Page 54 of Iron Heart

“Is that the scar on your leg?”she inquires.

I nod.“I got it after a mission, a mission that went horribly wrong.”

She gestures for me to continue.

“I was back at the truck when my team was fired upon.By the time I got back, it was too late.My team had killed most of the enemy, but it had cost them their own lives.I shot and killed the remaining enemy, and when I knew the threat was neutralized, I found my best friend, Carter, shot multiple times, bleeding out near me.I assessed his wounds, the blood pooling around us, and that’s when I knew there was no hope.I stayed with him till the end.”

Her eyes gloss over with tears, and I don’t want her pity, but it does feel cathartic to share this with her.

“I brought every one of their bodies back, one by one, so they could have a proper military burial.Then, somehow, the state rewards me with a silver star.”I shake my head.

Her hand lands on my arm.“You lost your friends in battle, but it’s not your fault,” she says.“You know that, don’t you, Kingsley?”

I nod.“I know.”

She pulls me into a hug, and my initial stiffness is soon replaced as I melt into her arms.For a moment, we just hold each other, a silent understanding passing between us.When we separate, I feel the atmosphere has shifted, grown lighter yet somehow more intimate.I place another delicious morsel of fettucine in my mouth and relish the home-cooked meal she made especially for me.

“You missed a bit,” she points out, reaching up to wipe my mouth with her finger.

Just as she’s about to clean her finger on a napkin, I grasp it and guide it back to my lips.Slowly, I lick the sauce off her finger, from the base all the way to the tip.Her eyes darken with intrigue.“Do you like it, Sir?”she asks, her voice tinged with the promise of play.

“Very much,” I respond, and she gazes up at me through fluttering lashes.“Do you want to play, kitten?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I am going to wash every inch of you first, then reward you for pleasing me with a superb dinner,” I say, tipping her head up and exposing the column of her neck.

“Yes, Kingsley,” she says, and it’s the first time she subbed out Sir for Kingsley.I like it.I like it so damn much I rake my teeth across her collarbone and nip along her jaw.She tips her head back and moans.

“Do you want a pussy full of my cock, kitten?”

“God, yes, Sir,” she breathes out between kisses and bites.

18

Victoria

The steam fills the bathroom, mingling with the scents of vanilla and lavender as I step into the shower.The warm water feels like a gentle hug wrapping around me.He steps in behind me, our eyes locked in that glance we both understand.This shower is more than cleansing—an intimate act heightened by the raw confessions shared over dinner.

“Let me,” he whispers, reaching for the shampoo bottle.

The air seems to thicken as his hands find my scalp.He massages the shampoo into my hair, and each circular motion sends a shiver down my spine.His touch is electrifying, turning this everyday act into something sensually charged.

I close my eyes, losing myself in the sensation.His fingers deftly navigate through every strand, lathering the shampoo while caressing my scalp in a massage.He gently tilts my head back to clear the shampoo from my hair and grabs the conditioner.His fingers don't just pass through as he massages it into my tresses.They linger, gently pulling at the tips.A thrill sweeps throughout me, electrifying my skin and quickening my pulse.

“Head back,” he says as he circles the column of my neck with his hand, guiding me.His fingers gently squeeze my throat just as his fingers wrap around my stomach and dig into my folds.

I let out a moan.

“Such a good girl,” he whispers against the shell of my ear as he sinks his fingers inside me harder and faster.“Kitten, can you handle coming twice for me?”

“Yes, Sir,” I reply, full of need and already teetering on the edge.

He lowers his hand from my throat, and I feel it slide over my soapy bottom, caressing my curves.His thumb dips into my puckered entrance, and I let out a strangled moan.

Damn.

I need more.

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