The echo of my outburst still reverberates off the walls when I turn around and stomp off. My brothers need to come to terms with the fact that the Dark Sovereign is no longer my only responsibility, just as I have. It’s no longer the only thing that defines me, and as much as I tried to fight that realization myself, it’s just the way it is. My heart has grown stronger since I fell in love with Leandra, and now it rules me. My wife trumps everything else in my life—including the family business.
I find Leandra in the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around her, waiting for the tub to fill. Leaning against the doorframe, I watch her silently for a moment. Her back is turned toward me, her long, dark hair pulled up in a messy bun. From here, I can see how tense her shoulders are, the way she pulls them up just a little. The hot steam around her licks her skin and leaves a faint sheen of moisture on her back.
My eyes trace the curve of her body. Even the fabric of the towel has wrought itself into her shape. I’m an asshole, no doubt about it. My swollen cock proves it. I’m not supposed to be hard for her while aware of her struggle because of what she just went through. But her flawless skin beckons me closer, and she sucks in a breath when I place my palms on her naked shoulders.
“Stray.”
“For so long, I’ve wondered what would have happened if I didn’t run that day,” she says softly. “I’ve spent so many nights thinking about whether I made the right choice.”
“I’ve come across some evil fuckers out there, Leandra. Trust me when I say your father was incapable of changing.” I brush my fingers along her glowing ivory skin. “If you had stayed, something far worse would have happened to you that day. And think of all the children you saved by turning your father in. Think of all the lives you protected by making that one split-second decision.”
“There’s at least comfort in that thought.”
“Are you okay?”
“I am.” She reaches up and places a hand on one of mine resting on her shoulder. “Thank you.”
“Right now, I can’t think of a single thing you need to thank me for.”
“You kept your promise,” she murmurs, and my heart constricts. “I know it had to be hard for you to do.”
I place a gentle kiss on the nape of her neck. “If it were up to me, I would have taken care of him myself, and you would never have had to go through this. The last thing I want is for you to hurt.”
“It doesn’t hurt.” She glances over her shoulder, her expression calm and eyes liquid. “It doesn’t hurt at all. It’s like burying my mother all over. Am I incapable of feeling grief? Am I broken?”
“No. You’re incapable of wasting your emotions on those who don’t deserve it. And that makes you strong, not broken.” I kiss the back of her head, closing my eyes, wishing there was a way to make her see inside me, to give her a glimpse of herself through my eyes. “You're the strongest person I know, stray. Even after all you've been through and the cruelty the world has shown you, you haven't lost your heart or your kindness. Your ability to forgive.”
“Maybe that's why I don't feel anything for my parents. I haven't forgiven them.”
I drag my hand from her shoulder down her chest, where her heart beats beneath my palm. “They don't deserve your forgiveness, and your heart knows it. God, I'm not even sure I deserve your forgiveness after what I've put you through.”
“My heart seems to think you do,” she whispers, and my entire fucking world lights up. What I did tonight was risky, but deep down, I knew she would be strong enough to handle it. I saw the wall of strength in her the day I walked into her apartment with mymutually beneficialoffer—an offer that put everything in motion for us to end up here in a world where we would only ever need each other.
“I have a confession to make.” I lean into her, tracing a delicate line with the tip of my nose down the side of her neck, inhaling deeply. She smells of vanilla, and it’s an intoxicating fusion with the lavender-scented bath oil that lathers on the water.
“What is it?” She leans her head to the side, her skin gleaming under the bathroom light.
“I loved watching you go from scared and uncertain to a beautiful goddess of war.” I press my lips on her naked shoulder. “My own fucking Athena. God, you’re perfect.” I loosen the towel around her and let it drop to the floor and watch as it pools around her feet. Looking down at her naked body, I drink her in—the shape of her calves, her thighs, the firm rounds of her ass, and the tempting curve of her back. “I’m probably a sick son of a bitch for saying this,” I run a finger from the base of her spine, along every vertebra, up the middle of her back, “but you were fucking exquisite in your vengeance.”
She leans her weight back into me, her soft breaths quickening. “Are you trying to seduce me, Mr. Del Rossa? After I told you to kill a monster less than an hour ago?”
I grin against her skin and snake my hand around her waist, tracing a fingertip along her belly. “It’s fucked up, I know. But you and me…we do fucked up really well.”
“I can’t argue that.” She raises her arm, reaching her hand behind my head, and sways her ass against my hard cock. “You just killed a man, and now you want to fuck me?”
My hand dips low and cups her sex. A soft moan rushes past her lips. “I want to make you come. Show you there’s pleasure in justice.” My fingertip finds her clit, and I start with soft circles, and it causes her to tremble against me. Her head drops back, resting against my chest, her delicate throat bobbing as she swallows. “Is that what you want, stray? You want me to make you feel good?”
“Yes,” she breathes, and I reach deeper into her slit, sliding my finger through her wet folds, spreading her arousal along the crease of her cunt. I kiss her neck, lapping my tongue along her flesh, tasting the sweetness of her skin. “You were fucking incredible. So strong. So fucking exquisite.” Her hips move, and I know she wants more. More of my touch. More friction. Pressure. She needs to feel good after what happened. She fucking deserves to feel good, and I’ll die a happy man knowing I’m the one who knows how to give it to her.
“Alexius?”
“Yes, baby girl?”
“Make me come, please.”
Winding an arm around her waist, I pull her closer as her legs start to tremble, clutching her tight as I find her clit again, this time working it harder and faster, teasing that bundle of nerves until her gentle breaths turn into wild whimpers.
Her wetness coats my fingers and palm, her swollen flesh warm and eager for my touch. She’s so slick and ready, the scent of her arousal fucking with my control. My cock is damn hard; I want to be inside her. I want to fuck her. I want to slam into her so hard she’ll forget how to breathe. But this isn’t about me. Not tonight. This is all about her. What she needs from me. And right now, she needs this release far more than I do.