There was a question in her gaze, but she didn’t protest as I threw an arm around her and walked her out of her office and to the elevators. I liked her like this—subdued and pliant. I likedknowing that I could take care of her. That she wouldn’t shut down and run away.
I kissed her all the way down to the ground floor, exploring her mouth and enjoying the soft sighs that escaped her. My chest was full of triumph and joy and the soft, satisfied glow of possession. I bundled her into the back of my car and told my driver to take us home. She looked at me curiously but didn’t protest.
Once we got to my building, I walked her to the private elevator that led right to my penthouse. It opened onto my floor, and I tangled my fingers in hers to bring her to my bedroom. My sister and niece would be asleep by now, tucked away in their rooms downstairs on the other end of the residence. Tomorrow, the three most important women in my life would all be together. I glanced at Deena, where she glanced around my bedroom with wide, perceptive eyes, and wondered if she knew what had just happened tonight.
She’d come to me. She was mine now. I wouldn’t let her go again.
“This is gorgeous,” she said, trailing her hands over my duvet, her eyes circling the room. It was decorated in dark blues and rich wood, and it had always felt like a sanctuary. I wondered how it would look when Deena added her touch. Fresh flowers, maybe. More color.
“Come through here,” I said, and pulled her to the attached bathroom. She inhaled sharply at the sight of the marble vanity, the huge tub, and the big windows overlooking the city. Her mouth curled into that small, teasing, satisfied smile I loved so much.
I ran her a bath and got in it with her. She rested her back against my chest, and I couldn’t resist the temptation to give her another orgasm so I could feel her tremble and release against mybody. She collapsed against me, head resting on my shoulder, my arms wrapped around her under the water.
This was bliss. This right here—my woman in my arms, limp and sated. Safe in my home, in my arms. I pushed her hair off her temple and kissed her forehead, wondering if she felt it too. All the pieces clicking into place. The world suddenly feeling right.
With her foot, Deena turned on the tap to add hot water to the bath. Then she turned around and rested her forearms on my shoulders. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes were clear, and I’d never seen a more gorgeous woman in my life. My hands swept up her sides, thumbs coasting under her breasts, and I relished the way she pressed her core against me.
“I never thought I’d feel safe with a man,” she murmured, eyes tracing my hairline, my jaw. They flicked up to meet my gaze, and a soft smile pulled at the corner of her lips. “But I feel safe with you.”
My heart squeezed so hard it took my breath away.
“It scares me,” she went on. “I’ve spent so long trying to build my life on my own. I don’t want to throw that all away.”
“Being with me isn’t throwing everything away,” I replied, my hands trailing down her sides and back up again.
Her fingers twirled in the hair behind my ear. “Sometimes it feels like it is.” She gave me a sad smile. “You met my parents. You saw how much my value was based on my being with you. I spent my entire adult life fighting against that, and now…”
“Now it feels like you’re betraying everything that makes youyou.”
Tears shimmered in her eyes, but they didn’t fall. “Exactly,” she whispered.
My chest squeezed; I wanted to take her pain away. I wanted to go back in time and stop myself from acting like such an ass ather parents’ party, stop myself from rubbing in her face how easily I could charm them.
Deena still looked troubled. She swallowed, her fingers tracing circles on my neck, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.
“Tell me,” I commanded. When her eyes slid up to meet mine, I clarified: “Tell me what’s on your mind.”
She huffed. “I’m just worried this is a giant mistake. But I can’t stop myself from wanting you.”
The water lapped at our bodies, warm and soothing. I hated that she was so hesitant about me. I wanted to own everything she had. I wanted her to have my name, carry my children, be everything to me. And that terrified me as much as the thought of her walking away.
Because how could I protect her from all the evil in the world? How could I make sure she was safe and happy and healthy? If she gave herself fully to me, it would destroy me to lose her.
And now, as she pressed herself against me, so vulnerable and real, I felt the need to give her that gift right back. I wanted her to know that I felt just as scared as she did. That it wasn’t easy for me to grapple with the strength of my feelings for her. They’d caught me by surprise just as much as Deena’s had for her.
“Would it make you feel better if I told you that I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want you?” I asked.
She clicked her tongue, her eyes sliding to the side. She didn’t believe me.
I slid a hand up her spine, pressing her stomach to mine, feeling the way she softened but still resisted. “I mean it, Deena. You’ve turned my world upside down.”
Deep brown eyes met mine. They were guarded. “I find that hard to believe,” she said. “I don’t see what’s so special about me.”
I could spend the next hour telling her what was so special about her. Her determination. Her lightning-fast mind. The wayshe went toe-to-toe with me without fear; that in itself was rare. And then how she softened and smiled at me. The look on her face when she breathed my name at the moment of surrender. How her body molded itself against mine, how she took all of me without question, without hesitation. How she saw my sister and niece and didn’t treat them with fake obsequiousness the way the rest of the staff did; she was warm and nurturing and funny and herself.
But none of that would sink in if I told her now, because she’d locked herself away in her head. I could feel it in the slight tension in her body, and I could see it in the guardedness of her expression, even when she tried to hide it behind humor.
She thought she meant nothing to me other than a conquest, and the only way I could convince her otherwise was by baring my own soul to her.
