Page 155 of Depths of Destruction
"Thank you."
He puts his cheek next to mine. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Maybe I'll get tattoos all over my back. Make it into a work of art. Do you think ink is capable of covering the scars?"
"I bet it would. That could be hot, too."
"Do you have a thing for women with tattoos?"
"I have a thing for you."
I spin into him. "I have a thing for you."
He smiles. "That's the best sentence to ever come out of your mouth."
"I'm sorry about what I said."
"What was that?"
"That you're desensitized to death."
He tucks my hair behind my ear. "It's okay. In some way, I guess I am."
"I'm scared of losing you," I blurt out.
He freezes. "I'm not going anywhere, Naomi."
"I'm not the woman you fell in love with."
"Sure you are. I already told you to give things time. You can't rush this."
"So much of her is gone. And I don't know if she's ever going to fully come back. It...it scares me. But most of all, I'm afraid one day I'm going to wake up and you'll realize what you've signed up for. And I can't say I would blame you. But I don't want to lose you."
He cups my cheeks and sternly repeats, "I'm not going anywhere, Naomi."
I want to believe him. More than anything, I want to know we are forever and my issues aren't going to ruin us. "No?"
He shakes his head. "No. I need you as much as you need me." He kisses me and leaves no room for questioning about his love or desire for me. When he pulls back, he says, "You're going to have good and bad days. Let's just take it a day at a time and not put any pressure on what you should or shouldn't feel. On your bad days, I'll do my best to pull you up. On your good days, we'll enjoy every moment."
"Okay," I whisper, choked up and grateful once again for the man he is and the devotion he has shown toward me since the moment I met him. He's not had to do anything, as far as I'm concerned. He only had to rescue and deliver me to the U.S. But he chose me the moment he laid eyes on me, and every moment since, good or bad, he's continued to be devoted to everything surrounding me. And if I lost him, I would truly not be able to go on.
He turns the water off. "Let me dry you off and get your bandages back on."
When all the wounds are covered, I reach up for his face. "Today's a good day."
He smiles. "It sure is."
"Can the beach wait a little longer?"
"Sure. What do you need?"
I place my hand in his and drag him to the bed. "Sit."
He obeys and furrows his brows. "What's up, baby?"
I stroke his cock a few times. "I think you are, and I need to take care of your problem."
His eyes twinkle. "Well, I would never be rude and say no to your help."
