Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33243 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33243 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
“Honey!”
She rushes to Zara and wraps her in a fierce hug, while her dad follows closely behind. I have no idea how they found out she’s at my apartment. I’m also not sure how much they know.
Her mom’s eyes meet mine as she rubs Zara’s back, and she doesn’t bother hiding her tears. She walks toward me and envelopes me in a tight embrace, her blonde bangs tickling my chin. “Thank you so much for doing what you did for her. Thank you, Alec.”
Her dad stands with one arm around Zara and the other hand shoved into his pocket. He gives me a nod and kisses Zara’s temple. “Thank you, son.”
Son.
That’s a word I haven’t heard in a long, long time. Not since my father.
Something cracks open in me. “It’s really nothing, ma’am.”
“Anna. Call me Anna. And that’s my husband, Richard. We owe you our daughter’s life and freedom.”
“She didn’t deserve to be in that situation in the first place, neither were hundreds of others.”
“You were a hero at your age, son. We will forever be indebted to you,” Richard says.
“No, sir. I mean, Richard. I love Zara. There are no debts here. If I could, I would do it all over again. The fact that I’ll get to spend all of my days with her is more than enough.”
“We’ll do whatever we can to find him and take him down. We’re not as powerful as you and your brothers, but I do know some people … the very same people who helped me legally adopt Zara.” A look passes between me and Richard, man to man, and I feel safe in the knowledge that even when I’m not around, he’ll do whatever he can to protect her.
Anna and Richard stay for a few hours, which means there isn’t just one person hovering over me, taking note of every wince or any look of discomfort on my face. And the worst—okay, maybe not the worst—part is that Richard’s a doctor. He and his daughter gang up on me, discussing my surgery and whatever.
Meanwhile, Anna insists on making us a week’s worth of meals. We only need to pop them in the microwave if we get hungry.
As I sit here and watch them—Anna and Zara in the kitchen, Richard rearranging the furniture so I won’t accidentally bump into any rough edges or corners—I get this unfamiliar feeling that somehow trumps layers of bitter cynicism and anger.
Whatever walls I built around myself, Zara didn’t just chip away at them, she tore them down.
This genuine happiness is something I haven’t felt in a while. It feels foreign. I love my brothers, there’s no doubt about that, but there’s just something about having other people fuss over me like this.
It does make me feel vulnerable because I now have several people I care about and will kill for, but I find that I don’t mind.
When Anna and Richard are about to leave, she wraps me in another hug, surprising me yet again. Most people, when they see my scar, assume the worst and often give me a wide berth, not even looking me in the eye.
Not Anna and Richard.
She’s as short as Zara, so she has to extend her hand to rest a palm on my cheek, with the scar. “You’ve been through a lot, too, haven’t you? I know you have your brothers, but from now on, you’ll never go through things alone. Richard and I are just a call away. Doesn’t matter if it’s in the middle of the night. If you need us, you call us.”
I can only nod.
After the door swings shut behind them, I press Zara against it and cup her face, crushing my mouth to hers, plunging my tongue in and out of her warm mouth. Jesus. I’ve been wanting to do this. The only thing we’ve been doing this past week is making out. Kisses and touches that lead to nowhere.
I can’t wait anymore.
The sounds she makes go straight to my cock, making it twitch. This right here is my everything. My whole life. She runs her nails along my scalp and arches her back, pushing her tits against my chest.
Fuck. I need her. I badly need her.
My hands go behind her thighs to carry her, but she squeezes my arm. “No, Alec. You still have your wound. Let’s just walk to the bed, okay?”
It’s humbling the way she leads me to bed, and I realize we can’t have sex the usual way—wild and hungry. Despite the way I try to brush it off, the wound does still hurt, and the last thing I want is for it to open and bleed while I’m balls-deep inside her.
After a few minutes of figuring out which position hurts the least, we ultimately settle on having her on top while I’m lying on my back. Honestly? No complaints. I can see Zara in all her naked perfection.