“I didn’t hear you walk in,” she whispers, staring at me with a puzzled expression as she white knuckles the towel. I wonder what she’s thinking. Does she think I’m going to attack her? Rip the towel away and ravage her?
After a moment, she turns back around to face the dresser and opens the drawer, causing the thought to evaporate into the air. She pulls out a pair of flannel pajamas, and while holding onto them with a death grip, she disappears back into the bathroom. Her need for privacy is laughable. I want to tell her that there is no need to hide from me, that I’ve seen her naked many times over the years, but I don’t think she’s ready to hear that yet.
I’ve shared enough with her today. We have many weeks to come to discuss all of these things. While she is getting ready in the bathroom, I strip out of my clothes and slip into some sleeping pants. Usually, I sleep naked, but since I’m making a conscious effort to make Dove comfortable, I opt for clothing. She’s not ready to see me naked, yet. A moment later, she reappears in the doorway. I can see her hardened nipples through the sleep shirt she’s wearing and saliva pools in my mouth.
Fuck me. I used to think it was so hard to see her and only be able to watch her, but I was wrong. This is a far more difficult battle. Dropping my gaze, I take in the rest of her body. Clean, dressed, safe.
“The bathroom door doesn’t lock,” she says as if I didn’t know that already.
“I know. None of the doors lock except the main entrance and the gym.” A tense moment of silence blankets us. Pulling the covers back, I ask, “Do you need anything before we go to sleep? A drink of water?”
“I’m not sleeping with you.” She lifts her chin into the air. Her defiance really is a fucking turn on, and if she didn’t matter so much to me, I would snap her in two.
Turning to face her fully, I don’t bother making my voice soft, there is no way she will win this fight. “You will sleep with me in this bed. This is one thing I insist on. I’ve waited too long for you to not sleep in the same bed with you now. So, you can either come to me on your own, or I will drag you to the bed and tie you to it. Choose, but either way, you’re sleeping beside me.”
Slowly she blinks as if she’s not sure she heard me correctly.
“What’s it going to be?” I ask, my patience slipping.
Padding over to the bed, she climbs up onto the mattress, a look of rage on her face. God, she is adorable when she’s mad. She lies down at the edge of the king-sized mattress and pulls the blanket all the way up to her chin.
Her gaze stays trained on me the entire time, like I’m a big bad monster. I can see fear, anger, and curiosity swirling around in the dark depths of her ocean colored eyes. I didn’t bother putting a shirt back on, and just like earlier, she stares at my bare chest when I climb into the bed, taking the spot beside her.
Her cheeks are a hue of pink, but when she realizes she’s been caught, her face turns bright red.
“It’s okay to look. You don’t have to be shy with me.”
“It’s wrong. You’re a monster. You kidnapped me.”
Ignoring her words, I roll onto my side and pat the spot beside me. “Come here. I want to hold you.”
Her lips press into a firm line, and she shakes her head. “I’m fine here.”
Sighing, I reach for her, throwing an arm over her middle, I drag her toward me. “When I said sleep, I meant in my arms.”
“I don’t want to sleep this close to you. I want to go home.” She squirms against me and rolls onto her side, facing away from me. Tightening my hold on her, I crush her back to my chest and keep her there. It takes a few minutes, but eventually, she stops struggling.
I guess it’s because she feels my cock hardening and pressing against her ass while struggling. Burying my face into the back of her neck, I inhale deeply. For the first time in a very long time, calmness sweeps over me. The same calmness I felt all those years ago when Dove held my hand and told me everything was going to be okay.
Years of pain and anguish are washed away in the blink of an eye and all because I get to hold her, finally. All I feel is Dove. Her warmth surrounds me, her sweet scent tickles the hairs in my nose. And I’m reminded that this isn’t a dream. This is real. The steady rhythm of my heartbeat drums in my ears and I squeeze her a little tighter.
“Goodnight, Dove,” I whisper into her hair. She doesn’t say anything back, but that doesn’t bother me; soon enough, she will see things for what they are.
For a while, her tiny body shakes with fear, but when she realizes I’m not going to do anything, she relaxes into my arms. It doesn’t take long for sleep to find me, and I hold Dove in my arms the entire night, my love for her an unbreakable prison that she will never escape.
My muscles ache when I finally open my eyes. Having Dove in my bed was both heaven and hell. Heaven because I was finally holding her, finally sleeping next to her, and hell because she woke up every few hours trying to wiggle out of my grasp. Every time she fights me and tries to get away, it’s like a small stab in the heart.
“Can you please let me go?” she whispers sleepily. “I have to use the bathroom.”
“Sure,” I murmur into her hair before reluctantly releasing her. She climbs out of bed and disappears into the bathroom as if she can’t get away fast enough. Lying on the bed, I watch the door, waiting for her to reappear. My cock has made a tent in my sleep pants, and there’s no point in hiding my arousal.
When the door creaks open, and her head pops out, her eyes go straight to the tent, and those plump lips of hers part on a gasp before fear flickers in her gaze.
“There isn’t anything to be scared of. I’m not going to attack you. I’ll wait till you’re ready. I can control myself.”
She makes a choking sound. “Ready?”
I smirk. “Yes, when you’re ready. I’ll wait till you’re begging me to fuck you, then, and only then, will I touch you.”
“You’ll be waiting for a long time because I won’t ever beg you. I didn’t even want to sleep next to you. The last thing I’m going to do is have sex with you.” She turns her button nose up at me as if doing so would hurt my feelings.
All I can do is let out a harsh chuckle. “Sure, sweetheart. Whatever you say. Let’s go have some breakfast and then I’ll show you the library. We have plenty of time to argue, but I’d prefer to do it after I have my coffee.”
Dove doesn’t respond, and I toss my legs over the side of the bed and stretch my arms above my head, releasing a loud groan. Looking over my shoulder, I find Dove staring at me, when she sees me watching her, she looks down to the floor.
As amusing as it is to stand here and watch her squirm with embarrassment, I really could use some coffee. “Come, let’s eat breakfast.”
Dove follows behind me, her feet move with little noise. Heading straight for the coffee pot, I prepare the coffee and then get to work on breakfast. I don’t bother asking Dove what she wants for breakfast. I know what she likes, what she’s allergic to. Her opinion when it comes to meals isn’t needed because I won’t ever make her something she won’t eat.
Preparing eggs and bacon for us, I place a plate down in front of her and lean against the counter, taking a gulp of the steaming hot coffee. Thankfully, Dove eats without complaint, and when she’s done, I take her plate and put it in the sink.