, his pupils blown wide, and the heat from his body along with his gaze makes me lightheaded as he brushes my hair off my face and I notice again how busted up his hand is.
His knuckles are swollen, red and angry. I’m still looking at them when he uses his hand to tilt my chin up so I’m looking at him, leaning down as if he’s about to kiss me—but I stop him, bringing his wounded hand to my lips instead. I kiss the cuts there, one by one as he breathes evenly, never taking his eyes off me. Then I look up at him when I’m done, my eyes searching his.
“I don’t care about your past, I want you just as you are,” I tell him, reaching up to kiss his cheek, the blood from the fresh wound there lining my lips before I pull away and place my hand against his jaw.
Sean’s eyes turn urgent and hungry as he realizes this is me accepting every part of the man he is, and he uses his thumb to slide his blood across my lip. Slowly he brings his hand up and swipes his first two fingers through the fresh blood still dripping down his face. I stand frozen as he paints it over each of my cheeks, then gathers more and paints it down my nose, then even more along my bottom lip. My heart beats so quickly and my breaths are so shallow that I feel like I might faint. He’s marking me with his blood, and a flush creeps up my neck at this animalistic ritual.
He’s intent as he leans in, analyzing his work. When he’s satisfied, he turns me around to face the mirror and stands behind me.
“Look at this woman, marked by the blood of the man she belongs to.” His deep voice is quiet as I stare at my reflection.“Look at how strong she is.” I look at the blood painted across my skin and realize he’s claiming me.
The woman behind bars flashes through my mind again, only this time she’s smiling ashebegs to set her free from the cage she’s in. Empowering her to be free. Empoweringmeto be the woman I am becomingwithhim.
