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Groaning as her pussy clutched and rippled around his cock, he drilled into her harder, pounding and pounding and pounding. And then he was gone. He buried his face in her neck as he blew his load inside her, wishing it would stay there.
Levi closed his eyes, fighting for breath. He’d missed this as well; missed the peace that fell over him each time he had her. It wasn’t simply a chemical contentment. It was emotional, and it ran bone-deep.
His entity settled, pleased. Levi then realized why his demon hadn’t surfaced. It had wanted the moment to be about her and Levi; wanted them to reconnect; wanted them to feel that there was no going back.
She dropped her forehead to his shoulder. “Why do we do this to ourselves?”
He stroked her back and kissed her head. The answer was simple, really. “We don’t know how to stop.”
Sitting in Knox’s home office the next morning, Levi sighed. “It has to be either Sefton or Jasper.”
“They both have alibis,” said Knox, sinking back in the chair behind the U-shaped executive desk. “The same alibi, actually.”
“Lester?”
Knox nodded. “He claims the three of them watched a game together.”
“We’ve already agreed that he’d lie to protect them.”
“But we can’t prove that he did.”
Levi silently swore. He wanted to have good news to pass on to Piper. Something that would vanquish the fear in her eyes.
She’d allowed him to lie with her during the night as she slept. She’d still been off with the fairies when Knox telepathed him an hour ago. Levi hadn’t woken her. Instead, he’d left her a note to say he’d be back soon and to contact him if she needed anything.
“Are you sure it was wise to rule out Piper’s ex?”
“I don’t consider him a viable suspect, but I have people watching him.” So far, Kelvin had done nothing out of the ordinary. Also … “They confirmed that he was at a friend’s house during the time of the recent attack.”
“So there’s no need for us to question him.”
“No.” Sighing, Levi looked off to the side and stared, unseeing, at the three abstract art canvases of mechanical clockwork on the gray wall. “The fucker who’s after Piper isn’t going to be happy until she’s dead. And that can’t happen.”
“It won’t,” Knox vowed. “Keep doing what you’ve already been doing—make it difficult for anyone to reach her. That’s our best chance of ensuring he makes a mistake.”
Hearing a child’s squeal of delight come from somewhere in the mansion, Levi asked, “How’s Asher?”
“His usual self,” Knox replied. “He was unsettled yesterday, but he bounced back fairly fast. Don’t forget he’s been through his own share of scary situations.”
“Plus, there’s plenty of imp in him, even if he’s not one.” Very little bothered them for long.
Knox gave him an unimpressed look. “Yes. That.” He tilted his head, studying Levi closely. “You seem different today. Less tense. Yet more troubled.”
Exhaling heavily, Levi rubbed at his face. “I screwed up. With Piper, I mean.”
“By starting to sleep with her, or by stopping?”
“The latter. I can’t let her go, Knox.” And it was about fucking time Levi acknowledged it. “But I don’t know how to keep her.”
Knox met his gaze steadily. “You were never going to let her go. You simply hadn’t made your peace with it until now.”
Yeah, that about summed the situation up. What bothered Levi was that … “I make a shit partner. I hold back. Stay detached. Don’t look to build anything with anyone. Throw all of myself into my work and nothing into my … hell, I don’t think you could even call them relationships. They were barely even flings.”
“You’ve been a shit partner to others. But I don’t believe you’re incapable of being a good one. You just have to want to be. You never really did in the past.”
“I should have. I was selfish.”
“Yes. And no.” Knox stood. “You put your work life first in the past, yes. But you didn’t feel compelled not to, because you didn’t connect with those women you bedded. You’ve always struggled to form attachments.”
Levi felt his brow crease. “That’s more my demon.”
“No, you’re just as bad for that.” Knox skirted the desk. “Harper made me read a lot of parenting books with her. She was worried that, given she has a poor relationship with her mother, she would struggle to bond with her own child. It’s important for children to experience loving bonds of some sort when very young—particularly a parent–child bond. Important for not only their brain development but also their emotional development.
“You didn’t have a bond with your mother. You lost her. Going by all you learned after leaving Ramsbrook, you also had no bond with your aunt.” Knox leaned back against the desk. “Ever heard of reactive attachment disorder?”
“No.”
“I remember reading about children who, due to their parents not meeting their needs for one reason or another, developed reactive attachment disorder. The symptoms made me think of how you were as a child—withdrawn, defiant, distrustful, easily angered, avoided touch, showed no fear of strangers, sought no affection from anyone. You’d never had a real sense of family—”
