Tragic Beauty (Beauty & The Darkness #1)(21)

I arch beneath him and cry out, clinging to his shoulders.

He begins to move over me with slow, controlled strokes that fill my body with the most exquisite pain, the most overwhelming pleasure. The time before had been brutal, savage, nothing but a feral conquest deep among the shadows, where he had pushed me to the edge for the thrill of watching me break. But now—now it’s flesh on flesh, soul on soul.

He shifts his hips again, and there it is, like a spark of light, filling my body and blinding my soul. He comes with me, silent but for a small deep throated groan that barely leaves his lips.

Gavin lets his weight fall onto his elbows and takes my head in his hands. My skin feels slippery when he swipes his thumbs across my cheeks. “So beautiful,” he whispers. “The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

My body tingles from the words, but it’s my heart that feels the true impact. I reach up and stroke the line of his jaw, but he turns his head and nips at my fingers, causing me to giggle. Slowly, he withdraws from inside me, rises and walks to the bathroom. A moment later he’s back, the condom gone and a washcloth in his hands. He tends to me gently, cleaning me up, the warm cotton a soothing contrast to the raw and aching flesh between my legs.

I see something drip from his arm and realize the deep gash started to bleed again.

“Gavin,” I say. He looks down at his arm, then we both look at the bed. Even through the dim light, we can see the streaks of red marring the light grey sheets. And it isn’t just his blood. It’s mine too.

A giggle breaks from my throat. I can’t help it.

“I made her bleed, and she laughs,” he says with a shake of his head. There’s amusement in his tone, but heaviness in his eyes. Heaviness mixed with adoration. With a sigh, Gavin dabs at the cut on his arm with the towel, then tosses it aside and climbs back into bed, pulling me close to him. He settles on his back and nestles me up against his side, with his arm around me.

I glance up at him, resting my chin on his chest, wanting to take in every little detail I can, cherish every little moment we have. His expression seems peaceful, relaxed, but his gaze rests somewhere off in space. I press a kiss to his chest, then glide the tip of my nose over him, until my head is tucked into his arm pit where I breathe in deep.

“What are you doing, silly girl?” he asks with a chuckle.

I smile and rub my cheek against his underarm hair. It’s so soft and wispy. “Smelling you.”

He laughs. “Yeah? And how do I smell?”

“So good,” I say, and mean it.

He leans down and places a kiss on my hair, warming me inside. I rest my head over his chest and listen to the heavy beat of his heart. We lie there, basking in the aftermath while time passes. He’s quiet and I think maybe he’s drifting off, but then his thumb begins caressing my skin. I think of the night, of everything we’ve been through, the awkward way our worlds collided.

“Gavin?” I whisper.

“Hmmm?”

I pause. “What was the award you were getting tonight?”

He takes in a breath and lets it out slowly. “The Outstanding Performer of the Year award,” he says. “It’s given at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.”

I groan. “God, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I was never going to make it in time, even before our paths crossed.”

“You were at your mom’s?” I ask gently. “She’s sick?”

“Yeah.”

He doesn’t offer what from, so I don’t ask.

“My father was sick too.”

“Is he okay now?”

I shake my head. “He’s gone.”

Gavin places a long, gentle kiss on my hair. “I’m so sorry, Ava. When did he pass?”

“A few days ago.”

His hand freezes. He shifts his weight onto his elbow and stares down at me. His face is cloaked in shadow, but I can still see the shock in his eyes. “A few days ago?”

I nod. “It’s okay. He’s better off now.”

A pensive look washes over his features, then he settles his head onto his propped up hand, while the other hand rests on my stomach. “What about your mom?”

“She left when I was nine.”

Gavin sighs, sounding frustrated, then studies me for a moment. “So, it was just you and your dad?”

I nod and can’t help but smile.

“What?” he asks.

I shake my head and seal my lips.

“What?” he asks again, nudging me playfully in the ribs, making me giggle.

“He loved your movies,” I say finally.

“He did?”

I nod. “Really loved them. He said you knew how to kick ass.”

Gavin laughs, warm and soft. It’s the sexiest sound I’ve ever heard. “Well, that makes it all worth it then.”

His gaze drifts to my stomach, where his fingertips slowly graze over and around my belly button.

“How’d you get into acting?” I ask.

His touch moves up my stomach and over my right breast, his forefinger circling my nipple. “A good friend introduced me to a scout. I was doing the professional MMA circuit at the time. I guess they were looking for someone with a fighting background.”

“And you got it? Just like that?”