“I’ll see you in two days,” Gregory says. “Bye, Nikko, thanks for the coffee.”
“Bye.” Nikko waves and locks the door behind him before bringingme a plate and sitting at my side. “He said you need to eat. There’s a bit of everything here.” I go to grab it, but he picks up some fruit and holds it to my mouth.
Sighing, I take a bite and chew.
He insists on hand-feeding me every single bite, and I’ll admit, I kind of enjoy it. When he sucks his thumb after a mouthful, I stare into his eyes as he pulls it free. “No bedroom eyes. He said no freaky sex.”
“What about regular sex?” I wiggle my eyebrows.
“You’re injured,” he grumbles even as I swing my leg over him and straddle his lap.
“Then you can do all the work. Don’t you know orgasms are good for healing?” I feel him wavering, so I lightly trail my fingers down his chest and grip his hardening dick through his shorts. “I need you, baby.”
That’s all I have to say. I’m on my back in seconds, his mouth cutting off my laughter, and we forget all about my wound for a while.
FORTY-SEVEN
Despite Zia’s wound, he won’t slow down. If anything, he seems to be busier than ever. There have been no further attacks, so it’s quiet on that front, and every time I ask about what’s going on, he simply distracts me with his mouth or body until I forget what I was saying.
On a night when he thinks I’m not looking, I see his mind whirring. He’s quiet and withdrawn. At first, I worry it was something I did, but I think there is just something on his mind—not that he will tell me.
It makes me feel like he doesn’t trust me, but he must be doing it for a reason—probably to protect me. If there is one thing I’ve come to learn about the man I love, it is that he will do anything to keep me safe.
He still doesn’t like that his life invades mine. I know he feels guilty, thinking it brought evil into my world, but he’s worth it. He’s worth anything they can throw at me, and I’m not letting go. I just hope he can find his way past it, and I’ll be here whenever he is ready to talk.
I sprawl on the mat, covered in sweat and exhausted from my dad’s training regime, and try to rest before I’m up again. The match isdrawing closer, and with it, training is ramping up. My dad and I both want to win. It also means Zia has been working here a lot more despite his multiple properties and offices. His guards are with him, their numbers doubled from before, and I see him pacing outside as he talks on the phone. My eyes track him as I take a swig of my water.
“Everything okay?” Charlie murmurs, nodding at Zia as he walks past with some towels.
“Just work.” I shrug.
“I can’t imagine running all the shit he does,” he commends. “He must not even be human. His name is on everything.”
I nod, and Charlie keeps moving. The truth is, Zia works really fucking hard, and it’s paying off, but dating someone who owns most of the city can be a little bit intimidating at times, and a lot fucking sexy. Knowing the man everyone fears and looks up to is on his back and knees for me every night?
Yeah, I shift in my shorts, trying to ignore my desire, which only seems to increase the more I’m around him. I thought it would subside, but it never does. If anything, my obsession with him only seems to grow with each passing day. It probably isn’t healthy, but I don’t care, and neither does he.
“Find out,” Zia snaps as he steps inside the gym. When he finds me watching, he smiles, but it’s tight. “I thought you were practicing.”
“Taking a break,” I reply as I wipe my mouth and put my water bottle down. “You okay, baby?”
He looks stressed.
“Fine,” he answers as he heads my way.
Despite it all, he tosses his phone away and collapses on my lap, putting his head on my sweaty knee. His eyes close as my hands slide through his perfect hair. His face relaxes, and I finally understand what he spoke about the other day.
He called me his safe place.
As I watch him unwind, trusting me to keep him safe, I know it doesn’t matter what else is happening as long as we have each other.
“My beautiful boy,” I murmur as I stroke his hair, and his dazzlingeyes open and lock on me. “You know you can tell me anything, right? We are in this together.”
“I know,” he murmurs as he lifts his perfect, soft hand and cups my cheek. “I’m okay, promise. Just being with you is enough.”
Turning my head, I kiss his palm, and the soft smile he aims my way is real and stress free. “I love you so fucking much,” I admit as I lean down and steal a quick kiss.
He pushes me away with a laugh. “I love you too, even when you’re all sweaty.”
