He falls on me, and I hug him, our sweaty bodies glued together while we catch our breaths and our combined scents float in the air, and the temperature seems to drop several degrees as the cold AC air registers in my mind.
And thus destroying all my illusions.
I couldn’t have imagined a better first time.
To want and be wanted in return is a dream I thought I could never have.
Why then does my naive and stupid heart weep?
Levi rises a little, removing his weight from me then the condom before he moves onto his back, dragging me right with him so I settle on top of him. He palms my face. “Are you okay, Lavender?” Concern and confusion coats his voice, so different to his usual confidence.
I force a smile because this man has been perfect, but like anything perfect in this world?
It can’t last for long.
“Yes.”
He looks at me for what seems like eternity, studying me intently before resting my face against his neck, and whispers, “Sleep,moy cvetochek, and don’t think too much right now.” He presses a gentle kiss to the top of my head and I swallow through the tightens in my throat. “And we can continue our lessons.” Another soft kiss. “Prepare to be my only and favorite student, Lavender.”
All we have is today and tonight, and then no more “lessons”.
Closing my eyes, I allow the exhaustion to overtake me as Levi’s heartbeat lulls me to sleep.
Levi
“No, no,” Lavender whispers in her sleep, her nails digging into my bicep as she shifts on my chest, a crease forming between her brows while she shakes her head. “No. Don’t!” she almost shouts, and rolls to the side, burrowing into the pillow. “Do not touch me!” She grips the blanket, tugging at it and trying to cover herself up from head to toe. “Don’t!” she shouts again, her voice sounding terrified while her whole body trembles.
Her distress and nightmare awaken a different kind of rage in me that dictates for me to demolish all sources of her pain.
She hasn’t had a nightmare in a while, and based on her sessions with Dr. King usually something overwhelming or stressful triggers them, bringing her back to a time when Jade hurt her.
I wish I could rip his body apart bit by agonizing bit in my dungeon, but the fucker is dead, so all I can do is protect my woman in the only way I know how.
“Shhh,moy cvetochek.” I free the blanket from her deadly grip, and bring her back to lay on my chest as another sob escapes her and I run my fingers over her hair, soothing her. Gradually her breathing evens out. She hides her face in the crock of my neck and hikes her leg over my hips. “I’m here,” I continue to murmur, waiting until she finally falls asleep.
And from now on, I’ll be here and no longer watching from the shadows and keeping my distance.
No one will hurt my woman, not evenhim.
Her hatred for me once she discovers the whole truth is a given.
But I’ll make sure to show her what my obsession truly entails so she will never have a doubt about me.
I won’t let her go.
She’s forever stuck with me.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“To understand a villain and his actions, you have to look into his past.
Wrong.
To understand a villain…you have to look at his childhood.
Because in most cases, evil is not born.
It’s raised.”
