Page 35 of A Night of Indulgence and Sloth
“Lily…” I whisper, desperation clawing at my insides with the need to protect her from whatever demons currently race through her mind.
My heart stalls in my chest when her haunted eyes lock with mine. “I need him off me.”
Those five little words will plague me for the rest of my life. “I’ve got you. He won’t ever hurt you again.” The words escapeme, unbidden yet powerful. A promise. No matter what I must do, that motherfucker will never get another chance to hurt her.
Makeup trails down her cheeks, but I can’t tell if it’s from the water or her tears. Probably both. Her chest heaves as the frantic scrubbing of her arm stalls out, and for a second, I worry she might collapse.
With tentative movements, I cover her hand and slowly take the soap. She lets me wash her, cleanse the grime of Burt fucking Brandon from her flesh. Then I grab some shampoo, directing her to sit on the small stool carved into the shower while I massage her scalp.
Neither of us talk. By the time I smear conditioner into her hair, the sobbing has stopped. Now she appears numb, and somehow, this is worse. What cage in her mind is she trapped in and how can I help her break free?
Shutting off the shower, I grab a towel and direct her to sit on the toilet seat while I comb her hair. Whatever I can do to make sure she knows just how important she is, just how many people are in her corner, I’ll do it.
She stares blankly at the wall, her eyes glassy and unfocused as I attempt to braid her long black hair. Having never braided hair in my life, the end result is messy and barely kept together, but at least it’s tied back now.
“Come,” I say, holding out my hand for her. She gazes at it for what feels like an eternity before finally placing her icy fingers in mine. With the towel still around her body, I sit her down on the edge of my bed.
“I’m going to grab you some clothes, alright?” When she doesn’t acknowledge me, I turn and head toward the closet on the other side of the room. I grab two of everything, knowing I’ll need to get out of these wet clothes before I can comfort her further, but as I walk back into the room, I find her snuggled beneath the blankets and her wet towel discarded on the floor.
I place the clothes on the bench at the foot of the bed and unbutton my wet shirt.
“Kaleb…” My name on her lips sounds like a prayer, causing my heart to crack further.
“I’m right here, baby.” The endearment slips out, but I don’t have it in me to feel ashamed. Tonight, I am her protector, and Aiden is her gladiator. Whoever thought they could hurt her would soon realize that they’d have to go through us first, and we were far scarier than any demons.
“Stay.”
A command. A question. Yet what she doesn’t seem to realize is that I have no intention of leaving. I will be her light, her warmth, and I’ll slay the devil if I have to.
“I’m not going anywhere, but these wet clothes aren’t going to help you, baby.”
“Please,” she whispers, pulling back the blankets with an invitation, a plea.
I throw on a new pair of boxer briefs and crawl into bed beside her. She curls her body around mine, burying herself into my chest where her tears fall against my skin.
“I’m here, Lily. You’re safe. We won’t let anything happen to you.” I repeat the words several times, stroking her back and promising her the world. We stay like this until her tears dry and my arm goes numb. She pulls away, peering up at me from beneath her dark lashes.
Slowly, I raise my hand to trace her face. Down her nose, her cheeks, her jaw. I do my best to ignore her nakedness because that’s the last damn thing she needs right now. But to my surprise, she lifts her own hand and traces my face too. Over my lips, down my neck, across my chest. Her eyes roam over my body, flashing with a heat so potent it feels like I’m standing over a volcano, ready to sacrifice myself to this goddess.
Slowly, she closes the space between us, placing timid pecks of her lips against mine that cause a pang to resonate through me. I follow her lead, allowing her to control how far this goes. When her small hand trails lower, down over my briefs and grips my cock, I groan.
“Lily,” I whisper, stopping her hand on my shaft. “Now might not be—”
“You… you don’t want me.”
“Does it feel like I don’t want you?” I reply with a thrust into her palm. “But with what happened tonight, you’re vulnerable. I don’t want you to have regrets.”
“I want it. I want you. And I… I need to forget. Please, Kaleb. Make me forget.” Her lip wobbles, crushing my soul into dust.
“You’re in control, Lily. Whatever you need, take it. I’ll follow your every command. And if you change your mind, we’ll stop. Okay, baby?” Whatever happened with Burt went far deeper than just tonight. It also didn’t take a genius to figure out that what happened left her feeling completely without control. So tonight, I’d give her back that power.
She kisses me then, her lips tasting of pain and heartache, salty from her tears. I savor it. This moment. This gift she’s giving me. I serve at the pleasure of my Blossom, my Lily. And I will do whatever is in my power to replace her spoiled memories with better ones.
I leave her lips, pressing my own down along her neck, over her collarbone, and to her incredibly sensitive nipples. Just like that night at Club Rapture, tonight isn’t about me. It’s about her. And I’ll continue to cherish her for as long as she’ll let me. Despite her demons, this woman shines a light on every single person she meets, choosing to keep her darkness hidden. She refuses to let her pain cast a shadow on anyone else.
In that moment, I make a vow to chase away that darkness, to illuminate every aspect of her life, just like she does for me, for Aiden, and for everyone else.
I flick one nipple with my tongue, gently pinching the other with my fingers while she mews beneath me. It reminds me of that night all those weeks ago and how we thought we could bring her over the edge just from these two pebbled points.
