Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 86597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 346(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
I’m exhausted, and my insides feel sore, but the sense of contentment is still glowing in my chest as I peel the balaclava from my lover’s flushed face. He’s so fucking handsome.
“Hello, Nico.”
When a big smile blooms on his lips, it’s as if the monster within him is gone. Sated, it’s gone back to sleep. I wonder if this is how he feels after killing. I could fall in love with this smile, and it’s a thought as lovely as it is terrifying.
“Hey there, sweetheart,” he mumbles and rests his weight on me. I slide my legs off his shoulders, missing his cock the moment it slips out, but at least I have his weight to soothe me.
My chest is full of things that need to be said, but I’m not ready yet and very slowly pull myself into a sitting position, so I can slide into his arms. This puts pressure on my asshole, which feels damp and way more tender than it was a moment ago, but when I bury my sweaty face in his shoulder, seeking the tenderness I didn’t want when he was roughly fucking me, it’s all worth it.
It feels so soothing to be held by him, and Nico leaves little kisses all over my ear. They make my heart flutter, and I know it’s probably the high of the orgasm, but I still imagine a life with him where I work part-time in his shop, we live in his tiny attic apartment, and every day is Christmas. For once, the twinkling lights under the ceiling bring me joy not annoyance.
“Was it okay?” he asks, stroking my back so tenderly I could cry.
But I chuckle instead and give him a firm hug. “‘Okay’? You’re so dumb sometimes, you know that? More like the hottest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Nico snorts and nuzzles my ear. “I loved every little whimper and moan you made.” He takes off his gloves behind my back, and then slides his warm hands up and down my spine. Every one of his gestures is meant to cherish me. I have never felt so appreciated.
“I liked everything,” I admit, hiding my face in his clothes. I love how strongly they smell of him now. “How scary you were. I even liked when it got a bit intense. It was like hot sauce, enhancing the flavor,” I tell him and press a kiss to the side of his jaw.
Nico smirks, looking very self-satisfied. “I saw it in your eyes when I put on the balaclava. You’re a kinky little thing.”
And I’m only discovering how much. He’s opening the locks I put on myself one by one. But as I rest in his warm embrace, reality creeps back in, reminding me that we won’t always remain in this remote cabin. Sooner rather than later, we will return to civilization, and what then? It’s one thing to fuck a vicious killer, but it’s not like I would date him. People aren’t always what they seem, and how far could that potentially go with a man like Nico, a man who enjoys killing and doesn’t mind torture to get what he wants? Just a few days ago, I witnessed him cutting off a man’s nose, for fuck’s sake.
Blinded by desire and my personal interest in the Christmas Killer, I might be unwilling to see him for what he is, but people who appeared way less violent than him have done terrible things. How can I assume I’ll be special and never end up on the wrong side of his knife?
Still, it’s safest in the eye of the storm, so I hug him, wondering what to do about the future. He’s so solid in my arms, and he’s made it clear he wants to date me. What would happen if I rejected him for real? I can’t live in his Christmas joy delusion while he continues to kill people on the side. It can’t work.
My chest squeezes, as if my ribs have tightened around my heart when I imagine never seeing Nico again, but I’m quick to shake it off.
I’ll deal with that once my brother is no longer a danger.
Chapter 20
Nico
Blake is the best partner and lover I could dream of. It’s only fitting that I met him in December, because he’s the most amazing Christmas gift. I wish to wrap him with a big red ribbon just so I can unpack him all over again. A metaphor of course, but I’m pretty sure he’d like bondage, so why not do it in style?
I’ve been working on preparing something special for him too. A present only he will understand and love.
Excitement warms me on the inside as I park outside the cabin. For the first time in years, there’s a fire waiting for me on the hearth, and the smoke coming from the chimney gives me an immense sense of calm. I have a good life, yes, but I did know it lacked something—a companion who truly knows me—and the chance to invite Blake deeper into my world feels like the fulfillment of dreams I once considered out of my reach.