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“Did you find Mercy?” She ignored my question.

I shook my head.

“Is that why you’re here?” she asked, raising a thin brow. “You think I can make your pain go away?”

I winced at her question. It stung because it wasn’t the entire truth. I cared about Melissa. She was sexy, funny, and intelligent, but I was hurting tonight. I was hurting and needed her to remove that pain so I no longer felt like I was dying inside.

“I don’t know,” I confessed as I released her and walked toward her bedroom. She looked at me, her head tilted to the right. She was probably contemplating what she wanted to do.

Melissa sauntered toward me and held out her hand. After I took it, I escorted her to the bedroom. She turned to face me once we reached the bed. I leaned down, kissed her gently on the lips, and my right hand came around and grabbed her ass, lifting her slightly before deepening the kiss.

We kissed for a moment before I realized that just kissing wasn’t going to silence my mind. Not tonight. My hands reached down to the hem of her nightgown, lifting it above her head, so she was bare and revealed for me. She placed her hands on my chest and gave me a small smile. It was an invitation that I needed.

Moments later, I was already balls deep inside of her. My thrusts were animalistic and rough, and they couldn’t have been further from any form of lovemaking. Her nails itched along my back, and her fingers threaded in my hair. Scratching. Dragging. Pulling. We were both chasing pain that mixed with pleasure tonight, to forget the agony tearing at my chest and the shame she’d feel in the morning, knowing I wasn’t entirely with her.

Melissa and I fucked like nothing else mattered that night. It was raw and carnal. Nothing fucking mattered. She was what I needed, and she’d let me have her.

CHAPTER 32

Mercy

CALIFORNIA. MAURICE WAS taking me to California. I’d always wanted to visit the Pacific Ocean. I also wasn’t just visiting. It was my new home. According to Maurice, our backyard faced the ocean!

Maurice grabbed my hand as we descended the stairs from his private jet. It was eight in the evening, so Maurice and his colleagues didn’t need a spell cast on them to avoid the sunlight.

Jade grabbed my suitcase, and Julian waited at the bottom of the stairs next to the limo and opened the door for us as we approached.

It was only a short drive to Huntington Beach. Maurice owned a private runway right outside the city. There was no secret Maurice was wealthy, with a handful of assistants at his disposal, but I wondered if that also included what I needed. Though it felt bizarre to ask anyone to do anything for me, especially something I could do myself.

The flight wasn’t terrible, but I was ready to lay my head down and sleep.

Maurice was mostly silent during the drive, but as we pulled into our new driveway, he planted a warm kiss on my lips. His mouth tasted like the dark red wine and chocolate they served us during the flight. Long fingers trailed up my thigh and stopped between my legs, rubbing gently against my nerves.

Oh, God.

“Maurice, someone can see,” I said, shifting slightly in my seat.

I felt his lips spread over mine into a smile. “I don’t fucking care,” he said. “I’m happy we’re finally out here together. That’s all.”

I leaned back and winked. “We can celebrate tomorrow night,” I said. “How about that?”

Maurice reached over my shoulder and clicked the door handle. “After you.”

I hadn’t had the chance to explore our home yet. From what I did see from the pictures online, the home was already fully furnished and ready for us when we arrived. The lights dimly lit the hallway as Maurice led us to our bedroom.

Maurice pulled the blanket over my chest as we snuggled under the sheets. Oh, the feeling of the silky material felt so good against my skin. He brushed the stray hair from my face and pulled me closer to him. “I love you, Mercy.” His voice was gentle, and his words were familiar. I was still trying to recall all the memories I had lost, but the sound of his voice, his words, rang familiar and comforted me. I felt safe. “Tomorrow, I have some business to attend to, but I’ll have Julian escort you around the city. How does that sound?” He bent his elbow and placed his palm on the side of his head, propping himself, so he was looking down at me.

I nodded, allowing him to kiss me again one last time before I said, “Thank you. Night, Maurice.”

I closed my eyes, no longer able to fight my exhaustion, and let my dreams take me away.

Do I always dream like this?

I assume most people don’t remember their dreams. Still, everything around me felt familiar, like I had entered this world in my subconsciousness. Maybe my dreams would help me remember something. Anything, honestly.

A man with features similar to Maurice’s walked up to me, holding a red scarf in his hand. He lifted it above my head and wrapped my hair in it. “Tradition,” he said.

I looked over, and Maurice stood on a stage. The wind from the open windows around us blew his hair around in a beautiful dance.

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