Dax
Her soft breaths tickle my cheek. Our legs tangle under the blankets, and our hands are joined between us. A shaft of sunlight cuts in through the drapes, and I can make out the rich chestnut of her hair. But for the first time since we first met, I don’t long to know what she looks like.
Because I know. She’s beautiful. Strong. Capable. Brave. And she loves me. Blind, scarred, with nightmares, anger issues, and a complete inability to ask for help when I need it. For her, I’ll be better. Go back to my shrink. Work on rebuilding my friendship with Ry.
With a gasp, Evianna sits up, and I’m up right next to her. “What’s wrong, darlin’? We’re safe. You’re safe.”
“Alfie!” In a heartbeat, she’s out of bed and fumbling for something on the desk. “It’s…Saturday, right? I mean…shit. It’s after noon.”
“Evianna? Talk to me.” I slide to the edge of the bed, the wound in my side throbbing.
“Alfie’s code goes live on Monday. It’s an automatic push to every Alfie unit around the world. And it’s broken. I have to fix it.” She fiddles with something in her hand, and then says, “Ulysses? Yes. I’m fine. No, I didn’t leave without saying goodbye. Well, okay. I did. But it wasn’t my choice. No more questions. Just listen. I need you to call in every single developer except for Barry. Do not, under any circumstances, call Cindi. You won’t be able to reach Noah. Don’t even try. Get everyone into the office ASAP. I’ll be there in under an hour. Order enough food to keep everyone going for at least twelve hours.” She pauses for a brief moment. “Yes. I’m serious. Have you ever known me to joke about something like this? Do it. Now.”
Her phone clatters to the desk, and then she’s at my side. “I have to fix Alfie. Noah and Barry…they don’t get to take this success away from the rest of my team. Do you think Wren would be willing to help?”
“I think Wren would kick your ass if you tried to do this without her. But, darlin’, you know I’m not leaving your side today, right?” I arch a brow as I link our fingers.
“Dax, I’m going to be glued to my computer the entire day. In an office full of people.”
My voice drops to a whisper. “You were in a room full of people last night, and I almost lost you. I have my own work I can do. But don’t ask me to let you do this alone.”
Her embrace is so sudden, so fierce, I fall back against the pillows with her on top of me. “I’m sorry,” she says. “I didn’t think—”
With a searing kiss, I quiet her apology. Maybe I don’t care if she ever stops with these unnecessary “I’m sorrys.” Not if I get to do this every time. Between us, my dick hardens, and when her hips grind against me, I roll her over and cage her with my arms.
“We’ll go. Along with Clive and Ella. Conference Wren in. But first, there’s something I need.”
“What?” Evianna breathes.
“You.”
Sliding my fingers into her hair, I angle her head and trail kisses along the curve of her neck. She shudders under me, and damn if that doesn’t make me even harder. This woman is mine, but more than that…I’m hers, and I’ll give her anything. Everything.
She grabs my ass and pulls me closer, and her sweet arousal perfumes the room. “Dax,” she whispers as I kiss my way down to her breast, cupping the heavy globe in my hand and pinching her nipple. “Oh God. Harder!”
I oblige, rolling one taut nub between my fingers while I use my tongue and teeth on the other. Her hips writhe, her back arches, and she grits out, “I’m…on birth control.”
As her words sink in, I stop, my breath catching in my throat. “I’m…clean. You’re…the first, the only…in more than six years.”
“I want you inside me. Just you. Right now.” Evianna pushes herself up on an elbow and cups my cheek. “As talented as that tongue is, soldier, I need to feel you. I need you to take me. Right now. Please.”
I don’t have to see her face to hear the emotion in her words. To know…in my heart…the exact look in eyes I’ve never seen, and never will.
I love her, and as I bury myself in a single thrust, she wraps her arms around me. “Don’t let go, Dax. Don’t ever let go.”
Epilogue
Evianna
Alfie's launch is exhausting. For almost thirty hours straight, we work to pull out all the insecure code. Wren was a godsend, and we spent so much time together—virtually—untangling Barry and Noah’s messes, I feel like we’ve forged a real friendship—something my life has been sorely lacking the past couple of years.
Explaining what happened to the team…that nearly destroyed me. But with Dax at my side, I survived. Even if I did have to close myself in my office and sob in his arms for ten minutes afterwards.
During those thirty hours, Dax never left my side, until finally, at 3:00 a.m. on launch day, I declared victory, and he took me back to his apartment, where his housekeeper had pulled off a minor miracle and restored the whole place to its former spartan order.
Not wanting to be involved in any of the press surrounding the launch, he hired private security for me, and for the past two days, Tank—the now-former bouncer from the Kilted Scotsman—has been standing just outside my office for eight hours a day, arms crossed, staring daggers at anyone who dares look sideways at me.
But amazingly…everything else…is working out. Noah’s death forced our PR company—well, my PR company now, I suppose, to do some serious dancing.
