“Come, we’ll take a shower.” He holds out his hand to me, and I gratefully accept it. No words are spoken as we make our way into the bathroom while he turns on the shower and helps me into the space.
Once we’re both under the spray, Cassian grabs the gel from earlier and fills his palm with the silky liquid. He grabs the sponge and lathers it up before tentatively soaping me up. The suds tingle over my shoulders, down my stomach, and he gently washes my thighs, my pussy, and down my calves.
I don’t realize I’m crying until he rises to full height and cups my face with his hands. “Hey,” he murmurs when he realizes I’m sobbing. “What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?” The concern in his expression doesn’t stop my blubbering; it only makes it worse.
Shaking my head, I offer a small smile. “No. I don’t know. I just…” I breathe deeply, trying to find the words to tell him why I’m crying, even though I’m as confused as he is. “I haven’t felt so cared for, not in a long time,” I finally say. I wanted to use the word loved, but this is so new, I don’t want to scare Cassian off. I’m not sure where we go from here; I don’t at all expect him to profess his undying love, but deep down, my heart aches for it, and I can’t not hold out hope.
Cassian presses his lips to mine in a soft, gentle kiss that has my stomach tumbling at the affection he’s offering. When he pulls away, I keep my eyes on his as he regards me.
“You’re mine now, Kalyn,” he says. “There’s no more running and hiding. And you’re going to get healthy.” It’s a promise. One that makes my heart skip a few beats. “I may have gotten that bastard out of your life, but there’s still secrets he hasn’t confessed to, which we will find out. He didn’t tell me why he targeted your father, or you for that matter.”
“What did he say?” I ask as the water hits us both. There’s something cleansing about this conversation, and I want to know everything Paulo said to Cassian because, even now, I can’t deny I was stupid to stay. Weakness took hold of me, weakness at an addiction I didn’t fight; instead, I gave in and wasted several years of my life.
“All he said was that he never planned to marry you. That he did knowingly hurt you so you could lose the baby,” Cassian murmurs, his hold on my face fierce but affectionate. I want to turn away from shame, but he doesn’t allow me to. “I made sure he paid for his words.”
“Is that where all the blood came from?”
Cassian nods. “It is. I lost it, Kalyn. They had to drag me off him,” he confesses quietly, his head shaking slowly as if he regrets allowing Paulo to get to him in that way.
“You did it for me,” I remind him before tangling my hands around his neck to pull him closer. “Thank you.” My lips brush along his, and that’s when his hands drop to my ass. He grips me harshly, lifting me against his body, and soon, I’m pinned against the cool tiles.
“I did it for us,” Cassian says. “If you think you’re walking away from me after this, you’re mistaken.” The seriousness in his voice calms my worry. He’s not joking, and my heart thuds wildly against my ribs.
“So, you really want me?”
A smirk curls his lips as he rolls his hips. The piercing at the tip of his cock brushes along my clit, sending heat and desire zipping through my veins. My head drops back against the tiles as Cassian’s warm mouth captures the sensitive spot behind my ear, and he sucks it hard.
His teeth graze along the column until he bites down harder, marking me, and I can’t stop my hips from moving to garner more friction from his cock that’s nestled at my pussy.
“Dirty girl,” Cassian growls, lifting his mouth to mine. “My fucking dirty little liar.” His words do two distinct things to me—they cause every nerve ending in my body to spark to life, and they make me tremble violently before I feel him nudge my entrance. “We’ll go to the doctor tomorrow because the next time this happens, it will most definitely be bare.” There’s a feral promise to his words, and it sends heat coursing through me. He pushes open the door and steps out, leaving me for a short moment as he retrieves a condom from the cabinet.
When he joins me again, I smile up at him and whisper, “Okay.” I would do anything to have that connection with him. I watch as he bites down on the foil wrapper and tugs the condom free before sheathing himself. Even though I want to feel him, it’s best for us to go to the doctor first.