Page 42 of Blazing Desires
I push past the feeling and get to work undoing her helmet. I unclasp the buckle and pull upward. Her hair is dishevelled and stuck to her face. I remove my helmet, not stepping out from between her legs, the thought of being away from her for one second sending a jolt of stress through me.
Placing it on the counter in front of hers, I stand straight to take her in. I run a hand through my messy hair, not giving a shit that my helmet has probably made it unsalvageable. She's not looking at me, she's not actively touching me. Her hands are in her lap and she's staring at my stomach with her chin tucked down.
"Are you okay, love?"
My voice comes out rough from hours of disuse.A dip of her head is all I get in return. I gently place my fingers under her chin and tilt her head toward me, but her eyes don't meet mine as I brush the hair off her face as gently as I can. My body is blocking most of the light from the bike, so I angle slightly to see her. My hand stills.
Blood.
The left side of her face is caked in blood, and her auburn hair is stuck in it like a matted nest.
“Fuck, baby. You're bleeding.”
She doesn't react and my heart splits in two as wrath for her father comes back full force.
“I'm going tokillyour fucking father.”
The venom coats my words, and she clearly hears it. Her beautiful eyes snap to mine and make the fire under my skin burn for a different reason. I'm expecting her to speak but she doesn't, only giving a sharp shake of her head before breaking my gaze.
I drop the subject—now is not the time to press the issue when my rage is barely leashed. The last thing I want to do is lose my shit in front of her and make her have a reason to fear me too. It would kill me.
I’ve already put her through enough.
“Let's get you cleaned up and warm, love. Are you hungry?”
I don't get a response, but that doesn't matter, I lift her from the counter and place her on her feet. I need to kill the lights on my bike but there's no way I'm leaving her side. I place her hand in mine, relishing her soft skin and how right it feels for me to hold it while I walk over to the bike to turn the lights out. Doing so plunges us into darkness.
Before using my phone to get some light, I turn towards her. My eyes already adjusting to the lack of light. My arms wrap around her petite frame, though I'm careful to not touch her face as I place my hand at the back of her head and bring it to my chest. At first, she doesn't respond.I'm about to let her go because she clearly doesn't want this when her hands grip the sides of my hoodie under the leather jacket so tightly I can feel the fabric stretching.
“I'm so fucking sorry, Mea Divina. So, fucking sorry,” I whisper.
I rest my chin on her head, her face nuzzling into my neck as we stand there and hold onto each other like we’re the only thing keeping each other grounded. I don't move or say anything else for fear of ruining the moment, so we stay wrapped in each other’s embrace in the darkness until I don't know how much time has passed.
The moment is over when her body starts to shake. At first, it seems as though she’s crying, but when it turns into full-blown shivering and her teeth are chattering, I figure it's the cold seeping into her bones. Reluctantly, I ease out of the embrace. Before she can fully pull away, my hand cups her neck as I place a kiss on her forehead.
I use my phone to turn on some lights, soft and warm, to lead the way into the main house. I bend to grab the bags off the floor and tuck Davina’s small frame under my arm to try and give her as much of my warmth as I can. We head inside where I guide her to the master bedroom so I can clean her wound.
Another one. I bet her father is responsible for her other cheek. I should have killed him when I had the chance.
I don't say anything. She isn't ready to respond yet and I don’t trust myself, but not having heard her voice for hours is torturing me.I have turned into an addict, craving this beautiful woman with a violent need to make her smile and laugh. To be the one to hold her and comfort her. To make her fall for me, like I've been falling for her.
I’m supposed to be her downfall.Turns out, she’s mine.
Chapter 19
A Curse So Cruel
Davina
My mind won't shut up.
The swirling mass of thoughts creates a sharp headache as we navigate what I would describe as a cabin by the glow of soft lights. I let Blaze guide me through the house and to the next level from the main hall, I notice the stairs are made from warm-toned wood. The whole house is as cosy as if someone has wrapped a blanket around me. My mind wanders back to Blaze and the moment in the garage, the way he held me.
I didn't mean to cling to him as if my life depended on it. But it has been so long since someone acted like they care. Since I have been held like that. The memory of his warm body flush against mine, the beautiful masculine scent that is him. I barely know him but in the comfort of the darkness, he felt like safety, like he could one day be my home.
And then I couldn't stop shivering, my teeth chattering into the silence and ruining the moment. Reality crashes back in as he opens a door off of the hall. I don't remember the walk here, too lost in replaying about the embrace we'd shared, the way he'd reacted to seeing me hurt.
Why is he doing all of this for me?
