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Chapter 481
Chapter 48
Aurora
The sound of my doorknob turning woke me up, but I kept my eyes shut. Heavy footsteps followed, obviously Kaiden’s before the bed dipped under his weight.
“I know you’re awake, Aurora,” he murmured with a soft chuckle.
A small smile formed on my lips as I slowly opened my eyes, meeting his tired gaze.
“Did you just get home?” I asked.
“What do you think?” He smirked. gently brushing his fingers against my face.
I looked at him closely. There were dark circles under his eyes, like he hadn’t been sleeping much. Was it because of me? Because of what happened when I was taken?
“I got back a little while ago,” he said. “Took a shower before coming in.” A faint smile played on his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes
“You look exhausted.” I murmured, reaching up to touch the skin under his eyes. “Have you been getting any sleep?” “No, love.” His voice was quiet but firm. “I spend my nights thinking about how to protect you.”
His words sent a warm feeling through my chest, making me remember something I hadn’t been able to stop thinking
about.
“Did you mean what you said?” The words slipped out before I could stop them. My eyes searched his.
Kaiden’s face didn’t change, but something in his eyes told me he knew what I was talking about. “What did I say, Aurora?” he asked, pretending not to know.
“What you said in the hospital…” I trailed off, biting my lip. Our relationship had been so back and forth, never clear and I sort of wanted to finally make it clear.
He tilted his head slightly. “I said a lot of things in the hospital,” His tone was teasing–he wanted me to say it myself.
I swallowed, my heart pounding. “You said you love me. Did you mean it?”
His face stayed neutral, making it hard to tell what he was thinking. “Do you like hearing me say it?”
I bit the inside of my cheek and shook my head. I just wanted to hear it again, to know I hadn’t imagined it. But Kaiden didn’t seem like the kind of person who liked voicing his feelings out loud.
So I changed the subject. “You said everything you do is to protect me. What did you mean by that?”
His playful look disappeared. His eyes turned serious, and he dropped his hand to his side.
“You saw what happened with Owen,” he said flatly.
Owen. Just hearing his name made me tense. The things he said still echoed in my mind–especially his claim that Kaiden had killed someone.
“He said you killed a girl named Grace,” I said carefully. I didn’t believe Owen, but he had sounded so sure. I had to ask. Kaiden’s eyes darkened, and a slow, unreadable smile spread across his lips. “Do you think I did?”
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His voice was calm, but there was something
in his expression that made it hard to tell if he was angry or just amused
“Of course not” I said quickly, my eyes wide. “You wouldn’t even hurt a fly
He let out a low, dark chuckle. “And what if I did?” This brow lifted slightly. “What if I hurt a fly?”
“Then that fly must have been really annoying. Flies are irritating,” I said boldly
Kaiden’s lips twitched, but his eyes remained unreadable. And what if I hurt thousands of flies?” he pressed, his hand cupping my face,
I frowned slightly, confused by his words. “Are we still talking about flies?” I asked, leaning into his touch.
His thumb brushed against my cheek. “If I killed a person, what would you do?”
The question caught me off guard.
“What?” I blinked, searching his face for any hint of a joke, but the wicked curl of his lips told me he was
“You said I couldn’t hurt a fly,” he reminded me, his voice calm, almost teasing. I nodded slowly.
“But what if I’ve done more than that. Aurora? What if I’ve killed before?”
My heart pounded. He wasn’t done.
was serious.
“What if I’m a murderer?” he continued, his gaze piercing, waiting for my reaction. “What if I’ve killed thousands? How would you feel?”
The question sent a chill down my spine. I liked Kaiden–loved him, but I couldn’t be with a murderer. Could I?
After a long pause, I found my voice. “I would stay away from you.”
He chuckled sofily at my answer. “You can’t stay away from me, Aurora,” he murmured, his breath warm against my face.
I swallowed, forcing myself to meet his intense gaze. “And why are you so sure?”
His smirk deepened. “Because you love me.”
I stiffened at his confidence. Even if Kaiden turned out to be some kind of psychopath–which I knew he wasn’t, could I really walk away? The thought alone felt impossible.
I lifted my chin. “Don’t you feel the same?” I challenged.
He didn’t answer with words. Instead, he leaned in, capturing my lips in a deep, searing kiss. Before I could even catch my breath, he flipped us over, pinning me beneath him
“Is that answer enough?” His voice was hoarse, his forehead resting against mine.
“No,” I rasped, my breath uneven as his hands roamed beneath my shirt.
“You want more proof?” he asked darkly, his hand cupping my breast, sending shivers through me.
“Yes,” I admitted. “I need to know exactly what this is between us, I don’t want to wake up tomorrow and find you gone.”
He kissed my navel. “Whatever you want us to be, Aurora,” he murmured, pulling my
shirt over my head.
“Promise me, no more running
He hummed in response, pressing a lingering kiss between my breasts. “I won’t run anymore, love.”
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His hand length pressed against me, the thin fabric between us doing little to contain the heat building between us. A sharp jolt of pleasure shot through me as he ground against my core as I submitted completely to him.
