Page 168 of Aftershock
Hugging her, that’s still okay.
Keys. Boots. Socks. Everything gets left at the door.
Trust her.
That whisper, it slithers into my head as I cross my living room.
Trust. Her.
I never wanted anything more in my life.
Maybe I should.
Maybe a part of me already does.
With this sliver of warmth in my heart, I crack open our bedroom door.
Slipping into the darkness, I find Lilith where I left her, lying on her back, the silver moonlight kissing her body wherever it touches.
Her soft features, her full breasts beneath the white nightgown I dressed her in, the valley of her stomach leading to that hot space between her thighs.
Mine.
My pulse races as I take her in. My dick leaks with desire.
I will. Not. Harm. Her.
Repeating that in my head silences the beast. My sanity pushes through, my mind resolved to protect Lilith from myself.
Only then do I step closer.
The mattress dips when I sit on the edge of the bed. My pulse quickens because grazing my knuckles along her jawline, over the gag and chin, feels holy. I won’t take that for granted ever again.
“Hey.” My voice is gravelly, my hand keeps skimming, touching, connecting us.
Her eyes flutter open as soon as the word leaves my mouth.
The glimmer in them tells me she might be happy it’s me.
Another layer of fear falls away. More trust settles in.
“I’m sorry.” It’s my millionth apology. She’s owed a million more before I even dare ask for her consent. “For being a fuck-up. For shattering the image you had of me. For being a murderer.”
Tears gather in her eyes, but it’s not sadness I see there. Something tender shines in them, possibly hope. Or forgiveness.
My heart lodges in my throat. This kind of raw, genuine emotion can’t be faked. I don’t believe she accepts me, not yet. Still, whatever this is, it’s progress.
It means she doesn’t hate me.
It’s all I could ever ask for.
Lilith’s chest rises and falls as my fingertips trace her neck, her collarbone.
“I’ve missed you.” I let my palm rest between her breasts, where I feel her heart beating. “I want to fuck you, Lilith. Want to be with you again.”
A nod of her head.
Approval.
