Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 122242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122242 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
She doesn't seem to mind.
"Lift up, angel," I murmur and then wait until she obeys so I can pull her panties down her legs and toss them away. I thought keeping them on her would give me a little control. But who am I kidding? I've had none since she walked into my life. All she had to do was moan my name in her sleep, and I was rock-hard, desperate for her.
Once the water heats, I kick my boxers the rest of the way off and step into the shower, ignoring the way my cock bobs insistently, ready for more. She hums in contentment as the spray beats down on us, washing my cum from her body. Part of me wants to put it right back, keep it on her skin so everyone knows I'd kill for her. The other part is still reeling over what just happened between us. I didn't mean it to go that far, but I don’t regret that it did.
She wasn't afraid or timid or ashamed, but curious, eager…and so goddamn good I'm still shaking. I wanted to ease her into sexual play, give her pleasure without taking any for myself, but I couldn't deny her. When she flicked her tongue against the head of my cock and then sucked me into her hot little mouth, I lost it.
"You're going to ruin me," I whisper, pushing her hair back from her face so I can see her.
Her lashes flutter, her honey eyes opening. She gives me a shy smile, her cheeks flushed. Her expression is so soft and open, so happy. Dios, she's exquisite when she's happy.
"Can we do that again?" she asks.
A surprised bark of laughter leaves my lips. "Yeah, little bunny, we can definitely do that again."
"Okay."
I set her on the built-in shower seat and grab a loofah and my body wash. I wash her gently, my heart welling with pride when she cuddles into me, letting me soap her up. There's no hesitation, no fear as I run my hands all over her. I love everything about that.
"How are you feeling?" I ask, kneeling to soap her legs. The mass of circular burns on her thighs snags my attention. Seeing the pink and white scars on her gorgeous body sends murderous fury pumping through me. I've never hurt a woman, but if I ever see her mother, I might just wrap my fingers around her neck and strangle her for what she did to Faith. No child should ever be mistreated.
"Good," she mumbles, jerking when I lean forward and press my lips to one of the burns. She doesn't pull away or ask me to stop, though. Instead, she lifts a hand, placing it on the back of my head. "Hungry."
"I'll feed you once we're finished in here," I promise, kissing all along her thighs. Before I get carried away and wrap them around my head to get a taste of her, I pull back and finish washing her up. Her skin flushes as I clean between her legs, but she doesn't stop me or shy away. "I love that you aren't afraid of me anymore. Being able to touch you without you pulling away is addicting."
Her face scrunches up. "I was never afraid of you, Octavio."
"No?"
She shakes her head, adamant. "I've never felt anything less than safe with you. I pulled away because…" She huffs a breath. "I pulled away because I didn't want to get close to you."
"Why not?"
"I didn't want to get you hurt," she whispers. The tip of her tongue peeks out, sweeping across her bottom lip again. Her eyes fill with pain. "I tried to run away a few times after Nikolai first kidnapped me. He and Ivan always found me before I even made it out of their territory. They…they hurt other people to punish me. They would torture them and m-make me watch." Two tears spill over, sliding down her cheeks. "They hurt so many people because of me."
I climb to my feet, pulling her back into my arms as she cries. The soft sound tears at my heart, grief and rage swirling through me. She was just a kid, and they tormented her. Dios. How could anyone do that to her?
"There was this one elderly lady who lived next door to Nikolai," she whispers through her tears. "She would sneak me treats when he wasn't around. The last time I tried to run away, Ivan found me. H-h-he tied me t-to a c-chair and made me…m-made me watch as he b-broke her hands with a hammer. She d-didn't deserve it. None of them d-did. I stopped trying to run away." Her entire body shakes as she sobs. "They st-still h-h-hurt people."
"Ah, Faith." I hold her tighter as she falls apart in my arms, sobbing so hard my heart bleeds for her. Rage swirls through me in a massive cloud. I plant my feet and lock my legs in place to resist the overwhelming urge to seek out every motherfucker who hurt her. I want to destroy them, not simply put them behind bars or on a plane out of the United States, but murder and maim. Leave them howling for the mercy they never showed her.