NOVA POV
I’ve been fading in and out of different realms I didn’t know existed. Days have blurred into nights and my nights didn’t remain the sa.
Like now, I’m sweating profusely in an air-conditioned room. I’d been enjoying a dreamless sleep when I saw my torntor’s face, and this ti he had all his body parts except his face was stretched wide with too many teeth.
This ti he was coming to bite and eat alive. I scread for help, only to open my eyes and discover Grant was shaking awake, assuring that he would never let that happen to again.
But it’s easier said than done.
My body might already be healing from the attacks—after all, it’s over a week now—but my mind is still raw from the incident.
The biting. The knife teasing my skin. The sawing machine. The whips and each smack of his heavy belt. Each ti Grant asks how I am, I keep telling him I’m fine, but I can see it in his eyes that he can see it in mine—that I’m far from fine.
"You keep screaming in your sleep," Grant said, his hand gently combing the invisible tangles in my hair.
"It’s just reflex," I assured him. While he smiled at , I could see he didn’t believe my words. Neither do I.
"There’s the therapist—"
"I’m fine, babe. Give more ti. I promise you I’ll be even better." I hope so. Honestly, I hope so.
"If that’s what you want, princess." With a gentle kiss to my forehead, I released a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. My body felt lighter. His phone rang on the stand right beside .
"It’s Lena," he said after confirming the caller. "She called the day we found you to get your godmother’s number, so—"
"Hope you didn’t drop it," I asked, already panicked. I don’t trust my godmother. I knew she would blurt everything out and might even still beg for money to buy dope.
"No. I didn’t, but that might be why she’s calling."
I swallowed air into my very dry throat as I quickly did the ntal calculations of the odds that seed to be against . Last ti I checked, Lena doesn’t care about . She seems to have switched on . Academically, I’m already far behind, but I’m sure I could catch up anyti I resu.
"What do you want to tell her?" Grant’s gentle voice inquired, drawing from my ntal calculations.
"I’m fine with anything." I faked a smile, knowing fully well I’m not, but Lena remains his daughter. His real responsibility.
"I’ll send a ssage then. What do you say about a one-month dical leave to get better for y’all? I could pitch it for the three of you."
I t his eyes. Honestly, it sounds nice, but with my friends no longer friends, I feel like it’s a waste of ti. Before I could voice out my opinion, he interrupted, holding his hand up as an indication for to stop talking.
"I could send Katie and Lena to Paris for vacation while they catch their breath. and you can have the freedom to visit any country we want for the next month till you’re perfectly able to resu school."
"But how does that solve Lena’s worry about ?" I tried to make sense of the plan.
"Oh baby, if Lena is her mother’s daughter, she’s definitely not worried about you enough to decline an expense-paid vacation. She will forget about you ASAP."
I nodded in agreent. I’m very sure she would let the matter go. A few minutes later when she called back, she was screeching happily on the phone. She never ntioned my na once. Even when Katie said her thanks, they didn’t add if Nova could join or where Nova was.
It was all a bunch of thank-you-Mr.-Calloway and we-love-this.
The days after that were a blur of heartache from my friendship heartbreak and Grant’s patient and tender care. The nurses were now gone and I could manage myself.
Gradually, I was able to get Grant off my back and have him finally go physically to check his companies. I’d personally reached out to Luca to say my thanks for assisting Grant with my rescue, to which he replied with a single thumbs up.
Grant was sohow able to get my godmother to sign my dical leave and the school had sent their well wishes. So now basically I have a month to myself to heal even more and have Grant to myself all through.
My plan was simple. I knew he would be coming ho in two hours, he’d already dropped a ssage and I didn’t hold back on my preparations.
The lingerie I’d placed a sa-day delivery order for already got delivered, as well as so foods I knew he would love.
So now I’m dressed in fishnet stockings with black leather strappings. My breasts are barely covered with the leather bandage covering just my nipples and my areolas a bright contrast to the black of the leather material.
After which I put on my pajama pants and baggy shirt just to give a more perfect illusion of being in bed all day. I ruffled my hair a little bit more.
I heard his voice as soon as he got to my side of the wing.
"I’m ho, sweetheart." A smile tugged at my lips and I swallowed the urge to give a sugary response. Trying to keep the ruse, I let out a sound that sounded more like grumbling than talking.
The door opened a few minutes later. I couldn’t help but admire his physique when he ca in. He looked every inch his forty-five years, but he looks real hot rocking forty-five. He got out of his jacket and undershirt, the muscles in his arms rippling as he got them off.
The light sheen of sweat on his tanned chest, all the way down to the V that dipped into his trousers. Damn.
"You ordered food." It took a minute to realize he was speaking to . The smirk decorating his face told he caught ogling him.
"Yeah. They look delicious," I flirted back, and this ti we both laughed.
"When will you eat it?" He asked, motioning to the food on the table at the corner of the room, but sohow his hips were thrusting suggestively.
"The food is yours. Though I wouldn’t mind a quick taste." Now I’m flirting shalessly.
"You can taste —sorry, I an it—anyti."
"Are we still talking about the takeout?"
"Well, do you want to taste the takeout or do you want to take this—" he pointed at the now-familiar bulge in his pants, "—out for you to taste?"
I blinked like I just hit my head on the damn wall. I removed the covers from my legs and set my feet on the floor before stretching my lazy ass like I’m pregnant with triplets.
"I’ve been trying to take it slow and easy," I said confidently, strutting to his side. My hips swayed with each step.
"But I want it fast and dirty," he teased.
"No." I stopped right in front of him. "You want it hard and rough." I emphasized the last word by tugging down my pajama pants to reveal the fishnet stockings gracing my legs. His mouth fell open in a giant O by the ti I kicked the pants away.
"Damn," he mouthed, eyeing my legs seriously.
"Now I’m gonna—" I held the edges of my oversized tee shirt and pulled it up slowly, "—take it hard on you with full heat." I removed the top from my body and flung it to the other side of the room, leaving bare in nets and a few pieces of leather.
Grant’s breathing changed. His chest rose and fell faster.
"Have , baby. I’m all yours," he said, his voice now husky and low as he unbuckled his pants and pushed the fabric to the floor, leaving him bare. A particular mber of his lower body stood upright, its head already glistening, ready for my warm holes.
I stepped closer, running one finger down his chest. He shuddered under my touch.
"You sure you can handle ?" I whispered. "I’ve been thinking about this all week."
His hands found my waist, gripping tight. "Fuck, Nova. What are you doing to ?"
"Showing you how healed I am," I said, pressing my body flush against his. "Showing you I’m not broken. That bastard didn’t break ."
Sothing shifted in Grant’s eyes. The heat was still there but mixed with sothing deeper.
"You were never broken, baby. Never." His thumb traced the edge of the leather covering my breast.
I pulled his head down and kissed him hard, pouring everything I couldn’t say into it. The fear. The gratitude. The need to feel alive again.
He kissed back like he was starving for it, his hands roaming my body, mapping every inch.
It’s ti to show this man exactly how healed I am.
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