Chapter Twenty-One
"I Should Have Stayed Single"
"I am my husband's life
as fully as he is mine."
— jane eyre
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I was circling the boxing ring that was in the centre of the concrete floored studio, watching with a faint smile as Daemon trained two teenagers between the ages of sixteen and seventeen.
They were both scrawny, but they came to our fitness studio to build some muscle earlier this month. So far, they've shown a lot of commitment—something I admired in customers when they walked through our doors.
And I made sure our doors were nice. Having a gym that focused heavily on mixed martial arts and strength exercises, TapOut was built on the idea that anyone could and should defend themselves. We had women programs, which I taught, to give them confidence that women could, in fact, be strong.
When Daemon and I returned from travelling all over Europe and Asia, we settled down in New York and bought a large studio near the heart of New York City. It was completely destroyed at first, the walls basically peeling and the floors stained with a nauseating smell.
Luckily, Daemon wasn't all just looks. He helped me get our hands dirty, and within less than a year, we opened to the public. We were advertising a lot on social media—or I should say, I advertised. I don't know why I was surprised to learn Daemon never heard or touched Instagram or Tiktok.
By the time we opened last month in April, we already had dozens of people come sign in. And I liked to pride myself over how everything turned out.
Right when you entered through the double doors, the boxing ring was right in the centre of the room, but behind that, were the men and women changing rooms, as well as single rooms in case people didn't find it comfortable being around others. On the far left corner, there was a staircase leading to the second floor, where I did my lessons. There was several workout gear, including cardio machines for our pre-workout. The floors were covered in mats, and there were floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the streets of New York. Of course, they were one-way.
And on the left side of the front entrance, was mine and Daemon's office. There was a window, but the blinds were always drawn.
I was still watching Daemon with my arms crossed when I felt my phone vibrating in my floral dress pocket—the only dresses I wear now have pockets, curtsy of Sydelle and her fashion degree. I, however, didn't go back to school. I knew my path, and I didn't need a degree for it.
Keeping my eyes on Daemon, I let out a slow exhale before answering the call and pressing my phone against my ear. "Hello?"
"Mega-slut!" Sydelle screeched in my ear, making me wince as I pulled my phone back a few inches. "Why do I pack late? Why don't you yell at me more?" She accused, but I rolled my eyes, knowing this was coming. We were going to Russia tomorrow, because Daemon's birthday was something the family wanted to celebrate together. And Sydelle and Luba were coming along, for the first time in a little less than ten years.
"I do yell at you, you just don't listen," I reminded her with a smile, watching as the two teens gave Daemon a wide grin. His lip quirked up, only barely, before nodded once in goodbye.
Sydelle groaned in my ear, just as Daemon trialled his gaze over the studio, before darkening once the met mine. I smirked teasingly, but my amusement faded when my focus dropped to his naked chest. Or more specifically, his naked, tattooed, shiny with sweat, chest.
God, I'm such a sucker for tattoos. Especially tattoos that belonged to Daemon.
I couldn't help but drop my eyes to his bicep, where I saw the new addition to his body: A fully bloomed, blood red rose.
I remember yelling at him for over an hour on our one year anniversary. But I wasn't surprised when we ended the night with me naked and him between my legs. For someone with the worst social skills I've ever met, Daemon was way too good at smooth talking himself out of situations.
"What's the weather like in Russia?" Sydelle blurted, reminding me that I was still on the phone with her.
I cringed. "It's pretty decent to be honest. Above fifteen celsius, below twenty."
She hummed. "That's doable."
Hearing her rummage on the other line made me grin. "Please don't over pack."
"Me? Never," she gasped, as if she was surprised I even suggested such a thing.
I was laughing when my eyes stopped on Daemon, who was still watching me soberly. I felt my heart expand in my chest as he took his time, going under the ropes, his chest still glistening with sweat.
He took predatory steps towards me, but instead of stopping, he circled me and pressed his chest against my back, curling his hand around my waist to flatten me against him.
Sydelle was ranting in my ear when Daemon bent down to my free, left ear, rubbing his nose against the curve of my neck.
I was barely able to take full breaths as Daemon lowered his free hand lower, until it was slipping underneath my dress.
"Wait—what?" I gasped when I caught Sydelle's last sentence.
Daemon was busy chuckling deeply next to my ear when his fingers skimmed my upper thighs, getting closer and closer to the space between my legs.
"Should I bring Tinder guy?" She repeated absently, still shuffling through her clothes on the other end.
"Syd, why would you bring John when you only went on one date with him?"
"Two dates!" She corrected quickly.
I rolled my eyes. "One and a half. He left before the bill came."
"Because him mom went to the hospital." I could see her frowning already. "Plus, I don't always expect the man to pay."
Daemon heard that and scoffed. I couldn't help but grin widely. Daemon is annoyed at our almost weekly battle when we go out for dinner. Whoever pulls their card out first wins. Although recently, he's upped his tactics. He's been paying at the bar before I got the chance to do anything.
"Still, don't bring him. My family would probably kill him," I reminded her. "He'll stumble on something and you know papa."
She was grumbling profanities now. "Fine."
I was about to playfully console her when Daemon's fingers finally wiggled higher, barely caressing my heat. Even though my underwear was separating me from his touch, I arched against him and felt his breath deepening on my neck.
"Office sex?" He muttered, lining kisses down my throat.
My eyes were turning hooded when he started tugging me backward, but not releasing me from his grip as he led us to our office.
I started chuckling, albeit, breathlessly, before pushing the phone to my chest to muffle our conversation. "Why are you always so turned on after fighting?"
He didn't respond until we were passed the threshold of the office, but I quickly gasped when he shut the door behind us quickly before spinning me around and sitting me on my desk.
My eyes were blurry from the movement, but I still lifted my phone to my ear and murmured, "I've got to go."
Sydelle yelled back a reply, but I already hung up and threw the phone on my office chair, watching Daemon lustfully as he smirked and stepped between my thighs.
"You turn me on, Rose. Not fighting." His words came out rough as his hands clasped my outer thighs, bringing me closer to the edge of the desk. "You wet for me, baby?" He murmured, making sure I wrapped my legs around his hips before his fingers tinkled up my thigh, until he lifted the dress all the way up to my waist.
"Whatt?" I dragged out, trying to seem casual even though I was pressing my hands on either side of me, so I could arch myself towards his touch. "Never."
His lip quirked again. "Never? I didn't think you were a liar, Rose."
Before I could pretend to defend my honour, his fingers finally slipped under my panties, and I gasped, thrusting myself harder against his fingers.
His chuckle came out rough. "You in this fucking dress," he hissed, bringing his mouth to my neck, until his teeth scrapped that one spot that made my lips part in a silent moan. "The death of me."
"I love being the death of you," I replied. Although getting delirious with pleasure, I couldn't help but smile pridefully. "Imagine it in the papers: death by a woman wearing a dress."
His mouth curled into a small smile against my neck, just as this thumb pressed my clit.
I gasped and threw my head back, feeling the wetness start to pool between my legs. The pressure disappeared just as quick as it came.
"If you don't, I will," I warned, although I really, really, wanted it to be him.
He pulled his head back enough to let me see his eyes gleaming with mischievousness. His fingers moved again, but I nearly growled when he was touching everywhere but the damn bud.
"I hate you," I groaned, feeling myself start to thrash. But his free hand flattened against my lower back, so I would be forced to stay in one position.
His lips pulled into a faint smile again before he leaned down, bringing his lips down to mine. "I love you," he said deeply before thrusting his tongue in my mouth.
I moaned and stopped curling my fingers against the hardwood desk, so I could reach out and grip his neck. Just as I felt his body release from whatever tension he held, he groaned in my mouth and pinched my clit, making me cry out.
"Come on, baby. Scream for me," he demanded, making me gasp out when he pressed harder against the bud. "Scream in my mouth."
"Fuck," I gasped, rubbing myself against his hand. "Daemon."
Just then, he thrust two fingers inside me, hitting the perfect spot that made me do exactly what he wanted.
He helped me ride out my climax by muttering filthy words of encouragement, but once all the tension was released and I was sagging on Daemon, I fell on my knees and pulled out his hard shaft. It took a few minutes, but it wasn't long until he came down my throat, groaning my name repeatedly as his hands clenched around my dirty blond locks.
I couldn't fully commit to returning to my natural colour hair. This was the best I could do.
He was helping me onto my feet with a small smile when he pressed his lips softly against mine. "Happy early birthday," I teased with a playful smile when we pulled away.
"I think every day should be my birthday," he mumbled, tucking my hair behind my ear. "Seeing you on your knees..." He didn't finish, but I knew where his thoughts led.
I grinned. "You are a dirty, dirty boy."
"Man," he rephrased with narrowed eyes.
I patted his stubble cheek twice before sitting on the desk again. I started to readjust my bra when I looked up at him, but I stifled a laugh when I saw his gaze following my movements.
"I've been meaning to ask..." I paused to quickly straighten my dress before taking a deep breath. "Could you hang out with my brothers for a bit this week? I want you guys to get close and—"
His sigh cut me off, and I watched as he quickly shoved himself back into his sweatpants. "We are close. Ish."
"Ish. Exactly. You barely talk, and they're my brothers and I love you—" his eyes darkened at that "—and I want everyone to get along."
For a few moments, he didn't say anything, but just as I was about to be overwhelmed with anxiousness, he stepped forward again and cupped my cheeks, lifting my head enough so he could kiss my temple.
"If you want me to get closer with your brothers, I'll get closer with your brothers." His voice came out casual and cold, leaving no room for arguments.
I felt myself relaxing before laying my head over his beating chest. He wrapped his arms around my and held me in silence.
"I don't think I should warn you about Gala and Vladik, right?" I said after a few moments. "He's a little—"
"Insane?" He snorted, tightening his arm around me. "I remember our last visit, Rose."
Our last visit being in February, for Micah's memorial. Although, we'd also been there in January, for Lev's seventeenth birthday. Vladik was always on the impulsive side, and lacked impatience compared to the rest of us, but after surveilling Gala and falling for her after I left, he's always on edge.
Daemon had acknowledged her hair looked different—which wasn't hard to notice, even from the Shadow that was Daemon. She had straightened her hair, and compared to her usual curly hair, the difference was quite noticeable.
Vladik tried to hurt Daemon. And I said tried, because Daemon removed the weapon and threw my brother to the ground before he could make any contact.
Aka, the reason I would like my brothers to get along with Daemon.
"Good," I nodded with appreciation.
He eyed me skeptically and did the same, staring at me with slight amusement. "Good."
Neither of us peeled our gazes from the other, and it was seconds later when I felt the air disappearing from my lungs. Especially when his steel grey eyes carefully lowered and travelled over my body, like he was marking every inch into memory.
"Okay." I jumped off the desk, forcing him to take a few steps away. "We need to close up and head home. Bags can't be packed themselves!" I chirped, not giving him a chance to grab me as I slid around him, throwing the office door open seconds later.
A deep chuckle left him as I strolled away, and I sighed, knowing I was such a hypocrite. In the famous words of Sydelle: why would anyone willingly pack last minute?
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When we reached our destination in Russia, it was two in the morning—and Daemon's birthday.
Midnight struck while in air, so I pulled out his gift, which I had lodged in my carry-on the day before: an expensive oil paint set, as well as valuable oil paint brushes. I'd gotten them after I learned he painted with his mother and oldest sister, but he always favoured oil paint more than water.
Which was funny to me, because I liked to say we mixed as well as water and oil.
Papa had guards pick us up from the plane, but I was greeted with my entire family when we entered the house at four in the morning. Still, our conversations weren't that long since the four of us were still exhausted.
Daemon and I ended up passing out on my bed without even showering beforehand, and when I woke up the next morning, I didn't need a clock to know we slept in.
My head was laying on Daemon's bare chest while one of my legs draped over his, so I was arching against him. I knew Daemon was awake because I felt his hand shifting behind my head as he carefully ran his fingers through my loose strands of hair.
I hummed, but it came out raspy as I nuzzled my head harder against him. "Morning," I grumbled, feeling his hand pause on my hair for a few seconds before hesitantly continuing.
Grinning to myself at the reminder it was his birthday, any thought of sleep left me as I quickly sat up. His hands fell of me as I straddled him with a wide grin and droopy eyes.
"Happy birthday. Again," I chirped, flattening my hands on his chest as his expression softened. My body reacted instantly when his warm, large hands began to slide up my thighs in a sensual manner before he grasped my hips, pulling me closer to him.
"Can I unwrap my present?" He drawled, his gaze lowering to the hem of my shirt before slowly meeting my eyes again.
I was already curling my nails into his chest as my breathing deepened. "That depends." I still managed to say without sounding like I was dying for his touch. I shifted myself lower until I was hovering over his hard length. The only thing separating us was my underwear, and his boxers.
"Depends on what?" He murmured, his eyes not moving away from my lips.
I smiled again, cockily this time. "On not causing any fights."
That made him frown adorably before his attention shifted back to me. "But it's my birthday."
"Exclusions may apply," I tsked, making his eyes narrow.
We traded a few silent seconds before his hands lifted to my waist. I yelped when he suddenly yanked me to his chest, wrapping his arms around me so I couldn't leave.
Well, I could, but who would want to leave this?
"Aggravating," he hissed next to my ear as his hand rose to my hair, twisting it in his grip.
"Kickable," I chirped, only to bark out a laugh when he started to ravish my neck with his mouth and nose.
I tried pushing away, but he spun us around and pined me to the bed, effectively restraining me as he played my body like an instrument. Still, somehow between his assault and chuckles, faint moans were leaving me.
He pulled his head back enough to let me notice his heated eyes before his strong hands gripped the end of my shirt. I was already lifting my arms above my head when I heard someone knocking on my bedroom door.
Daemon snapped his head to the side and hardened his glare, but he didn't make a move to pull off my shirt any longer. When neither of us spoke, the voice on the opposite side of the door carefully spoke. "Lee?"
Recognizing Sydelle's voice, I relaxed under Daemon and called out, "Come in!"
This time, Daemon fastened his gaze on me, and if possible, glared harder. His expression swore punishment, and I couldn't help but grin before sitting up to pat his cheek. "Down boy."
His lips parted to retort, but he was cut off by the sound of the door squeaking open. Daemon was still straddling me, not making a move to get up, so I quickly slid my legs from under him and rolled off the bed, only standing in my shirt and panties.
Sydelle was fully inside the room when she nodded appreciatively at my appearance. I held back a laugh when her lips pursed in approval. "Daemon, you gonna let your girl walk around the house like that?" She asked teasingly. "I'm tempted to go on a walk with you dressed like this."
"Sydelle," he bit out harshly in warning, but she rolled her eyes, waving him off.
"Relax, Dams." I swear I could literally see steam coming out of his ears. "I'm just here to take my cous from you."
They were both staring at each other, him glaring and her innocently smiling a smile I knew was full of mischief. And I couldn't help but chuckle at the both of them. Sydelle knew Daemon sucked with people, but she joined me in constantly teasing him to "get him out of his shell."
The difference between us was that I annoyed him simply to annoy him. She poked at him to in hopes that one day he'll be socially acceptable. I've already accepted defeat.
Luckily, I knew he didn't completely hate her. He'd told me once that he was glad I had someone in my life, living here. So I'm sure he's appreciative.
Remembering that my two favourite people were glowering at each other, I sighed and leaned against my bed post. "What's up, bitch?"
She was the first to break the staring contest, only to give me a wide smile. I couldn't help but admire how her wispy bangs framed her face perfectly, along with her collarbone length, smooth hair.
She was wearing a maxi skirt and off the shoulder shirt with sandals, and I shook my head. I should have known she brought a steam iron. There wasn't one wrinkle on her clothes.
"Well, I was hoping we go for a walk. I want this outfit to see the outside, you know, mega-slut."
I nodded dramatically. "Of course, of course. We couldn't deprive nature with that skirt."
"That's the spirit!" She clapped her hands together. "I'll meet you in the dining room."
And with that, my cousin sprinted out of my bedroom, closing the door in the entryway seconds after her departure.
I was slowly shaking my head with an amused smirk when Daemon spoke dryly. "Your cousin needs a bell, Rose."
"Maybe. That wouldn't stop anything though," I drawled, already walking to my closet—where I dropped my suitcase late at night.
Daemon was grumbling under his breath as I bent, and I smirked, knowing where he was staring. Still, I continued rummaging through my belongings until I picked up a summer dress.
I casually threw off my shirt and ignored Daemon strangled groan while slipping into the dress before tying the knot at my back. After running a brush through my hair and brushing my teeth, I clipped back some of my hair and gave Daemon a grin. "I'll be back soon. Think about it this way, you'll have a prettier present to unwrap now that I'm dressed up."
He stared at me blankly, a blanket still covering his bottom half. Although, that didn't stop the tent from forming at a certain spot. "I don't give a fuck about how you look, Rose," he scrunched his nose in disgust, like he couldn't believe I even thought that way. "I want you. Always."
My playful retort died on my lips, and I smiled sincerely. "I love you."
The tension fell off his body as he sucked a breath. "I love you."
With that, I flashed him one last smile before slipping out of my room and making my way out of the east wing. But the second I reached the bottom of the stairs, my family swarmed out of the dining room and filled the foyer, each of them wearing large grins as they pulled me into hugs.
First, it was papa—who kissed my temple and roughly muttered he missed me before passing me to mama. She teared up, as if she hadn't seen me last night, just as Vladik joked the favourite sibling has returned.
I turned his way and pulled him into a hard hug, which he matched, before we pulled away. Gala was next to him, looking just as I remembered with her voluminous, curly hair and shy smile. We quickly shared a hug when I caught Lev idling in the background, watching us all with a blank expression.
He was leaning against the doorway, and I narrowed my eyes on him when he met my gaze. His lip started to quirk when I pulled away from Gala and strode toward him, only to hiss in feign pain when I noticed he'd grown several inches since I last saw him.
"You're taller than me." My sad tone didn't hide the fact that I was frowning, but his lip only quirked higher, letting me see that dimple he refused to show.
I wrapped my arms around my little brother, squishing him to my chest. He took his time returning the hug, but when he did, his arms were a little looser than I hoped.
When we pulled away, I brushed some of his light brown hair away from his forehead, so I could really stare into those unique hazel eyes. "I missed you, Levy," I mumbled, hoping to see that infamous dimple again.
It didn't show. "Missed you, too." Even though his words came out casual, my heart strings tugged, and I couldn't help but miss... everything.
I looked around and glanced at my brothers, never forgetting the absence of Micah and Ruben. When I looked at myself through the mirror, sometimes I imagined I was staring at them. Either Ruben's playful, always happy eyes, or Micah's serious ones.
I quickly sniffed and glanced around, seeing Luba standing next to mama, her short hair dyed midnight blue. They were wrapped in each others arms, but as I glanced behind them, I spotted Sydelle idling by the front door, anxiously rocking back on her heels as she watched me.
"We're going for a walk, but I'll catch up with you guys soon," I told them, already noticing some guards by the entryway straightening before glancing at the door.
Papa nodded and stepped away. "I'll be talking to Daemon while you're gone."
I groaned. "Papa—"
"Nothing bad," he defended quickly, but his clenched jaw didn't sooth my worries. He noticed where my attention was and forced a small smile. "Don't worry, Roza. Go ahead."
I sighed and stepped forward, but quickly pointed a finger at him. "Please be nice. It's his birthday."
Vladik snorted. "It's usually him that's not—"
He suddenly choked on a cough, and I knew that was Gala's doing.
I sighed and waved to my family before stepping out into the warm weather with Sydelle tailing behind me. "I'm so happy I grew up with just mama," she drawled, sliding next to me. "I couldn't handle all that."
"That's not even them at their worst," I laughed, twisting my head briefly to grin at her. "Where do you wanna go?"
She started to smile playfully. "I know a place."
I stared at her for a moment. "That wasn't ominous at all."
She said nothing before giving me a faint smirk and locking her arm with mine. I didn't bother questioning her any further as she forced me to skip with her towards the pathway entering the forest at the end of the estate.
We walked for thirty minutes, and during that time, we talked about a new show we started watching together: Being Erica. We both liked it, although it was cheesy at some times, I liked the story line.
"Still, I like how even though she goes back to the past to fix her mistakes, her future is always the same," Sydelle admitted as she tilted her head to the sky—which was clouded by a sea of tall trees. "It's like your future is set in stone. Destiny and all that stuff."
I nodded, but something in my chest fluttered. "I think I like the direction my future is heading." For once.
Sydelle slid her gaze away from the sky and towards me. I kept my focus forward, but after a few moments of silence, I finally twisted my head to her.
She was staring at me expectedly. "So, Daemon..."
When she didn't continue right away, I furrowed my brows and slowed my pace. "Daemon is definitely it, Syd. He's my future." I started to chuckle when I saw her playfully scrunch her nose. "So you better get used to him now."
"He should get used to me," she defended, pointing to her chest before leading me through a narrow pathway. "I'm used to him."
I snorted. "I've been dating him for over a year and met him almost two years ago. I'm still not used to him."
Sydelle grumbled something that I couldn't quite catch under her breath, but before I could question what she was whispering to herself about, we reached the end of the pathway. And my eyes instantly widened at the sight in front of me.
The trees all spread away to make room for a field of luscious grass and a glistening pond. And because the trees were circling the space, it made room for the sun to aim directly at the water. But it wasn't how my feet sank into the grass or how the trees perfectly sculpted the circular space. It was the fact that outlining the pond, were dozens upon dozens of crocus flowers.
I started to grin. "They're not autumn crocus' but this is seriously the next best thing."
"Still don't understand why you like poisonous flowers."
I was so absorbed by the flowers that I hadn't realized she'd stepped a few feet away from me until her words came from a distance. I frowned and glanced over my shoulder, only to see her standing near the narrowed pathway we came from.
She gave me an innocent smile before looking over my shoulder. Following her gaze with a frown, I tensed up when I concentrated on the right side of the pond—which had a large, red and white picnic blanket laying on the ground, along with a closed basket.
My lips parted in surprise, and the hairs on the back of my neck started rising, just as my body jumped at the sound of a third voice joining our conversation.
"Autumn crocus' don't come for another few months, so this was the best I could do."
Daemon's deep drawl forced me to pull my fixation away from the picnic, and guide it to the edge of the forest on the far right. And I watched as Daemon stepped out of the shadows, hands in pockets as he gave me a subtle smirk.
My heart jumped when I saw him in a white button up shirt and slacks. It's weird. He used to dress the same every single day, but ever since we started travelling and moved back to New York, he's rarely wore his regular suits. I really took advantage of the button up shirts and rolled up sleeves.
But here he was now, with those damn rolled up sleeves that showed off his tattoos, and that damn hair that wasn't gelled back. It was loose now, and I watched, mesmerized, as the wind casually blew the strands over his forehead as he took slow steps towards the picnic blanket.
"It's your birthday and you're surprising me?" I asked, because I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact he prepared a picnic. Daemon Kade. Who is glued to his gun. Who cannot stand society. Who is so... kickable.
He tried to smirk, but it came out forced and... was he blushing?
No, that could not be right. But the longer I stared at him, the more my lips parted, because he was. Daemon was nervous.
I took a careful step closer. "What's going on, Shadow?"
He gave me another nervous smile until he crunched down next to the blanket and—oh my god he's going down on one knee.
"Rose," he started, and I took another hesitate step forward, until we were only a few feet apart. "I can't... I'm not good with words."
For the first time since I saw him here, my lip quirked. "But," he quickly added, swallowing. "Somehow, after meeting you, talking is less intolerable, and every day, I find myself wanting to make you smile. Hear your laugh. Things I never paid attention to, and found annoying."
When his eyes started darkening, my heart leapt in my throat. "I love you, Rose. I've loved you even when you hated me, and I'll love you when you what to kick me. You're my flower because without you, I don't think I would ever be capable of getting myself close to anyone else. You're mine because I can't imagine my life without you."
His jaw clenched and I watched with a grin as his foot tapped twice. "Please help me here."
I started laughing through my pounding heart as I rushed towards him. "Get up, you idiot," I sniffed with a wobbly smile as I cupped the back of his neck with my hands, until he pushed himself up on his feet.
His grey eyes were on me nervously, and as I lowered his head to mine, I couldn't stop myself from tilting my head, close enough that our lips were barely touching.
"Say it, Shadow," I whispered, licking my lower lip with eagerness.
He didn't miss a beat, staring at my lips lustfully and completely enamoured. "Marry me," he breathed.
My hands held his neck tighter, and I didn't think as I threw myself onto his body, throwing my legs around his hips while a deep chuckle left him in surprise. But before he could let a word out, I was already kissing him hard, and against my lips, I felt both of us grinning.
"Yes, robot," I murmured into his mouth. "I can't imagine judging people without you."
His hands pressed against my back hard, removing the distance between our chests. "Good. Because don't think I'm going to your aunts' events without complaining. I swear, Rose, another fucking party with you wearing a short dress, I'll shoot myself there."
I started laughing harder into his mouth. "I like seeing you squirm, though."
He groaned and pulled me deeper into the kiss, but as his hand was sliding underneath my dress, both of us tensed up at the faint sound of someone sniffing.
Slowly, clarity returned to me and I cringed, realizing I hadn't actually seen Sydelle leave. But because Daemon refused to loosen up his hold on me, I arched my head back and glanced to my right, where I saw a tearing Sydelle slowly reverse through the pathway, holding her phone horizontally to her chest. Was she recording us?
My question was answered a moment later. "I'll crop out the last ten seconds," she sniffled with a pained smile. "I'll... leave you two lovebirds, but you—" she pointed a threatening manicured finger at Daemon, who was watching her with a bored expression. "—if you hurt her, my high heel will go in a place you don't want a high heel to be in."
I was holding back a laugh when she quickly jogged away, out of our sight, until all there was left was us and the birds chirping in the trees.
Twisting my head back to Daemon, I smiled sensually by lowering my chin to hood my eyes. "What now?" I drawled, running my finger up his shoulder and around his neck, before gripping his hair.
Instead of replying, his chest rumbled against me before he lowered us to the grass next to the blanket. A shocked chuckle left me when he yanked the blanket from next to us, before throwing it over our bodies.
I was already grinning when it managed to cover us, and although the rays of sunshine were getting through, all I could see is Daemon—who looked ready to eat me alive.
"Now?" He muttered gruffly. "You're going to imagine yourself in your favourite place, Rose, while I make you scream my name."
And as he lowered his head, he managed to do what he promised as his shadow hovered over every inch of my body. And I imagined myself right where I was, with him.
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writing this story was so fun
for me — especially Rosa's
character (mostly because
she was everything I'm not...
at least to an extent)
I wrote this book after writing
an upsetting novel to say
the least, and I have no regrets
for it because it made me liven
up a bit
but this isn't the last time
youre going to see Daemon
and Rosalina! I am planning on
writing a spin-off, although that's
well in the future
(I still have to write the next
spin off for Only You)
till then, I hope to see some of
you lovelies while I'm uploading
Playing With Fire.
thank you for the reads, votes
and/or comments — I appreciate
each and every one of you <3
bye lovelies x