Page 37 of King of Malice
Dimitri
I carry Anna inside,tossing her antibiotics on the counter. I’ve been antsy to come back here, see Ava, touch her skin.
Not that she can’t cuff me to the headboard again. It’s a small price to pay to be inside her, feel the slide of her body against mine.
I’m not a man who compromises very often. But I want Ava enough that I’m not certain there is a length that is too far for me to go to make her mine.
I break open the bottle of medicine, unwrapping the dropper to dispense the liquid when the object of my obsession appears.
In leggings and a fitted athletic top, her hair piled on top of her head, I like Ava as much like this as I do in her little pencil skirts and silk blouses.
Anna leans out, holding her arms out to Ava, and she sweeps my little girl into her embrace.
Has Anna been missing having a mama? My baby curls into my woman, Ava’s chin coming to the top of Anna’s head. “Your ear still hurt, sweetheart?”
I fill up the medicine dropper and hold it toward Anna’s mouth. “My little printcessa will feel better soon enough.”
Anna drinks it down and then curls back into Ava, tucking her hands between their bodies.
Ava kisses Anna’s head as she coos. I can’t help it. I hook Ava’s waist, curling both of them into my body.
Ava doesn’t stiffen, if anything, she melts into me, even with Anna’s body between us. I wrap my other around them, holding them tightly as my chin comes to the top of Ava’s head, the three of us locked together.
We stay like this for a minute or two before Ava finally steps back. “You must need to get to work.”
I do. I’ve missed several calls, including one from Trent, but what’s happening in my kitchen feels more significant than anything happening at work. “Soon.”
She gives me a small smile, even as she looks away, her gaze fixing on the far wall, a clear sign she’s pulling away from me again. My time with Ava is like a spring. We compress, we retract.
That’s all right. I’m a persistent man.
She clears her throat. “When was Anna’s last dose of Tylenol?”
“Two hours ago.”
Nodding, she turns toward the living room. I take a step after her, my hand coming to her hip as I stop her from leaving.
She looks back over her shoulder at me, looking so beautiful and fragile, and the smallest bit frightened. I drop my hand as my chest tightens. She needs my love and support so much, but she’s too afraid to take it. “If you need anything, you come get me. I’ll be in my office.”
She gives a little nod, her lips pursing before she heads for Anna’s room. I draw in a deep breath, then two, as I try to calm my surging desire to toss them both in my car and take them far away.
That isn’t the way out for any of us. I’ve always known that, which is why I’ve held tight all this time. But with Ava here, she’s added a new layer to my need to protect. But that’s not the move.
Now is the time I’m going to have to fight for our future.
With that in mind, I stride down the hall, past Anna’s room and toward my office as I pull out my phone, dialing Trent.
I turn the knob on the door, but it was clearly not closed tightly and I stop, my brow furrowing. I always close the door.
The cleaning crew isn’t here until tomorrow.
“Hey, boss,” Trent says into the phone.
Leaving thoughts of the door alone, I push it open and enter the office. “Hey. I saw you called.”
“Yeah. Did you have the meeting last night after all?” He sounds pissed that I went against his advice. Which in turn pisses me off.
These decisions are mine to make and the consequences will be mine as well. “I did.”
