She looks at our joined hands and then her eyes slowly drift up the length of my body until they rest on my eyes.
She clears her throat and then squares her shoulders, raising her chin an inch. “I’ll make you a deal, Damian. I’ll answer that question if you answer one of mine.”
I look for any sign of what might be going on in that head of hers, and then I whisper, “Deal.”
She nods and takes a step closer to me. She looks up at me, her eyes dancing over my face. “I’m confused about us.” She nervously licks at her lips and then drops her eyes to my chest. “I … I feel something for you, and I don’t know what to do with it. I’m scared to death of it. I don’t understand how I can feel attracted to you after what happened. Any other man …” she shakes her head slowly and lifts her eyes back to mine, “I’m repulsed by any other man. I mean, I hate them with this burning rage that keeps flowing through me like lava. I just…” she drops her eyes again and then whispers, “I don’t understand why I … why I’m feeling this way.”
Her shoulders slump and I watch as she sucks in a deep breath. This … whatever it is that’s happening between us is scaring the living hell out of her.
I pull her closer and slip my arms around her. At first she tenses and tries to pull back, mumbling, “I don’t need your pity.”
I pull her back against me and lock her in my arms. I place a kiss to the side of her head and another just above her ear, and then I whisper, “I’m not sure what’s happening between us, and I understand that you’re scared.”
I pull back slightly, and, keeping one arm around her, I use my other hand to brush her hair away from her face. She peeks up at me and I smile, trying to set her at ease. “You’re fucking gorgeous, Cara. Any man with warm blood pumping through his veins would be crazy not to want you.” I see panic flare in her eyes at the mention of other men. “Maybe you’re okay with me because I was the one who helped you, and if that’s the case, we’ll just let the feelings pass. Feeling grateful is not a reason to want someone, and we’d be stupid to act on it.”
She turns her face away from me and I can see hurt flash over her face. She thinks I’m rejecting her. Fuck, this is hard. I just want to do what’s right by her.
“If you really feel something for me then only time will tell, Cara. It’s not something we can force or make disappear. We just have to let whatever’s meant to be happen.”
She nods, still looking dejected. I brush my fingers over the curve of her cheek and her eyes jump to mine. “I’ll understand if you don’t want me,” she squeezes the words out. Tears brim in her eyes, making them sparkle in the morning sun. “I mean … it’s okay. I just wanted to tell you how I feel so you don’t think I’m psycho.”
“Why would you think I won’t want you?” I move closer until our bodies brush. I watch her cheeks grow pink and it stirs something inside of me.
“Because of what happened,” she whispers. “Because a man like you wouldn’t want something that’s been used.”
A hot flare of anger surges through me. “That’s what you’ve been thinking?”
“It’s okay,” she whispers again, and this time, a tear sneaks down her cheek.
I frame her face with my hands so she can’t look away and I press my forehead to hers. “Don’t think that, Cara. You’re not used. Fuck.” I pull slightly back and lock eyes with her. “Don’t let them make you feel worthless, because you’re fucking priceless.”
She’s so beautiful as her eyes light up and a slow smile pulls at her lips. “You think I’m priceless?” she whispers.
“I risked my life twice for you, Cara. I’ll keep risking my life until I die, if it means I can keep you safe, because you are priceless.” She brings her hands to my chest, and then slides them up to my shoulders. She lifts herself to the tip of her toes and then presses a soft kiss to my lips.
For a moment I stand still and just as she’s about to pull back, I can’t fight it anymore. I slip my hand around the back of her neck and pull her closer. I tilt my head and brush my tongue against the seam of her lips. Her lips part and a breath she’s been holding escapes. I let my tongue slip into her mouth and then everything around us fades to background noise.
I brush my tongue over hers, and her body leans heavier into mine. Her fingers weave into my hair and then a soft moan drifts into my mouth. I want to devour it, devour her … but holding onto my last bit of common sense, I slowly pull back. I press one last kiss to her wet lips and then whisper, “Be careful what you ask of me. I fuck the way I kill - hard and fast.”
I expect her to flinch away from the harsh words but instead heat flares in her eyes, and it almost makes me take her right here in the open.
Cara~