I don't. I angle my hips, grinding against her clit with every stroke. Her walls flutter, then clamp down. She comes with a broken cry, pulsing around me, nails scoring red lines down my back.
The sight of her head thrown back, mouth open, and body shaking snaps the last of my control.
I thrust three times, then bury myself deep and spill inside her, pulse after pulse, groaning, "Bluebird," against her shoulder.
We stay locked together, breathing hard, hearts slamming against each other. I press my forehead to hers, still buried inside her, softening slowly, and ordering, "No more games."
Blue's fingers trace my jaw, gentle now. "Then don't leave me."
"I don't ever want to. You know that, right?"
"But you did."
"You know what the risk is," I state.
She meets my eyes and asserts, "I'll figure out my father."
"We can't be reckless?—"
She puts her fingers over my lips and smiles. "Stop talking, Red. I'll take care of it."
More than anything, I want to believe her. But I don't know how.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Blue
Golden strips filter through the blinds, warming the tangled sheets around me. I stretch slowly, muscles aching in the best way from last night, my body still humming with the afterglow of Red's touch. His arm drapes heavy across my waist, breath steady and warm against my neck, chest rising and falling in rhythm with mine.
I turn my head just enough to watch him sleep. The relaxed expression on his face, lips slightly parted, and dark lashes casting shadows on his cheeks makes me smile, giddy with happiness.
This man is my man. He's my anchor and belongs to me now more than ever. Nothing will stand in our way. Not my father, mother, Aunt Kora, Mikhail, or anyone else. No more hiding, no more games. Red's mine, and I'll fight anyone who tries to take him away.
I shift closer, pressing my back against his front, and his arm tightens instinctively, pulling me in. His erection stirs against my thigh, hard and insistent even in sleep, sending a fresh wave of heat through me. I bite my lip as memories flood back of him buried deep inside me, groaning my name, spilling everything he had while I pulsed around him.
My skin prickles and nipples tighten. Adrenaline teases my cells. I trace my fingers lightly over the corded muscles in his forearm, and love and joy settle deep in my chest.
I don't have any doubts. Red's the one who makes the chaos quiet inside me. He's the one who sees all my broken edges and still wants to hold them.
He stirs behind me, his hand sliding up to cup my breast, thumb brushing my nipple in a lazy circle. His lips find my shoulder, and he presses a soft kiss on my skin. "Morning, Bluebird," he murmurs, voice rough with sleep.
I twist in his arms to face him, our legs tangling further. His eyes open, dark and intense, locking on mine. I lean in and kiss him slowly, tongue slipping past his lips.
A low, rough groan vibrates from his throat into my mouth as his tongue pushes deeper, claiming every inch of me while his fingers tighten in my hair. His other hand moves to my hip, fingers digging in just enough to send sparks down my spine.
We kiss like that for a few minutes, lazy and deep, until his hand slides lower, tracing the curve of my ass, then dipping between my thighs.
"Mm," I moan.
His fingers brush the fresh scabs on my inner thigh, and he freezes. He pulls back, eyes narrowing as he pushes the sheet down to expose the raised pink lines, still raw at the edges. His jaw clenches, thumb hovering over the wound. His voice is low and edged with something sharp. "Blue, you can't keep doing this."
I try to pull the sheet back up, but he holds it down, keeping his gaze on mine. I nonchalantly state, "It's nothing. Just a scratch."
He sits up, and the sheet pools at his waist, exposing the hard planes of his chest. His hand stays on my thigh, gentle but firm. "Don't lie to me. When did you do this?"
I shrug, avoiding his eyes, focusing on the pattern of light on the wall instead. "Last night. Before the club. It helped me think straight."
He exhales hard, fingers tracing the edge of one scab carefully. "Helped you think? Blue, this isn't thinking. This is hurting yourself because I wasn't there."
