Page 15 of Hopeless Kingdom
“Okay?”
Again, he takes in every detail of my features.
“Okay. If you don’t trust him, then neither do I. We just have to keep up an act for a little longer.” The tone of his voice drops to a promising whisper. “I won’t let him hurt you.”
My heart melts; right through my chest. It’s pooling into a pathetic, sappy puddle at this man’s feet. All I want to do is throw my arms around him and wrap every inch of my body around every inch of his.
I smother the feeling out and cross my arms safely over my chest as I nod almost carelessly.
“Good.”
A smirk pulls at the corner of his lip, making me want to kiss him there.
“Good.”
And like two associates coming to a professional agreement, we end the conversation. It’s ended with heated gazes and tingling feelings that I might never admit to.
Darrio glances back to Daxdyn and his lips pull into a low frown.
“Take care of my brother, okay?” The warmth of his body brushes against mine, his hard core lining up with my soft curves. He leans into me and I study his lips closely but he doesn’t close that frustrating distance between us.
“I think Dax can take care of himself,” I say.
That thin line that’s covering his lips stays stern.
“Good night, Kara,” he whispers, his big hand trailing across my abdomen as I walk into my room, leaving him in the dim hall.
The door pulls shut behind me and I listen intently for that little clicking sound of the lock turning in place.
An odd peace settles in me once I hear it. A sense of safety fills every fiber of my being from that tiny little sound.
The size of the room makes the man before me look insignificant. The balcony doors are still open, just as I left them hours ago. And, strangely, Daxdyn is still in his boxer briefs. His pale shoulders hang low as he sits on the dirty floor at the foot of my enormous bed.
Dark lashes flutter as his cloudy gray eyes meet mine. There’s no happiness in them. His eyes hold an emptiness that I’ve never seen before.
Slowly I make my way toward him, lowering myself to my knees. The hard floor bites into my skin but I can’t seem to notice anything but the look that’s lining this man’s beautiful face.
“Daxdyn, what are you doing?”
Did they do something to him?
Fear and anger burns through my tight chest.
If they hurt him, I’ll kill them. I’ll kill them all.
“I’m fine. Just tired,” he whispers in a shaking voice.
His hand rises until his finger skims up the curve of my knee. His touch ignites that feeling all through my body and I lean into him.
I don’t believe a single word he just said, but I can’t bring myself to contradict him.
So I don’t say anything. The soft blankets meet my back as I slump down next to him. His arm slips over my shoulders and he holds me to him, his fingers trailing little paths along my skin. Gently his lips brush against my temple and my eyes close on contact.
I hold a breath within my lungs and I let the details of the night fall away as I bask in the faded calm that Dax gives me.
Some time passes before his fingers skim the underside of my thighs and he pulls me up to his chest. I settle into his body as he carries me to the soft bed. The warm blankets seclude us and his hard body never leaves me. We lie carefully side by side, his shoulder against mine, our thighs neatly touching.
The familiar smell of smoke clouds my thoughts as sleep begins to pull me under.
