Page 89 of Their Demon

“So when are you going to tell her?” Aiden prodded.

I shrugged again. “I don’t know. I’ll think of something.” I glanced at them with a serious expression. “Don’t say a fucking word to her about it.”

Nicholas put his hands up and nodded.

Aiden rolled his eyes and mumbled, “Whatever.”

I plated the eggs and fruit, and the toaster popped up with her toast at the perfect time. Once her breakfast was ready, I left the twins in the kitchen, their whispering not going unnoticed once I was gone.

When I opened the door to my room, I tried my best to be quiet, but the fork hit the door and fell to the ground with a clatter.

“Shit, sorry,” I said as her eyes blinked open.

She’d been lying on her side, facing the door, as if waiting for my return. She looked so sexy in my bed, the sheet lying at her waist, her breasts on display just for me. The light coming through the windows reflected off her hair, making her auburn hair appear more red than brown.

Once her eyes landed on my plate, a lazy smile crept across her face. “Is that for me?”

I nodded, my heart thumping hard in my chest as I walked over to her. Not many things terrified me, considering who I was and what I’d been through, but I wanted this woman’s approval more than anything. The thought of being subpar in any category was unnerving, even if it was just breakfast.

She sat up, not bothering to cover herself from me, and took the plate from my hand.

“I’ll go get another fork.”

“No need,” she replied, picking up a piece of egg with her hand, plopping it into her mouth, and chasing it with a bite of toast. “See?”

“Here, allow me.” I took the plate from her hand, and she watched me curiously as I carefully topped her toast with some of the eggs and then held it up to her mouth. She started to raise her hands to take it from me but stopped when my eyebrows hitched. “Let me feed you, Lillian.”

She gulped before nodding, like she was in a trance, opening her mouth and taking a bite of the food I held out to her. I watched her chew and enjoy the food I’d made for her. Even the way she ate was bewitching.

“It’s nothing fancy, but I figured you’d be hungry after last night.” I held a strawberry to her mouth, nearly moaning as she sank her teeth into it.

“It’s perfect, and I wasstarvingafter last night,” she said with her mouth full.

“How do you feel?”

“I feel good. Amazing, actually.” Hesitation swept across her face. “You don’t… regret it, do you?”

“Hell no. I don’t regret a thing, princess,” I kissed her forehead. “Not one bit. I promise.”

That seemed to assure her. “Good.”

I continued to feed her breakfast then handed her the juice I’d brought.

“Ida is coming over this morning to check on you.” I stood, placing her empty plate on the side table, sitting with my legs off the bed.

“Keir!” She practically jumped up, moving to look at my back. “How did this happen?”

Shit.

I hadn’t meant for her to see my back yet, not until it was fully healed. I scolded myself for not wearing my shirt this morning, but I was in a hurry to prepare her breakfast before she woke up. Several healing whip marks still covered my skin, though they were nearly gone.

“I’m fine, princess. It looks much better than it did.” I tried my best to play it off, hoping she’d drop it.

“It looked worse than this?” she exclaimed. Her cool hands on my back made me sit straighter as she examined my injuries. “Who did this to you, Keir? Who hurt you?”

She waited for my response, which I wasn’t planning to give her. I was ashamed of the answer, embarrassed she’d see how weak I truly was, that I wasn’t actually worthy of her. That I didn’t deserve her, that I never would.

Her body slid around mine until she was facing me in my lap, straddling me. “Keir,” she said gently as she took my face in her hands. “Who did that to you?” Despite the tender attention she was showing me, I could see the fury behind her eyes as she searched mine for an answer.

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