Page 83 of Bound By Flames

“How was the session with Dr Ofenhaus this morning?” Ares asks as we arrive in the black Mercedes sent to pick us up from the airport

“Not so bad.” I shrug.

“Really ? Wanna talk ‘bout it, princess?” His gorgeous emerald eyes study mine. He’s wearing a black suit with a black dress shirt, and the whole look is making me want to run my hands on the fabric and squeeze his thick muscles underneath. A wicked grin lifts the corner of his lips. Damn it, he knows what I’m thinking about.

Focus, Mia.

“I, um, he said I’d made progress when I tried to eat at the gallery.” His gaze softens.

“That’s good,” he comforts me.

Why does it feel so good to hear him praise me?

“He said, since you’re the one helping me to stop my panic attacks, that…”

Just say it. He won’t let you down, trust him.

“C’mon, Mia, tell me.” His eyes lock with mine, patiently waiting for me to talk.

“That next time we could try new foods together, that it could help me to overcome the fear of having another panic attack,” I explain.

“Okay, we’ll do that then.” He takes my chin in his rough fingers. I smile back shyly, wondering why this man would even want to put up with a mess like me.

“About Kiara, I know you’ve been busy with the club and all that, but I need to know how you’re going to handle it. I can’t fix this myself… My father knows I can’t do anything about it. Whatever you plan on doing, it needs to be discreet. I never want Kiara to know, she’s…she’s too good for this world, and she would hate herself for not having agreed to the match before we got married. Just promise you won’t make anything that could jeopardize that.”

“I won’t, you got my word.” His thumb brushes my chin.

“What will you do?”

He sighs and lets his hand fall down, his gaze drifting from my lips to my gaze.

“Before I got you, I had a talk with him in our basement at the club.” He takes my hand in his and laces our fingers gently, reminding me of my father’s knee, contrasting with his words. “I think your father just needs a reminder not to take his safety for granted.” He lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses the translucent skin of my inner wrist.

“You won’t kill him,” I say blankly.

“Do you want me to kill him? ” He lifts his brow.

The silence weighs heavily in the car, the roar of the road the only sound echoing around us. If it was up to me…but it’s not, and even if he’s a shitty father, Kiara doesn’t deserve to go through this. I shake my head silently.

“I’ll just make a point, it’ll be alright. Consider it done.” And with his commanding tone, he grabs my nape and leans in, towering over me, his black suit making him look like sin incarnated, his tattoos escaping from his neck and licking his jaw, his leafy gaze suddenly heavy with something we’ve been fighting for months now.

“I’ll take care of it, Mia. I’ll protect you, always.” His finger caresses my lower lips. “You and the people you care about.”

“Ares—” I whisper.

“I’m not running away, Mia. I’m not backing down. I’m not leaving. We’re gonna deal with your father as a team, and then, we’ll go backhome.” I nod twice, pushing away the tears and the overwhelming amount of butterflies flying in my stomach.

Is this what…love feels like?

Lacing our fingers, he puts our hands on his thigh, circling my skin with his thumb.

Could this last forever?

Ares

Mia is acting differently.

She didn’t wear her usual colorful clothes, and although she’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, she seems like a dim version of herself. No jewelry, except her weddingrings, no nail polish stuff, no outrageous orange boa to finish the look as she always says, no sequin purse, and most of all, no high heels.