He wrapped his arms tightly around me, careful to avoid the wound on my lower back. He spoke softly to me. I could only make out a few words, but I didn’t hear the rest of what he was saying. Nevertheless, I took comfort in the deep baritone of his voice, took comfort in the Russian accent that was oddly soothing to my ears.
And I reveled in it.
I wet his shirt with my tears, I cried over his voice telling me everything was going to be okay, and I believed in that beautiful lie.
Nothing was okay.
Not when we lived in such a dark world.
I was born in violence.
In depravity.
And that was the world I would die in.
He moved his fingers through my hair.
I didn’t know how long we stayed like that, but the sun was high in the sky when my tears finally dried, and I was starting to feel a little self-conscious about my nakedness.
I shifted, pulling back to meet his eyes.
He traced the outline of my lips. “Okay?”
I nodded.
“Was that too much?” Damien wasn’t a man who could ever look unsure about anything, but there was something about the way he looked as he asked me … I thought it was endearing.
I looked back down to his chest as I thought about how I should answer him.
Was it too much? There was a time when I’d thought I couldn’t take it, but now … I felt empty.
In a good way.
“No. It wasn’t too much.”
It might be the trick of the light, but I swore Damien almost looked relieved.
“Good,” he said, his voice sounding rough.
I smiled a little at him.
“How’s your wound?”
I shifted on top of him. I had barely noticed it when we were doing those things, but now that he mentioned it, it ached a little.
“It’s okay,” I answered.
The look in his eyes told me he wasn’t fooled. He didn’t say anything for a moment.
Then, “What would you like to do today, pet?”
“You mean you’re spending the day with me?” I asked excitedly.
His lips twitched, but he didn’t smile. “Yes, you get to spend the day with the devil. How unlucky for you.”
My smile widened. I opened my mouth, but my stomach beat me to it, growling loudly in the silent room. I looked away from him, feeling my cheeks grow warm, but not before I caught the amusement dancing in his dark eyes.
“Food first. Then we can do whatever the hell you want. Deal?”
I nodded, looking back down at his chest shyly. “Deal.”