"Look at me," he commands softly. When I meet his eyes, he continues. "He will never touch you again. Never come near you. I promise you that."
The certainty in his voice makes my eyes sting with tears. "I've been so scared for so long," I whisper. "Living small. Hiding. Looking over my shoulder."
"Not anymore." His thumbs brush away the tears that have escaped. "You're mine now. Under my protection. Forever, if you want."
Forever.The word should terrify me. Instead, it feels like a homecoming.
"I want," I admit, pressing my forehead to his. "I barely know you, but I want that.”
He kisses me then, surprisingly gentle for such a violent man. When he pulls back, he shifts us both from the bed.
"Come on," he says, leading me toward the bathroom. "Let's get cleaned up."
His bathroom is surprisingly nice for a bachelor pad—large shower stall with glass doors, double sinks, fluffy towels. He turns on the water, adjusts the temperature, then turns to me. Slowly, reverently, he peels my borrowed t-shirt (his) over my head, followed by my panties (also his—boxers that hang comically large on me).
Once the water is warm, he guides me under the spray, following me in. The shower is big enough for his frame, but just barely. He takes up all the space, all the air, becoming my entire world.
"Let me," he murmurs, picking up a bottle of body wash. He squeezes some into his palm, then begins to wash me with a tenderness that makes my throat tight.
His rough hands move gently over my shoulders, my breasts, my stomach. Every touch is careful, like he's handling somethinginvaluable. When he turns me to wash my back, I feel his lips press against my shoulder.
"So beautiful," he murmurs. "My perfect little girl."
The endearment makes me shiver despite the warm water. His hands slide lower, washing between my legs with clinical precision at first, then lingering as I gasp.
"You like that?" he asks, his voice dropping to that register that turns my insides to liquid. "Like when Daddy touches you here?"
"Yes," I breathe, leaning back against his solid chest. "Please..."
He turns me again to face him, water sluicing down his muscled body. In the harsh bathroom light, I can see every scar—the one through his eyebrow, another along his jaw, countless smaller ones across his torso. Marks of battles won and lost. I reach up to trace the one on his face.
"Does it hurt? All the old injuries?"
He captures my hand, kisses the palm. "Worth it. Every one. They made me strong enough to protect what matters." His eyes burn into mine. "Strong enough to protect you."
Something inside me breaks open—a dam of fear and loneliness crumbling under the weight of his words. I press against him, needing to feel his skin on mine, needing his strength to hold me together as I come apart.
He must sense my desperation because suddenly I'm pinned against the tile wall, his body caging me in. His mouth finds mine in a kiss that steals my breath. One hand grips my thigh, lifting it to his hip.
"Need you," I gasp against his lips. "Please, daddy, make all the pain go away.”
He falls right into our roles. Shh," he soothes, his other hand sliding between us to find me already wet despite the shower. "I've got you. Daddy's got his little girl."
I whimper at the words, at his thick fingers circling my entrance.
"So good for me," he praises, working one finger inside me. "So perfect. So tight."
He adds another finger, stretching me gently, preparing me. All the while, his mouth trails kisses down my neck, across my collarbone, finally closing around one nipple. The dual sensation makes me cry out, my hands clutching at his broad shoulders for support.
"Please," I beg, beyond shame, beyond hesitation. "Need you inside me. Need to be yours."
With a growl, he lifts me completely, my back against the tile, legs wrapped around his waist. I feel the blunt head of his cock pressing against me, seeking entrance.
"Look at me," he commands.
I open eyes I hadn't realized I'd closed. His face is fierce with need, but his eyes…his eyes are reverent.
"You're safe with me," he promises as he pushes inside, filling me completely in one smooth thrust. "Always safe with me."
