The Husband Beside Me(61)

“Addie,” he cried out in a tortured voice as he came hard. Just hearing my name escape his lips made me come. We stayed in the shower, the water washing away the moment we’d shared. Daimon lowered his head onto my shoulder and nudged his face into my neck. I held onto him, feeling his body pressed up against mine. I let out a breath as I clung to him. At that moment, in my arms, Daimon felt real.

“I’m sorry, Addie,” he whispered so softly I scarcely heard him. I knew I was lost now. This was the small push I needed and now I belonged completely to Daimon.





Deidra


Spring was in full swing. I loved it, the crisp air, the birds singing, the sun shining, and Daimon’s grumbling.

“Who asked you to come with me?” I asked, annoyed as I held onto Drako’s leash, all three of us standing at the pier. I was going out for my first run of the year when Daimon followed me.

“I know you like running, so I wanted to see what the hell you do,” he remarked as he readied himself to run with me.

“You’re an idiot,” I said under my breath. “Come on, Drako, let’s go run.” I looked down at him as he jumped around. He was getting bigger now, nearly passing my knee. I started my run, leaving Daimon behind. It wasn’t long when he was meeting me stride for stride.

“So…why do you…like running?” he asked.

“The freedom,” I said, not looking over at him.

“You want…freedom from me?” he huffed.

“Are you…Daimon? Of course…I want freedom…from you,” I scoffed and picked up my speed just a little.

The air was filling my lungs and the feel of the pavement was just what I had dreamt of over the past wintery months. Daimon ran around me, wanting to be on my other side. Not realizing Drako would get overly excited seeing him, he pulled on his leash and Daimon tripped. Thank God, it was on the grassy side.

“Are you okay?” I asked, not once holding back my laughter.

“What the fuck? Do I look like I’m okay?” he asked as he lay on the ground.

“No!” I laughed loudly, holding onto my belly.

Drako, not knowing what he had done wrong, just kept jumping and trying to join in on my fun.

Seeing Daimon fall onto the ground made my day that much better. The sexy, powerful man had face planted, absolutely priceless.

“Are you done laughing at me?” he bit out.

“Not really,” I kept giggling.

He stood up and dusted himself off. He then turned to me and smiled widely.

“As pissed as I am right now, seeing you laugh like that makes me feel better,” he murmured as he walked over to me. That smile, those eyes, made my breath hitch. Damn him. “You like the way I look at you,” he murmured, hooking his finger under my chin. My insides melted a fraction and my body shivered at his touch. “It’s written all over your face, you want my cock,” he grinned and winked. The little balloon encompassing us popped instantly.

“Screw you,” I snapped, upset he could read me so well. Why was it I was the only one affected by him all the time? I began a soft run, wanting some distance.

“You can. How about on my bike? It’s spring. We can fuck all you want on it. Have to admit, I’ve thought of you on it once or twice,” he shouted from behind me. Most of the people on the pier had begun whispering and gawking at us.

“Fucking prick,” I said under my breath as I ran at full speed.

Thankfully, Daimon left me alone and I was finally able to enjoy my moment alone with Drako.

I sat down on the bench looking out at the Hudson River, letting my mind wander. Drako sat by my feet enjoying the sun, letting its rays shine down on him. The air around us smelled fresh and new, the trees and plants all coming back to life. It was funny how I felt the same way. After finally dealing with my guilt, I was able to focus on what I wanted out of my life. NYU hadn’t sent me my acceptance yet, but I was hoping for it every day. I just wanted to continue the degree I had, and further pursue a career for myself. I still didn’t know what I wanted out of my life, but I did know I wanted to be able to stand on my own two feet and with my head held high. I stood up to head back when my phone rang. I reached into my running shorts and unzipped the zipper. It was my father.

“Dad?”

“Hi, Addie,” he said sweetly. “I haven’t seen you in a while. I miss you.”

“I'm sorry, Dad, I know.” I had reneged on my responsibilities to my father and I felt horrid about it.

“Do you and Daimon want to come over for dinner? I can make us something really nice?” He sounded so eager that I couldn’t even refuse if I wanted to.