Page 75 of Despair

“She’s breathing a little better. She woke to scold me and then fell back asleep.” He frowned. Swallowed. “I hate not being able to help her. If it’s something I can see and touch, I can fix it. But this illness? It’s taken my entire family from me… and I can’t…” He locked onto where the smudge of blood had been beneath her nose and shook his head.

“Hey,” she said. “I’m fine. I’m tough… and so is Elena. She’s not dead yet.”

“I know.”

She took his face between her hands. “It’s going to be fine.”

“Shouldn’t I be the one saying that?”

“When you can’t, I will.”

Gazing into her eyes, he felt like he was swimming in warm waters and the sun shone on his head. He careened forward on a whim until his lips met hers. Her taste hit and he went under, drowning, becoming lost in her.

What started as a chaste kiss built in crescendo until he couldn’t get enough. Every inch of his body hardened. His breath became ragged and hot against her mouth. It didn’t take long for her to be the same and he fucking loved it. This woman, this tough woman who, through some stroke of luck, seemed to care for him, felt the same as he did about her.

“Daisy…” he murmured.

“Mm?”

“I…” He didn’t know. He needed to be inside her. To feel connected. It was the only way he’d lose this jittery fear buzzing through him. His gaze darted over her flushed face, her kiss-swollen lips and he confessed, “I want to have you right here.”

He glanced desperately over his shoulder, as if he had any business checking to see if they were alone. As far as he knew, they were. The other basement rooms were dark. Griffin no longer occupied the cell. If any of them were worth their salt, they’d be spending time with their reunited loved ones, thanking their lucky stars they still had each other. Once sure they were alone, he slid his gaze back to Daisy with a low growl, pleased to see a glimmer of excitement echo back at him.

“I want my cock buried so deep in you that you feel it for days.”

He slid a finger beneath the spaghetti strap of her singlet and moved it over her shoulder. She shivered as she watched him. He smoothed down her goosebumps. Next, he did the other side. She said nothing, just watched and quaked beneath his touch. And when he dragged the bulk of her singlet down to pool around her waist, his eyes locked onto her sports bra before meeting her gaze for permission because, once he started, he didn’t give a shit if they were interrupted.

He’d keep going.

And when she gave a nod of encouragement, he almost lost control. This night wasn’t going to end until he was as far inside her as he could get.