“Can I see your scars?”
One corner of his mouth lifted slightly, then he grabbed the hem of his shirt and began pulling it up. She sat up on the bed behind him and helped. She expected to see raised lines of red, angry skin from the bullet holes and surgeries, but the wounds barely had a pink tinge. The outer edges already matched his normal skin tone. She ran her fingers over the barely visible scars.
“I can’t believe the wounds are completely healing without leaving a scar,” she marveled.
“The agency called in the best doctors. I was lucky to be in LA and have immediate access to the best plastic surgeons in the world.”
She continued her examination of his wounds, letting her hands roam freely over his back and side. When she reached his lower back, she stopped and examined the raised white skin. There were two larger letters on top—DD—and three smaller letters curved underneath it—KSD. “What is this?”
“Nothing you need to worry about, darlin’.”
“Devon, no more secrets. Please.”
He raked his hand down his face and exhaled slowly. “It’s not a secret, Elle. You can see what it says.Devil’s Dominion. Kill, Steal, and Destroy. The same wording as on their patches. They branded me as part of the initiation.”
Elle dropped her chin to her chest, closed her eyes, and quieted the frantic thoughts running through her mind. The ordeal was over, and the memories couldn’t hurt her. She inhaled deeply, a peaceful calm enveloping her as specific memories returned to her and reality dawned.
I prayed he’d return to me, and he’s here.
“You’re my girl—forever.”
“I love you and only you, all my life.”
He was undercover to save me.
He risked his life multiple times for me.
“That’s not all they did to you, is it?”
“During initiation? No. But I’m okay, Elle. You don’t need to worry about me. I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself.”
She crawled over him, careful of his healing wounds, and lay facing him. “You can, there’s no doubt about that. But you don’t have to do it alone, in the darkness of the wicked shadows anymore. You’ve protected me so I can walk freely in the light. Now it’s time for us to walk together.”
“Every day, Elle, for the rest of your life. Just try to get rid of me. I’m your shadow now.”
He slid his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her face to his. When their lips touched, the intense yearning consumed them, burning with a new intensity. The year apart hadn’t extinguished the flames of their desire. The gentle peck quickly became a passionate embrace. Hands desperate to touch. Skin demanding to be caressed. Bodies hungry for more of anything and everything they could get.
Gentle hands slid her shirt off, revealing the smooth, creamy skin beneath. Deft fingers unhooked her bra before he rolled her to her back. His lips trailed down her jaw, to her neck, over the hollow space at her collarbone, continuing until he reached her bare breast. The warmth of his mouth covered the hardened tip of her nipple, sending electricity zinging along every nerve ending in her body. The sensation shot directly between her legs, igniting the craving for what only he could give her.
Devon took his time, ignoring her no-so-subtle cues to rush him. He’d thought about this moment so often, planning every move he’d make in his mind. He ravished her body in his designed sequence with no conscious effort. Every second was committed to memory. Every sound she made. The scent of her skin. The weight of her breast in his hand. The aroma of her arousal that grew with his ministrations. The sharp intake of breath when he slid lower down her body. The way her fingers gripped his hair when his tongue laved her abdomen. Her enthusiasm and eagerness to remove the rest of their clothes.
He shifted lower, anchoring his body between her legs, spreading them to make enough room to carry out his mission. He changed positions gingerly, ignoring the lingering pains and focusing on the incredible pleasure that awaited him. He lowered his head, lightly brushed his face against her sex, and inhaled her unique bouquet before covering her clit with his lips. He looped his tongue around it, his forcefulness increasing with each circle.
Her hips bucked under his grip as the intensity grew. He flicked her sensitive nub with his tongue, her moans spurring him to take what belonged to him. At that moment, her ultimate pleasure was what he wanted most. To hear his name fall from her lips in the culmination of her gratification. He licked up her slit, lapping up the proof of her desire, until he reached her swollen core. His teeth grazed across her clit when he pulled it into his mouth, sucking harder on it before teasing her entrance with his finger, gliding up and down until her essence coated his fingertip.
Hungry for more, he slid his finger inside her wet channel, easy at first then with more vigor when her body naturally adapted to accept the carnal invasion. She lifted her hips higher, giving him full access and wordlessly asking for more. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, her nails biting into his skin while her inner muscles contracted around his finger. His lips, his tongue, his teeth, his hands—they all claimed her, wanted to own her, needed to possess her.
When his name rang out through the room, carried on the sweetest music he’d ever heard, he made a decision he’d never thought possible. He surrendered, willingly. Deliberately. Purposely. He acknowledged his feelings ran deeper than the usual declaration of love. Only she awakened the part of him that wanted a normal life. Only she matched him in every way, complemented his flaws with her perfection, and propelled him to forsake everything he’d worked toward in exchange for a new life goal.
“Devon.” Her voice was breathy, still reeling from her carnal high. “Let me help you out of your clothes. You’ve spent enough energy. It’s time for you to lie on your back and enjoy the view for a while.”
His cock twitched from the visual her offer inspired. After he stood, she scooted to the edge of the bed and began removing his jeans. She unconsciously licked her lips when her eyes landed on the bulge in his boxer briefs. She looked up at him from under her lashes, emboldened by how desire had darkened his eyes to almost black, and smiled seductively.
“I thought you were always commando.”
“Now that I’m out of the hospital and never leaving your side, you’ll be lucky to get me in pants again, much less briefs. You can keep these as a souvenir—the last pair I’ll ever wear.”
She kept her gaze locked on his while she slid them down his legs. His cock sprang free and stood at attention against his abdomen. Her soft hand flowed up his shaft, gripping tightly as she teased and tormented him in the most delicious manner. Her fingers clutched the hem of his shirt and carefully pulled it over his head. With his clothes shed and his body bared, she motioned for him to take his place on the bed.
