"No. Ananta didn't want him dead. She wanted him to suffer as she and the girl suffered. I tortured the guy and then mutilated him so that he would be an example to others. People knew the girl's family didn't hire the American since they had no money. The locals claimed the government was hiring Americans to eliminate bad seeds like the man. Of course, if the government had just put the asshole in prison, he wouldn't have been around for me to fuck up."
"I'm glad you hurt him."
"Me too. I don't specialize in torture, and I don't normally hack people up. With him, though, I didn't mind, and I didn't take the payment from Ananta. I considered hurting him as my good deed for the decade."
A fire burns in Darla's eyes. Hating this man as much as she hates Locke, she hungers for vengeance. Then as quickly as it appears, the anger is gone. She smiles softly at me.
"Let's go to the room," she says, standing up. "I want to clean up first. Will you please wait for me in there?"
"Do you really expect me to say no?"
A teasing smile on her face, Darla sways back and forth. "Probably not but I was taught manners."
Spinning on her heel, she hurries out of the room and down the hall. I'm quick on her tail, but she hides in the bathroom before I can catch her.
I crawl onto the bed and nuzzle my lips on her pillow. Her scent sets my damn body on fire. Whatever Darla wants from me, I'll give her. Whatever stands in our way, I'll destroy. This woman is magical in a world with no magic, and I refuse to give her up.
35
~~~
Darla
A Woman Reborn
I change into a long nightgown with the intention of making access to my nether region easier. The plan is so simple until I worry about Troy wanting more than I can offer. What if he takes off the nightgown? Will I be able to stand up to him? Will I give in and hate him afterward? Will I freak out and ruin everything between us?
If I change my mind about fooling around, I could anger him. If I go along with fooling around to make him happy, I might be the one who ends up angry.
Or maybe it'll all be fun and easy. Or maybe we'll break up, and I'll never see him again. Are we even together? I know I'm falling in love with him. I don't care what he's done in the past. I don't care if he once loved Minka, despite them both claiming they were never in love. I don't care about anything except how he makes me feel right now. Tomorrow isn't promised. Neither of us could see another sunrise. Why should I make things so complicated?
Because this is who I am now. Always a bit indecisive, I now freeze whenever the choice isn't clear. Like this moment in the bathroom, when I sit on the toilet and think for too damn long until both choices feel simultaneously perfect and horribly wrong.
"I'm going to turn on the TV," Troy says at some point. "I'll strip down, so you'll have a reason to be lured out of the bathroom."
When I poke my head out at him, I find Troy's jeans spread out on a chair while his shirt is somewhere out of sight. He's only wearing boxers, and his hard cock is barely contained in the fabric. Troy notices me watching him.
"Did you pick this furniture?" he asks, crawling on the bed and giving me a great view of his ass.
"No," I mutter.
"Do you like it?"
"Not really."
"Good. I hate it. Feels like stuff a pompous ass would want to surround them."
"Vern's decorator picked the furniture."
"Oh, then I stand corrected," he says, giving me a wink.
I force a little smile. He looks comfy on the bed, and I sense I'll be comfy too. I can't move, though.
"What's wrong, baby?"
Irritation breaks through my stupor. "Don't call me 'baby' please."
"Sugar?"
"You sound like a diner waitress."
"Honey?"
"Same thing. Might as well tell me to 'kiss your grits' next."
Troy laughs while stretching out on the bed. "Pumpkin?"
"Only if we're doing age play, and I'm calling you 'Daddy.'"
"Yeah, I don't see that happening, darling."
"That one you can keep."
He gives me a soft smile betrayed by his hungry eyes. "Are you alright?"
"Yes."
"Are you lying?"
"Yes."
Troy rolls over on his back and stares at the ceiling. "Even though it's fucking unfair, I promise to get buck naked while you wear whatever you want to wear."
Studying him, I say nothing until he glances at me. Our gazes meet, and I believe he won't push me too far. Troy understands I'm fucked up, yet he still can't get enough. I wonder if that means he's falling in love with me too.
I step out of the bathroom, wearing my floor-length flannel nightgown. Troy's gaze never leaves my face.
"Why are you scared?"
"I thought too much about what could go wrong."
"Worried about leg cramps, darling?" he teases while rolling off the bed.
I stare at him, saying nothing. He's gorgeous, and I know he'll be gentle. I'm scared, though.
A small smile lingering on his lips, Troy cups my face and studies me. "I got the hiccups the first time I had sex."
Grinning, I run my fingers through his dark chest hairs. "How did that workout?"
"Well, the girl laughed at me. I guess it's better than having her laugh at my dick."
"I actually got a leg cramp the first time I had sex. The lazy bum made me be on top, even though I was a virgin, and he was a slut."
"Did you come?"
"Not with him. An hour late at home, I did."
Troy's smile widens. "I like thinking about you making yourself come. Was it dark in the room?"