Page 38 of From My Past
“I’ve been meaning to ask you. I know five years is a long time, you could have changed your mind, but why did you change your hair? Last I saw you, you were rocking black hair and a shaggy short bob with bangs. You told me all about how you didn’t want people to think you were the typical blonde, sorority girl and you felt more like yourself with your edgy hair. Don’t get me wrong, I think the blonde waves look amazing, but I just wondered why you went back to blonde.” Kieron asked. He pulled on the end of my pony and then twisted his fingers in the strands.
“Luca wanted me to, made it a rule and so I had to obey and keep it. When we first started dating, I had grown my hair to my shoulders. It was still dark, still…me. But then he made a comment about how much more attractive I’d be if my hair wasn’t so dark. So, I stopped coloring it black and went a bit lighter. That cycle continued until I became this. Complete Barbie and a doll for him to throw around as he pleases.” I said softly.
I knew I had fallen far, had given up so much of myself but it wasn’t until now that I realized I wasn’t even a shadow of who I used to be. Of who I am inside, somewhere.
“You’re not a doll.” Kieron said. One of his fingers came under my chin and he slowly moved my face up to meet his eyes. “You’re strong, so strong, and you’ve done what you’ve had to do to survive. That’s a badass motherfucker right there.”
I chuckled, the sound between a laugh and a sob.
“It’s true. Don’t feel bad because of what happened. Heal, grow and move on. Once it is safe for you, if you want to leave, you can. You can go and be whomever you want to be, with me or by yourself. But don’t forget just how strong you really are.” He said, his words ringing with sincerity.
I surged forward and kissed him. His soft lips were still, they moved against mine but he didn’t try to overpower me. He was letting me set the pace.
I moved closer to his side and put one leg over his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck. I wasn’t ready to sit on him like my core so badly wanted, but I needed to hold him, to be held by him. When I broke the kiss, I could feel the flush on my cheeks and the answering smile on his face made my heart beat even faster.
“Was that okay?” I asked shyly and Kieron groaned.
“More than okay. I really like kissing you.” He said, one of his large hands sliding up my leg and resting on the outside of my upper thigh.
“I like kissing you too.”
We sat there in silence, wrapped in each other and watching the movie.
Content.
Comfortable.
Finally, I felt safe.
Chapter Thirteen
Kieron
Idon’t know when Talia fell asleep but I wasn’t going to wake her up. She looked peaceful, finally.
I looked down at her face studying the bruising of her skin and I couldn’t help the surge of anger that she was marked in such violence.
I won’t lie, I love leaving marks during sex. Bites, hickeys, their ass red from my hand. But the marks are always left in lust, always because I want to bring my partner more pleasure. The marks, if any, are consented to. I have never left a mark from anger on a woman. It’s something I was engrained with, to never put my hands on a woman in anger.
Talia’s eyes fluttered as she dreamed, a slight smile ghosted across her lips, and I smiled back at her, even though she couldn’t see it. I pulled her in closer so one of my hands was supporting her back and the other wrapped around her legs. She was swallowed in my clothes, our foot of difference in height to blame. Some primal part of me was purring with the image of her in my clothes. Mine.
The action movie was playing softly in the background and I had no intention of getting up. Talia was asleep comfortably on me; she was safe, full and content, so I wouldn’t be waking her up anytime soon. Who knew the last time she slept well.
I needed to get it together. I was so head-over-heels for this girl and I was falling for her quickly. But I needed to get more information. More basic information. Actually get to know her for her, not just a file that my soldier gave me. How did she take her coffee? What is her favorite childhood memory? Did she sleep on the left or the right side of the bed? I wanted to know more about her than just her file and the few precious hours I got five years ago.
Speaking of the file, I needed to rip Sion a new fucking asshole. I gave him very specific instructions about how his surveillance was meant to go, what to bring to me, what to do and the incompetent motherfucker let this happen. Sion is my father’s PI that works for the clan so I assumed he would be trustworthy. My fingers curled protectively into Talia’s skin, grounding me so I could calm down slightly.
The bruises were on his head.
The pain she’d endured was on his head.
Talia muttered in her sleep, tightening her hold on my shirt and her head dropped into the side of my neck. With each breath she exhaled, her warm breath tickled my skin and made a lock of my hair move. She was softly snoring and I felt so protective of the soft woman in my arms, it was kind of amazing.
The movie that neither of us cared to actually watch started to roll the credits and I was faced with a choice. Do I move her into the bed and then respectfully leave her to her own apartment, or do I stay here, let her sleep on me and watch over her? What would she want?
After a few minutes, far more than I needed, I picked her up and started walking over to the door that would lead into the small bedroom. After getting over how pissed I was that my father decided she would stay here and not at the beachfront, I was glad he gave her this apartment because I knew it came furnished with a king-sized bed. This girl, my girl, deserved all the luxuries in the world.
I lightly kicked open the white door and made my way through the darkness until my shin hit the edge of the bed. Leaning a knee on the edge, I tried to lay her down gently so I didn’t wake her up. Her blonde hair fanned out and as soon as my hand left her body, she immediately curled in on herself protectively.
