Chapter 15

Islapped my hand over my mouth at the sight of my man being carried in on a stretcher. His face was black and blue, his right eye slightly swollen, and his bottom lip split. His uniform hid the extent of the damage his body had no doubt sustained. It took every ounce of my willpower not to get in the way of the men rushing him to the Infirmary. I wanted to touch Zain, call out his name until he opened his beautiful green eyes and looked at me.

Thomson tried to be reassuring, telling me Zain had been fine, walking to the car on his own and holding a coherent conversation. But that didn’t mean he hadn’t sustained a concussion or that he wasn’t severely bleeding internally.

Anika and another medical employee I didn’t know were waiting for us in front of the Infirmary. The female doctor directed the agents as to where she wanted them to put Zain before kicking us all out. Although the exam would take a bit of time, and despite Anika promising to update me as soon as she had something to share, I frantically paced outside the Infirmary.

Thomson gave me a summary of what had happened, going on in detail about how my man heroically rescued a female Wish and protected them from the repeated attacks of a Nightmare named Tobin. While his tale warmed my heart, I also knew he was hiding the more gruesome details from me. I swallowed the urge to press him on it. I was freaked out enough without causing myself more distress.

“You have no idea what an even more precious gift your man just gave me,” Thomson said in a voice filled with emotion.

I gave him an inquisitive look.

“I know the creator of that female Zain saved,” Thomson said. “Her first Wish, Donna, had died in a terrible car accident.”

“Monica!” I exclaimed, my eyes bulging. “That female is Monica’s Wish? Donna came back?”

“How do you know about—?”

“I’ve been reading the files on the Wishes living here in Cordell,” I interrupted with a dismissive gesture.

“Ah yes, that makes sense,” Thomson replied with a nod. “But no, Donna met her final death many years ago. You cannot ‘resurrect’ a Wish who died on the Mortal Plane and failed to return to the Mist. Faye—the female we rescued this morning—is a completely new Wish.”

It took me a minute to digest that information.

“But… If Monica wished to get Donna back, will she want Faye?” I asked cautiously. I didn’t want to even envision Zain’s death. But should the worst come to pass, I wouldn’t want a replacement.

“I’ve only had a few moments to talk to Faye,” Thomson replied, “but from what little I’ve seen, I think she might be exactly what Monica wants and needs. Our wishes and desires evolve as we age. Monica wished Donna in her teens. It takes years for a Wish to become self-aware and then grow strong enough to cross over. Back then, Monica was self-centered, immature, and very much controlled by her father. She wanted a pet, not a partner, and had treated her Wish poorly. Donna’s death changed Monica—for the better. She will want a more mature and more assertive woman in her life now; one that she won’t be able to step all over. I believe Faye might be that female.”

“I see… How is she going to get in touch with Monica?” I asked. “I understand the organization’s policy is to basically let the Wishes fend for themselves.”

“Correct, but we made an exception this time,” Thomson conceded. “Monica is currently on her way here.”

My jaw dropped as I stared at him in disbelief. “Okay, what’s the catch?” I asked with suspicion. “I’m not buying that this is just you suddenly being in the mood to play fairy godfathers. What’s in it for you?”

Thomson chuckled, a glimmer of amusement and admiration in his eyes.

“Actually, we owe Ms. Sheffield a favor considering the pain we put her and others through when one of our agents went insane six years ago,” Thomson said, in a serious tone that caught my attention. “However, Monica also happens to be the heiress to the Sheffield chain of luxury hotels throughout the world. While we have no complaints about their operations, it isn’t the case with many other chains. If we could ‘recruit’ her into our services, she could provide us a backdoor entrance or use her contacts to access other venues that hold questionable events in their hotels during the Mist.”

“Why do I feel like I really don’t want to know what kind of ‘questionable’ we’re talking about?” I asked, highly disturbing scenarios already playing through my mind.

“When it comes to greed, there are no limits to just how repulsively creative certain people—who do not deserve to be called human—can get,” Thomson said in a grim tone. “It is one of the many things the Squad will be able to help eradicate if we—”

“YOU DARE!” Zain shouted.

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sudden outburst. Although muffled, the vicious threat in his voice was unmistakable. I rushed back inside the room—Thomson on my heels—and found Anika and her assistant cowering away from Zain. Leaning on his elbow and holding his side with the other hand, my man was snarling at the doctor with murder in his eyes. Had he not been hurt, I believed he would have made mincemeat out of her.

“Zain! Calm down!” I said, rushing to his side, while casting an inquisitive look at Anika.

“They touched me!” Zain hissed with outrage. “They were rubbing their hands all over me.”

My brain froze for a split second. Surely, he didn’t mean… Anika rolled her eyes like she couldn’t believe he’d actually said that. A quick glance at his body showed Zain was still wearing his undies, and the white cream smeared on his chest matched the medical ointment in the container on the tray next to his bed.

“You mean they were applying this cream on you?” I asked. “That’s… normal. They’re trying to make you better.”

Shock, outrage, and betrayal flashed over Zain’s bruised face in quick succession.

“You are fine with another female touching what’s yours?” Zain asked me in a dangerously low voice, filled with a mix of hurt and anger.

“Oh, Zain,” I said in a soothing voice. “Dr. Chandra isn’t touching you in a sexual way. I would have a problem with that. But she’s not.” I pointed my index finger at the pot of ointment. “This will reduce the inflammation and swelling, and help your bruises heal faster. The only way to apply it is by gently rubbing it on your skin. I, and everyone else here, want you to feel better and not be in unnecessary pain.”

Although my words somewhat appeased him, he kept glaring at the two medical professionals like they had stolen his lunch money.

“I don’t care. No female touches me like that, but you,” he grumbled.

This time, I couldn’t help but smile. My man was being silly, but how could a woman complain about such a sexy beast wanting to exclusively belong to her?

“All right, then. I will apply it on you, and Dr. Chandra can supervise to make sure I’m doing it right, okay?” I said, glancing at Anika for her approval. She nodded.

“Yes,” Zain replied, satisfied.

My chest tightened watching him clench his teeth through the pain as he lay back down. It was no wonder, seeing the network of black and blue stripes criss-crossing his chest and legs where Tobin’s tendrils had whipped Zain. Other round bruises indicated where he’d likely been punched. It was a miracle he hadn’t sustained any serious injury.

“How is he doing?” I asked Anika while beginning to apply the ointment.

“I was about to ask the same,” Thomson said.

Zain emitted a soft moan that I assumed to be of relief as the cooling effect of the cream no doubt slightly dulled the pain.

“He’s in a remarkably good shape, all things considered,” Anika said in a reassuring tone. “He has a mild concussion, whiplash and, as you can see, some severe bruising. Thankfully, there are no fractures or broken bones, and no indications of internal bleeding. I’ve given him some Tylenol for the headache and a muscle relaxant to ease some of the pain in his neck and upper back. The cream should be applied on the bruises three times a day.”

She turned to look at Thomson with a stern expression on her face.

“Zain needs complete rest for the next few days,” Anika said. “No physical exertion of any kind for him until I give the greenlight.”

To my relief, Thomson didn’t argue.

By the time I finished applying the cream, Zain had dozed off. We agreed to transfer him to my quarters so that I could take care of him. This threw a bit of a wrench in my plans. Aside from the mundane tasks of going home to open the shutters and water my plants, I needed to deal with my employer and my patients. It would all have to wait until tomorrow. Thankfully, as per the law, the day before and after the Mist were official holidays to allow people to go to their safe house before the curfew began, and to return to the city for those who sheltered in remote places.

For the remainder of that day, Zain zonked in and out of consciousness. A part of me believed he was sleeping so much to enter the dream world where he was stronger and healed faster. However, now that the Mist had ended, Zain was almost like a human. Only a fraction of his consciousness could enter the realm of dreams without flat out killing his human vessel.

While awake, my man barely talked. I didn’t know how to interpret his reaction. Zain clearly wanted my presence, and especially for me to touch him, but not in a sexual way. He craved for me to gently rub his back in a soothing motion, scratch his scalp, or caress his hair. It took me too long to realize my Nightmare wanted to be comforted, although I doubted he realized it.

Until today, he had never truly experienced pain. It sucked that his initiation should have been at such an extreme degree. But, beyond the physical distress, I had begun to suspect that the battle had mentally scarred him as well. Over the following days, Zain displayed clear signs of a depression.

Although his bruises healed at an incredible speed, my man continued to sleep an unusually high number of hours. He, whose appetite exceeded mine, dispassionately munched on his meals, leaving more than half in his plate. He was irritable and aggressive with everyone, but me. However, he no longer playfully taunted me or pursued me with his sexual advances. And yet, every night, he insisted on cuddling with me—chastely—despite his bruises.

The only thing that retained his full attention during his short waking hours were the combat and self-defense videos Tate had provided him to at least learn the theory until he was able to resume physical training. Every time I tried to get Zain to open up, he would change the subject or say all was well. As much as it pained me, I knew better than to pressure him. All I could do was let him know that I was here, and that he could talk to me about anything when he felt ready.

The few hours I had to leave the base to consult with my patients seemed to depress him even more. However, even without him, my current situation with the agency was untenable. I didn’t want to live permanently inside a fortified base. I wanted to be back in my home, with my big backyard and in-ground pool. I wanted to be able to have friends over, or chill on my front porch with a tall glass of iced tea and a good book, while the neighborhood kids played in the street. Zain’s presence was binding me here.

Obviously, the agency wouldn’t be too keen on letting him leave the base. They only trusted him to behave in my presence, or during a specific mission in my absence. To my shame, I had to admit that I also wasn’t certain to what extent I would trust Zain on his own not to cause harm. And yet, my gut said he would absolutely control his violent urges—not out of compassion, but because he understood the restraint he had to exercise in order to live in this realm.

On the sixth day, just as Anika was telling him that he was good to resume physical training, but not to overdo it, and to listen to his body for any sign of distress, a new victim was discovered. Darryl, who had been oddly quiet for the past week, had finally resurfaced. No cameras had captured his image, but the energy signature lingering around the desiccated remains matched his. That news seemed to crush Zain. Understanding finally dawned on me. That, too, I should have figured out sooner.

When we returned to my quarters, he immediately went to watch the news. I took the remote from him, turned the TV off, and forced him to look at me.

“I’ve been watching you eat yourself from within for the past week,” I said in a soft, but firm voice. “You relentlessly pursued me, convinced me to be yours, and now you are shutting me out. You call me your mate, but you treat me as a stranger. I’ve been trying to figure out what was torturing you. I’d even started wondering if you had tired of me, but—”

“No!” Zain categorically said, interrupting me. “I can never tire of you. You are my life.”

“Then if I am, why won’t you talk to me?” I asked softly. “Why won’t you let me help you? That is what mates do. I should be the one person you always feel safe to talk to about everything and anything, because I’ll never judge you or turn my back on you. It hurts me to see you in pain and not be allowed to help you through it. I wish you would trust me. I am your woman, and you are my man.”

An expression of deep pain crossed his features. Although he tried to hide it, a part of it lingered on his beautiful face, further breaking my heart.

“Am I?” he asked. “Am I still your man, Naima?”

I recoiled, my chest constricting with a painful feeling of rejection.

“Of course, you are!” I exclaimed, confused and hurt. “Or are you saying that you no longer consider yourself as such?”

Zain snorted and shook his head with a dejected expression. That he didn’t answer right away to deny my question cut deep. Head bowed, gaze vague, my Nightmare appeared lost in painful thoughts. Silence stretched between us, filling the room, choking the air out.

“I do not know who or what I am anymore,” Zain finally said in a low, angry voice. “I am a killer created to terrorize my creator who no longer wishes to be stalked. I am a predator who can no longer hunt without upsetting my mate. I am now supposed to be a protector, but I would have been defeated by an idiotic Nightmare if not for the aid of two frightened humans. I am a human who doesn’t know how to be one. I am a Walker trapped in a vessel I don’t comprehend, and in a world filled with nonsensical rules based on arbitrary and intangible notions.”

He lifted his head to look at me. My throat tightened, and tears pricked my eyes at the sight of the despair on his face. Zain studied my features as if he was trying to memorize them. He lifted one hand and caressed my cheek with such care, you’d think I was a mirage that he feared would vanish any minute. I wanted to answer and appease his insecurities, but he had more to say. I couldn’t risk stemming the flow now that the dam had broken.

“I cannot honor my commitment to you, Naima,” Zain said in a broken voice. “I cannot make you happy. You no longer want what I was made to offer, and I am too weak to accomplish what you need from me. I cannot beat Darryl. He is ten times more powerful than Tobin was, and I barely survived that. Each passing day, he grows stronger while I stagnate. Unless I can freely hunt humans, I will never catch up to him. And you will never allow it. Even with all the training in the world, I will at best weaken him. In the end, he will still obliterate me. I have nothing to offer you, Naima. You are my life, my sole reason to exist. But what is my life worth if I am of no use to you?”

“You think I’m going to leave you!” I whispered, flabbergasted.

“Aren’t you?” he said with a painful resignation.

“No, I’m not,” I said with conviction before cupping his face in my hands. “That is not how relationships work. I didn’t agree to be your woman in exchange for you saving my people. My affection is not for sale. I’m not a whore.”

Zain recoiled in shock and horror, realizing what his fears involuntarily implied.

“Naima, I never meant—”

“I know,” I interrupted, pressing my thumbs to his lips. “I know you didn’t mean it that way. But that’s exactly what it implies when you think that my feelings for you are merely linked to your ability to kill monsters. So, you need to stop thinking that. Yes, I am beyond grateful that you are able to help us, but that’s not the reason I consented to be your woman. It was your arguments in the Mist that convinced me.”

I scooted closer to him on the couch and slowly traced his noble features with my fingertips.

“The superficial part of me may be drooling over that drop dead gorgeous, godly body of yours, but it’s the predator in you that turned me on. I love the sense of danger around you. As much as it unnerves me, it tickles me in all the right places to see that evil smile of yours. The malicious glimmer in your eyes when you are thinking of all the atrocious things you would do to those you consider prey turns me upside down. I’ve always wanted a wickedly bad boy. You make me feel weak and vulnerable every time you look at me with that hungry, feral expression. And when you hold my neck and squeeze, I feel faint and like my heart is going to beat out of my chest, because I know you could snap it like a twig without breaking a sweat. And yet, I fucking love every single one of those things because I know you will never harm me or perform those acts except in order to protect me.”

Letting go of his face, I slipped my hands in his. Mine looked so small and fragile in comparison.

“I have searched my entire life for a man who would make me feel alive, who would give me the thrill and the adrenaline rush that I seek while also keeping me safe,” I continued, my eyes flicking between his. “Someone who I can trust with my heart and soul, and who would never betray me. Like you said, you are not my Nightmare, Zain. You are my Darkest Desire. With you, I can be who I want to be without shame and without fear. This is why I belong to you, and why you belong to me. Darryl, the Fourth Division, and the rest of the world have nothing to do with us. The one thing that would make me leave you is you betraying my trust by hurting me for your own pleasure.”

“That will never happen,” Zain said with a slight trembling in his voice.

“I know. So, unless you find some other fucked up way to drive me away, then it looks like you’re going to be stuck with me, forever,” I said with a quivering in my own voice.

He stared at me with a look of such wonder, you’d think an angel had appeared before him.

“My mate,” Zain whispered before drawing me into his embrace and capturing my lips in a kiss filled with such tenderness and devotion, I just melted against him.

My lips parted, surrendering to his tongue’s imperious demand for access. I loved the dominant and possessive way in which Zain kissed and touched me. The greed and impatience of his hands undressing me reminded me of a starving man. He seemed on the verge of just tearing my clothes right off and devouring me whole. I could feel the feral beast, just below the surface, barely contained, and ready to pounce. That made me tingle in all the right places.

Zain never stopped kissing me even as he stripped the clothes off my body. While pulling off my top, his lips teased the sensitive skin at the edge of my nape along the curve of my neck. When he was sliding my skirt down, his mouth paid homage to my breasts and my ticklish navel, forcing me to lie down on the leather couch.

We still needed to talk about the Darryl issue, but that could wait. My brain all but stopped functioning when Zain lowered my thong, and his warm breath fanned over my sex. Fiery butterflies took flight in the pit of my stomach, which quivered with anticipation. I had previously felt his unusual tongue in the Mist, but this would be our first time together as humans.

His tongue was warmer, softer, but just as relentless and demanding. Zain’s almost animalistic grunt of satisfaction as he dipped its tip in my opening set my skin on fire. Although my man couldn’t read my mind in this realm, he could still feel my emotions and leveraged this ability to the fullest. No one had ever been so attentive to each of my responses, as he licked and sucked on my little nub. His fingers, thick and long, zeroed in on my sensitive spot with an almost supernatural accuracy.

With one hand buried in his silky hair while he devoured me, I caressed and pinched the hardened nipple of one of my breasts with the other. My legs trembled as I began to crest. Zain growled again and accelerated the movement of his fingers inside me. While his mouth still massaged my clit, my lover looked up at my face. The savage, predatory glimmer in his eyes, and the shadowy aura swirling around him sent me over the edge.

As I rode my orgasm, my body shaken with spasms of pleasure, I watched my man stand next to the couch through hooded eyes. Zain slowly removed his clothes, his gaze never straying from mine. He didn’t make a show of it like a stripper would, but in a calculated—almost menacing—way that hinted that the warmup phase was over, and that I had better brace for what would follow. My stomach did a couple of backflips in a delicious mix of fear and anticipation.

My man was magnificent. He looked like both a Samoan warrior in his naked beauty, and a fallen god surrounded by the dancing flames of his shadowy aura. His thick cock, proudly erect, pointed at me in a menacing way; the threat further enhanced by the almost evil smile that stretched my man’s sinfully plump lips. My inner walls constricted and throbbed with both eagerness and apprehension. I felt hollow, aching to be filled, yet dreading the burn at trying to accommodate someone of his girth.

We were not in the Mist anymore. Magical thinking wouldn’t simply make me adjust.

Zain leaned towards me, and I opened my arms wide to welcome him. But instead of lying on top of me, he picked me up, facing him. My legs instinctively wrapped around his waist. I shivered with pleasure at the feel of his hard shaft pressed against my sex and of his burning skin against mine.

“Yes,” Zain hissed, a lustful expression settling on his gorgeous face. He tightened his hold around me and rubbed his face against mine.

We had never been so close, with no barriers between us in this world. If the feel of him was messing me up so badly, I could only imagine how much more intense this was for him who was still adjusting to the sensitivity of human skin.

My man crushed my lips in a searing kiss while he carried me to the bed. His cock rubbed against my clit with each step, sending lightning bolts down my spine and the length of my legs. I wanted him inside me, yesterday. Zain lay me down on the bed before joining me. Despite his visible hunger—which I shared—he continued to kiss and caress me a short while longer while I reciprocated. With the way he responded to each caress on his feverish skin, I believed I could make my man climax just by touching him.

When he began stroking my sex again, I realized the time had come. A bolt of fire exploded in my nether region and expanded outwards. However, through the blazing red-hot haze of lust, a sliver of lucidity came to the fore.

“Wait,” I whispered, pushing back on his shoulders to make him roll off me and onto his back.

He resisted for a half-second before complying, a frown marring his forehead as he stared at me with confusion. I climbed on top of him, kissing his lips before leaning towards the nightstand. I opened the drawer and retrieved a condom from the black box Anika had discreetly given me the day after we had moved Zain to my quarters. I had taken the time to get my contraceptive prescription renewed this week when I’d gone home to unlock my house. However, for the time being, I couldn’t take Zain’s seed inside me in any way, including orally, as it would bind him to me, to this world. His power would decrease, and with each passing day, he would become increasingly human while his ethereal essence faded.

His eyes widened in understanding at the sight of the small packet clasped between two of my fingers. Relief and anger battled each other on his face. I smiled and kissed him again. He was mad at himself for having been so lost in pleasure to have forgotten this critical point.

“We’re a team, Zain,” I whispered affectionately against his lips. “Everything doesn’t always have to be on you.”

Not waiting for his response, I kissed his lips again then began trailing a path down his neck and chest using my lips and my tongue. The way he moaned, whispered my name, and shivered beneath my touch was intoxicating. To think such perfection was entirely mine… That this predator, this bloodthirsty psychopath turned into a putty in my hands made me feel like a goddess among mortals.

A strangled cry rose from his throat when I clawed both sides of his chest from below his clavicles, over the hard nubs of his nipples, and down the chiseled plains of his abs. I had put just enough pressure to give it a nice burn without causing pain. His legs jerked when I licked and sucked his navel before pursuing my journey further south.

Zain leaned on his elbow, his lips parted as he breathed heavily through his mouth. I could almost hear his heart pounding erratically with anticipation as my face hovered above his crotch. Eyes locked with his and a mischievous smile plastered on my face, I pulled my tongue out as far as I could to build up tension. Then, in a deliberately slow fashion, I licked his shaft from the base to the tip. Zain hissed with pleasure. Teeth clenched, he fisted the blanket with such force I expected it to rip any minute.

Taking my time opening the condom packet, I licked the head of his cock and teased the seam of his slit before taking him into my mouth. He cried out my name, his hips involuntarily jerking upwards. Thankfully, I had prepared for that eventuality and moved my head back in time to avoid getting my tonsils destroyed.

“Stop!” Zain ground between his teeth in a pleading tone that only spurred me into bobbing my head a couple more times over him.

Just as I was going to comply, Zain grabbed my hair at the nape with enough strength for it to give me a serious sting that resonated directly in my core. He yanked my head away from him while moisture pooled between my thighs. I looked at him with hooded eyes and licked my lips in the naughtiest fashion before smirking, unrepentant. My man bared his teeth at me in a menacing way that only made me throb with impatience.

Still, I took my time unrolling the condom over his massive shaft. It wasn’t just the sadistic part of me that wanted to prolong the torture of the wait for both of us. Considering his girth, I was somewhat afraid to tear the condom if I rushed. I also wanted to show him how to unroll it on his cock as he had obviously never done this before.

As soon as I was done, I crawled back on top of my man and sat on him, my sex aligned with his. I rubbed myself on him, covering his shaft with my essence while he leaned forward almost in a sitting position to kiss me. I felt him tense when I lifted myself onto my knees, and my hand blindly took his shaft to align it with my opening. He broke the kiss and locked eyes with me. Our faces inches from each other’s, our breaths mingled as I lowered myself onto him. With careful and shallow movements, I gradually impaled myself on his cock.

Although it did burn a bit, I didn’t care. I was lost in the eyes of my lover, surrounded by his love—obsessive though it was—by his godly body with his burning skin wrapped around me, and the vortex of his shadowy aura swirling around us. By the time he was fully sheathed, time and place had ceased to exist. My skin tingled from the ethereal energy emanating from him.

Zain hissed as I began riding him. His eyes all but rolled to the back of his head from the extreme pleasure the friction was giving him. His arms around me were almost crushing in the strength of their hold. It should have terrified me, but only turned me on further. I increased the pace while covering his neck and chest with kisses and caressing his back. When I raked my nails on each side of his spine, something snapped inside him.

I yelped as the room spun around me. Before I knew what was happening, I was on my back, helplessly pinned beneath Zain. He slipped his arms behind my knees, forcing me to spread them wide while folding them towards my chest. He then held onto my forearms on each side of me. I was trapped, opened to him, with no other choice than to surrender to the unbridled assault he unleashed upon me.

Zain rammed himself in deep, a possessed look on his face while his shadowy aura spilled over the mattress like a black pool I would drown in if he let go of me. I gasped at the pleasure-pain of his brutal invasion. My inner walls contracted around him, having never been so stretched and so full, and yet eager for more. Zain slowly pulled out almost to the tip before slamming himself back in. I threw my head back with a strangled cry, electric sparks coursing through me. My man repeated the motion a few more times, gradually accelerating into a savage pace that had me shouting his name, spurring him on while he pounded into me.

My orgasm was so violent, I thought my spine had snapped. Only then did Zain release me from the position he’d kept me trapped in. But he didn’t stop thrusting into me.

“Again,” he ordered in a voice so feral the word almost came out like a growl.

Capturing my lips in a conquering kiss, Zain slipped a hand between us and furiously rubbed my clit while still rocking in and out of me. I went off like a rocket in a blink. This time, Zain’s body seized as my walls clamped down on him, and he roared his release. He thrust a few more times before collapsing on top of me and then rolling off to the side. His body trembled with the spasms of ecstasy. Breathing heavily, his muscular body glistening with a thin sheath of sweat, he stared at the ceiling with a dazed expression. Still, his hand blindly sought me. I curled up against him, and he wrapped a possessive arm around me.

It was too early to sleep, but I didn’t think I could ever move from my current position. I’d never been so thoroughly fucked in my entire life. I probably wouldn’t be able to walk for a week.

“I love you, my mate,” Zain said in a throaty voice.

My heart leapt in my chest upon hearing those words. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t reciprocate. I was falling for him… hard. But I wasn’t ready to say those words and genuinely mean them.

Propping myself on one elbow, I looked at his face staring back at me with an infinite tenderness laced with a fierce possessiveness.

“And you are sweeping me off my feet, my magnificent Zain,” I whispered, caressing his cheek.

To my great relief, he smiled, visibly satisfied with my answer. I caressed his muscular chest slick with sweat before resting my palm over his stomach.

“You’re about to love me a lot less though,” I said teasingly. He gave me an inquisitive look. I indicated his crotch with my chin. “You need to go get rid of that. Take it off carefully, make a knot, and toss it in the trash bin.”

He stared in disbelief at the condom still hugging his deflating cock before gaping at me. I grinned with the most obnoxiously innocent look I could muster. Zain audibly closed his mouth, shock giving way to aggravation. He glared at me, then at his cock before rolling off the bed.

“Motherfucking human body…” he muttered under his breath while marching into the bathroom.

I burst out laughing while admiring the magnificent round and firm globes of my man’s stellar behind as he disappeared from view.

My irreverent and spirited man was back.