TWO WEEKS LATER
Imight have come in a bit of haste to Jeremy’s house.
Not only did I not pack anything and then had to buy all my necessities here, but I also had to call Mum and Papa while I was on the plane, to which there was some drama, from Papa’s end, of course. He accused Jeremy of kidnapping me, and when I assured him that wasn’t the case, he said that he was keeping his eyes on him, then added, “One day, I’ll get some dirt on you, boy.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. I’ve been doing that a lot since Jeremy kissed me and carried me onto the plane.
These past two weeks have been no different than a honeymoon. His parents welcomed me to their home and were heartwarmingly accepting. His father still appears a little scary, though. But when Lia, Jeremy’s mother, is around, the edge lessens a bit.
The other day, Anni and Creigh came over after spending a few weeks with Creigh’s parents and we went to the beach together.
Jeremy nearly drowned some guy for daring to touch my arse, though. I thought Creigh would help stop him, but he was picking his own fight with a man who was looking at Anni, and then he basically covered her up with a towel.
Good times.
I think Creigh is jealous of me because Adrian likes me while he’s still struggling for his approval.
“You took his precious little daughter,” Jeremy told him as he hugged me to his side. “Cecily is joining his family. It’s different.”
“I can join his family.”
“Wouldn’t work. Still different.”
That’s when it dawned on me—I’m really going to join the Volkov family. I mean, not in marriage or anything. It’s still too soon to think about that.
But as long as I’m with Jeremy, I’m part of all the security, the scary guards dressed in black—seriously, I have a deep appreciation for Ilya now—and everything in between.
I fell in love with a mafia prince.
And I’m still coming to terms with the fact that killing without remorse is part of who he is.
That, in a few years, he’ll be like his dad.
Like Ilya once told me, either I accept him the way he is, or I let him go. Since I can’t physically be without him, I’ll have to get used to this part of him.
Seriously, during Glyn’s birthday, when I looked out the window and didn’t see him lurking under the tree like the usual stalker, my heart squeezed so harshly, I thought I would certainly have an attack.
For a moment, I believed he saw me talking to Lan and went back to his earlier convictions about how I’m cheating on him, but mostly, what really hurt was thinking he’d left for good.
I was so used to him shadowing my movements, being everywhere, and even making friends with my grandfathers. No kidding. Grandpa Calvin was asking about him whenever I went to visit until I acted butt-hurt and asked who the grandchild was between us.
Point is, Jeremy was a constant, and when I lost him, just for a few minutes, I realized how futile my fight was. That it didn’t matter how scared I was of being hurt. Losing him terrified me more.
As if well aware of my phobia, Jeremy spends as much time as he possibly can with me. It helps that he has a separate house built a bit far from his parents. That way, I don’t have to worry about people hearing us when he fucks my brains out.
He’s been nothing short of an insatiable beast ever since we came here together. Something about payback for all the time I didn’t let him touch his favorite thing. Me.
“Seriously, stop it.” I try and fail to wiggle free from his hold.
He just finished fucking me, and I can barely move, but his cock is hard and ready for another round.
“No can do.” Jeremy wraps his arms around me from behind, his erection poking at my arse cheeks. He nibbles on my earlobe, my throat, the side of my breast, everywhere. And I can’t help tilting my head to the side to allow him more access.
We’re standing in the middle of his house, in the living room, after he chased me from the bedroom to here.
“I’m sore.” I whimper when he bites a sensitive spot on my throat.
“I’ll take care of that, but first…” His cock nudges against my back hole.
“Didn’t you hear the part about how I’m sore?”
“Not here.” He makes shallow thrusts against my back hole, and I shiver.
“Jeremy…”
“I love it when you moan my name.” His voice roughens, his touch turns more passionate, desperate, like he can’t get inside me fast enough or own me hard enough.
“Jeremy,” I whisper and kiss his lips. “Jeremy, Jeremy, Jeremy.”
“Fuck, Cecily. You’re going to be the death of me.”
“Just like you’re going to be mine.”
“Tell me you love me.”
“I love you, Jeremy,” I murmur.
“Am I the only one you love?”
“Only you.” I touch his cheek, melting when he leans into my touch. “Do you love me?”
“I’m fucking crazy about you, Lisichka. I love you more than words can express.”
“What do you love about me?”
“Your melodic voice and the elegant way you speak.” He kisses my throat where my vocal cords are. “Your addictive taste.” He nibbles on my pulse point. “Your fucking water lilies scent that if I don’t smell, I get a headache.” He sniffs my neck and then behind my ears before he kisses my nose, my cheek, and my eyes. “Your face, the way you look at me, the way you look when you see me, the way you look when I’m touching you.”
I’m floating so high at the impact of his words that I’m surprised I don’t crash and burn from the heights I reach. “How are the ways I look at you different?”
“You look at me like you love me. Your lips part, and your eyes widen the slightest bit when you see me. As for when I’m touching you? You look like you love being owned by me, chased, possessed. You love being mine.”
“I do. So, so much.”
“And I love it when you’re mine, Cecily.”
“Me, too.”
“Only mine?”
“Yes.” I chuckle. “Stop being so jealous.”
His arms tighten around me. “I’m a jealous man. I’ll always think about the years you crushed on that fucker Landon.”
I reach a hand out and stroke his cheek. “You can have the rest of my years, Jeremy.”
He starts to spin me around when the sound of the door opening reaches my ears. Jeremy pushes me behind him and throws a thin blanket over my nakedness.
Scrambling, I wrap it around me as Jeremy stares at the hall.
“Who the fuck—” His words cut off when a petite woman comes inside with a smile on her face. “Mom!”
It’s his turn to cover himself with a bit of the blanket that I’m wrapped in.
“Who are you hiding from? I’m your mother,” she says with a soft smile, placing a takeout basket on the coffee table.
“What are you doing here?” he asks in a more composed voice after sharing the blanket with me.
“Checking in on you since you haven’t left the guest house in…two days. You’ve been barely eating the meals I’ve been sending you either.”
I wince and glare at Jeremy.
It’s been that long, and he made me lose track of time.
“The poor girl looks dehydrated.”
“I’ve been making her drink just fine.”
My cheeks heat, and I step on his foot, but I might as well not have touched him, considering the smile on his face.
Lia shakes her head. “Your father wants to see you. Get changed and come to the main house. We’ll have dinner together.”
“Okay. You leave first, Mom. We’ll catch up.”
“No. You’ll just continue locking up Cecily here. I’ll wait until you come down.”
He grunts after his mum ruins his plan to do just that, then we awkwardly stumble upstairs. We take a quick shower, and he stays in the bathroom to shave, but I throw on the first pair of jeans and top I come across and go ahead downstairs.
One, I don’t want to keep her waiting.
Two, I really don’t want her to think we’re fucking up there.
I find Lia tidying up the living room even though it’s kind of spotless. I’m thankful the actual fucking happened on the stairs earlier, so there’s no evidence of it on the sofa.
“Cecily, you’re here.” She beams at me. “How did you escape him?”
I touch my neck, my ear, and my hair. “I…um…”
“I’m kidding.” She grabs my hand and makes me sit down beside her on the sofa. “We haven’t talked much since you got here, for obvious reasons, but I wanted to thank you, Cecily.”
“For…what?”
“For seeing the man inside Jeremy, not the cold exterior he showcases to the world. It takes a brave soul to dig deeper and see him for what he truly is and not be repulsed by it.”
I shake my head. “You don’t have to thank me. He dug inside me, too. He’s way more than what his reputation claims.”
“Right? He’s like his father. Only a select few see what he hides on the inside.” A nostalgic look covers her eyes. “He had a tough childhood, my angel, partly because I wasn’t always there for him, and I hate myself for that every day. I’m beyond grateful he grew up so well.”
“Please don’t hate yourself.” I stroke her hand. “Jeremy understands.”
A soft light covers her features. “He does?”
I nod frantically. “More than you’d ever know.”
She smiles again with a contagious joy that I can’t help but mirror.
“I know you’re new to this life, but I hope you’ll get used to it. God knows it took me years, but I got there, and I’ll help you adjust… That is, if you’d like, of course.”
“Yes, please. I’d be forever grateful.”
“We girls need to stick together. I’m so happy you and Jeremy chose each other.”
“Me, too.”
Jeremy appears at the top of the stairs and comes down, narrowing his eyes on us. “I heard my name. What were you talking about?”
“It’s our secret.” Lia winks at me, and I smile.
Then I hug Jeremy as the three of us go to have a family dinner with Adrian.
Looks like I found myself a new family.
And it’s all thanks to the man I love.
The beast I can’t live without.
