A Cut so Deep (Thornes & Roses 1)

Her flavor intoxicates me, making my body tense with the need to be inside her. Her tongue swipes along mine, hot and warm. The duel has my cock hardening, wanting her, craving her, just like I’ve wanted since the moment I laid eyes on her.

The delicate touch of her hands sears me when she runs them over my shoulders, locking around my neck, and I pull her up against me by the cheeks of her pert little ass. Her legs wrap around my waist, her heat at my crotch, tempting me to take this further.

“I… I…” her whimpers tumble from her kiss-swollen lips. Reluctantly, I pull away from her, breaking the kiss to meet her gaze. “I can’t believe I love you,” she whispers.

A smile graces my expression. I love her like this—innocent and shy—but I also love her fire. “I love you, so fucking much. You’ve consumed my every thought, and I can’t live without you. But I don’t want you to rush into something that you may regret later on.”

I know she’s only eighteen. I can’t ask her to promise her life to me. But what scares me is that if I did ask her, I know she’d say yes.

“We can take it slow,” she tells me, her shyness dissipating, and her confidence burning through. “Each day will be different, but every day, I’ll be with you. That’s all I want.”

“And you’re sure you want to fly across the world with me?” I ask, knowing it’s a big change. Her life is here, well, most of her life.

“I do. I’ve decided on my major, and I know I want to pursue my career in psychology.” I’m still holding onto her, as she tells me this. Her eyes shimmer with excitement at her admission. She’s going to do amazing things. I know she is. Pride swells in my chest, and I nod.

“Then that’s what you’ll do.” I know if she puts her mind to something, she’ll accomplish it. “Are you ready to tell them?”

Her pulse riots at the spot just under her ear. I want to lick it, taste her rhythm, but I wait for her response first.

“Let’s do it.”

The smile that graces her expression warms me from the depths of my soul -- the same one that I always believed was dark and broken. Somehow, this girl with golden eyes, has walked into my life and healed what I never thought would be mended.

43

Nesrin

The house is quiet, but Damien leads me through to the office, where I heard the truth about who my mother was. The room is lit by the sun streaming through the window. His father is sitting behind his desk, and when those familiar blue eyes dart up, he notices our connection, our interlocked hands, before he even takes note of our expressions.

“What can I do for the two of you?” he asks, as he leans back in the large, leather office chair that makes him look like a king rather than a man.

“We need to talk,” Damien informs him, pulling me along behind him. We reach the two chairs that face the large, dark mahogany desk, and Damien turns to me, gesturing for me to sit. I do. My legs are weak as my heart pitter-patters in my chest, and my stomach is in knots. The anxiety that I’ve quelled easily, while beside Damien, is twisting painfully in my gut.

“Then talk,” Bradford says, before laying his hands across his stomach. He’s not fat, but he has a paunch that’s evidence of his lavish lifestyle.

Damien is silent for a short while before he sits down, his gaze on his father. “Nesrin and I will be flying out tonight. She wants to study in London, and I want to take over the England office.” His voice is confident, not even a hint at how nervous he must be.

“Are you telling me that you want to live as a couple?” Bradford’s eyes widen considerably, and his dark brows lift to his hairline. Shock is clear on his face.

“Yes, she’s not my sister, she’s not my blood.” My heart sinks when Bradford shakes his head. My stomach topples to my feet when he pushes to his feet, and I’m almost certain he’s about to lash out. But he doesn’t. Nerves have a hold of me, and as if Damien can feel my worry, he reaches for my hand and gives it a squeeze.

“I don’t like it,” Bradford says. “This is wrong. It’s not…. normal,” he speaks with authority.

“What’s not normal, Dad? The fact that I found someone who makes me feel like I can finally be happy?” The strain in Damien’s voice makes my chest tighten. He wants me, as much as I do him. And he loves me. He told me so. I watch him fight for us, as he rises in one fluid motion and places his palms on the smooth top of his father’s desk.