Chapter Sixteen
Azio openedhis eyes and reluctantly released my hand.
“Every woman’s period is different. But the best thing we can do is pay attention and keep asking if there is anything we can do to help make it better.”
“That’s pretty good advice. But you know you don’t have to cater to me, right? I’ll still stay here even if you didn’t do all of this stuff.”
His expression grew guarded.
“I want to care for you. And maybe touch you?”
“Your hand on my stomach did feel good. It was nice and warm.”
“Eden likes that too. When the cramps are the worst, she lets Ghua lick her pussy in the shower.”
I could feel my face flushing.
“Eden didn’t think it was a good idea at first either. But it took her pain away. She liked it so much she begged Ghua to do it twice more and rode his face like a pony.” A sexy smirk briefly flitted over Azio’s lips. “If you would like to ride my face to relieve your pain, I am willing.”
My face felt like it was on fire.
“I’ll keep that in mind, but the water bottle should do the trick for now.”
He grunted.
“Angel’s breasts get sore. She taught Shax how to give her a massage. It’s not sex. It’s comfort. No playing with nipples. Only rubbing the swollen tissue.”
A boob rub that didn’t lead to sex sounded kind of nice, but after the shower story, I wasn’t confident his motives were purely altruistic.
“I’ll let you know if I need one,” I said
A smile parted his lips, giving me a wide display of wickedly pointy teeth. He quickly smothered it at my startled expression, and I immediately felt guilt.
“I’m sorry, Azio. I shouldn’t have reacted like that. Not after I saw Solin’s teeth. I think I just forgot because you hide them so much.”
He blinked at me.
“You want me to smile more?”
His uncertainty and willingness to be anything I needed struck a chord in me. Hadn’t that been what I’d done for Wayne? Gave up my hopes and dreams to make him happy and, in the end, only made myself miserable. And I would have stayed if Wayne hadn’t thrown the ring at me, oblivious to how much I was giving up for him. I didn’t want to put Azio in the same situation.
“I want you to be yourself around me. If you want to smile more, then do it. If you don’t want to wear those undersized shirts, then don’t. I don’t want you to change for me. Open and honest, okay?”
He grunted, studied me for a moment, then removed his shirt.
The easy-on-the-eyes ab display distracted me nicely, and remembering his invitation, I reached out to run my hand over his arm.
“Shirtless is a good look for you,” I said. “I didn’t realize what I was missing out on.”
He flashed another smile my way and turned to pick up a few books, giving me an amazing view of his back. And the numerous, large scars crisscrossing it. I feathered my fingers over a few, and he stilled.
“What are these from?” I asked.
“A hellhound. It was trying to get to Cassie and her baby. Molev, Bauts, and I held it back while others removed its heart.”
Azio had risked his life to save a woman and her baby. Based on the scars, that had happened a while ago. How was he still single?
“Do you want to see the books I have?” he asked, not moving to dislodge my touch.