“Then I will call.”
A small whimper causes heat to hit my head and awaken my instinct to protect and serve. I turn to see my little deer staring at Aurora with the same sadness I feel but do not outwardly show.
I stare at her. “Sweet girl?”
Fawn looks at Aurora. “I don’t want you to go.”
“Fawn,” Aurora coos, sashays towards her, and places a small kiss on either side of her cheek. “Do not cry for me. This is not because of you. You—” A gloss hits Aurora’s whiskey-coloured eyes— “have given my Family stability. You have grounded an impossible man, and for that, you’re a queen. The District only needs one.” She lifts my little deer’s chin. “Protect him,” she says gently before turning to face me. “From his self-destructive isolation.”
I smirk. “Madonna mia.”
Aurora says to Fawn, “You need to be strong with him. Tell him what you want. What we spoke about. He may not always agree, but he will listen, and you are far more persuasive than you think.”
Fawn tries to smile. “When will I see you again?”
“Well, I know you want to wait until after the birth of your children to set a date for the wedding. I understand you want to be free of pregnancy to truly enjoy all aspects of your wedding and honeymoon. I will be back for that.”
“I thought you could be my maid of honour.”
“I would. It would be my privilege to do so; however, I thought, perhaps…” Aurora brushes a piece of blonde hair over Fawn’s shoulder, and Fawn sighs, clearly liking the affection. “I could give you away.”
Fawn inhales with delight.
It occurs to me at this moment that Aurora has taken on a motherly figure to my little deer. The affection was misplaced before, when I thought she wanted a female lover, but wasseemingly desperate for a mother. I suppose for a young girl who knew no love or stability from a woman, where to place affection might be confusing.
My little deer’s eyes fill with tears. “Yes, please.”
“I will see you for that very important task.”
She leaves Fawn’s side after a small embrace and approaches me. Her elegant, smooth demeanour only lightly conceals the emotion of leaving her city and confidant.
I look down at her. “I am proud of you.”
She lifts to her toes and kisses both my cheeks. “I am proud of you.”
Without another word of sentiment, she turns on her heels, strides down the waterfall of steps, and climbs into the backseat of the idling Chrysler.
Her driver leads a convoy of cars away from her family home, from the house she grew up in, without sadness. I know Aurora. She will brush a single tear that dares escape, not for the house or the District, purely for a part of her life now concluded, before smiling at the opportunities ahead of her.
I turn to see my sweet girl with tears streaming down her cheeks and falling from an adorable wobbling chin. “I’m worried about her,” she says. “What if they are mean to her.”
“I would be far more concerned about the men in Sicily that think her simply a woman.” I loosen my tie at my collar. A sudden urge to have my little deer suck my cock rushes heat along my skin. It’s her tears, the trembling lip, her concern. It makes me want to please her, redirect her attention, and show her our bond. Teach her aboutmy devotionto her body.
She shuffles her feet under my gaze. “I know that look, Sir.” Her throat rolls as she swallows over a lump. “I have something I have to ask you, can I? I have to do it now.”
Studying her, her finger twirling her long blonde hair by her waist, I recognise uncertainty in her mannerisms and recallAurora’s words from moments ago:“Tell him what you want. What we spoke about.”
“Use your voice, sweet girl.”
Squaring her shoulders, she walks towards me. A big blue eye and a doe-like green one lock on me with severity, her neck craning when she stops at my feet. “I want a home birth, Sir.” She nods to further press her statement. “I want to have our babies under the moon, in a bath, with a midwife. No doctors. Just us and the magic of the world. I don’t want them to be a number on a board when they are born. Or have a tag on their wrist. I’ve been a name on a file my whole life.Please.”
Christ.
Impossible.
Finding her chin, I take hold of her and brush my thumb over her lower lip. The image of her mouth open and saliva dripping around my cock slides into my mind. I get harder. “I know I swore to give you everything you ask for, but not at the expense of your safety. The only time I will deny you anything will be under that premise. I will not allow anything short of the best care under the eyes of the best doctors in the country. My answer is no, sweet girl.”
She tears up, and I clench my teeth to abate the need to retract my statement. I cannot choose her happiness over her safety. Will not.
