Malice's Possession(43)

“Hey. Shhh.” Malice had his arms around her and pulled her close so her body was pressed to his in a matter of seconds. Here he was being all sweet again despite the almost scary exterior he emitted. But that went to show that the outside appearance wasn’t what someone should focus on.

Everything rushed through her as her emotions were open and vulnerable.

“I’m sorry, baby.”

She should have been stunned at the endearment he had just called her, but she tightened her arms around him. He smelled good, like spicy, dark cologne, and something familiar that she couldn’t quite place.

“Everything will be okay now.” He rubbed her back in slow sweeps of his hand, and she forced herself to pull away and look into his face.

“I don’t have money, Malice, and I already feel so indebted to you.” The worry about paying him and his club back for everything they had and were doing for her was this heavy weight on her shoulders.

“That isn’t something to worry about right now, baby.” He brushed his thumb under her eye and collected her tear. “But when you feel like you’re ready, you have a job here.”

“Here?”

Cupping her face with each hand he stared into her eyes with his gray gaze. “The club already approves it, but if you want to work, since you’ve mentioned that already, you could work here, be employed by the club to help take care of the women and the house.”

“But what about when they are healed and ready to move on? What happens to the cabin then?”

He shook his head. “Then that is great when they are healed and gone, but this house is still going to be used as their home. The women that weren’t hurt—the ones that work for the club—still need a stable place to call home. This is that place. There are always Brothers making sure everyone is safe.” He stroked his thumbs across her cheeks. “And knowing you’re here, safe from all the fucking ugliness of the world, will help me sleep better at night.”

His dark hair was longer, and she moved her hands up and brushed the tips of the strands with her fingers. “I don’t even know what to say.” Honestly, she hadn’t thought anything like this would happen so easily for her. Up until this point she hadn’t had it easy, but ever since meeting Malice things had just kind of fallen into place.

“Money is not something you need to worry about right now, and paying me or the club back isn’t something you need to worry about ever. All I want you to focus on is getting better, but if you really want to press it, you can get a wage to help around here. I know it would help the girls that are a little more unstable than the rest. But I meant what I said that I want you to heal and not worry about anything.” He stared at her, and then gave her this crooked smile that made her heart race. “However long that takes is up to you, and no one will rush you on that. You’re strong, Adrianna, and the women here need that strength to help find their own.”

“I’m a far cry from being strong, Malice. In fact, I can’t count the number of times I’ve been called a doormat.” This very frightening and hard look crossed his face, and she swallowed.

“You don’t every think about yourself like that.” His voice was deep and angry. “If you were so weak you wouldn’t have left, and you wouldn’t have been strong enough to realize that you deserved so much more.”

Her heart felt like it was going to burst right through her chest. “You act like you care.” She didn’t mean it in a condescending or ungrateful way. She meant it in the context that she was surprised someone like him—a stranger that had opened up his heart to her—actually gave a shit what happened to her.

“I do care, Adrianna.” He lowered his gaze to her mouth again. “I care a fucking lot, in fact.” He leaned in an inch so there was hardly any space separating their mouths. “You deserve a hell of a lot better than the likes of me, but I’m a selfish bastard and I want you for my own.”

“Malice—”

“And I won’t let you go, Adrianna. I can’t.” He pressed his mouth to hers right after the last word left his lips.





Chapter Thirteen




The kiss was so very possessive, and it was like Malice was placing this brand of ownership on her. He swept his tongue along her upper lip. “I wanted to do that since the last time I had you in my arms.”

Adrianna couldn’t even control her breathing let alone tell him that she had been thinking about their kiss since it had happened, too. He moved his hand around her shoulder and pressed his open palm to the small of her back. Even through her clothing she could feel his body heat, sensed how big his hand really was, and got lost in the smooth and easy way he kissed her. Would he care that she wasn’t skinny like the women she saw working at the club? Adrianna always was on the thicker side, and Phillip had always made sure she knew how fat he thought she was. Would Malice be disgusted that she had curves she wasn’t always proud of, or that she was disgusted with her body sometimes? She could sense that he was keeping himself back in the way he kept clenching and unclenching his other hand on her shoulder, and by the pressure of his fingers that were at the base of her spine. She liked this soft side of him, but she’d be lying if she didn’t admit that she liked when he had taken action and control in the van—like he was doing right now as he applied more pressure and growled low in his throat. Adrianna wanted to be kissed with abandon, like he would never be able to get enough of her, because she sure as hell wouldn’t be able to get enough of him.