Chapter 65
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
Drago
Song- Give, Sleep Token.
I pull her closer, my eyes finally fluttering shut against the pillow.
I’ve spent the last hour making sure she’s taken care of.
Properly. Slowly. I even let her walk me through her six-step skincare routine, every serum and cream applied with serious concentration.
Now my skin is apparently glowing, according to her, and judging by how smug she looks, she’s very proud of herself.
Because after everything she gave me in the shower, I needed to make sure she came back down to reality the right way.
That she knows nothing between us exists without care. Without tenderness. Without love.
I press a kiss to her forehead, breathing her in, and she tilts her head up to look at me through her lashes.
“How does it feel having snail gloop on your face?” she teases.
I huff out a quiet laugh. I wasn’t too sure about that particular serum, but I didn’t argue. And if I’m being honest, I don’t plan on ageing faster than necessary.
“Am I going to wake up ten years younger?” I ask.
She giggles, the sound curling straight into my chest. “I don’t think it’s that powerful. And you don’t need to look younger anyway. You’re gorgeous as you are.”
Her hand slides to my cheek, warm and gentle, and I grin despite myself.
“You don’t think I’m too old for you, huh?” I half-joke.
It’s not really a joke. She’s ten years younger, still in her twenties. I’m closing in on forty, carrying the weight of a life that’s taken more than it’s given. Her skin glows. Mine tells stories.
“No,” she says immediately. “I’ve never even thought about it. Thirty-eight isn’t old, Drago.”
I bite my lip, her certainty soothing another anxious corner of my mind. That quiet fear that maybe I don’t deserve her.
“They say you’re as old as you feel,” she murmurs, her brows knitting as she thinks.
Then she snorts. “So… I feel about seventy some days.”
I chuckle, tipping her chin up. “I know the feeling. But we’ve got our whole lives ahead of us, baby.”
“But seriously, Drago. You’re only ten years older. I like it that way. You know what you want out of life.” She tells me.
I nod, biting back a grin. “You. That’s all I’ll ever need, baby. Just you.”
Her stomach rumbles loudly, cutting through the moment.
I arch an eyebrow. “Someone hungry, hmm?”
Her cheeks flush. “I may have… forgotten to eat for a few hours.”
I tut softly and tap her ass. “Out of bed. Now. I’m cooking you dinner.”
I roll out of bed and tug on a pair of grey sweatpants. When I turn back, she’s sitting upright, mouth slightly open, openly watching me.
“I’m no chef,” I tell her, amused, “but I can make a decent pasta. And then we’ll have ice cream after.”
Her stomach rumbles again, louder this time. I arch a brow, amused, and lean forward, holding out my hand. She slips hers into mine, and I pull her gently to her feet.
Her gaze drags over my body, and she bites her lip, her eyes widening, like something’s just clicked into place.
“Oh my god. Drago.” Her voice is bright, excited. Almost giddy.
“What?” I ask, instantly on edge. I scan her face, trying to work out what I’ve missed.
She doesn’t answer. She spins on her heel and rushes to her wardrobe, dropping to her knees and rummaging through the bottom before pulling out a black bag.
She’s back in front of me in seconds, practically vibrating as she shoves it into my hands.
“I totally forgot,” she blurts. “I had this made for you. And now I need to see you in it.”
My chest tightens. I don’t let it show, but something inside me fractures anyway. I’ve had bodies delivered to my door. But never a gift.
No one has ever given me something made out of love. I open the bag and pull out a black hoodie, holding it up between us.
“Turn it around,” she whispers.
Her eyes are already glistening.
I do as she asks. And I can’t help the chuckle that escapes me, because I’ve never felt more claimed in my life. Which is something I never thought would happen. And I love it. I love her.
Lily’s Bodyguard.
The words are stitched in elegant, italic script.
Something warm and fierce blooms in my chest. “I love it,” I say, and I don’t even try to hide the emotion roughening my voice.
I pull it on, the fabric fitting perfectly, like it was made with me in mind. I turn so she can see the back, watching her reaction over my shoulder.
“It’s perfect,” she breathes. “And it fits you so well.”
I turn back to her, closing the distance between us. One step. Then another.
“It seems you know me pretty well, baby,” I murmur, dipping down to steal a kiss.
She smiles against my mouth. “I want to know everything, Drago,” she whispers.
“You will,” I promise quietly.
I pull back just enough to look at her, grounding myself again. “Now,” I say lightly, “food. Are you good with the menu?”
She grins, already reaching for her leggings, eyes never leaving mine as she shuffles into them. “What flavor of ice cream?” She asks.
“Strawberry,” I tell her.
That smile appears. The soft one. The happy one.
“The one from Monaco?”
I chuckle. “No, baby. That flavor had a lot to do with the place. But this one’s good. I promise.”
“Okay,” she says, pushing her hair out of her face.
She hesitates, then looks at me, almost shy. “Can we watch a movie too? On the couch? Like a normal couple?”
Something tightens in my chest. Not in a bad way. In a way that matters. “That sounds perfect, Lily.”
I lace my fingers through hers and lead her downstairs, ready to be the most domesticated man I’ve ever been.
Cooking dinner. Eating ice cream. Watching a movie. With the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.
I've got Lev's tracker notification on loud; we're safe for a while longer. I hate that I have to take some of my mind away from Lily to watch for her father. But it's temporary. This won't be for much longer.
And for tonight, at least, the weight of the world outside these walls doesn’t feel quite so heavy.