Page 189 of Ink Deep Devotion

I snort sadly.“A relationship takes two people trying. You tried to do things alone, and look how that ended.”

“So try with me.” His chin remains low as he looks at me through hooded eyes, making me feel like I’m the most powerful person in the room.

“You won’t let me, Dash. You fear too much. It killed us.”

“No!” He snaps. His fingers bury themselves in my hair as he holds my face.“I was deaf before. I learned how to listen. I…I want to be like my father. He loved my mother and showed the world he loved her. If he could do it, then I can. I can keep you safe.”

“Keeping me safe is what sickens us, Dash. You can’t keep me safe, and you have to accept that. Your father did, so he just loved your mother. Every day, he showed the world he loved her in case the next day he couldn’t.”

He looks away so suddenly it’s like a bullet flying out of the barrel of a gun.“You can’t do that, can you?” My whisper is a painful cry.

“I can.” He admits, surprising me.“I’m just scared.”

I reach for him, grabbing his hand. My touch makes him jump, and then he curls his fingers tightly around me.“I’m scared, too, but I know how to make our fear less loud.”

“How?”

My fingers touch his jaw; he closes his eyes like a sailor about to be consumed by a wave that will claim him.“We make our love for each other louder.” My lips spread into a timid smile.

His throat rolls as he opens his eyes. I push up on my toes, but he’s too tall; he has to meet me in the middle. I wait for his lips to lower. I can see my words dancing in his head until…he bends and kisses me. It’s slow at first, hesitant as if he’s not sure his love can outshine his fear.

“Let’s start over,” I whisper over his lips.

He nods as he presses his forehead against mine. I take the lead, holding his hand as I walk us to the bathroom. I turn on the shower and wait for the hot water to begin to steam.

“I don’t deserve this,” He whispers, eyes downcast.

“I don’t either.” I grab the hem of his shirt and pull it up over his head. The first time we met, he showed me his vulnerable side. He allowed me to peel back his armor and help him.

I unbutton his pants and slide them down his legs, seeing the scar from surgery where his bones broke.I glance at his torso; reaching out, I start to touch all his other scars; some are almost invisible, others angry and red.“My scars are hidden,” I admit as I lean down and kiss his chest.

“I always saw them.” He mutters as he brings my fingers to his lips and kisses each one. He undresses me, taking his time to inspect every curve I have for injury.

“We’ll talk more after,” I tell him.“Just make it all stop, Dash. Silence my fears with your love.”

Maybe rushing into sex is a mistake, but his eyes are different. He’s changed, and deep down, I know we will never allow one another to break again.

He nods, grabs my ass, and lifts me as he walks us into the hot shower. My legs wrap around him as I cup his jaw.“It will be different this time,” he promises me.“I’ll listen, little fox. I always saw you as this small little creature that stole my heart. I failed to realize that in order to be strong enough to claim my heart, you had to be sly. You were always the strongest of us. I’m sorry I never acknowledged that. I’m sorry I broke us. I’m sorry I forced you to run.”

“We had to watch each other crumble so we could rebuild ourselves together this time,” I tell him.

“I love you, little fox,” he gently walks us under the hot water. His lips roam over my mouth to my jaw, then neck, back and forth like he’s trying to lick a plate clean and savor the taste.

The droplets drip down his body as he presses me against the cool tiles. He lifts me up, and I widen my legs as I feel his hardness press against me. Everything is slow, unhurried;“I need you. I was so scared you died. I know how it feels now, Dash; I know why you did what you did.” I say as I roll my hips up, allowing his thick cock to slip inside of me.

“I want to cage you, Dash King. I want to keep you safe; I want to make sure you will only be mine.”

“I am only yours.” His vow is as honorable as a knight from days of old. Sincere. Unbreakable. A devotion of love and passion promised to his queen.

I know the water is hiding our merging tears.“But I want to be free with you, free to run and live.”

“God, Mila!” He presses his forehead to mine like I’m his equal, and he’s sharing his crown with me.“I’ll never treat you that way again. I’m so fucking sorry I let my fear outshine my love. You were right; at first, our love was as thin as paper, but it never mattered how strong we were because our devotion to one another is like ink; it seeps into anything, whether it’s as strong as concrete or as thin as paper. The world can tear us apart, rip sections of us away, but our desire and devotion is not something they can erase. I’m devoted to you, Mila King. I always will be. I was born a king, but it was you who taught me how to bow down.”

“I don't want you to bow down to me. I just want you to let me stand beside you.”

“I’ll do both. I'll bow down to you and press my lips against your thighs, kiss my way to your sweet sex as I worship your pussy."

"Stop," I giggle.Wow, it's been so long since that sound left my lips.

---