I lower my mouth to hers, kissing her with all the pent-up emotion I feel when she is near. “You were born to be the beautiful, vibrant, intelligent, and courageous woman you are today,” I say as I nuzzle against her soft cheek. “Every hardship you have endured has added another dimension to the person you are. There is nothing lucky in having to survive repeated attacks. Luck has had no place in your life, baby. You have made it this far because you refused to let them win. No matter how much they tried, you bested them. They never broke you, or you wouldn’t be here now.” Lowering my hand to her heart, I add, “You’ll never be a sad statistic because this will never let you.” I feel her crying softly against me, and I let her get it out as I stroke her hair. She needs the release. When her tears have quieted, I can literally feel the air charge as she gathers herself from the abyss she has been in. Her strength is beginning to return, and I wonder if she realizes that it never really left.

“I need to know about Cassie. Not tonight, because I don’t think either of us can handle it, but soon. She is still ripping you apart and you can’t move on, which means neither can I, until you face it. Can you do that? Can you promise to trust me with your past?”

“Yes,” I answer without hesitation. She is right; the time for secrets is rapidly ending. Not only does she need to know about Cassie, but she also needs to know about Lee Jacks…her father. The cocoon we’ve built around ourselves during the last few months is imploding, and I can only hope with everything I am that she’ll still be here in the end as the people from our pasts rise up to tear us apart. “Let’s go back to bed,” I say, knowing we are both exhausted enough to sleep through any night terrors that try to plague our dreams.

Chapter Nine

Lia

It’s been three days since Lucian’s last nightmare—that I know of—and my discovery of his addiction to cocaine. By unspoken agreement, we’ve both avoided talking about anything stressful and have just been content to spend some quiet, uninterrupted time together. We’ve watched movies, ordered in most of our meals, and mostly made love leisurely with the occasional round of hard fucking thrown in for good measure. I’m looking forward to starting my day with the hard variety of his loving when he walks out of the bathroom with a towel riding low on his hips, causing me to almost swallow my tongue. Holy mother¸ will the sight of him, especially half-dressed, ever not affect me like this? No matter how many thoughts or concerns are churning in my head, my body still tingles with awareness. I go to him, wrapping my arms around his still-damp body. He smells like soap, aftershave, and sexy male. God, I just want to lick his hard chest. His hands settle on my hips, pulling me snug against him, and I feel his cock stir. Obviously, I’m not the only one wishing we were still in bed this morning. “Good morning, baby,” he says in his sexy, husky morning voice I love so much.

“Morning,” I reply absently as my hands wander of their own accord up and down his back. As I reach the crease of his ass, I hear his breath hitch and smile. I’m tired, but I would love to feel his tongue between my legs this morning. It seems to be the magic cure for helping me keep the blues at bay.

He pushes his morning erection into me before pulling away. “You don’t know how much I hate to say this, but you have your doctor’s appointment in less than an hour, so don’t start anything we can’t finish.”

My mouth drops open in disappointment as I sputter, “What? But, I want to—”

“Yeah, me, too,” he interrupts as he smacks my ass. I follow his gaze down to the tent he’s pitching in the front of his towel.

“Babies, kittens, and bunnies.”

He looks at me as if I’ve lost my mind. “Just repeat babies, kittens, and bunnies over and over and it’ll help you with that,” I say, pointing downwards.

He chuckles before dropping his towel suddenly and palming his length. “Thanks for the suggestion, but I think I know a faster and much more pleasurable way to handle my problem.” Wiggling his brows, he adds, “Emphasis on handle, of course.” I stand rooted in place as he walks back into the bathroom, not bothering to shut the door. “Be right back.”

“Er…um…okay,” I manage to croak out. As I shift uncertainly, squeezing my legs together, I try to tell myself that he doesn’t want me to watch, but the devil on my shoulder keeps shouting, ‘he left the door open!’ Finally, I can resist no longer, and I creep to the open door. He’s sitting on the shower seat, leaning against the wall as he works his cock in his fisted hand. His moan fills the bathroom and I freeze. Oh, shit, it wasn’t him, it was me! My face is bright red when he opens his eyes and sees me standing there gawking at him.

He gives me a sexy grin as if he’d been expecting me all along. Pumping his hips in my direction, he growls, “Screw the hand job. Come fuck me, baby.” I’m so wet and horny that I don’t need to be asked twice. I go to him, taking his hand as he helps me into the shower. I stand hesitantly before him until he takes me by the waist and lifts me over his hips and impaling me onto his shaft. We both shout as he penetrates me deeply before lifting and dropping me repeatedly. My body struggles to adjust to his girth, but the pleasure far outweighs the discomfort I feel from his size.

When he leaves me seated deeply on him to take my nipple in his mouth, I moan, “Luc! Oh, God, Luc, please…” Ignoring my pleas to move again, he insists on sucking and licking both nipples before moving on to my neck and earlobe. I never knew an ear could be an erogenous zone until Lucian’s tongue and teeth first showed me it was a direct link to my clit. I begin bouncing my hips against his, needing the friction of his cock, prompting him to take command once again. Instead of lifting me, he pulls me down while grinding his hips upwards. He’s so deep inside me that twinges of pain mingle with the pleasure, causing me to spiral quickly toward my release.

“More,” I pant, so close to the edge. My nails are raking his back as I reach for the pinnacle that he is keeping just out of range with shallow thrusts of his hips. Taking handfuls of his hair, I tug it sharply, snapping, “Dammit, Luc, fuck me!” His growl of approval fills the shower as he surges upward, rubbing against my magic trigger spot, causing me to spasm around him without warning. “Ahhh, too much!” I cry as my orgasm seems to go on and on.

“Lia, fuck!” he shouts as I feel him release into me. “Fucking hell,” he groans as we both collapse against each other. “I can never get enough of you,” he murmurs absently as he rubs soothing circles against my sweaty skin.