Page 138 of Mine to Worship

“I am fine now,” I say with a teary smile.

“No, you’re not, because you sobbing in my arms is not how you prove to me that you’re fine,” he says, every muscle in his face constricting.

“I missed you.”

“Ellia, please. Angel.” His patience wavers and I clasp his hands in mine.

“Promise me you’ll hear me out.”

He nods and I add, “And that you won’t think it’s your fault either, because it’s not.”

He balls his fists at his side and his jaw ticks, but he offers another nod.

“It was Jillian.”

He drops my hands and paces around angrily.

“I think she needs help,” I explain.

“Where was Brandon?” he asks and I square my shoulders, my feet planted firmly on the floor.

“No, no, you can’t blame anyone. She is sick.”

“I have never in my fucking life met anybody like you. You would find an excuse for the devil himself, wouldn’t you?” His eyes dart to the intercom screen. “Why the fuck were the guards not alerted?”

He strides to the door when I say, “How could they know? She’s your mother. They didn’t think she was a danger to me.”

Kian halts, rationality returning to his brain.

I open and clamp my mouth shut a few times then add, “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I am tired, I’ve missed you, my feet hurt, our baby is fine, and you haven’t even greeted her.”

He cocks his head to me, agony and hurt battling in his eyes. I approach him, and I cup his face. His head drops as he leans into my hand, anger rocking his body as he breathes in and out.

“I could fucking take the world apart, piece by piece.”

“It’s okay, let it all out.”

“How can anyone hurt you? I wasn’t here. What if something happened to you or Kira? I can’t breathe, I can’t fucking breathe with this rage.” He tugs at his collar, and two buttons fly off.

“She is ill, and Brandon is taking care of her in his suite. Dr. Lopez checked me and the baby. We’re both fine. Accept that it happened, you can even growl and wallow as long as you need, but I want my rational man back. After that, go to Brandon and decide what you want to do with Jillian.”

“What have I done to deserve someone like you?” He lowers his forehead to mine, his thumb caressing my cheek, his eyes burning with pure adoration.

“You love me in a way I didn’t even know was possible. Your love paints my life in a hundred sunsets, thousands of bright colors in between and millions of sunrises.”

His lips linger on my hungry lips. They crash on mine, and everything clicks in the right place. My heart and his are locked and sealed.

I grab his hand and he follows me, his eyes on me the whole time, and my skin flushes in response. We enter the bathroom and I turn around, and say, “I thought you would like to join me.”

He strips down, and I giggle at his quick movements. He pulls my dress over my head and helps me out of my bra and peels my underwear down.

“How’s the image down there?” I joke because all I can see is the ends of his dark hair peeking from under my belly.

“Fascinating as always.”

I turn around and a growl leaves his mouth. My eyes land on my reflection in the mirror where a reddish spot covers the lower left side of my back. I plead with my eyes for him to let it be. Kian tames the storm and brushes the bruised spot and places soft kisses on it.

He slides next to me in the round tub and my back rests on his chest. Skin on skin, and heartbeat to heartbeat, my world becomes right again.

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