“Looks-looks like it,” he breathes, roaming his eyes down the dark bruises on my cheeks. “How's it feeling now, Little Star?”
 
 The first night after my attack, Callum pulled into himself more, relying on his earbuds to guide him through the trauma. My heart broke for him when he broke down with tears in his eyes, telling me he could barely look at me.
 
 “It's not-not because of your looks,” he sniffles, wiping away the tears on his cheeks. “I just… I can't look at you and see the mess he left-left after hurting you so badly. If I have to remember those bruises for the rest of my life, I'll hunt him down and kill-kill him,” he breathlessly proclaims, growing increasingly agitated by the second.
 
 Gripping his hand tightly, I lean my head on his shoulder, keeping my eyes down. “I know,” I mutter, emotions digging their dirty claws into my throat. “I'm sor-”
 
 “Don't you dare,” he hisses, pushing his fingers through my hair and bringing his face to mine. Stormy gray eyes blaze into mine, and he shakes his head, lightly pressing his lips into mine. “Don't ever be sorry, Little Star. Not now. Not ever.”
 
 As the bruises darkened and then moved into the healing stage, he managed to look at me for more than a split second. I don't blame him for his caution. Callum has to take care of his needs in any way he knows, and I respect that.
 
 Placing my hand on his, I intertwine our fingers together. “So much better now. I think the medicine is finally kicking in,” I hum, finally feeling the relief run through my veins and take away the bits of pain left over. Thank God for pain meds, orI'd have rolled over and died from the pounding taking over my nerves.
 
 “Good,” he whispers, examining me again until his eyes fall to my lips. “Can I kiss you, Little Star? I've been aching to put my lips on yours,” he whispers an inch from my lips.
 
 I nod, sighing into the soft kiss. Whenever his lips touch mine, it's like coming home, and the sun shines through, warming my entire being. Bravely, his tongue brushes along the seam of my lips, begging for entry with a small, desperate moan.
 
 Our tongues twist together in a slow dance, tasting each other and taking our time. Callum molds his body to mine, becoming more frantic when his fingers clasp my hair, forcing my lips harder against his with urgency.
 
 Pain spreads through my face from my injuries, but I don't dare stop him when he's gracefully taking what he wants for the first time in his life. It feels too damn good to stop, and I want this. I want to give Callum the damn world.
 
 A deep groan vibrates through his chest when his trembling fingers clasp around my breast and squeezes tight through my long shirt.
 
 “Do what you want to,” I murmur against his lips when he kisses down my neck, softly avoiding the bruises and wounds.
 
 Sucking my skin between his teeth, he leaves his marks behind, stoking the fire brewing under my skin. My back arches, pressing my breasts into his hand, and I moan when he tweaks my nipple between his fingers. My pussy suddenly flutters, begging for him—all of him.
 
 “Finger me, Callum,” I breathe with desperation, arching my back and begging him to do me in when his hand slowly moves south. “I need you,” I gasp out when he rolls his hardness into me, pushing it right into my aching center.
 
 “I-I—” His breath shudders when I take his wrist and force his fingers on my upper thigh, letting him rest until he's readyto go up to my weeping pussy, begging for his long fingers to plunge in and make me cum.
 
 His warm breaths blow across my hair, picking up speed. His hardness presses through his boxers, poking me in the belly and twitching against me.
 
 “Just like that,” I gasp, guiding his fingers in tiny circles over my aching clit. “Tiny-tiny circles,” I moan, bringing his lips back down to mine with desperation, thrusting his tongue into my mouth and confidently overtaking every inch of me.
 
 “And-and this?” he whispers with uncertainty, furrowing his brows.
 
 “God, yes!” I shout when his fingers tentatively slip inside me.
 
 Callum's gaze spears through me, taking in every facial twitch and moan. Slowly, he glides them in and out, taking his time and savoring every moment.
 
 I nod with encouragement, biting my bottom lip, trying to keep my moans at bay. Silent screams force my mouth wide open, and my back bows when he scissors his fingers, hitting all the right spots inside me. Bright lights blossom behind my eyelids, with my orgasm on the brink of exploding through.
 
 “Fuck yes, Callum,” I cry when stars burst behind my eyes, and my pussy clamps down on his fingers, holding him there. My hips roll with tiny thrusts, begging for more as my orgasm slowly ebbs away, leaving every inch of my flesh tingling with pleasure.
 
 My eyes pop open when Callum shifts beside me. His dilated eyes, thick with lust, meet mine. Heavy pants heave his glistening chest, vibrating with moans when he pulls his fingers out. I cannot look away when he brings them to his mouth and thoroughly licks them clean with a loud, pussy-fluttering groan, satisfied with the taste.
 
 With trepidation and shaking limbs, Callum cradles the back of my head, turning me to my back with such devotion I nearly burst into tears. The moment the weight of his body presses down on me, hazy memories resurface from the brutal attack I endured at the hands of some grabby asshole. Clamping my eyes shut, I take a deep breath as he settles his chest against mine.
 
 “Little Star,” he whispers with urgency, nudging his nose against mine. “Tell me you're okay. I can…” he trails off when my fingers dig into his shoulders, holding him there and not letting him go.
 
 The warmth of his skin grounds me back to the moment, zapping me from the alleyway my mind drifted to. It's bad enough that the monster had restarted the nightmares from when I was fifteen, but now when Callum trusts me the most with intimacy, that bastard is interfering too much.
 
 “I'm fine,” I say, peeling my eyes open, getting lost in the vastness of his irises, staring back at me with concern.
 
 “I don't…”
 
 “I'm fine, Callum. This is the first time we've… And the first time someone has touched me since the attack. I'm just tamping down the bullshit panic rising, okay? But I want this… Whatever we're going to do,” I whisper, running my fingers through his shaggy blond locks.