Page 97 of The Ecstasy of Sin

I try to hide my smirk as he sways, his body clearly beyond spent. Before I can get to my feet, he crouches down and lifts me from the pavement.

“I can walk,” I whisper as he lifts me and settles me onto the back of his bike.

“No.”

He reaches down and grabs my helmet, securing it over my head, before he slides his own into place. He grabs his jacket from where he discarded it onto the floor, and puts it on me instead, layered over my cardigan.

He swings a leg over the bike and slides into place in front of me.

The engine roars to life, and he jerks the bike forward, forcing me to slam against him. A startled cry escapes me, my arms tightening around him.

“Remember what I said.” The warning isn’t lost as his voice transmits across the radio. I squeeze him in response.

He pulls out of the parking lot, and out onto the street.

I cuddle close against his back, reveling in the feel of him pressed against me as the cold wind whips past us.

I soak in his heat, in the safety of his solid presence, and squeeze my eyes shut at the rush of emotions emerging from somewhere deep, dark and unknown inside of me.

I’m falling in love with a monster.

CHAPTER 24

Dominic

She’sfightingherbody’sneed for sleep as I lift her off the back of my bike and cradle her in my arms, carrying her toward the front door.

Hunter is barking, but even the sound of his territorial alarm from inside the house doesn’t seem to rouse her.

Her pretty brown eyes are heavy-lidded, blinking slowly as exhaustion fights to claim her.

I set her down for just a moment to unlock the door, pushing it open, and letting it swing wide. I lift her in my arms again and step into the dark house.

Hunter is waiting inside, his cold nose bumping into me in greeting, tail wagging hard enough to thump against the wall.

“Hey, big man,” I murmur affectionately, nudging the door shut behind me with a backward kick. Before heading to the bedroom, I turn to face the whiteboard next to the door.

Even with her eyes shut, her voice breaks through the silence, sleepy and slurred. “Does Hunter need anything?”

I smile. “No, baby. Ghost was here an hour ago,” I tell her, reading the scrawl he left behind. Hunter was walked, fed, and given fresh water. Ghost also reminded me to check the group chat when I get the chance.

Wren yawns, and I kiss the top of her head before heading down the hall. “Stay with me, baby. We need a shower.”

“I can walk, y’know,” she mumbles, tripping over the last word.

“Doubt it.”

Hunter trails us into the bedroom, circling once before curling up on his dog bed in the corner of the room. I head straight into the bathroom, setting Wren gently on the counter so I can get the water running.

“I’m exhausted,” she says through another yawn, her eyes finally fluttering wide open. She glances down at her hands then freezes, spotting the blood smeared across her inner thighs. Her breath catches, the sound drawing my gaze as I open the shower door and crank on the water.

I walk back to stand in front of her. My hands settle on her thighs, fingers brushing along the sticky patches of dried blood. She stares at them with intensity, until her brow furrows in quiet worry.

“You stopped bleeding, so it’s okay,” I whisper, kissing her forehead. “I’ll keep a close eye on it.”

I help her shrug out of my leather jacket, then the cardigan she wore underneath it. I toss my jacket into the corner of the room, since it’s probably ruined.

I slide my hands to the hem of her bloodied dress. She leans into me, her palms pressing against my chest as I slip it out from under her and pull it over her head. When I toss it aside, she unclasps her bra and offers it to me with a small, sleepy smile.