Shaking my head with a smirk, I make my way into the bathroom, wash my hands, and get a warm, wet rag to clean her up. Before I leave, I open my medicine cabinet to grab the triple antibiotic ointment to put on my mark.
I return to the room to find she hasn’t moved an inch. Her ass is still up in the air and I take a second to appreciate the view. Her dark wavy strands spill over the pillows, her ass is red from my cuts, and the blood has dried along her flesh. A part of me swells with pride at seeing my mark on her—a mark to serve as a reminder every time she looks in the mirror.
Walking to her side of the bed, I run the washcloth over her sensitive skin. She jumps as I slide the rag between her swollen lips to clean our combined cum from her body. Fuck, I want to take this tight pussy all over again. Shaking myself from the mental images of my cock buried in her sweet heat, I wipe the bed clean and apply the ointment to the fresh cuts. She lowers her body to the bed with a satisfied sigh that has me smirking.
She turns her head and peeks over at me with heavy eyes.
“Kayden… I don’t think I can walk.”
“It’s a good thing you’re not going to be doing any walking any time soon. It’s 1:00 A.M., angel. We don’t need to be up for another eight hours.”
“I think I needtwelvehours to recover. That was… well… it was intense. Good—like really fucking good—but also really intense. I’m pretty sure you’ve ruined me.”
“As much as I would love for you to continue stroking my ego, let’s get these sheets changed and lay down. I need you in my arms.”
She looks nervous, almost like she wants to say something but thinks better of it. I know Dani. As much as she doesn’t want to admit it to herself, I know her. She’s overwhelmed, scared, and fighting her feelings. It’s written so plainly on her face. The physical? The sex? Piece of cake for her. Facing the fact that I stalked her? The emotions? The growing feelings? Not so much.
If Dani thought we would be a quick fuck, I’m sorry to think that she’ll be sorely disappointed. I don’t think I could ever get enough of her now that I’ve had her. She consumes me—every single part of me. The hold she has over me—over my heart—is no easy feat. I wouldburnthe world to ashes only to rebuild it in her image. I thought I had it bad three years ago, well it’s nothing compared to what I feel for her now.
Now, I just have to convince her to lower her shields and let me in—convince her she feels the same for me.
With the sheets changed and exhaustion weighing heavily on us both, I pull her into my arms and lay a kiss to her head.
“If you thought I ruined you, spitfire, it’s nothing compared to howyou’veruinedme.”
Twenty-One
Dani
Kayden’s words echo in the space between us, but before I can dwell on them much longer, my eyelids get heavy and it becomes impossible to fight the lure of sleep. My sleep is restless though, plagued by nightmares of running down an endless corridor chased by a faceless man. I don’t know if it represents Kayden or this Andrei guy, but it leaves me feeling unsettled when I wake in Kayden’s arms.
I lie still, gathering my thoughts as I think about how I want to approach the sensitive topics—including my feelings—with Kayden. He said a lot last night in the spur of the moment, and even though I believe him, I’m still wary. Sex since the Romani house has been easy—a way to take back my control—but feelings? Especially after my past traumas and Derek? Yeah, they’re locked up behind steel barricades. I know my feelings are there, buried far down where I’ll feel safe, but these past few weeks I feel like they are sprouting up like weeds—stubborn and persistently crawling up to the surface. I’m not sure I’m ready, but I think I have to be.
Ever so gently, I move Kayden’s arm from around me and start to slide out of bed. I need food and a clear head.
Before I can make it fully out of bed, arms pull me back. “Where are you going, angel?”
“Just to get something to eat. I’m famished,” I say, a blush already heating my cheeks.
A squeak escapes from between my lips as Kayden swings his legs over me and his arms cage me into the bed.
“I think we need to talk first, don’t you think?”
My eyes dart around the room, desperately seeking an escape.
“Talk about what, exactly?” I reply hesitantly, internally hoping it’s something trivial.
“Your feelings. I know I made a bold claim last night, but I meant everything I said, Dani. I know that brain of yours in that pretty little head is going a mile a minute right now.”
“How do you—never mind. Maybe it is, but what if I’m not ready for that conversation?”
“Weneedto have the discussion. I’ll go first if it makes it any easier.”
I nod my head and wait for him to continue.
Kayden releases a sigh and moves from his position to sit on the edge of the bed, facing away from me. I’m immediately on edge since it’s unlike Kayden to not look at me directly.
“Three years ago, before we moved to rescue Emilia, you, and the other women in that house, we watched through the cameras, gathering intel and learning their routine. I watched every single abuse that happened to you, Dani. I saw your fire, your will to live, and it resonated with something within myself. I knew immediately you would change my life. I wanted nothing more than to rescue you—to set you free. Then, the night of the rescue came. My mission was Emilia, but deep down, hidden from the others, my goal was also you. I knew the moment we locked eyes in that room, you would be my ruin. From that moment on, I was obsessed.”
