Page 110 of Aine

I pull away and spit it out, wincing as a wave of emotion hits me all at once. My mind’s unable to filter through all the new feelings Damien shares with me, the sheer amount of them overwhelming.

He kept his emotions hidden before, and I anticipated the same now.

His terror mingles with my own as I pull back and look him in the eye. Why’s he scared?

Despite the emotions I know he’s feeling, he appears calm as he turns his head so I can see the scar. It’s not as neat as the mark he once gave me, but it looks arguably better than the one I placed on his arm.

At least this time, all my teeth sunk into him, leaving behind a clear bite mark.

Damien’s eyes meet mine as I tilt my head to the side and offer up my neck. His hands rub soothing circles into my back as he leans in and buries his face into my skin. I tense in anticipation of the pain his bite will bring, surprised when I’m met with soft lips instead of teeth.

Damien’s eyes shine as he pulls back. “I need to earn it.”

I frown. Hehasearned it.

Why doesn’t he want to mark me? Does he gain some sort of quick exit from this relationship if he doesn’t bite me back?

Damien’s quick to squash my fears as he cups my face and plants a firm kiss on my lips.

“I’ll never forgive myself for how I marked you the first time, and I want the second to be a memory you cherish.” He releases a shaky breath before continuing. “I belong to you, but you don’t belong to me until you want it. Until you decide I’ve earned it.”

He laughs as he speaks the last part, his expression happy despite the anxiety I feel coursing through him. What’s he so anxious about? Does he regret allowing me to mark him?

“Does it look good?” he asks after a moment of silence, gesturing to his neck.

I shrug, unsure what would be considered good. It’s not nearly as nice as his, but I don’t think it’s terrible.

My jaw clenches before I open my mouth and force myself to speak.

“It’s okay.”

My voice is hoarse and barely audible, but Damien beams like he’s won the lottery.

“I’m glad to hear it,” he teases, wrapping my thighs around his waist as he stands. He refuses to set me on my feet as he washes himself, even when it clearly hinders his efficiency.

“Let me get my hair trimmers,” he whispers when he finally shuts off the water and pushes open the shower door. He sucks on his teeth as he searches for his next words. “I think you’re going to look beautiful with a buzzed head.”

I don’t believe him, not one bit, and I hold back tears as I watch him dig around his drawers for his trimmers. Damien lets his stream of consciousness flow from his lips, the man filling the awkward silence between us with words.

I appreciate it, and I shut my eyes so I can’t see when he finds what he’s looking for and plugs it into the wall. The buzzing noise has my pulse racing, and Damien talks over it as I feel the cool metal touch the back of my head.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asks, turning off the clippers and stepping back.

I’m only able to manage a curt shake of my head, my eyes still squeezed shut. There’s a pain radiating through our new bond from Damien, but the emotion is muted before it fully sets inside me. It’s like he’s keeping the bond open, letting me feel him, but is limiting how intense everything is.

I still don’t quite understand how it all works, but I don’t question it.

Lips touch the newly exposed skin on the back of my head as the buzzing starts once more, and I curl my fingers around the basin of the sink as Damien returns the clippers to my skull. I peek through my lashes and watch the remainder of my hair fall to the floor, ashamed as my tears join the mix.

It’s over quickly, and Damien doesn’t hesitate to pull the plug from the wall and usher me out of the room. He leads me into his bedroom and toward his dresser, his large hands cupping my head the entire way.

“Do you want to see?” he asks.

I suck in a shaky breath, and with all the strength I can muster, I look up and meet my gaze in the mirror.

Damien catches my attention first, his large frame filling all the space behind me. He’s so close, I can feel his heat against my back, and we lock eyes as he removes his hands from my head so I can see. I can feel his praises, but I ignore them as I tilt my neck side to side to get a better view.

It’s not as bad as I thought it would be.

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