Page 44 of Grave Possession (Grave #2)

Chapter Thirty-five

Graves

B asking in the afterglow, I turn Mal in my hold and pull her close, snatching the ghost blanket off the floor to cover us.

Her eyes fall shut, head resting against my chest, as my fingers trace over her soft, pale skin.

She’s healing and I’m glad. I could barely make out the ghostly colour of her skin at the mill, buried beneath the blood, abrasions, and dirt.

Based on that alone, I know her police statement isn’t a full recount of her time kidnapped by Ted.

My fingers trail up her back, over her shoulder, then down her arm. “Hey, we match,” I chuff. What are the odds our shoulder injuries are both on the left?

She tenses in my hold, every muscle in her body seizing tight and rigid against me.

“What did you say?” she whispers. Raising her head, Mallory’s eyes bore into mine, glazed over and terrified.

“Are you okay?” What the fuck did I say? A shiver racks her body, and I know she’s about to have another panic attack .

“What d-did you say, Nox?”

“I don’t want to say it again.” Not with how quickly she just flipped and started to spiral.

“Is this real?” she whispers, pulling away from me and sitting cross-legged. Her eyes are darting all over the place, searching for a threat that isn’t there. Hands patting around, frantically looking for something to grip onto, something to prove this isn’t a facade.

It’s me. She needs me.

Scrambling up and moving to stand in front of her, I infiltrate her vision, blocking out everything that isn’t me. She’s gone, lost in her mind. Mallory’s looking through me like I don’t even exist. This is what it was like before I came into her life.

I can help.

I can bring her back.

Clasping her shaking hands in mine, I find them ice cold. I move my palms up her arms and back down, trying to force the warmth of my body into hers.

My hands move across her skin gently to cup her face.

I lean in slowly, kissing her cheek, the tip of her nose, her other cheek, the centre of her forehead.

“Come back to me, little siren,” I whisper pleadingly.

Resting my forehead against hers, I watch her lashes flutter.

My voice breaking through the dissociation.

“Ghost?” she croaks.

The way she sees him as her protector and not me irks its way beneath my skin. I know I did this to myself, but why can’t she search for me when she’s lost?

“I’m here, baby. I’m real.”

“You’re here?” The sorrow-laced relief in her voice stabs me right in the gut. Guilt burrowing like a corkscrew in my chest.

I nod. She’s trying so hard not to cry, not to splinter apart to unfixable pieces before my very eyes.

I’m safe, you can let go, Mallory.

She launches herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck and embracing me tighter than she ever has.

“I’m sorry for whatever I said that sent you back there.”

“It’s okay, there’s no way you could’ve known.” Her frigid body presses harder against mine and I feel the chill sinking into me.

“Want me to run you a hot shower?” Again, she tenses.

Okay, what the actual fuck did he do to my woman?

“Bath. I meant bath,” I quickly correct myself. “Want me to run you a bath? Maybe make you a snack?” The tension slowly erodes from her body as it feels like she melts against me. Bath it is.

“That sounds great, thank you.” Mallory pulls away from me, looking so desolate. I don’t know what else to do.

“I’ll do anything for you, Mallory. Running you a bath is a pleasure.

” Her cheeks flush, and she averts her gaze.

“Look at me,” I say, and she tentatively raises her gaze back to mine.

“If you hadn’t killed Johnson, I would’ve taken him back to that cabin and skinned him alive for you.

I would have let you gut him, strangle him slowly, or torture him in whatever way you saw fit for all he did to you and the others. ”

“Lennox…” her voice cracks.

“I don’t need you to say anything, just listen.

I may be a cop, but that won’t stop me from doing whatever I can to protect you.

I’ve killed for you before, don’t think for one moment I won’t do it again because I’m now the captain.

” Her mouth opens like she’s about to speak, but I silence her thoughts with another breath-stealing kiss.

“And I definitely don’t look at you any differently for killing…

and enjoying it.” I murmur against her lips and she gasps.

Yes, she was traumatized and hysterical in that moment, most likely in the middle of a breakdown from thinking Ted took both Victoria and I from her.

But I saw the way she was entranced by the blood on her hands, and the drip of it off the tip of my knife.

“I-I didn’t like it…”

“Mhmm… Well… I did. Watching you unleash the savagely breathtaking side of yourself would’ve given me a stiffy if I wasn’t suffering blood loss.

” She is lip-locked until she registers what I said, then she starts laughing, slapping me in the uninjured shoulder.

“I mean it! And when you’re ready to admit it, I’ll be here to accept that side of you too. ”

“What did I do to deserve you?” she asks.

“Lip me off at a corner store. I’ve been infatuated ever since.” I wink. Standing, I turn, cup my junk, and dart towards the bathroom, abandoning her to figure out what I just said.

Turning the knob on the faucet, I test the water until it’s running at a hell-adjacent temperature.

“WHAT?!” she squawks from the living room.

There it is. I’m antsy as I hear her stand, bare feet slapping on the hardwood floor as she makes her way to me.

I giggle like a fucking child when she comes around the corner, gloriously naked and worked up.

Shit, my cheeks hurt from holding back this fucking smirk.

“Hmm,” I mumble, completely nonchalant.

“I lipped you off at a corner store?” I nod. “When?”

“Almost a year ago.”

“Really?”

“Frankly, Mal, I’m completely offended you don’t remember me.” I force my face to stay emotionless even though I’m squirming inside.

“Well…shit.” She huffs. “Tell me more. Maybe it’ll jog my memory.” The sound of thundering water echoes through the small bathroom as she crosses the threshold, closing the door behind her.

Encroaching on her space, I walk her backward until her ass presses up against the door. My dick twitches to life again as the memory rolls through me. She notices as it rubs against her leg. “Nox, focus,” she sternly says.

Locking my eyes on hers, I raise my hand to my mouth, make a peace sign with my fingers, and flick my tongue between them.

The second realization crosses her face, I drop to my knees and deliver on my gesture.

My tongue drags over her clit and her hips roll, chasing the sensation.

Our combined taste makes me ravenous, but I hold back, she has to be sore from earlier.

“That was you?” she pants.

“Best day of my life, little siren.” I lift her thigh and ease it over my shoulder. Kissing and nipping along the sensitive area back to her centre. I suck her swollen clit and slide my fingers inside her, gentle and slow .

“Nox, the water.”

“Better cum quickly then.” Her pussy clenches around my digits as her head falls back against the door.

“Make me.” Oh, you’re fucking right I will.

Dragging my tongue up and over her clit, I watch her watch me. “Do you like the sight of me kneeling for you?” She nods, threading her fingers through my shaggy hair and gripping tight, pulling me back to her pussy. Resisting, I say, “Are you going to be a good girl and cum on my tongue?”

She shakes her head. “Not good girl, don’t say that,” she whimpers. Fuck sakes, can I do anything right? We’re hashing this shit out later. I’m done fucking hurting her because I don’t know what happened.

“What do you want, baby? Want to be my perfect little insatiable slut?” She nods. “Mmmm, I’d say you like that an awful lot with how tight your cunt is gripping my fingers.”

“Nox…” she moans. “Harder, fuck me harder. Put your mouth back on me,” she whines.

Her hold on my hair tightens as she writhes on my fingers.

Pushing deep, I rub her g-spot. “That’s it baby, be my nasty little siren and ride my face.

” I dive back between her thighs, sucking hard on her clit as my free hand reaches up to pinch and tease her nipple.

Water spills over the side of the tub, the splashing sound pulling Mallory away from her release. “Lennox…the tub,” she pants. I ignore her, sucking harder on her clit, increasing the speed and strength of my thrusting.

I’ll make you cum, even if it causes a flood.

Pinching her other nipple has her spasming around my fingers, a screaming cry erupting from her throat as she peaks again tonight. Mal’s back arches as she grinds against my face, soaking me with her cum.

Water pools around us, seeping into the bath mat, and making the tile floor a slippery death trap.

Mallory exhales a heavy breath as she gazes down upon me.

Her fingers release my hair, run through it, then push it back from my forehead, “You’re gorgeous,” she breathes.

Wings take flight in my chest as she stares into the eye of the storm of who I really am.

My face heats under her adoration. Turning away, I lower her leg. “Be careful, the floor is slippery.” Moving on my knees across the floor, I turn off the water and pull the plug.

“Are you blushing?” she says from behind me. I turn my face farther away. “Nox? Look at me!”

“No,” I mumble, watching the water level drop at a snail’s pace while her eyes bore into the back of my head.

“YOU ARE!” she squeals. Dropping to her knees, she pulls me back, placing her hand under my chin to turn my face to look at her. “Breathtaking,” she whispers, placing a kiss on my cheek. “Heart-stopping.” A kiss to the other cheek. My face is on fire now, it’s bloody embarrassing.

“Mal…”

“Shhh. Let me love you.” She kisses the tip of my nose then locks eyes with me.

“Fine, if you must,” I groan.

“Asshole,” she breathes against my mouth before pressing hers into mine. I chuckle through our kiss, things momentarily feeling normal for the first time in so long. I pull away, and put the stopper back in the drain.

“Get in the tub, I’ll get this cleaned up.”

“Only if you join me when you’re done,” she counters.

Standing, I offer my hand to help her to her feet. “Absolutely. I’ll bring us something to eat.” Holding her hand tightly, she steps into the tub.

“Sounds groovy,” she slurs, sinking into the half-full steaming water.

“Groovy?” I ask. She shrugs. “Oh, I got you a fancy bath thing, can I throw it in there now?”

Her face brightens a fraction as she nods excitedly. “What is it?”

“You’ll see.” I tread carefully over the wet floor, and back out into the hallway. Opening the linen closet, I grab some towels, and the little black ball I bought from the spa store where I got her new pyjamas.

Returning to the bathroom, the sound of splashing water has her turning to me. Holding it up, she smiles, but it falters slightly.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“What’s it smell like?” she croaks.

Pressing my nose against it, I deeply inhale. The dust sucks up my nostrils and I have a sneezing fit. I knew this would happen, it happened in the store the other day. But she’s laughing again so I don’t care if it stings my sinuses. “Vanilla,” I gasp.

“You didn’t need to shove it up your nose, silly.”

I shrug. “Had to be sure of the smell.” I hold it out for her, and she tentatively leans in to smell it. Smiling, she nods. “Can I just throw it in?” I ask.

“Yep!”

I drop it into the water and it starts fizzing, bubbles erupting all around it as an inky blackness leaks from it.

“Uh, is it supposed to do that?”

“Yes, it’s a bath bomb.”

“Is it going to blow up?”

“No, you goof. The colours are the explosion and the fizzing. Watch,” she instructs.

I watch the thing bob up and down in the water as I lay the towels around the floor, soaking up the water. Dark midnight blue and purple foam start shooting out of it as it spins around in the water.

“Is that glitter?”

“Mhmm.” She watches entranced as the bath bomb fizzles away to nothing. The sight warms my heart. Watching her is my favourite pastime.

“Yeah… I’m not getting in there.” I say.

“What?!”

“I don’t want glitter stuck to me when Greyson shows up for our meeting tomorrow.”

“Pleaseeeeee,” she begs. Fuck, I really don’t want to be covered in sparkles.

“Mallory…”

“What if you tell Officer Smith that you’re covered in glitter because I was your own personal stripper?”

“You know I’m not a liar, baby.”

“Well… What if I make it the truth?”

“I still wouldn’t tell him that.”

“Why not? ”

“Because then I’d have to leak his brain out his ears for having the image of you stripping in his head.” She rolls her eyes, but smiles at my violent nature. “Like that, do you?” I croon.

“No,” she says through a smirk.

“So blood-thirsty,” I say, leaning down to press a kiss to her temple. “Be right back.” I stand, and watch her slip beneath the dark water. Waiting for her to resurface before I leave, just so I know she’s conscious. She had a terrible habit of falling asleep in the tub before.

Time ticks by as I wait, nervousness swelling into a large mass in my chest. How long can she hold her fucking breath? Jesus.

Her hand shoots up from below the water and I panic. Reaching for it, she swats me away. What the fuck? Mallory makes a shooing motion with her hand then points to the door, signalling me to leave.

Yes, ma’am.

Looks like I’m getting covered in fucking silver sparkles.