Page 65 of Elicit (Decadence After Dark)

I yank her into my arms and smother her in my embrace.

“Nothing. No one will ever know. I promise I’ll protect you.”

“How?” She sobs inconsolably. I never realized that one human being could produce so many tears.

“Trust me.” I ask for the same thing I’ve been asking for all along.

“That’s so hard to do,” she confesses.

“I know. But you have to be brave and trust me now.” I take her face and force her to look at me. “You have to finally let me in.”

“I let you in the first day I met you,” she astonishingly comes clean.

“I let you in the first second I saw you.” I press my mouth firmly to hers, sucking gently on her puffy lips. “I’ll protect you,” I vow, resting my forehead against hers. “Please just let me protect you. You’ll never have to hide again. You’ll finally be able to fly.”

London breaks down, hooking her arms under mine, and just holds on.

I hug her until she can barely stand. Until the weight of the night finally takes its toll. There is so much I want to confess. So much I want toprofess.

But now isn’t the time to be spewing emotional rhetoric. She’s not ready to hear it, and I’m not ready for my feelings to fall on deaf ears. Tonight, it’s all about showdon’ttell. My actions will speak for me. Of that I’m certain.

I wrap London in a towel and then myself. It’s so quiet in the house, I can hear London breathing from across the room. I pull down the bedding, dry us both as best I can, then put her to bed without even bothering to dress her. It’s flesh on flesh tonight. Body heat, cool sheets, and an unrestricted connection.

I climb in after her, situating her next to me, side by side, limbs mingled, head on my chest. Her tears continue to flow down her cheeks in a fluid path, leaking years of heartache.

She can cry all night, all month, all year. I won’t let go until she’s shed every last painful drop.

“I’m so tired,” she whimpers weakly against me.

“Go to sleep,” I hum, hoping the melodic tone of my voice will help her drift off. “I’ll be right here to love you in the morning.”

A little whine escapes from her and then there’s nothing. No salty fluid or shaky breaths, just peace.

I WAKE UP WITH Astart.

I look around the bright sunny room, feeling completely out of sorts.

Where the hell am I?

“Hey,” Jett’s calm voice cuts through my mental turmoil. When I turn my head to him, everything comes rushing back.

“I killed him, didn’t I?” I slap a hand over my mouth horrified.

Jett nods, sliding closer to me over the pure white sheets. He sits up as he tugs me into his arms. I don’t protest. I just melt against his warm, bare chest.

“Can I tell you a secret?” he asks.

I nod silently before he tips my head back to look up at him. “He was never going to get out alive. If you didn’t kill him, I was going to.”

I stare into his smoldering aqua eyes and believe every word.

“What do we do now?” I whisper.

“Go on like nothing ever happened. You promised me last night that I could protect you, and I intend to do just that.Trust meto take care of everything.”

Trust. The most challenging word in my vocabulary. I’ve never trusted anyone. But I want to trust Jett.

“Please don’t make me regret making that promise.” I dig my face into the curve of his neck.

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