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I grasp the back of her neck and press my lips to her forehead. “You’ve looked after me before. Let me look after you. This works both ways. You might not feel sore now. But if you do later, then it’s because of me. I’m responsible.” I ease out of her gently and pull my pants up.
“Who was responsible that night you got hurt?”
Her words hang in the air as my shoulders tense. That night I had to show Marcus’s friend what happens if you disrespect me, Rose cleaned me up. She wouldn’t have been so keen to wipe up my blood if she’d known why it was there in the first place.
“Who’s Marcus?” she asks when I say nothing.
My blood runs cold.
“Just a guy I know.” I grab a clean washcloth and run it under the tap until the water is hot. I clean Rose up gently and then throw it aside and grab the cream, avoiding her eyes as I squeeze it onto my fingers. She lifts her hips, granting me easy access to slide my finger inside her and rub it in. She’s full of my cum. It’s running down the sides of my finger as I try to get the cream to stay inside. “You’re going to need to reapply this soon. It’s coming out.”
“Is he a friend?” Rose searches my face, and I avoid meeting her eyes. I don’t want to lie to her. And I don’t think I could if I was looking into those beautiful clear blue windows to her soul. She’s too pure and innocent for the world I cross into away from the estate.
“No.” I put the cap back on and toss the tube onto the counter. “Why are you asking about him? We’ve never spoken about him before.”
She pauses before she speaks. “Haven’t we? I thought you’d mentioned him. Maybe it was Logan.”
I snap my eyes up to meet hers.
Logan doesn’t know Marcus even exists. Neither does Jasmin. No one from the estate does.
Her lips twist, and she looks at me guiltily. “Or maybe I saw his name on your phone earlier? When I was looking for mine.”
I breathe out, my shoulders softening with the way she’s looking at me. Like she thinks I’m going to be mad. Blame her for something somehow.
“He’s just someone I know. He works for another business. Now stop saying other guys’ names when I’m rubbing cream inside you, or I’ll start thinking you don’t like me anymore.”
“Who says I do?” Rose smirks as I grab a clean cloth to wipe her with.
“Ouch.” I frown as I finish up and then smooth my hoodie back down, covering her.
“Just kidding.” She strokes her fingers over the front of my shirt and then pulls me to her by the collar. “I think I like you just fine. Especially when you bring me breakfast.” She presses a soft kiss to my lips.
“You want to talk about what you didn’t want to think about earlier while we eat?”
Rose stiffens momentarily, then sighs and kisses me gently again, dusting her lips side to side over mine as she speaks. “There’s not much to say. Casey just keeps telling me she’s sorry. That she loves me and I’m her best friend. That she never meant to hurt me.”
I slide my hand up around the back of her neck and stroke her pulse point with my thumb. “But?”
Rose’s bottom lip trembles before she takes a deep breath and steadies it. “But I don’t know if I can forgive her. I don’t know if Iwantto forgive her. All I feel is anger and betrayal. People lie to me, Dax. They lie and tell me it’s to protect me from getting hurt. But really, they’re just protecting themselves.”
I wrap her in my arms, and she sinks against me. Gentle, delicate, and beautiful. Surrounded by dark arms stained with ink and secrets.
I press a kiss to her hair, allowing my eyes to close.
Vanilla and petals.
Protecting myself is the furthest thing from my mind. But protecting her? I would make a deal with the devil to forfeit my soul in exchange for Rose to be safe. The same way I would for Jasmin.
Some days, it’s like I’ve already signed.
Chapter 20
Dax
“Thisisamazing!”
Rose bounces on her toes and grabs onto my bicep as she stares up at the giant hot air balloon tethered on the lawn behind the main house. It’s the Silver Estate open day that Logan and Jasmin have arranged, and there’s a buzz of anticipation in the air as we get ready. We’ve got a band setting up on a temporary stage behind the main house, an outdoor bar and tasting stations. A catering company is putting on a buffet, and the distillery is open for working tours to see the machinery in action. Jasmin even arranged a make-your-own flavor gin class with personalized bottles for each guest.
