Imight have come in a bit of haste to Jeremyâs 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 Papaâs end, of course. He accused Jeremy of kidnapping me, and when I assured him that wasnât the case, he said that he was keeping his eyes on him, then added, âOne day, Iâll get some dirt on you, boy.â
I couldnât help but laugh. Iâve 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, Jeremyâs mother, is around, the edge lessens a bit.
The other day, Anni and Creigh came over after spending a few weeks with Creighâs 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 heâs still struggling for his approval.
âYou took his precious little daughter,â Jeremy told him as he hugged me to his side. âCecily is joining his family. Itâs different.â
âI can join his family.â
âWouldnât work. Still different.â
Thatâs when it dawned on meâIâm really going to join the Volkov family. I mean, not in marriage or anything. Itâs still too soon to think about that.
But as long as Iâm with Jeremy, Iâm part of all the security, the scary guards dressed in blackâseriously, I have a deep appreciation for Ilya nowâand everything in between.
I fell in love with a mafia prince.
And Iâm still coming to terms with the fact that killing without remorse is part of who he is.
That, in a few years, heâll be like his dad.
Like Ilya once told me, either I accept him the way he is, or I let him go. Since I canât physically be without him, Iâll have to get used to this part of him.
Seriously, during Glynâs birthday, when I looked out the window and didnât 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 Iâm cheating on him, but mostly, what really hurt was thinking heâd 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 didnât 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 donât have to worry about people hearing us when he fucks my brains out.
Heâs been nothing short of an insatiable beast ever since we came here together. Something about payback for all the time I didnât let him touch his favorite thing. Me.
âSeriously, stop it.â 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.
âNo can do.â 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 canât help tilting my head to the side to allow him more access.
Weâre standing in the middle of his house, in the living room, after he chased me from the bedroom to here.
âIâm sore.â I whimper when he bites a sensitive spot on my throat.
âIâll take care of that, but firstâ¦â His cock nudges against my back hole.
âDidnât you hear the part about how Iâm sore?â
âNot here.â He makes shallow thrusts against my back hole, and I shiver.
âJeremyâ¦â
âI love it when you moan my name.â His voice roughens, his touch turns more passionate, desperate, like he canât get inside me fast enough or own me hard enough.
âJeremy,â I whisper and kiss his lips. âJeremy, Jeremy, Jeremy.â
âFuck, Cecily. Youâre going to be the death of me.â
âJust like youâre going to be mine.â
âTell me you love me.â
âI love you, Jeremy,â I murmur.
âAm I the only one you love?â
âOnly you.â I touch his cheek, melting when he leans into my touch. âDo you love me?â
âIâm fucking crazy about you, Lisichka. I love you more than words can express.â
âWhat do you love about me?â
âYour melodic voice and the elegant way you speak.â He kisses my throat where my vocal cords are. âYour addictive taste.â He nibbles on my pulse point. âYour fucking water lilies scent that if I donât smell, I get a headache.â He sniffs my neck and then behind my ears before he kisses my nose, my cheek, and my eyes. âYour face, the way you look at me, the way you look when you see me, the way you look when Iâm touching you.â
Iâm floating so high at the impact of his words that Iâm surprised I donât crash and burn from the heights I reach. âHow are the ways I look at you different?â
âYou look at me like you love me. Your lips part, and your eyes widen the slightest bit when you see me. As for when Iâm touching you? You look like you love being owned by me, chased, possessed. You love being mine.â
âI do. So, so much.â
âAnd I love it when youâre mine, Cecily.â
âMe, too.â
âOnly mine?â
âYes.â I chuckle. âStop being so jealous.â
His arms tighten around me. âIâm a jealous man. Iâll always think about the years you crushed on that fucker Landon.â
I reach a hand out and stroke his cheek. âYou can have the rest of my years, Jeremy.â
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.
âWho the fuckââ His words cut off when a petite woman comes inside with a smile on her face. âMom!â
Itâs his turn to cover himself with a bit of the blanket that Iâm wrapped in.
âWho are you hiding from? Iâm your mother,â she says with a soft smile, placing a takeout basket on the coffee table.
âWhat are you doing here?â he asks in a more composed voice after sharing the blanket with me.
âChecking in on you since you havenât left the guest house inâ¦two days. Youâve been barely eating the meals Iâve been sending you either.â
I wince and glare at Jeremy.
Itâs been that long, and he made me lose track of time.
âThe poor girl looks dehydrated.â
âIâve been making her drink just fine.â
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. âYour father wants to see you. Get changed and come to the main house. Weâll have dinner together.â
âOkay. You leave first, Mom. Weâll catch up.â
âNo. Youâll just continue locking up Cecily here. Iâll wait until you come down.â
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 donât want to keep her waiting.
Two, I really donât want her to think weâre fucking up there.
I find Lia tidying up the living room even though itâs kind of spotless. Iâm thankful the actual fucking happened on the stairs earlier, so thereâs no evidence of it on the sofa.
âCecily, youâre here.â She beams at me. âHow did you escape him?â
I touch my neck, my ear, and my hair. âIâ¦umâ¦â
âIâm kidding.â She grabs my hand and makes me sit down beside her on the sofa. âWe havenât talked much since you got here, for obvious reasons, but I wanted to thank you, Cecily.â
âForâ¦what?â
âFor 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.â
I shake my head. âYou donât have to thank me. He dug inside me, too. Heâs way more than what his reputation claims.â
âRight? Heâs like his father. Only a select few see what he hides on the inside.â A nostalgic look covers her eyes. âHe had a tough childhood, my angel, partly because I wasnât always there for him, and I hate myself for that every day. Iâm beyond grateful he grew up so well.â
âPlease donât hate yourself.â I stroke her hand. âJeremy understands.â
A soft light covers her features. âHe does?â
I nod frantically. âMore than youâd ever know.â
She smiles again with a contagious joy that I canât help but mirror.
âI know youâre new to this life, but I hope youâll get used to it. God knows it took me years, but I got there, and Iâll help you adjust⦠That is, if youâd like, of course.â
âYes, please. Iâd be forever grateful.â
âWe girls need to stick together. Iâm so happy you and Jeremy chose each other.â
âMe, too.â
Jeremy appears at the top of the stairs and comes down, narrowing his eyes on us. âI heard my name. What were you talking about?â
âItâs our secret.â 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 itâs all thanks to the man I love.
The beast I canât live without.