“Help if what?” she encouraged him, putting her hand on his that rested on her thigh and squeezed.
“Maybe if you could talk to me, tell me about us, remind me of the things we shared.”
“But you know all that.”
“In my head, yes, it’s all there. Our past, everything. But I missed your voice. All those sleepless days I was dreaming of listening to your voice telling me about our life together.” He kissed her neck softly. “And perhaps hearing your voice will help me find my own voice again.”
His kisses were pleading, wiping away her momentary doubts. Hadn’t she too needed to find herself again after her imprisonment?
“Just before the old king died, remember when you lifted me up into your arms and carried me out of that hellhole?” she started and snuggled into his embrace.
“Yeah,” he murmured.
“I knew then that there would never be another man for me but you.”
Cain chuckled. “I made quite an impression, huh?”
Faye smiled wistfully. “You were covered in blood, and you looked like the devil himself. But you hadn’t come to hurt me or the others. When I watched you open the cell, I shrank back into my corner, so afraid of you. Afraid that you were just one of the many who’d hurt us before. The smell of death clung to you. It made me shiver. But then you looked directly at me, and I couldn’t escape your gaze. You were a warrior, and everybody yielded to you. So strong, so formidable, so fearless.”
Cain’s breath blew against her nape. “Was I all that?”
“To me you were.” She paused. Retelling the darkest time of her life still hurt. But knowing that she was safe, safe in Cain’s arms, soothed her pain.
“Tell me what happened.” There was a strange tone in his voice, almost as if he was interrogating her and wanting to get to the bottom of an important question. She shook off the thought.
“But you know everything. You were there. You know what he did. I don’t want to talk about the torture and the rapes. It’s all behind me now. I’ve healed.”
She felt a sudden tightening of his hand over her thigh, accompanied by Cain’s breathing and heartbeat accelerating. When he spun her around, making her face him, she was shocked to see a mask of horror in his face, and pain sitting deep in his eyes.
“Faye,” he murmured, moving his head side to side.
It looked as if he wanted to say something, but no words came over his lips for long moments.
“Nobody will ever hurt you again,” Cain finally said, his voice choked up.
Then his lips were on hers and he kissed her more fiercely than before. She slung her arms around him and pulled him onto her, spreading her legs to make space for him. Hard and heavy, his cock rested against her center, but he didn’t enter her. She took his head into both her hands and severed the kiss.
“Make love to me,” she demanded.
Dark eyes looked down at her, the storm in them evident, though she didn’t understand the reason for it. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Then love me.”
Gentler than ever before, Cain slid into her in slow motion. And just as slowly, he pulled back. Her sex was lubricated not just by her own juices, but also by his semen, and Cain could have taken her even more fiercely this second time—which was how he’d often done it in the past—but instead his lovemaking felt as if he were touching a virgin.
She didn’t understand what had brought on this change in him, but it didn’t matter. Cain making love to her with such reverence, such tenderness, was new, and she welcomed every second of it.
“I missed you, Cain.”
His mouth descended on hers and prevented her from uttering another sound for a very long time.
26
Bending over the desk, Cain slammed his fist on the wooden surface and glared at his brother.
“I don’t care that Baltimore is your personal guard! I won’t tolerate him on palace grounds any longer! That goes for everybody who treats my fiancée with disrespect.” He pointed his index finger at Abel. “And your guard did more than that. He manhandled her! He’s lucky to be alive!”
“You’re overreacting. I’m sure it was a misunderstanding. Baltimore is a fine guard. He knows not to overstep his bounds.”
“He did overstep. I suggest you pick another personal guard.”
“You have changed, brother. A little disturbance like that would have never derailed you to the point where you put your own desires before the good of the kingdom.”
Cain narrowed his eyes. “And how would having Baltimore remain here be for the good of the kingdom as you say?”
“He’s a valuable and loyal guard. Are you sure we can turn men like him against us in this difficult time? Have you forgotten already that somebody out there wanted to kill you?”