Page 21 of Blazing Desires
I run my hands through my hair, trying to straighten it out before taking the key out of my pocket and slipping it into the lock. I open the door to Davina’s bedroom to find only the corner lamp on, casting a dim, soft glow over the room. I close the door and lock it before scanning the room.
I relax when my eyes land on her curled up on the sofa, asleep with her book lying next to her. I debate waking her, demanding to know what she’d been doing before I’d come back so I can work out exactly what Preston had seen.
But she looks so at peace that I decide to leave her to sleep. She hasn’t eaten—there was no way for anyone to get in—and guilt floods through me. I had eaten with her dad at his insistence, and now she won’t eat until morning.
I fire off a quick text to the kitchen staff, asking for some food that can be eaten at any time, and pretend it’s for me. That way if Davina gets hungry in the night, she can eat something or have it first thing in the morning. I hope it’s food that isn’t the physical embodiment of depression.
I make my way over to her sleeping form, keeping quiet so she doesn’t wake. I crouch beside her and drink her in. The way her long eyelashes fan out over the tops of her cheeks. The smattering of freckles haphazardly dotted on her nose, cheeks, chin and forehead.
I reach out a tentative hand and brush a stray strand of her auburn hair from her face. My fingers linger on her skin as they trail the shell of her ear, the column of her throat. Her breath deepens and I hold still, watching for signs that I’ve woken her.
She’s so fucking beautiful.
When her breathing settles back into a steady rhythm, I stand and go to her bed. I pull back the covers, ready to put her in it. I make my way back to her and gently slide my hands underneath her petite form, pulling her close to my chest. She’s so light and I make a note to ask for more food so I can give it to her. It’s not the first time her dad has controlled her meals.
I ignore how that makes me feel and concentrate on not jostling her about too much. Slowly, I bend and lay her in her bed, pulling the covers over her to keep her warm. I can’t resistthe need to press a soft kiss on her forehead. She hums in her sleep as my lips make contact, and I smile at the sound.
I head back to the couch and wait for the food to arrive. I gave them explicit instructions not to knock to avoid waking her, so I sit and wait until it’s the time I told them to deliver it at. I spend the time reviewing the camera feed, altering the footage, and digging into Preston. Turns out he’s friendly with Noel and they share the same interests.
At least now there’s one less monster in this world.
The food arrives and I bring it into the room. Once I’m happy that all is right and Davina is safe, I lean back in the chair I’ve sat in most of the day and watch her sleep. I fire off a quick text to someone who can handle the mess I left next door with discretion. There’s no way I’ll get time to move it before someone else might find it, and I can’t risk that.
I’m breathing a little easier now that I have my eyes on her again, but I still don’t close my eyes until I see Noel back on the grounds and heading to his room. Another guard on night duty is on the other side of the door.
I’m going to enjoy killing that fucker Noel when the time comes.
Chapter 9
Naïve Little Girl
Davina
“Do you love me, Tom?”
We’re lying in the grass as far from the house as we can be. The sun’s rays warm my skin in the summer air. This is our secret spot that we come to when I need to feel free of my cage. Tom is the first bodyguard that has to stay with me everywhere I go. He’s been with me for nearly a year now, and I’ve fallen for him.
I didn’t mean to, but when you’re alone all the time and someone like him comes along, who pays attention to you and tells you how precious you are, it’s inevitable.
Tom turns his head to face me, his hazel eyes glistening in the brightness of the day. My eyes trace the outlines of his features—everything is soft and almost has a feminine quality to it. His nose is slightly crooked from where it had been broken in the past, but it adds to his allure.
“Do you love me, Davi?”
I used to like his nickname for me. Now I only feel sick, but I smile through the nausea. He never answers this question when I ask it, always deflecting it with another in response, and it hurts. I just want to be loved. I’ve given him all of me..
My heart.
My mind.
My body.
I’m a fool, to think that would be enough. I remember telling him that night we crossed the line between bodyguard and client. It was my sixteenth birthday, and I was alone in my room. He heard me crying in the bathroom and asked me to open up.
I was only in a robe, but the softness in his voice made me oblige. He saw my tears, held my face gently in his hands and asked me what was wrong. So I divulged the cause of my heartache to him. I told him how lonely I was and that I’d never be able to fall in love stuck behind these walls. That I’d never get to experience life.
That was when he kissed me, and I froze. I hadn’t been expecting it. He stopped and told me how he’d felt about me and that spending every single day with me without touching me had been driving him crazy.
He kissed me again and asked me if I wanted to go further. I said yes. His hands slipped down my robe and loosened the tie. He bared me to him and told me how hot I was and that he could make me feel better. He took my virginity that night and I thought I’d found love.
