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"No," she mumbles, tightening her arms around my neck as if she can physically prevent Death from stealing me from her arms. "You aren't allowed."
"Yeah?" I smile for the first time in days. I forgot how sweet she is. For the people she loves, she probably would fight Death himself. She loves fiercely, with a heart as pure as the driven snow. "Says who?"
"Me." She yawns, burying her face in my shoulder. "I'm sleepy, Jude."
I brush my lips across her forehead and then pry myself off her before picking her up and moving her up to the head of the bed. Once I throw the covers back, I pull her shoes off and then her socks. Her toes are painted hot pink. Her chubby feet are fucking adorable. Jesus. Who knew feet could be a turn-on? I press my lips to the top of each one and then work her jeans down her hips, groaning at the sight of her long legs.
Her olive skin and thick thighs have my dick stirring back to life. She's too damn beautiful. There is nothing girlish about her body. Like the statues and carvings of the spiral goddess, a representation of divine feminine power and fertility popular in polytheistic religions, her hips are wide, her belly soft, and her breasts high and firm. She was made for babies and motherhood.
Her little pink panties are soaked with her juices. The scent of her arousal has my mouth watering, the desire to spread her open and gorge myself on her rising like the tide. I fight it back, knowing she needs sleep. She can barely hold her eyes open.
I toss her pants off the side of the bed and crawl up over her, brushing wild strands of hair out of her face. "Lift up, princess," I murmur. "Let me get your bra off."
She grumbles wordlessly, giving me an adorable pout. She sits up though, letting me pull her t-shirt and bra off. Her hard nipples practically beg for attention. Every inch of her is breathtaking. My hands shake as I slip her t-shirt back on over her head, knowing she won't get any rest if I don't. I won't be able to keep my hands off her.
"Now you can sleep," I chuckle, laying her back down in the bed.
She sighs happily, burrowing into my pillow. She doesn't open her eyes the entire time, trusting me to take care of her. My heart pulses, my throat tight as I run a hand down her round cheek. This right here…this is perfection.
Dimitri and Dante Arakas will have to step over my rotting corpse to get their hands on her.
I shift slightly, and she reaches for me.
"No, daddy. Don't go."
I glance down at her, but she's passed out, talking in her sleep.
Huh. Even in her sleep, she wants me to stay.
Even in her sleep, she called me daddy.
No, she's not going back to Houston. She's not going anywhere.
Chapter Four
Devin
"You'rebeingweird,"Iwhisper, staring at Jude. He's standing across the island from me in the massive kitchen, scowling at nothing. He looks like a pissed-off angel against the backdrop of sunlight flooding in from the windows behind him. Beams of it even dance around his head like a halo of light. He's been scowling ever since I woke up and found him in here this morning. It's starting to stress me out a little bit. When I fell asleep last night, for the first time since my parents died when I was nine, my life felt almost perfect. Like I was living in a fairytale.
Jude kissed me. He called himself my daddy. How many times have I whispered that forbidden word to myself in the dark of night? Too many to count. I never imagined I'd ever say it to him though. I thought if he ever knew how badly I wanted that, he'd flee in the other direction. But he didn't flee. I didn't even bring it up.Hedid.
In that moment, I was on top of the world, soaring fifteen feet off the ground. I was untouchable. Now though…now I'm worried. I think he regrets it. My stomach is all twisted in knots. Anxiety churns through me with every beat of my heart. I don't like it.
I want to go back to last night. I won't fall asleep this time. I'll stay awake and savor the moment so it doesn't end. Maybe we'll do more this time. He'll touch me, or I'll touch him. Anything to prolong the joy and stave off this, this…gnawing worry.
I don't want him to regret me.
"Did you sleep well, Devin?"
We're back to that this morning too. Devin. Last night, I was his princess. I was his baby doll. Today, I'm Devin. My mama named me after her favorite person in the world—my dad. I've always loved my name. Not today.
"Yes." I push my plate away. It's the first homecooked meal I've had in a week. Jude cooked it for me. My plate is overflowing with bacon and eggs and hashbrowns and toast. Way more food than I could eat in a week. But I'm not very hungry.
"You need to eat," he says, frowning. He's always frowning. At me, anyway. I know he smiles at his brothers. I've seen him. I've heard him laugh and joke with them too. But he's always grumpy with me. He's a grumpy daddy bear. Except…maybe he doesn't want to be?
More anxiety churns through me.
"I'm not hungry."
