Chapter 5: Zara
I knew I wasn’t processing the fact I’d killed someone, and it wasn’t something I’d done without thought. I had a split second or two to decide whether I was going to protect my pregnant friend or not. The answer was absolutely, yes. I had no doubt she’d kill Jessica and maybe even some of the others in her bid to get away. She’d been totally insane and all because she wanted Ajax and thought getting rid of Jessica would get her him. Only an insane person would think something that preposterous.
The thought of a man taking over your mind so completely, that you’d do something like that, disturbed the hell out of me. It wasn’t an instance of her protecting him. It was her trying to own him. The idea made me sick. Were these bunnies’ self-worth so bad, they had to have a man to have any kind of worth? What had happened to them in their lives to make them feel that way?
I might have self-esteem issues when it comes to men, but I’d never try to get one by hurting someone else. I couldn’t imagine it.
I sighed. I was exhausted and ready to head home for real this time. I’d gotten done with my drive and came back to drop off a script for pain pills to Jessica. I’d thought about calling to see if she thought she might need them or not, but I decided that was the coward’s way out. I was so damn thankful I had come back, but she was now safe in Ajax’s arms, and they’d retired for the night. I was going to do the same.
I got up off the couch I’d been sitting on while talking to Madisen. The guys were scattered all around us and at the bar. Demon had gone off a second ago. It was the perfect time to make my escape.
“Hey, Madisen, I know you have to be tired. I know I am. I’m going to head home. I’ll see you later,” I told her as I leaned down to give her a hug.
“See you later, Zara. And thank you again. Let us know if you need anything.” I could tell she was worried about what I’d done catching up to me. It would, but I’d deal with it alone, behind closed doors. No one needed to see me break down.
“I will. Bye.” I turned to go to the door. More than one of the guys yelled out their goodbyes and thanks. I waved them off as I hurried to make my exit. I sighed in relief when I made it to my car and out the gate without seeing Demon.
My resistance to him was at an all-time low. He’d been staying close and touching me ever since the shooting. Every time I looked at him, all I saw was concern on his face. A girl could get lost in a guy looking at her that way.
Luckily, it was a short drive to my house. I pulled into the garage and laid my head down on the steering wheel for a moment. I was too tired to move all of a sudden. I knew it was a reaction to the stress and coming down from my adrenaline high. I dragged myself out of the car and into the house.
I didn’t bother to turn on any lights; I just went down to my room. I was shedding my clothes as soon as I hit the bedroom door. I wanted a long, hot shower and then sleep. My shift started in ten hours. If I could get at least six or seven hours, I’d be golden.
I flipped on the water and let it warm up. As soon as it felt tolerable, I got in the stall and under the spray. I stood there and enjoyed the warmth as long as I could. The tension slowly started to leave my muscles. When the water started to cool, I hurried up and washed my hair and body.
I shut off the water and stepped out of the shower. I heard a pounding on my door. I quickly threw my hair up in a towel and wrapped my robe around me. I wondered if one of my neighbors was hurt again. One of them had come to me more than once when someone got hurt. It was known throughout the neighborhood that I was a doctor.
I hurried to the door, whipping it open in case someone was seriously injured. They had to be with how loud and frantic the knocking sounded. The question on my tongue, asking who was hurt, died. It was Demon. He looked at me intently with a glare on his face. I watched as his eyes ran up and down the length of my body. A flare of what looked like heat entered his eyes. Shit! Why hadn’t I looked before I opened the damn door? I didn’t need this right now. I eased the door slightly shut, so it left a smaller opening.
“What’s wrong, Demon? Is it Jessica?” But if it was, why hadn’t Ajax texted or called me?
He stepped closer to the door and shook his head no. “No, Jessica is fine as far as I know.”
“Then why are you here? I’m tired and need to get some sleep. I have to work in the morning. I really can’t talk right now. I’ll talk to you later.” I went to close the door, but his foot jammed in the doorway stopped me. He didn’t say a word, just pushed through the door and backed me into the house. I kept backing up, though I didn’t know why. If anyone else did that to me, I’d be kicking their ass already.
“What the hell are you doing? I told you, I’ll see you later. Get out, Demon. I mean it. I’m going to bed,” I hissed at him. He shut the door and locked it before he came toward me again. I stepped back and found my back was against the wall in the foyer.
“Good, show me the way. I’m a bit tired too.”
“You’re not staying in my house, Demon, and certainly not in my room. I don’t know if you think this is funny or something, but it’s not,” I told him as my voice got higher. He dropped a bag on the floor then wrapped his arms around me. He crowded into me until his chest was against mine and his mouth was only a couple of inches away from my mouth.
“I’m not playing at being funny, baby. You had a shock today. You’re going to crash because of it. You don’t need to be alone right now. I promise, I won’t take anything too far until you have a clear head. But make no mistake, Zara, we’re going to talk and work this out. You and I are going to happen.” His head lowered, and he took my mouth. The kiss was gentle and oh so damn sexy. His lips and tongue slowly teased and caressed mine. I tried not to react, but it was impossible. Finally, I gave in and kissed him back. He groaned.
The next thing I knew, the kiss turned hotter, and he was pressing his mouth to mine more aggressively. After a minute or two of being lost in his kiss, I felt his hands. They somehow had made it inside of my robe and were caressing my naked breasts. My nipples were pebble hard and begging to be touched. They burned as his fingers stroked across them. I tore my mouth away from his and grabbed his wrists.
“Stop. We can’t do this. You need to leave.” I sounded like I was begging him, which I hated. He took a deep breath and kept his eyes closed for a moment or two. Then, he opened them and looked into mine. His eyes blazed. I could feel the wetness between my legs from his kiss alone. What would happen if I actually let him into my bed? I shoved that dangerous thought away.
“I’m not leaving. But you’re right, we need to stop. Let’s head to bed.”
“No, I told you, you’re not staying.”
“Zara, I am. You have two choices. Get your ass in bed and let me hold you while you sleep, or I strip you bare and I feast on you and make love to you until you can’t think. Then you fall asleep. I prefer the second option, but you decide. It’s one or the other.” I glared at him. I could see he was dead serious, and I was too tired to fight right now. I pushed against his chest, and he stepped back enough to let me squeeze by him. I didn’t say a word. I just went down the hall to my room. He was right behind me with his bag.
When we got inside my room, I grabbed my nightclothes out of my drawer and went into the bathroom to change. I took a minute to get myself under control. When I felt like I wouldn’t attack him, I got dressed and opened the door. He was standing there in a pair of gray sweats. They clung to him, and I worked not to look at the front, where what looked like his impressive cock was outlined. I wanted to moan. It had been a long time since I’d last been with a man.
I walked past him and got under the covers. He smirked as he slid into bed on the other side. I snapped off the light. Maybe if I didn’t say anything, he’d go to sleep. That idea was shot all to hell when I felt his arms encircle my waist and pull me back into his chest. I squirmed to get away from him. His hand landed on my ass in a hard smack, which only sent a streak of fire through my body.
“Settle. If you squirm, all bets are off. I’ll have you under me and be inside of you in a minute. I’m too damn turned on right now to play with you, Zara. Seeing you all wet in your robe, then tasting those lips and feeling your breasts, has me on fire. Just try and relax, please, baby. I just want you to sleep. You’ve been through a lot today.”