Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Anna slept on the return to Fallenbrook.
Her father, miraculously, was not too badly hurt by the bullet wound he had endured and Doctor Merkel, whom Giovanni had warned to arrive at the scene just in time, believed he would make a good recovery.
Olsen had offered for Anna, Silas, and Giovanni to stay at the Adley estate that night and had looked at her with hopeful eyes, but whilst Anna appreciated that he was making an effort to make amends, she knew that she needed to be at home with Silas.
“Darling, we are home.”
Silas gently kissed the top of her head, and Anna raised herself sleepily, shivering as they slipped out of the carriage into the cold night air.
Dawn was rising over the hills behind Fallenbrook but Anna felt like she could sleep for hours.
Together, they walked hand in hand through the dark house, wordlessly agreeing to go to their chamber.
Once inside, Silas pulled her into his arms, holding her close so that she could breathe in his warm scent, musky with sweat and the lingering tang of pistol gunpowder.
“Do you want to bathe?” Silas asked gently pushing her hair back from her face, frowning as he examined the mark on her face. “The warm water might help.”
“It’s not so bad.”
The bruise was going down slightly and she could see out of the eye again. His soft fingers probed gently at her cheekbone. “It doesn’t seem broken.” He placed a feather-light kiss on the bruised skin.
“It just looks ugly,” Anna said, pulling a face as she touched the spot.
“Never,” Silas said. “You are always beautiful in my eyes, my love.”
“My love.” Anna echoed, her eyes filling with tears of relief. Silas looked at her quizzically and she shook her head. “I’m sorry, I just... I love you, too. I was so afraid tonight, Silas, afraid that I would lose you.”
“I know.” Silas hugged her tightly, squeezing the breath out of her. “I know. I realized the night we went to bed together that my heart belonged to you and only you.”
He bent his head down and captured her mouth, kissing her passionately. “My Persephone,” he whispered against her lips.
“My Lucifer.” Anna smiled, resting her forehead against his. “My love.”
They kissed again, gradually shedding their dirty and blood-stained clothes until they both lay naked and breathless in their bed.
Anna trembled under her husband’s touch, arching her back as his warm mouth found her hard nipples and the soft folds of her secret flesh, desperate to be reclaimed by his body after the distressing touches of Willy Dugby.
As his tongue explored her, pressing her towards her climax, Anna felt unburdened and freed from the dark and cruel events of the evening.
She shuddered and wept through her release, all of the complex emotions from her captivity and rescue pouring from her as she whispered Silas’ name over and over like a magic charm. Silas kissed tears away.
“Come here to me,” Silas whispered, lying on his back and guiding her to sit astride him.
Anna sighed with relief and tenderness at the sensation of Silas filling her, his body fusing with hers and healing her of her pain and worry.
With each thrust of Silas’ hips up inside of her and each burning rocking movement of her pelvis against his, she was erasing the touch of a man who had taken what was not his to take and giving her body, her heart, her soul back to the man she loved.
At the moment of his climax, he gripped her hips, his head thrown back, dark eyes wide and dark hair vibrant against the pillow.
“Oh, Anna!” he gasped. “God, Anna, I love you!”
She collapsed onto him, pressing her warm, slick skin against his chest, tenderly kissing the space over his heart. “I love you,” she murmured, rubbing her cheek against his neck, nuzzling close.
Silas sighed, tangling a hand in her hair, holding on tight. Anna tried to move away, but Silas moaned softly in her ear, his hand resting on her back.
“Stay with me,” he whispered, the way he had done the night that she had cared for him after his wound.
Anna breathed out contentedly, all of the fear of years of being alone with her secrets and darkness leaving her.
Now she had someone to share it all with, a man whose heart was strong enough to bear her struggles and whose struggles she was more than willing to bear.
She had never felt so complete and she knew, that after tonight, she could face anything with Silas by her side.
“Always,” she whispered in her husband’s ear.