“You can trust Jill. She’s on our side.”
My father’s eyes narrow. “Are you sure?”
“What does he mean?” Jill whispers behind me.
“Trust me,” I whisper back, hoping he doesn’t hear.
“Fine then, if you say so. Bring her to our next meeting,” my father says. “I expect you to bring your A game if you’re gonna take over for me.”
“Take over?” Jill murmurs, so I squeeze her hand to make her shut up.
“Heal quickly,” my mother says, approaching for a very unflattering kiss on the forehead. “We’ll talk soon.”
When they’re finally gone, Jill breathes a sigh of relief.
“I can’t believe that fooled them,” she says. “But why did Jasmine lie?”
“Probably to give Liam time to run,” I explain.
“Oh, right …” she murmurs. “I remember him telling me about it once. That he wanted nothing more than to escape the family and live a normal life.”
“If he gets what he wants, maybe he’ll leave us alone too,” I reply, spinning around to face her again. “And then we’ll both have what we wanted.”
“Well, he wanted Jasmine too, right?” she asks. “What if he comes back to claim her?”
I shrug. “Who knows. She’s adult enough to make her own decisions. He’s not like me.” I place my hands on the bed beside her while forcing my way between her legs again. “He doesn’t just take what he wants.”
My hands slide up her thighs, going higher and higher until her muscles tense and her cheeks get all rosy again, just the way I like it. And I don’t stop there, not even when my thumb circles her clit, knowing full well the kind of chain-reaction it sets off in her body.
“What are you doing?” she huffs.
“Claiming my woman,” I say, my dick tenting in my pants at the mere sight of her quivering in front of me.
“But we’re in a clinic,” she says, all giddy.
“I don’t care where we are,” I reply, rubbing her clit until she’s all hot and bothered. “Are you mine?”
She nods, clearly having trouble even responding.
“But—”
I push my thumb against her clit to shut her up. “No buts.”
My hand slides up her pants, and I unbutton it and unzip it, but when I come across the scars I gave her, I stop. It’s the first time since she ravaged them that I’ve had a close look. She scratched at the letters, making them barely visible.
My lips curl down from the sight.
“I’m sorry. I know it’s ugly, but I couldn’t stand the sight after—”
“Don’t,” I say, letting my fingers travel across the scars. “Don’t ever call yourself ugly.”
I look up into her eyes so she knows I mean it.
We’ll fix this soon enough.
But for now, I’ll make do with showing her just how much I crave her as my hand travels down her pussy.
Suddenly, someone knocks on the door again, and she abruptly closes her legs for me and zips up again, pretending like nothing ever happened.
“What?” I bark, a little too annoyed because they interrupted my game.
“Excuse me.” A woman steps inside. “I just wanted to let you know that the doctor has approved you for discharge from the clinic.”
“Discharge?” Jill says with a happy voice, and she jumps off the bed. There goes my plan. “Great. Then we finally get to go home.”
Home?
“Yup,” the nurse responds.
I immediately get up even though both of them look at me like I’m nuts.
“Are you sure you wanna do that?” Jill asks.
“I’m done sitting in this chair.” Despite the pain, I walk toward her and grab her waist, pulling her close. “And I’m done hearing anyone worry about my health.”
The nurse laughs awkwardly. “All right then. I’ll leave you two to pack.”
She closes the door again as I lean in to whisper into Jill’s ear, “What did you say just now?”
“What?” she whispers, confused.
“Something about … home.” A wicked smile forms on my lips the second her cheeks begin to flush. I tilt her chin up. “You consider my house your home?”
“If I’m allowed to roam the place freely, without needing anyone’s approval … maybe,” she replies.
I lean in closer, pressing my lips onto hers and claiming her mouth until that familiar drawn-out sigh that she does whenever her heart begins to pound slips out again. The one sound I’ll never get enough of. “Deal.”
Chapter 35
Jill
* * *
When we’re finally in the penthouse again, I breathe a sigh of relief. I didn’t think I’d make it back here alive. Or that this place would be so … clean.
The cleaners and renovators did an amazing job getting it all done. All the shards of glass from the mirror I shattered are gone, as well as all the bullet holes left by the fight between Luca and Nick.
What a difference two days make.
I’ve been staying at the same clinic as Luca because he didn’t want me to leave his side. Not that I could. There were family guards around the clinic, making sure no one unwanted came in to endanger us while he was at his weakest.