Darling laughed as he heard her screaming in the throes of another orgasm. In that moment, all he wanted was to be as deep inside her as he could get.
Rolling her over on the floor, he pulled a pillow off the chair next to them and elevated her hips with it. He snatched his shoes, shirt, and pants off as fast as he could, then nipped her buttocks gently before he laid himself over her and entered her from behind.
She growled out loud as he buried himself deep inside her body, then thrust himself against her hips. His heart pounding, he reached his hand around so that he could stroke both sides of her.
Bucking wildly against him, she screamed out again and again.
“Careful, sweet,” he whispered in her ear. “You’re going to throw me out.”
“Not possible as large as you are.”
It was more than possible as she’d done it to him before, and he knew from experience that it hurt her when she did. Which right now was the last thing he wanted.
So he held himself still and let her take control of their pleasure. He wanted to wait on her to come again, but it wasn’t possible. She felt too good under him.
Before he could stop himself, he came.
Zarya laughed in triumph as she felt him finally shuddering from his own orgasm. That, and a subtle intake of breath in her ear was her only clue that she’d sated him. He was always so quiet whenever he made love to her that in the beginning of their relationship, she’d feared he wasn’t enjoying it. Rarely did he make even the slightest sound.
But she had no doubts about his pleasure tonight as he buried his hand gently in her curls, then kissed the nape of her neck. “I think I’ve died and gone to paradise.”
She was still getting used to his new voice. How odd to know his touch so well and to have all the rest of him be a stranger to her.
He lay himself over her body so that she could feel his heart pounding against her shoulder in a frantic rhythm.
“Are you all right, back there?” she teased, wanting to keep him in his current playful mood.
“Never better.” He brushed her hair across her shoulders before he nuzzled her neck and breathed her in. “I didn’t hurt your ankle, did I?”
“No.”
Grateful for that, Darling pulled away enough so that he could admire her beautiful skin. But he frowned as he saw the marks on her that his beard had left behind. Her skin looked so irritated from it. He brushed his hand over the rash as guilt stabbed him.
Damn…
“I’ll be right back.”
Zarya rolled over with a contented sigh to watch him walk naked toward the bathroom. Though he still wasn’t as muscular as he’d been before his torture, his lean muscles were well defined and prominent.
Even scarred, he was gorgeous, and that predacious walk…
It made her hot all over again.
Smiling, she lay there lost in thought until she heard a loud, resounding curse ring out from the bathroom. It was followed by the sounds of things crashing to the floor and breaking.
What in the known universe?
Worried that an assassin might be attacking Darling, she pushed herself up and went to see what was happening. As she opened the door, her worry turned to horror. There was blood everywhere. On the counter, the towels, and all over the sink.
Darling sat on the floor with his legs pulled tight against his chest, his forehead resting on his knees and his head covered by his muscular arms. He was so still that she wasn’t sure he was breathing.
Blood covered his hands and ran down his legs to drip onto the tile.
Had an assassin broken in and hurt him? That thought terrified her.
Ignoring her ankle, she rushed to him. “Darling?”
He tightened his hands over his head, but refused to look at her.
That only scared her more. “Honey, what’s wrong? Where are you wounded?”
“I’m not wounded,” he snarled in rabid anger.
She touched the hands he had laced on top of his bent head. “I don’t understand. What happened?”
When he finally lifted his head, her breath caught in her throat. But it was the bitter rage in his eyes that tore through her.
His left cheek was bleeding profusely.
He curled his lip. “I can’t even shave for the fucking scars. I keep nicking them.”
Completely confused, she tried to understand. “Why were you trying to shave?”
He reached out and touched her shoulder. “I didn’t want to irritate your beautiful skin.”
Her heart wrenched at those sincere words, at the tenderness in his voice. He’d hurt himself attempting to protect her. That, and for many, many other reasons, was why she loved him so.
She picked his hand up from her shoulder and kissed it. “You didn’t have to shave for me.”
Rage flared in his eyes before he banged his head against the wall so hard, she was surprised he didn’t break through the slate tiles. “I’m so fucking useless. What kind of man can’t even shave his own face?”