Anger blossomed in her eyes. “How long will you see it? Tomorrow? The day after? Or once tonight is over, you’ll cut me back out and leave me stranded all over again?”

My pacing stuttered, my cock twitched. “You’re right. To you it must seem as if I’m schizophrenic.”

Insane.

Just like everyone said.

She was silent for a moment, before brushing her thumb over my lips. “You seem troubled. That’s all.” Wrapping her arms around me, she sandwiched our bodies together.

I am troubled. More than you know.

The urge to be close—as close as humanly possible—forced my arms to wrap around her and thrust hard. I rode her like that. Arms locked, bodies merged into one. My balls slapped against her as my cock rubbed against her clit.

Pleasure supernovaed into a raging black hole, waiting to consume us.

I picked up speed, chasing the finale.

“Oh, don’t stop,” she moaned.

Her body bucked beneath mine, jousting and submitting in equal measure. I felt her pleasure as surely as my own. I drank her bliss like nectar.

“Am I hurting you?” I fisted the pillow behind her, rocking faster.

Her forehead furrowed. She nodded a little. “It’s a beautiful pain, though. A belonging sort of pain. Don’t stop.”

“I can’t take you without hurting you,” I said into her hair. “In a way, it’s only fair.”

Her fingernails dug into my lower back. “Why…why is it fair?”

I groaned. I didn’t want to answer that.

Because you hurt me when you take me, too. When you give me no choice but to let you inside me.

She rolled her hips, rubbing against me. “I’m angry with you. So damn angry at the way you treated me.”

I kissed her, forcing her to drink my words. “I know.”

Speaking through our kiss, she groaned, “I can’t control myself around you, but it doesn’t mean everything is fixed between us.”

“I know that, too.” I rocked harder, driving us to insanity. “But no matter how angry you are, your feelings won’t stop you from coming.”

I pinned her delicate frame with mine and let loose.

No more talking. No more thinking or feeling or planning.

Just fucking.

She gave in, moulding her body to mine, sighing heavily as my groan echoed around the room like a serrated blade.

She tormented me. But by God, I fucking loved her.

I didn’t understand her. I didn’t trust her. But my instincts plaited with hers and we fed off one another.

My balls cramped, desperately needing to come.

“Please, Kite. Give me what you’re hiding.”

Needing this over, craving silence from her all-consuming emotions, I drove faster.

Nila moaned as I reached between her legs, rubbing her clit while fucking her with no mercy.

It took two seconds for her to detonate.

Her eyes rolled back, she stopped breathing, and every molecule of her body exploded.

“Fuuuuck,” I grunted as her pussy contracted hard and strong around my cock.

I didn’t stand a chance.

I came.

Bliss and pleasure hurtled me into the stratosphere where no thought existed. Together we unravelled, spiralling deeper into chaos.

I didn’t care about anything. We journeyed to fucking utopia in each other’s arms.

Our hearts thundered against each other, speaking in Morse code just how precious this was. However, beneath the blistering contentment, I cursed myself to hell.

As my seed splashed inside her, all I could think about was the way I’d stolen her right to be a mother. I’d injected her to save her. But now it felt like a coward’s actions.

The Grim Reaper himself danced over my spine as another thought came to me.

If she had been pregnant, her child—my child—would’ve been murdered.

And nothing on earth could ever make that okay.

This has to end.

When our orgasms faded, I fisted her hair, forcing her to open her eyes. “Look at me.”

She breathed hard, staring into my gaze with melted heaven and sweetest satisfaction. “I’m looking, Jethro. And despite everything you do…I see you.”

“I know you see; that’s why I need you to promise me something.”

“Anything.”

Familiar ice filled me at the thought of what I had to do. I had to be smart. I had to win. Because there would be no second chance—for either of us.

“Outside of this room, I will continue to be cruel. I will continue to do what is expected of me. You have to trust me.”

She stiffened. “You’re saying after what just happened, things are going to go back to the way they were?”

I nodded. “They have to. Until I can do what’s needed.”

Her eyes narrowed. “And what are you going to do?”

I kissed the tip of her nose and hoped to God I’d made the right choice.

Please, give me strength.

“I’m going to do what I should’ve done a long time ago.”

Kill my motherfucking father.

LIFE SETTLED INTO a temporary rhythm.

By day, I either sewed or spent it with the Black Diamond brothers learning all there was about carats and mining techniques. I was told where the mines were located. I memorized the wealth extracted from each location and the brand they laser cut onto every stone. By night, I shoved away infrequent vertigo waves and sketched new designs I might never create.