Page 91 of Possession

His intense stare leaves me only to rip his undershirt off. His belt, slacks, and socks join them on the floor, leaving him standing before me almost naked in a pair of boxers that leave little to my imagination. I haven’t seen this much of him since our wedding night when he dragged me into the shower when we were covered in Damian’s blood.

Tonight, it was my blood he was cleaning up.

Boz flips off the lamp. His skin is smooth, his thick muscles move fluidly when he climbs in bed next to me, and his body is warm when he pulls me into his arms. He puts a hand to the back of my head and presses my face to his chest where I can hear and feel his words rumble through me. “Never again, baby. They’ll have to kill me before they can get to you again.”

“Don’t say that,” I whisper. “I wouldn’t be able to live with that mark on my soul, Boz.”

He presses his lips to the top of my head. “I won’t let that happen. There’s no way my soul can bear the brunt of this again.”

I allow myself to sink into my husband in bed for the first time. A bed we’ve never shared or consummated our marriage in.

That thought used to haunt me.

It doesn’t haunt me any longer. I’m intrigued, nervous, and even anxious.

This is new. I’m not used to my husband’s affection in private.

I could get used to this. I like it. I like it a lot.

Especially after what happened today. Since the whole thing started, I’ve only felt safe when I’m with him. This gives me hope that if this really ends up being my life forever—a life I didn’t choose—it might not suck.

In fact, it might be a whole lot better than not sucking.

I drag my leg up his, because the need to be close to him is overwhelming.

“Boz?”

He sighs, and for a second, I wonder if he’s angry. But when he answers, his tone is low and as gentle as his touch on my hip where his fingers are methodically strumming against my skin. “Yeah, baby?”

“Thank you.” I pull my head out of his hold and look into his eyes through the darkened room. “For taking care of me.”

“I don’t deserve your thanks.” His tone abruptly turns hard. “I’m the one who left you. I wasn’t here to keep Nic from touching you. Now is not the time to thank me. This is my fault, and I know it.”

I start to argue and shake my head, but his finger touches my lips to keep me from talking.

“I need you to know one more thing before you shut your eyes to end this day from hell.”

I frown.

His wide chest expands as he pulls in a deep breath. “What I told you about Damian and the Marinos? About his plans for you, and his history of doing that with other women?”

I tense, which causes his embrace to hold me tighter. “What about it?

He pulls me up his body until we’re almost nose to nose. “I never took part in that. I worked for Damian, helped manage his business, and even took a bullet to save his life. But that shit was fucked up. No matter how much he tried to push that part of his life on me, that’s where I drew the line. You don’t know me, baby. Not really. I’ve done a lot of shit working for this family, but that’s a line I’d never cross.”

I let that sink in. His words warm me as much as his body. I tip my head and press my cut lips to his. His fingers press into my back and it feels like he’s doing everything he can to control himself.

When he finally ends the kiss that I started, I look into his eyes. “I knew you were a good one.”

His dark eyes fall shut and he exhales, returning me to his chest. “I hope you always believe that, baby.”

“You are,” I whisper against his skin. “I feel it.”

“Landyn, please. Go to sleep.” His voice is rough, and his plea feels desperate.

I press my lips to his pec before relaxing into his body. I know what happened tonight will never happen again.

Because I married a good one.

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