Page 26 of The Bodyguard Freed

I drive faster than I should. I just want to go home and scald my skin under boiling hot water and erase everything from my mind. I don’t know if I’ve lost Kayne forever now. It feels as if he would never forgive me for ending Thompson’s life. My tears are now soaking my jeans.

I flick my gaze to the rearview mirror and my heart pounds when I see Kayne following me in his car. He stays close.

His presence has the ability to reduce my tears a little. I don’t know where we stand anymore.

I pull into the grounds of the palace and into the underground parking. Kayne is still behind me and parks his car next to mine. I get out and don’t look back.

I race upstairs to my room. I pass Igor on the way but I’m so overcome with tears I just shake my head and continue my escape to the bedroom.

I shut the door and pace the floor. I pull off my hoodie and an icy coldness eats at my bones.

I killed a man. The reality sets in and destroys me. But it’s not guilt or shame that poisons me. I would kill Roger Thompson in a heartbeat under any circumstances. I’m broken because my husband felt he needed to keep Roger alive so he could torture him over and over again.

Flashes of Kayne’s wrath pierce my mind. While I was trying to move on and live a happy life, Kayne couldn’t let go of the past.

He lied to me. To my face. I think back about the day he shot Roger and I know instinctively Kayne had already decided he wasn't going to kill him. He never missed a target unless he wants to.

All these weeks. Whenever he disappeared, that was where he would go.

My heart breaks that he can’t see moving on is more important to me than vengeance.

The door opens and Kayne steps in.

We stare at each across the room.

“You lied to me, Kayne. You told me he was dead. I believed you because that was part of what helped me get up with a stupid freaking smile on my face. But I was living a lie. Like a fool. Here I was thinking that it was maybe the ghost of Roger Thompson that’s come between us. But no, he wasn’t a ghost. He was real and alive.”

“He hurt you.”

“He hurt you too. Kayne. I watched his men beat you up when you were tied down because they were too cowardly to go up against you any other way. You don’t think that affected me?”

“It’s different for me.”

“Why? Because you’re stronger than me? Because you’re a man? I was able to withstand what he did to me because I knew you would save me. My love for you saved me. But the same doesn’t apply to you.”

“Don’t ever doubt my love for you, Sophia,” he says, gravely.

“How can I not?” I cry. “When you look at me you see what he did to me, and nothing more. That’s the only thing you see. When I look at you, I see my future. The man I want to have babies with. The love of my life.”

His long strides close the distance between us.

“Don’t doubt my love for you,” he softly says this time.

“Then prove it to me. Kayne, prove your love to me.” I take off my T-shirt. I unzip my jeans. He grabs my body to him, preventing me from removing the rest of my clothes.

“I’m here. I’m right here. I’m whole. I’m complete. I’m wearing your ownership. You brought me here. You saved me and now I want to save you.” I struggle in his hold and try to unbuckle his belt. He doesn’t stop me. He drops his forehead against mine.

“I don’t deserve to feel that way. I haven’t earned the pure sweet bliss your body gives me, Sophia. Not yet. I let you get hurt—”

“Kayne.” Tears roll down my face. I desert his pants and turn my attention to my jeans. I unzip them while I kick off my shoes. I pull my jeans down with my panties. I curse not wearing a dress instead.

I reach for his lips when I’m naked from the bottom down. He kisses me, deeply, wetly, with a decadent frenzy that steals my breath and makes me bang my hands on his chest for a chance to inhale some air.

I take his hand and lead him to our bed. I lay down and force him to tower over me. I part my legs for him and he nestles between my nakedness.

I capture his lips again, kissing him deeply, pouring my love into him. I unearth his cock and then guide him into me.

Kayne clenches his jaw. He’s still fighting this demon between us. But I’m stronger.

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