Final Debt (Indebted #6)(114)



His hand suddenly left the wall, slinking with the one already in my hair. Looping fingers under my chin, he broke my mouth’s suction, pulling me away from his cock.

His gaze obliterated me with such love and affection, I couldn’t breathe.

“Nila…” His hands tucked under my arms, tugging me to my feet. “I need you.” His cock bounced against my lower belly as he hoisted me into his arms. He stumbled a little but kept me protected. His mouth captured mine, and for a blistering moment, he kissed me so damn hard, so damn feral, my core twisted with the beginnings of a release.

His tongue was magic, granting me the same gift I’d tried to grant him, ensuring all I thought about, all I needed was him.

Breathing hard, he tore his lips from mine and swayed weakly from the shower.

I didn’t say anything.

There were no appropriate words as he reached back to turn off the spray and grabbed a towel from the rail. Placing the fluffy towel over my body, he hoisted me higher and marched back into the bedroom.

A trail of dampness turned the green carpet almost black as he plopped me on my feet beside the bed and reverently placed the towel over my shoulders.

The dawn gave way to weak sunshine. In the ever-brightening light, the scars of our trials became more apparent. My skin looked like a mismatched carousel: the bruises of Daniel’s kick and punches. The scratches from glass and car carnage. The shower-drenched cast of my arm.

And Jethro.

His body held shadows and secrets of what he’d survived to get to me. His hair covered the injury on his temple. His skin, now it wasn’t cold from trauma, radiated heat with the fever he needed to break. The gruesome red wound in his side was no longer hidden. The puckered skin where stitches had come undone wept, needing a doctor and healing.

We each had our craters and defects from war.

But we would wear them with pride because we’d won.

And the moment our bodies had reconnected, I would find Flaw to help stop Jethro's fever. I would call a doctor to sew up his side. And I would hire the best team to ensure he had no long-term damages from the car accident in Africa.

Jethro’s lips twitched. “I love feeling your thoughts. I love knowing you want to heal me even while your body demands I take you first.”

I shivered as his husky voice layered the air.

Ever so gently, with his eyes full of love, he dried me off from the top of my head to my toes. Once I was dry, I took the towel and repaid him. It took me a little longer and more awkward not having full use of two arms, but by the time I tugged his cock in the towel, he didn’t care about a few remaining droplets on his shoulders.

Guiding me by the wrist, he stalked to the head of the bed and ripped back the sheets. Swooping me off my feet, he placed me gently on the mattress and tucked me tight. Moving to the other side of the bed, he climbed in and immediately grabbed me, spooning my back against his warm chest.

A huge sigh escaped him. For a moment, we just were. Just lived and relaxed and hovered in the anticipation of sex while soothed by the happiness of connection.

His cock remained hard, wedged against my lower back. His feet stroked mine, twitching like the tail of a predator.

“I don’t know who I am anymore.”

“I do. You’re mine. You’re Kite.”

“I’ll never be able to tell you what happened tonight.”

“I know. I don’t expect you to.”

His arm squeezed my middle, and I arched into his erection.

Breathing faster, he turned me to face him, pressing his nose against mine.

His eyes delved past my soul into the epicentre of who I was. He sought answers to his fearful questions. He hunted for any lie that I didn’t love him as much as I said I did. That I regretted any inch of what’d happened.

I wasn’t afraid.

He would find no such farce or hidden secret.

Only once he’d searched every facet did he relax a little. Only once he fully accepted I loved him with no lie tainting the truth did he touch me. Truly believe me.

“I’ve done so much to you. I’ve hurt you so terribly.” His hand cupped my cheek. “I don’t deserve you or your forgiveness, but I give you my vow, Nila. I will never hurt you again. I will never put you in harmful circumstances. I will never ask more of you than you can give. I need you to be strong for me. Like I told you the night after the Third Debt, loving a creature like me is hard work. I’ll drain you of every reserve. I’ll feed off your love. I’ll crave everything you can because you save me from life itself. But I vow that whatever I take from you, I’ll give back a hundred-fold. I entrust my heart, my wealth, my very f*cking soul to you forever.”

His voice dwindled, fading to an almost-whisper. “I will never be able to discuss what I did, and I will never do anything like it again. I can’t promise I won’t have bad days. I can’t assure you I won’t need space or time if emotions get too strong to bear. But I will promise I will never love anyone as much as I love you.”

His gaze entrapped me. “Can you live with that? Can you be so f*cking selfless to take me at my worst, my best, my messed-up self and stand by me even when I break?”

I swallowed tears, pressing my cheek deeper into his hold. “I can.”

He didn’t speak, letting me gather my thoughts because I had more to say…I just didn’t have the words in which to say it. “You’ll never be on your own, Jethro. You never have to fear I won’t understand or I’ll push you away. You’ll never have to run because I suddenly stopped loving you. I accept your promises and give you my own.

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