He reaches a hand to my hair and I freeze as he strokes it away from my forehead. “Maxim was not your fault, wild one. Tell that to your reflection in the mirror every day and you’ll end up believing it.”

Fat tears fill my eyes and it takes everything in me not to let them loose as I fall into the gentle but firm way he’s stroking my hair.

Sometimes, it feels like he can dip his fingers inside me and draw me out. Other times, I can’t decide if it’s his deceptive gentleness that he only uses to get what he wants.

But at the moment, I choose to drown in the soothing touch he’s offering freely. I might regret it later, but later isn’t right now.

“Sleep.” He starts to stand up, but I hold his hand, stopping him in his tracks.

I’m not ready to give up this warmth yet.

Not tonight.

He raises a brow. “Or would you rather be spanked for not finishing your dinner?”

Although the promise turns my legs boneless, that’s not what I’m after. It’s something deeper, and it might slice and hurt me harder than any of his punishments do.

I pull down the duvet on the empty side of the bed. “Stay.”

He pauses, but he doesn’t remove his hand from mine. “I do not sleep with others.”

“Just tonight,” I murmur.

“Why?”

“Please, Jonathan.”

“I’ll only agree if you do something in exchange.”

The damn tyrant. But he’s caught me in a vulnerable moment where I’d agree to just about anything. “What?”

“You won’t go to that dinner with Ethan.”

Why am I not surprised? But since it’s a small price to pay, I nod.

Jonathan slides under the covers with me and I expect him to keep to his half of the bed. Surprisingly, his arm wraps around my back. I rest my head on his chest, using it as a pillow. His heartbeat is strong and steady like the rest of him.

I fit in the crook of his body so perfectly, it’s as if this is where I was always supposed to be.

His fingers stroke my hair like he did earlier and I get lost in his woodsy scent. In the way he smells fresh out of a shower.

What I don’t tell Jonathan is that I don’t share sleeping space either. I’ve always needed to be by myself to convince myself to sleep and to wake up alone in case I have a bad dream.

But tonight, I don’t spend half an hour or more tossing and turning and thinking of happy thoughts to help me fight off an impending nightmare.

I just fall asleep.

And I know that the simple act of sleeping will never be the same for me again.

30

Aurora

“Morning, mate!”

“Morning,” I tell Layla as she follows me into my office. I swear she barely spends any time in hers.

She hates sitting around and always finds things to do outside of the confinements of her four walls. If she’s not with me, she’s doing rounds in the factory or in the conference room.

I grab the iced coffee she offers and wince as my aching bottom meets the sofa.

The tyrant Jonathan spanked me over breakfast so hard, to the point where I’m sore. Well, more than sore. It really hurts, despite the lotion I applied before going out.

So much for spending our first night together.

I woke up with his cock nudging against my entrance from behind, then he fucked me raw until I screamed the whole room down.

When I asked him why he only fucks me from behind, he told me it’s none of my business. When I snapped, he spanked me until tears filled my eyes.

The brute. The arsehole.

Needless to say, I’ve been in a black mood ever since.

Not even Harris’s distasteful snobbishness first thing in the morning could snap me out of this state I’m in.

“What’s wrong?” Layla leans over, brow furrowing. She’s wearing an oversized long sleeve T-shirt that says, Black is a Philosophy.

“Nothing.” I take a slurp of the iced coffee, wishing I could somehow pour it on my arse instead.

“Yeah, right. You look like you witnessed the murder of puppies. Come on, spill. Is it because of Johnny’s brat son?”

“It’s because of the bastard himself.”

“What did he do now?” She sighs. “I really hoped not to have to use my karate skills too soon, considering the generous cheque he left for the charity, but I will if I have to.”

“Remember when you told me that when I threaten his control, he snaps?”

She nods.

“Well, he did. I challenged his need to stay in his emotional vault and he took it out on me.”

She jerks up, rolling up the sleeves of her T-shirt. “I’m going to kick him in the butt.”

“Lay…”

“Do you think I was kidding? I meant it when I said he’ll have me to answer to. You’re family, and no one messes with my family. Ride or die, remember?”

My chest explodes in fireworks at her words, but I say, “Just sit down and help me brainstorm.”

“Brainstorm ways to cut off his D? I’m game.”

“You’re such a dork.”

“Okay, all violent plotting aside, you might be onto something.”

“What something?”

“He’s reacting, isn’t he? Which means you’re affecting him, BUT if he hurts a hair on your head in any way, I’m serious. I’ll sneak into his palace and assassinate him, ninja style.”

I chuckle at the way she poses with her hands. “You need help, Lay.”

“First of all, suck my D. Second of all, you’re the one who needs help. You’re so into Jonathan, you’re hurt by the way he treated you.”

“I am not.”

“You are, too. Admit it, you already consider him Daddy.”

“Lay, stop it. And he’s not my daddy. You’re the one who’s into those.”

“Umm, mate. I only fantasise about them. You, on the other hand, go all the way in. Pun intended.”

I hit her shoulder and she laughs, standing to her feet. “Seriously, though. Don’t let him get to you and suck your light, or I’ll go mama bear all over his butt.”

“Thanks, Lay. I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

“No hugging.” She lifts her hands up in the air and runs away before I can do just that.