Page 56 of Destroy (Deadly Hearts 2)

“I was scared. I didn’t want anyone to know in case it was his,” I whimper.

“And?”

“I took a test. It came back negative. I’m so relieved, Daddy, but I knew if I was that I’d have to have an abortion and I hate that I wouldn’t have had a choice.”

“So you’re not…?” he asks.

He sounds terrified.

“No,” I whisper.

“Why did you keep this to yourself?” he asks slowly. “You could’ve told us. We are here to help you, Princess.”

“I know. But I didn’t want to see the fear on your faces if it came back positive. I didn’t trust you to not abandon me.”

“Oh, Ruby,” he cries and drops to his knees in front of me. “Don’t you know by now that we would never leave. None of us. I have killed for you, and I’d kill again and again to keep you safe. I’d die for you. You don’t ever have to be afraid to tell me anything."

“Do you forgive me?”

I swear to God, if he says there’s nothing to forgive, I’ll claw his eyes out.

But he knows better than that.

“Yes, Princess,” he says, leaning forward to kiss my forehead.

Grrrrrr.

“Kiss me like you mean it,” I snarl at him.

“No, I can’t.” He shakes his head.

“Kiss me now,” I demand. “I need it. I need to feel your lips on mine. I need to see if…”

I stop speaking, knowing my next words will hurt.

“See what?” he asks cautiously.

“I need to see if I can get aroused. Please, Daddy, kiss me.”

His blue eyes fill with sadness, but he cups the back of my head and presses his lips to mine. He sweeps his tongue over my lips, and I open up, allowing him to plunge his tongue into my mouth.

“Princess,” he growls, shuffling closer. “Do you feel how much I love you?”

I do. I can feel a teeny, tiny spark deep inside me that has lit up at his kiss. It’s not much, but it’s something.

“Yes,” I whisper against his lips, cupping his face and trying to force a bigger reaction. He starts to pant when I ravage his mouth and crawl into his lap.

I’m desperate to do this. Desperate to feel normal again and have sex with a man I care about. I need to have someone else be the last man inside me and not him.

I feel his hands go still on my arms and he stops kissing me. “Ruby…”

“No talking. Just kiss me,” I mumble.

I can feel his erection bursting to get to me, but he pushes me gently away. “I’m not doing that,” he says firmly.

“Why not?” I snap. “You want me. That much is obvious.”

“For all my sins, Princess, I know I’m a better man than that with you. Don’t ask me to be an arsehole for you. I won’t. I can’t. And it’ll just piss me off.”

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