Hailee’s POV
My bones felt broken, my body drained, and all I wished was to remain in the comforting arms of Dane. His warmth was the only thing anchoring , keeping from floating away. Every muscle of mine ached, but his touch soothed —his hand stroking my back, his breath steady against my temple. I pressed closer, burying my face in his chest. His scent wrapped around , comforting . My throat was raw, my lips swollen, but my heart... it felt full. Every shiver that ran through was t with his embrace, his voice whispering words ant to tether back to him.
Dane’s arms tightened around , his chest rising and falling in steady rhythm against my cheek. For a mont, it was easy to forget the chaos waiting for outside this room. Easy to pretend I could stay here forever, safe in his warmth.
"Hailee..." His voice was rough, hesitant, but full of nervousness. I lifted my head slightly, eting his eyes. The rawness in them nearly unraveled .
"I love you," he said, his voice breaking at the edges. "I don’t care what anyone else thinks, or how complicated this is. I want you. I want you as my mate."
The words slamd into . My breath hitched, my heart aching so fiercely it felt like it might split in two. This was the third ti. Three n. Three confessions. Three promises of forever. And I couldn’t hold onto any of them.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to nod, to give him sothing. "I’ll... think about it," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I’ll give you a response soon."
It was a lie. I knew it. But I couldn’t bring myself to tell him the truth—that in just a few hours, I’d be gone. Disappearing from his life, leaving only questions and broken hearts behind.
My chest tightened so painfully I had to look away. "You should go now," I murmured, brushing my thumb along his jaw one last ti. "My mother will be here soon."
His grip on didn’t ease. Instead, his eyes hardened, his jaw clenching. "No. I can’t leave you like this. You still need aftercare. You’re trembling, you’re exhausted. I’m not walking out on you until I know you’re okay."
Tears burned my eyes, but I forced a weak smile, pressing my palm against his chest. "I’ll take care of myself, Dane. I promise."
He shook his head, stubborn, his thumb tracing the side of my face like he was morizing . "You don’t understand... letting you out of my arms right now feels like cutting off my own heartbeat."
I closed my eyes, letting his words sink deep where they could only cause more damage. If I stayed another second, I’d shatter completely.
So I forced myself to whisper the lie again, softer this ti, almost like a plea. "I’ll take care of myself."
And before he could answer, before he could see my tears, I buried my face against his chest one last ti, clutching him as if it was the final anchor keeping from drowning. Because it was.
"I’m a dominant, Hailee," he said quietly after a mont of silence. "And what we just did—what I just put you through—it wasn’t ordinary sex. It was BDSM. That ans I take care of you after. Always. I don’t just walk away and leave you trembling like this."
His thumb traced over my cheek, his eyes dark with both softness and worry. "You’re mine to protect after the scene, not just during it."
My chest squeezed painfully. God, I wanted to let him. I wanted to stay in his arms until every ache faded. But ti wasn’t on my side, and the longer he lingered, the more dangerous it beca.
I forced myself to shake my head, my voice small but urgent. "Dane... you can’t stay. My mother will be angry if she sees you here."
He frowned, his jaw tightening. "I don’t give a damn if she’s angry—"
I cut him off quickly, my hands clutching at his chest. "Please. You have to go." My throat burned with the words, because all I wanted was the opposite. "I’ll take care of myself, I promise."
His eyes searched mine, torn between stubborn defiance and the fear of leaving alone. The silence stretched until I thought he would never let go. Finally, with a low, frustrated growl, he exhaled sharply.
"Damn it, Hailee," he muttered, pulling back just enough to look at fully. "This goes against everything in . But if you insist..."
Reluctantly, he slid out from under the blanket, his movents tense, like every step away from cost him everything. He stood at the edge of the bed, the muscles in his back rippling as he reached for his clothes.
I watched in silence, my heart cracking as he pulled his shirt over his head, buttoned it slowly, then tugged his trousers into place. Every movent was slow, controlled, but I could feel the storm brewing inside him.
When Dane finished dressing, the room felt colder, emptier. I clutched the blanket tighter around , my chest aching as I watched him adjust his sleeves with chanical precision, like it was the only thing keeping his hands from reaching for again.
He stopped at the door, his back to , as if he was fighting himself. I could almost see the war raging inside him. Leave, like I asked... or stay, like he needed.
Slowly, he turned back. His eyes burned into mine, dark and desperate, and before I could say a word, he crossed the space between us in three long strides. His hand cupped my face, warm and rough, and then his mouth crashed down on mine.
It wasn’t a kiss for comfort. It was a claim. Fierce, lingering, desperate—like he was pouring every ounce of love, pain, and fear into it, branding with his taste, his fire. I kissed him back with trembling lips, my heart breaking with every second, because I knew... this could be the last ti.
When he finally tore his lips from mine, his forehead pressed to mine, his breath ragged. "I love you, Hailee," he whispered, voice raw. "No matter what happens, don’t you ever forget that. You’re mine."
My throat burned, my eyes stung, but I forced myself to nod, to whisper back, "I’ll... I’ll rember."
His hand lingered against my cheek, thumb brushing once more as if morizing the feel of . And then—slowly, painfully—he pulled away.
The door clicked shut behind him, leaving in silence. My lips still tingled, my chest still ached, and as tears slid down my face, I clutched the blanket tighter.
I looked around the room, swallowing hard. I have to start packing.
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