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“Really?”
I stepped between her knees and cupped her jaw, pulling her forward until our mouths met in the middle. “Really.”
***
(Ainsley)
Iremained seated onthe counter while Cyrus cooked for us. He ended up deciding on omelets. He cut up some veggies to throw in with the eggs. While doing so, he kept looking my way. He wouldn’t accept my help when I offered to assist him, so I just sat there and watched him instead.
I meant what I had told him. I didn’t want him going after the people who took me and the other girls and even guys. It was done and over with. I hadn’t seen anyone out of the ordinary since the time I ended up at the deli. My lips tingled, remembering how that had been the first time Cyrus kissed me. I should have known even from that point that I could fall in love with him. He said what was on his mind, looked at me like I was the only one who existed in his world, and even fought his brother over me.
My stomach twisted, hoping that Sammy and I could at least be civil one day. I didn’t know what I had done but I knew that I wanted to make things right with him.
For Cyrus.
Now that I was actually talking to Cyrus, it made communicating with him so much easier. But I found that there were still times where I wanted to close up and use my hands. It almost felt safer that way. Like when I used ASL, a protective barrier wrapped itself around my body, shielding me from the many demons I had lurking in the darkest corners of my mind.
“Are you sure you don’t want my help?” I asked him, kicking my feet back and forth.
“I’m sure.” He gave me a small smile and went back to cooking.
“I’ve never done this before,” I told him.
“Trust me, pet. Neither have I.”
“What, you mean that you don’t have a secret wife and kids I don’t know about that you’ve practiced this with?”
He shot me a look. “Ha. You’re funny.”
“It happens.” I meant it to be funny, but it did actually happen. Especially in the hell I spent years in.
Cyrus paused in cooking. “You’re not kidding.”
I shook my head. “There were men who had wives and families at home that would come to the brothel I was in. It was like they lived some secret life that no one knew about. They were the worst of them all.” My mouth snapped shut. Weeks ago, I told Cyrus what had happened to me, and we hadn’t talked about it since. I shouldn’t have said anything about it. Especially not when he already threatened to go after the bastards who took me. “I’m sorry.”
“Stop,” he said, his voice raising.
I cowered into myself, needing to get away. To a safe place. To a spot that I could be by myself in.
“Shit, baby.” Cyrus rushed to me and pulled me against him. “I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.” He rained kisses on my face. “I promise. That wasn’t geared at you. It just pisses me off that there are people out there like this. I had a moment and took it out on you. I’m sorry.”
I wrapped myself around him.
“You shouldn’t be sorry though. Never be sorry for telling me what you went through. Never be sorry for voicing your thoughts and feelings.” He cupped my face, covering my mouth with his. “You hear me?” he asked gently.
