Azeira
I set the teacup down on the stone bench and picked the shears back up, walking to the rose bushes so I could get back to maintaining them.
Marvin was out for a few weeks due to needing surgery on his hand and I had nothing else to do, so I took it upon myself to maintain the garden. It was a lovely area that I had fallen in love with. I felt like Alice after she got sucked away to Wonderland. The garden was like its own separate world from the rest of the estate. I didn’t know who Kairus hired to make it, but they did one hell of a job. My mom would love it.
“What are you doing?” I jumped and spun around.
“Shit. You scared me.” I blew out a deep breath to ease my racing heart.
His deep-set eyes narrowed and went around the garden. “What are you doing? That’s not your job.”
I licked my lips and glanced at the rosebush. For the past week I’d been coming out here, watering the garden, removing weeds, replanting. It’d been a pleasant change of pace and was calming. Between coming out here and being in the library, I found comfort in being here.
“Well since Marvin had to have surgery on his hand.” Pausing, I narrowed my eyes at him while pressing my lips together. His face didn’t waver. “I took on his duty and maintain the garden.” Scraping my bottom lip with my teeth, I shifted my eyes to the pond. The soft sound of the stone waterfall leading into it filled the brief silence. “I hope you don’t mind.”
Again his eyes went around the garden. When they landed back on me, I inhaled a sharp breath. While he still had some hardness in his eyes, they didn’t hold the same coldness they used to. I could’ve imagined it, but sometimes I felt like Kairus was looking at me with adoration.
He tilted his head. “This makes you happy?”
I nodded with a slight grin. “I told you I used to help my mom all the time in her garden when she was healthy enough for it. This makes me feel closer to her.” Not wanting him to see the vulnerability mixed in my voice, I turned and walked back to my teacup and picked it up, eyeing it. It was a beautiful, vintage looking, and one I’d never seen before, light blue with polka dots covered in pink roses.
“And you want this to become a part of your duties here, along with cleaning?”
“Just until Marvin gets back. I don’t want to take his job or anything.” My tongue swiped between my lips.
Lowering the teacup, I turned and walked to the peonies Kairus had planted for me. I kneeled and brushed them with my fingers. “You know typically it takes about two, sometimes three, years for these to grow if you start them from scratch. I think that’s why I love them so much; they take their time to become something so eye-catching. It takes a lot of patience, love, and care to get them to bloom.” Pushing up, I walked to the rose bush. “And then you have roses, the flower of love, my mom always called them. This one’s called the Wildfire hybrid tea rose,” I mentioned, referring to the orange rose. “It’s my favorite, different from the rest but just as beautiful to look at. Kind of like me.”
Looking over my shoulder at Kairus, I gave him a small grin. “I never really fit in with those around me. Growing up I was always the kid that followed the rules, got good grades, knew I had to go to college, and have a family one day. Never really gave my parents trouble. Most kids partied and acted out but not me. I was always told I was so well-mannered and behaved.” I snorted. “I bet those people wouldn’t agree if they knew what goes on between us.”
That caused his mouth to twitch and his brow to lift with mirth.
“Most people are used to red roses, but not this Wildfire. It stands out and I would like to think I do too. Anyways I’m rambling, I just love flowers. They’re so pretty and come in so many different versions, colors, and sizes. So I would like to maintain them for the next few weeks while Marvin is gone.”
My cheeks suddenly flushed. I didn’t mean to ramble like I had.
Kairus didn’t respond to me right away. Eventually he nodded. “Fine. If it’ll make you happy, have at it.” His eyes narrowed. “Just don’t fuck it up. This area is special.” His eyes swept the garden.
My smile brightened and I stood straight. “I won’t. Don’t worry.”
Kairus smirked and shook his head, then turned to leave. A giddy feeling flooded my stomach, causing it to flutter wildly. They were small gestures but I appreciated Kairus doing things to make my stay here more comfortable. It was a shame that not everyone got to know this side of the harsh man they believed he was.
“So…” I started, clearing my throat and shifting in my seat when his eyes landed on me. Nolan tilted his head and waited for me to continue.
“You and Kairus, you’ve been friends for a while right?” My hands fumbled in my lap.
One corner of his mouth hiked up. Mirth appeared on his face and he tilted his head. “Our whole lives.”
I tucked my lips into my mouth. While I had grown comfortable around Kairus, Nolan still made me nervous. He was the man that cut my dad’s finger off. While he came off as easy going, I could see in his dark eyes he was anything but. His eyes were chilling and full of mischief. There was something haunting about the man. Something that told me he wasn’t someone you wanted to cross and be on their bad side.
“So you know about his childhood, about his family?” Nolan’s demeanor instantly changed. His eyes grew distant and his body tensed.
“I do,” he told me stiffly.
Licking my lips, I searched the living room for nothing in particular. “I know a little about his dad, but he doesn’t really speak on his mom. Can you tell me about her?”
Again, that chilling smirk formed on Nolan’s face. He stepped away from the stone fireplace and walked toward me. Reaching out he brushed some fly away hairs out of my face and brushed over my ear with his thumb.
“Now why would you want to open that can of worms. Hmm?”
Blinking slowly, I swallowed hard and shot my eyes to the entrance of the room. Kairus didn’t like other men touching me. From the last time he was around it was clear his friend wasn’t an exception to the rule. I didn’t want to cause any problems with them.
“I just want to know more about him. He’s so misunderstood.”
He chuckled lowly. “Misunderstood?”
My eyes narrowed and I nodded. “Yes! He’s not as evil as people think.” I stood on that fact because the Kairus I had grown to know still wasn’t someone I would ever want to betray but he also had things about him that showed he was still human and not a monster.
“You must want me to cut that hand off and place it in a glass jar on my mantle.” Kairus’s voice rang through the room, causing me to jump.
Nolan, unphased, chuckled and stepped back from me, allowing his hand to drop.
“Are you ready?” he asked, ignoring his friend’s threat.
Kairus and Nolan were going out of town for a couple of days. I didn’t know why, but by ease dropping I learned it was in Grim Wood City and was for a business meeting. I felt indifferent about it. Since the night I snuck into his room, I had been sleeping next to Kairus every night. I thought it might be a one-time thing, but it turned into something neither of us spoke on. Going back to sleeping alone wasn’t something I wanted to happen, even if it was just a couple of days. Not to mention I had grown to enjoy his company, whether it was our daily eating together, cleaning his music room while he played, him coming out to the garden and watching as I worked, or just knowing he was in the house while I cleaned.
Kairus paid attention to me, not just looked at me. Each time he was around me I felt like he was studying me to learn another part no one else bothered to. It was more than just getting to know me, it was like he was obsessed with learning all he could about me. Strangely I liked the attention. Since I was so used to blending in the crowd, it felt good to know someone sought me out.
I didn’t know how to handle him being gone since growing accustomed to being around him. Most would be ecstatic for their captor to leave, but not me. I wasn’t even sure I was a captive anymore. My mind and heart seemed to be pulling in two different directions when it came to Kairus nowadays.
Kairus stepped further into the living room. I stood and walked to him. His glare never left his friend. Once in front of him, I smiled softly and lifted my hand, brushing it across his five o’clock shadow. Another thing I had grown to love was his morning shaving I gave him and the five o’clock shadow that always developed later in the day.
“Lillian is in charge of the estate while I’m gone,” he said, finally looking down at me. He no longer flinched or got upset when I touched his scarred face. My heart pulsated erratically knowing he trusted me that much.
“Okay.” I nodded. “I want to go see my mom.”
His hand lifted and circled my wrist. He gripped it but didn’t frighten me. “Crusher will be your guard while I’m gone. He will take you to your parents’ house.”
“And Jatavia’s too?” His eyes narrowed at me. He pulled me closer into his solid frame. My head went back more so I could maintain eye contact with him.
“Remember there’s nothing you can do without me knowing, Beauty. While I’m gone, you will be a good girl and on your best behavior. Do you understand?” Normally he called me Beauty during sex and it sent my body into a frenzy of passion and lust. My clit throbbed and blood rushed through my veins. Now was no different, it made me remember all the times he defiled my body and how good and dirty I always felt afterward.
Swallowing hard, I nodded. “I got it.”
His thumb brushed over my wrist. “Do not make me regret this.”
I shook my head. “I won’t,” I breathed lowly.
Pushing up on my tiptoes, I pressed my lips into his. His friend made a strange noise behind us, but I ignored him. Grabbing both sides of Kairus’s face, I traced his lips with my tongue and deepened the kiss. I couldn’t get enough of this man and it grew worse with each day that passed. That scared me, but I kept pushing the reality to the back of my mind.
“If you’re a good girl while I’m gone, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded at my return.” I should have been offended by his words. He was acting as if I was a dog and he was my owner, but again I couldn’t find it in me. Kairus’s rewards always left me heavily satisfied.
“Okay.” I grinned.
He cut his eyes behind me to his friend. His hand went to my hair and he gripped it tightly before reangling my head and taking possession of my mouth once again. This time he controlled the kiss. It was hunger-filled, savage, and domineering. A puddle formed between my legs and a moan escaped my mouth. I loved when he felt the need to stake his claim over me. It lit up every atom inside of me.
Kairus pulled away from me and licked his lips. From the look in his eyes, I could see he wanted to take things further.
“Give me fifteen minutes,” he told Nolan suddenly, grabbing my hand. “I’ll meet you in the car.”
While I was caught off guard by the gesture, I didn’t protest.