Chapter 34
Vulcan
I remain quiet while Karina recounts what happened. I hold her close, feeling her body tremble against mine as she relays her mother’s harsh words. My jaw clenches, my anger simmering beneath the surface, but I force it down. Right now, Karina needs my strength, not my rage.
“And for her to say she doesn’t love or hate me… that she feels nothing for me? It was horrible.” She hiccups. “I have my birth mother’s eyes, and she hates it. She loathes that she had to raise the child of her husband’s mistress.”
I tighten my arms around her, wishing I could shield her from the pain. “Karina, listen to me. That woman may have raised you, but she doesn’t define you. You are so much more than her cruel words.”
I cup her face in my hands, brushing away the tears with my thumbs. Her eyes, those beautiful eyes that her mother claims to hate, are pools of vulnerability and hurt. I want to take away every ounce of pain reflected there.
“You are kind,” I continue, kissing her forehead softly. “You are brilliant.” Another kiss on her cheek. “You save lives every day.” My lips brush against her other cheek. “And you are so, so loved.”
I capture her lips with mine, pouring all the love and adoration I feel for her into that kiss. When we part, I rest my forehead against hers, our breaths mingling.
“Your real family isn’t defined by blood, Karina. It’s defined by love. You’re my family, and I’m yours. Always.”
I feel her body relax against mine, the tension slowly ebbing away. Her fingers curl into my shirt, holding on as if I’m her lifeline. I’ll be exactly that for her for as long as she needs me.
“Thank you,” she whispers. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Vulcan.”
I pull her tighter, if that’s even possible. “You’ll never have to find out, love. I’m not going anywhere.”
As we lie there, tangled in each other’s arms, I silently vow to spend the rest of my life showing Karina just how worthy of love she is. Her mother may have rejected her, but I’ll make damn sure she never feels unwanted again.
After a few moments of silence, she speaks. “I wonder if she’s alive… my biological mother.”
“Do you want to find out?”
Karina’s body tenses against mine, her fingers tightening in my shirt. I can feel her heartbeat quicken, a physical manifestation of the turmoil my question has stirred within her.
“I… I don’t know,” she says. “Part of me wants to know why she gave me up. But another part…”
She trails off, burying her face in my chest as I run my fingers through her hair.
“Another part is terrified,” I finish for her, feeling her nod against me. “Don’t force yourself to do something you don’t want to do. Just take it one day at a time.”
She tilts her head to look up at me, staring at me for a minute, then lets out a deep breath. I wait, giving her the time she needs to sort through her emotions.
“I think…” she starts, her voice raspy. “I think I should leave it alone. It’s been twenty-eight years now, and she hasn’t attempted to find me.”
“I understand.” I kiss her temple, then the tip of her nose. “You don’t owe her anything. Your family is right here.”
“Can you do me a favor?”
“Anything,” I tell her.
“Can you fuck me? Can you just fuck all my worries away?”
I want to tell her sex isn’t the answer. But she’s hurting, and I’m not about to deny her a release. “I don’t know if I can fuck your worries away for good, but I do my best to make you forget about everything outside of these four walls for a few hours.” My lips melt against hers.
The kiss is hungry, desperate, a physical manifestation of our need to connect, to forget, to feel. Something I didn’t think we would be able to do after our weekend getaway fiasco. Karina hasn’t let me satisfy her in days, and it’s killed me.
Her fingers tangle in my hair, pulling me closer. I can taste the salt of her tears on her lips, and it only fuels my desire to make her forget. I undress her slowly, eyes mapping each inch of skin as it’s revealed.
“Vulcan,” she breathes, her voice thick with need. “Please…”
I trail kisses down her neck and across her collarbone, taking my time to worship her body. Her breaths come in short bursts, her fingers digging into my shoulders as I suck on her nipples.
“I’ve got you.”
I slide my hand between her thighs, finding her wet and ready. I stroke her slowly, building her pleasure as I continue to kiss and nip at her skin.
“More,” she pleads. “I need you inside me.”
She whimpers as I remove my hand to undress myself, and then I position myself between her legs, the tip of my dick teasing her. Our eyes lock as I push into her, coaxing a guttural moan from her.
“Faster,” she demands, and I comply, increasing my pace.
And I realize, as I draw an orgasm out of her, and the another, that I’d move mountains if it meant keeping the blissed-out look on her face for even a moment.
I leave Karina sleeping in the bed and make my way to the kitchen.
I need a moment to clear my head. I know I told her I wouldn’t overstep my boundaries, but part of me wants to make this right.
Make her feel better. But I’m nothing if not a fast learner, and she explicitly told me not to butt in.
I’ll just have to keep showering her with love and affection, letting her know I’m here for her no matter what.
I pour myself a glass of water and lean against the kitchen counter, lost in thought.
I’m refilling it to bring back into the room with me when I hear the soft padding of feet behind me.
I turn to see Karina standing in the doorway, drowning in one of my shirts.
Her hair is tousled, and her eyes are still heavy-lidded. She looks absolutely beautiful.
“Everything okay?”
I nod, setting my glass down. “Did I wake you?”
She shakes her head and moves toward me. “I rolled over and you weren’t there. I got worried.”
I open my arms and she steps into them, nestling against my chest. I breathe in the scent of her hair, feeling my heart swell with love for this woman.
“I’m sorry. I just needed a moment to think.”
She pulls back slightly. “About what?”
I hesitate, not wanting to bring up her troubles again when she seemed so peaceful earlier. But I also don’t want to lie to her.
“About you,” I admit. “About how I can be there for you without overstepping.”
She sighs, resting her forehead against my chest. “You being here is enough. You don’t have to fix everything.”
I run my hand down her back, feeling the warmth of her skin through the thin fabric of my shirt. “I know. I just… I hate seeing you hurting.”
Karina lifts her head, cupping my face in her hands. “I know you do. And I love you for it. But right now, what I need most is just this. You, holding me, loving me.”
I lean down and capture her lips in a tender kiss. “That, I can definitely do.”
I sweep her up into my arms, cradling her against my chest. She lets out a surprised giggle, wrapping her arms around my neck. “What are you doing?”
“Taking you back,” I reply, my voice low and husky. “Where I can hold you properly.”
In the comfort of the bed we’ve shared for over a year, I turn to my side and face my wife. “I love you,” I whisper. “More than I ever thought possible.”
Karina scooches over onto my pillow, her lips brushing against my jaw. “Show me,” she breathes, her hands already roaming across my chest.
I don’t need to be told twice. As we lose ourselves in each other, I silently vow to be her safe harbor. Whatever challenges we face, we’ll face them together.