Page 37 of His Paradise

Chapter thirty-two

Nina

The next few hours seem to flow in a blur as I hold my son close, watching every paramedic as they check us over. Aden won’t take more than a step away, his hand always touching me as he answers questions, and finally ushers me into the backseat of our car. Aden letting go of my hand is what finally brings me from my haze as I blink, realizing we were sitting in front of Luna and Jared’s house. They were both turned from the front seat, staring at me as if waiting for me to say something.

“Jared offered to get Leo settled, if you and Aden would like to shower.” Luna says gently. My door swings open and Aden unbuckles my seat belt, helping me to stand.

“I’m not breakable, Aden. Don’t treat me like the word fragile is painted on my face.” I reach into the car, careful not to wake our sleeping baby as I pick him up. “You may not be fragile, my love. But you are precious, and I will treat you how I fucking see fit. I’ve nearly lost you, the both of you, more times than I care to count.” Aden snaps, putting his hand on my lower back to guide me towards the front door. My irritation fades as quickly as it came, leaving guilt in its wake.

Jared has his arm around Luna’s shoulders and she leans heavily on him as we step inside. Their home is beautiful, hidden from the world by the trees that surround it. The interior is painted a dark shade of green, everything inside is dark and fitting of those who live here.

“Use our bathroom, there’s a bathtub and a shower.” Luna pushes us towards the stairs and Jared grunts his annoyance. Luna rolls her eyes, “We are sharing the guest bathroom shower, so stop pouting.” she pokes his chest, and his angry demeanor melts away.

Aden fills the tub as I lean against the sink and stare at my reflection. Bruises mark the left side of my face, and my split lip that was starting to heal is swollen and covered in dried blood. Aden reaches around my body, using one hand to pull the hem of my shirt up and over my head while cradling Leo in his free arm.

“You need to shower, and this little guy could use a bath. The water is nice and warm.” Aden unclasps my bra and slides it off gently, his fingers brushing along my skin. The intimacy of it all makes my heart flutter as he bends down to pull my pants off. Aden stands, his eyes locked on mine as he cradles my jaw in his hand, his fingers sliding around to burrow into my hair.

“Not today, but one day, this will be behind us. Nothing and no one will ever take you from me again, my heart.” He presses his lips to my forehead, not caring for the sweat and layer of grime that covers us. I wrap my arms around his waist and allow myself to savor this moment, to feel the happiness I’ve been afraid of. Worried that if I let joy in, it would be ripped out from beneath me once again.

Aden guides me to the shower, holding my arm until I’m standing beneath the spray and letting it wash away the weight I’m carrying. Even if I know it will come back the moment we have to step back into the real world, but that’s for another day. Today, I’ll just be grateful we’re all alive.

Aden closes the glass shower door and I slowly sink to the ground, letting the hot water wash over me as I listen to my husband sing to our son. The soft giggles and sounds of Leo’s excited splashing is what sends me over the edge. I cover my mouth, burying my face in my knees as sobs wrack my body.

The water slowly turns colder, until the door opens and I peer up to see Aden lean in and adjust the temperature. A new cloud of steam starts to fill the space and I curl in tighter on myself as he steps inside and picks me up. “Leo is with his aunt and uncle being spoiled rotten, before you ask.” He says. “Olivia is staying at Isabelle’s house and she’s safe. Percy and Grayson will be staying to work for the Barone’s for the time being as well. I’m sure that will work out well.” Sarcasm drips from his tone.

Aden sits with his back against the wall, and tucks my head under his chin while cradling me in his lap. My body relaxes as I press my face to his chest and soak in the heat coming off of him and the water. A small smile tugs at my lips, knowing that Aden hates hot showers but he would suffer through anything for me. I shift my body, turning to straddle him to get closer and Aden groans. When I try to sit up, he presses my head back to his chest and wraps his other arm around me.

“I want to take care of you and I’m trying to behave, my love. But you are fucking temptation itself.” He swallows hard, and I laugh against his chest. He reaches up, stretching until he knocks down the different bottles of body wash and shampoo. He sighs, staring at the first bottle.

“I hate the smell of lavender.” Aden mutters, glaring at the soap as if it has offended him. I relax as his large hands massage the shampoo into my scalp, the tender yet prodding sensation nearly puts me to sleep until he rinses it out and applies conditioner.

Aden helps me stand, opening the door to grab wash clothes from the counter. The rush of cold air makes me shiver, sucking in a breath and Aden stops with the soap bottle hovering above a washcloth as he stares at my chest before closing his eyes and sighing. The frigid air has my nipples hard and pointed, but Aden steps forward and starts washing my neck and shoulders.

I rest my hands on his sides, pulling us closer and stretching up to my tiptoes to kiss him. Which was a terrible idea in a slippery shower. I lose footing and fall against Aden, knocking him backwards against the wall as he catches us. He raises a brow, “Throwing yourself at me? I’m flattered.” I roll my eyes, but don’t move away from him. I don’t want to leave our bubble until the water runs cold, which doesn’t take all that long.

Chapter thirty-three

Aden

Ishould be exhausted, but sleeping in an unfamiliar house has me on edge and I am afraid I would wake Nina or Leo if I don’t force myself downstairs. Jared is sitting on the couch in flannel pajama pants and a plain gray t-shirt, and I sigh as I sit down a short distance away from him.

“I gave you shirts, put your tits away.” He mutters, but there’s no venom in his tone.

“Leo was really worked up being in a strange place, he spit up while I was rocking him.” I shrug. Jared chuckles at this, the darkness hides most of his features as we both sit in the silence until I speak up. “Uneasy with guests in your home?”

“Yes,” Jared huffs, “But it’s more than that. Luna has always been able to take care of herself, and she is a fucking force. But now, our daughter is growing inside of her and seeing her continue to be reckless is just,” He shakes his head and stops speaking. I lean forward and rest my elbows on my knees as I stare down at my entwined fingers.

“It never gets any easier, I’m still pissed at Nina for handing herself over without saying a word to me. Then I find out she shoved everyone else into the safe room and ran off with Luna to protect them? Soon you won't be the only one with gray hair.” Jared snorts, “Luna is smart, and like you said, she’s a menace.”

“A menace?” Luna says, crossing her arms as she stares daggers at Jared in the dark. I grin like a fool as I fold my hands behind my head and lean back. Until she steps into the room and the moon glow lights up her bare legs.

“Put some fucking pants on,” I groan, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at her. She catches it and flips me her middle finger before throwing it back.

“A menace to my sanity, absolutely. I’m benching you. No more runs, no more jobs until this one is in college,” Jared crosses the room, brushing his hand against her stomach as he towers over her. Luna scoffs, taking a step back and glaring at me past his arm.

“You big bad men come to this conclusion on your own? What makes you think you can just make this decision for me, is it because I’m a woman? You don’t own me, Biggums.” Luna crosses her arms, but Jared leans closer and her eyes widen.

“I own you, just as you own me. Maybe I should fucking remind you.” Jared takes a step closer as she backs up.

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