Page 32 of Sweet Possession
She let out a deep exhale as she rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling, her eyes filling with water.“Will they ever stop?”she whispered.
“They will. With enough time to process what you’ve been through,they’ll go away.”
At least I hoped they would. The dreamsthathad haunted me foryears went away after many hours in therapy sessions. Maybe I needed to look at getting someone in to help Cora process her trauma.
“Will you stay with me?”Her question reverberated around the room,and I stared at her profile, wondering if she was being serious. She turned to face me.“Justuntil I fall back to sleep. I feel safe with you around.”
My chest swelled like I was her own goddamn superhero.
Getting to my feet, I walked around to the other side of the bed, butinstead of getting under the covers with her, I laid down on top.
The last thing either of us needed was me getting a boner because Icouldn’t control myself around her.
She turned to face me, her eyes wide, but not wary. No, there wassomething else burning in her beautiful orbs.
“Thank you,”she said, snuggling into her pillow, and closing her eyes.
Unable to resist, I leaned forward and placed a light kiss on herforehead, her soft skin warm against my lips. I pulled away, and she let out a contented sigh. Within a few minutes, her breathing deepened, and her body relaxed.
I should’ve leftthen. She’d asked me to stay until she fell asleep, but Ididn’t want to go. I told myself I’d stay with her a little longer,justin case she had another nightmare.
But when she moved closer, her head resting on my bicep, and anarm draped over my chest, I knew I wouldn’t be going anywhere.
I closed my eyes, relishing in how damn good it felt to have my babygirl sleeping next to me, content in the knowledgethatI was keeping hersafe.
Every day for the next week, Cora and I started the day with a two-hourreading session. She was a quick learner, determined to prove to everyone, including herself,thatshe could learn to read.
In a short space of time, her reading ability, and her confidence hadcome on leaps and bounds.
After our morning reading session where I’d get her to read aloud tome, we’d take a break. I’d head to my office to catch up on work, and she’d head to the kitchen to make something for our lunch, or she’d bake.
I’d never seen anyone as happy as she was when she was in thekitchen, covered in flour, and delicious aromas coming from the oven. I’d also never eaten so well. I was having to make a concerted effort to get up and go for a morning swim every dayjustso my waistline didn’t grow with all the home-cooked food I was devouring.
After Cora admitted she struggled to read, she found the confidenceto tell me she also couldn’t write. Cue afternoon writing sessions, where we’d sit for hours at the table, and I’d teach her how to spell, and how to write.
Her skills weren’t the only thing going from strength to strength.Something was blooming between us. Something I’d never experienced with anyone before.
It wasn’tjusta sexual attraction to her either. As much as I oftenfound myself staring at her gorgeous body, imagining what her nipples would feel like in my mouth, or what shade of pink her pussy was, there was more to it thanthat.
I’d wake up every morning excited to see her face, and desperate toknow how she’d slept. When I’d head to my office, I would lose myself in thoughts of what she was doing in the kitchen, and if she was happy. I’d go to bed each night, hopingthatshe’d ask me to sleep next to her again.
After the last nightmare, she hadn’t had any more, and as much as Iwished there was a reason for me to sleep next to her, I was glad they’d abated.
There’d been a number of times over the last week where I’d almostkissed her, and Christ, did I want to. But I held back. I didn’t want to push her into something she wasn’t ready for, not when she was making incredible progress.
I knew though,thatwhen the time came, I’d be claiming Cora as minefor the rest of our lives.
The downside of spending so much time with her wasthatmy workwas piling up. Nash was fielding as much of it as he could, the same way I’d held the fort when he was off stalking Sav, but with a potential new casino in the pipeline in Singapore, I needed to pull my weight.
Which was why I found myself locked in my office, plowing throughemails long after Cora had gone to bed. I was reading through the details of a proposition Nash had sent over when a knock on the front door echoed through the silent hallways.
Who the fuck was knocking on my door past midnight?
I pulled up the app on my phone which was connected to the doorbellcamera, and cursed when it showed Lily waiting expectantly on the porch.
How the fuck had she gotten past the gate guard?
I cursed again, this time at my stupidity. I’d been so wrapped up ingetting Cora settledthatI’d forgotten to ask for her to be removed from the approved visitor list.
