Page 84 of Painted Scars
I must look flushed, hair wrecked in the best way.
He helps me stand with wrought-iron hands steadying me but doesn’t release the blindfold right away. Just strokes my hair with an intimacy that softens something in me. When his heartbeat calms, he reaches down to untie my wrists, and my arms drop like overcooked noodles. I flex my hands, and he rubs circulation back into me, stroking my shoulders with his free hand.
His kisses are softer now, a reverent worship that’s no less consuming. I love the wandering of his hands, memorizing the path of my ribs, the dip of my waist, the slope of my belly, hips, and thighs.
This is a dance between intimacy and exposure. Control and surrender. I wait patiently for him to take the next step and show him all of me. All the dark, scarred parts he hides from the world, and kiss them back to life.
He cleans me with a cloth, then removes his condom and wipes himself. He dresses me with the same care he took to revere every inch of skin, draping my jacket over my shoulders and to ensure I’m warm, and I breathe in his scent.
“That was better than the books,” I whisper, half-teasing this time.
“Good.” Grumpy Daddy kisses the top of my head.
I feared he’ll strip everything from me, but he’s giving me back pieces that were missing and I never expected to regain.
I hear his helmet slide back on, sealing his face behind carbon fiber and polycarbonate. The part of him that is bare and human is gone, and it slices through my afterglow with a cold front. I try not to take it personally when he’s always been cautious. But damn, it feels like a rejection, and it breaks the spell.
I remind myself that this isn’t entirely a storyline from one of my books. This is real life. He wants to take it slow and careful. And maybe this is another means of him protecting me. Maybe I need slow instead of the fictional men who brand your soul by chapter five and burn down the city in chapter twenty.
A second later, he releases the blindfold. Bright light rushes in, replacing the burn of his retreat. I blink to adjust.
He takes my hand, and the small tug tells me it’s time to go. “I’m going to take you home, run you a bath, feed you something that isn’t orgasms. And if you behave, I’ll let you pick a movie.”
CHAPTER 23 - AUGUST
I’ve never been this scared in my life. I thought I hit rock-bottom when the Romans stole everything from me. Turns out, it’s the thought of losing the one damn thing that made surviving worth it. And now, I’ll do whatever it takes to not watch her burn.
Kate’s breath tickles my chest with the kind of rhythm that spells she feels secure. She’s snuggled under my arm, her fingers curled into my shirt. Lips parted. Body resting on mine. Trusting me with every inch of herself. My arms tighten around her waist as she naps on her sofa, exhausted from our ride, interview, pact, and the rom-com she tortured me with.
I’ll never forget what she told me this afternoon. That she can finally breathe again because of me. That I bring her peace and comfort. It guts me knowing that she hasn’t had this in such a long time.
Lilac silk covers her eyes. Blindfolds are a condition of me staying the night with her. I’m not willing to let that last layer of protection down when it risks losing her for a different reason.
My phone buzzes on the coffee table. She stirs but doesn’t wake, and I brush hair back from her temple to keep it that way.Careful not to disturb her, I lean forward to pick up the damn menace.
Grayson: We’ve got to meet at the bunker for updates.
Me: Busy. Talk. Now.
Grayson: Blackthorn’s been leashed. Temporarily.
Relief washes in before tension rolls over it like a tide. This isn’t a ceasefire, it’s a tactical delay before the next strike. I’ll take whatever small wins I can get if it gives Glitter Bomb more time to light her fuse.
Grayson: Meet me at the bunker for more.
Me: This better be worth it.
Grayson: You finally getting lucky? Good for you. Maybe you won’t be such a grumpy ass.
Me: I will kill you if this isn’t critical.
Grayson: See you in twenty
Goddamn pain in my ass. But he just bought us time, and I owe him for it.
Me: Get Katar down here. ASAP.
Grayson: Already there. Can’t you hear the moans?
