His Revenge (Smoke & Mirrors Duet #1)

Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

LEO

“Just because you have a dick doesn’t mean you need to be one.”

Y esterday was incredible. Her muscles seem sore this morning, but she looks so much more relaxed than I have ever seen her. Before sharing my space with her, I would have been plotting and planning as soon as my eyes opened but now I cannot bring myself to leave her in this bed without it being absolutely necessary. The way that her back arches as she shifts positions sends all of my blood right to my dick. She yawns, extending her stretch before her eyes meet mine. In the depth of her eyes I can see just how relaxed she is in my bed. I could get used to waking up with her wrapped around me.

“Good morning, Beautiful,” are the first words out of my mouth after seeing the level of comfort she has found in my arms. The way her eyes flutter as she fights away the sleep brings a smile to my lips.

“Good morning,” She responds with a smile. I know it is early in the day and early in our relationship, but I know deep in my soul that it is my goal to light her face up with that smile every single day for the rest of our lives. Today, I will help her feel as comfortable in her own skin as possible by covering the scars. I know she needs a way to physically move forward with our lives and leave the darkness and helpless feelings in her past.

“Let’s get some coffee and breakfast in your system. I have a plan for today but just like always you will have the final say in every aspect of it,” I say sitting up and getting us both out of bed. She is only wearing my T-shirt and it looks amazing on her. The black shirt sits against her thighs with each step she takes. We walk out to the kitchen together and I begin the preparation of a latte for her. The moment the cup sits in front of her I pull out a pan and turn on the burner. While I may not be the most knowledgeable about every one of her likes and dislikes, I know that she needs caffeine before we dive into what I have planned for today. I grab the few items I need from the fridge and set them on the counter to make her food. The moan that she lets out after her first sip of the drink is downright indecent. I grip the pan a little harder as I place the butter and oil in it to start my favorite breakfast. Pinching my fingers together I tear the center of a piece of bread out before laying the bread in the melted butter. I hate splitting focus from her, but she deserves a perfect breakfast made with love.

“This is something a girl could get used to,” She jests as her cheeks darken just a shade. The chuckle that I let out while cracking the egg into the hole of the bread solidifies that my house now truly feels like a home with her here. Once the egg cooks underneath, I carefully flip the bread and add a slice of cheese. Once the second side is cooked, I place her breakfast on a plate in front of her on the island and begin to make my own food. Repeating the steps of breakfast, I can hear her humming to herself as she enjoys her breakfast. Plating my food and walking toward her at the island, I sit next to her, placing my left hand on her thigh just above her knee while I eat. I need to be touching her as much as humanly possible to keep the growing physical bond between us.

“Are you against being tied up for me if it is in the safety of our home?” I inquire in an effort to discover how far my Butterfly is willing to go with me in her safe space. She blinks at me to clear the confusion.

“No, not if I have an out and there is no one else on the property,” She answers with her voice only wavering minorly at the end. I set down my fork and turn to look into her eyes while clasping her hand in my own.

“I will never do something against your expressed wishes. While I may ask for specific parameters for some things, if you looked at me now and told me that you never wanted me to touch you again, I would respect that. You hold the power here to stop anything at any time and no one will ever lay a finger on you without permission from you ever again,” I reassure her with both my words and actions.

“So what’s the plan?” She asks, curiosity getting the better of her. I smile and hope that she loves this as much as I do. I stand up and lead her to my office where I pull out the leather tattoo table and black rope.

“Rome told me that your dress is backless and I know how uncomfortable you are with people seeing your scars, so today, Butterfly, we are going to cover them,” I answer, preparing the station and sanitizing everything.

“Is there a specific plan?” she asks, unsure but making no moves or indications of distress.

“Every person in my family and our business has some form of wings, and today I want to give you your own wings to proudly wear,” I answer with a smile. Her hands move to her hair and she braids it to keep it out of our way. She nods before laying down on my table. I cut the back of the shirt down the center with my knife so she still has something soft between her bare chest and the vinyl. Then I unbind the rope and begin to tie her down.

The rope tugs at her skin holding my Butterfly down like a beautiful black flexible cage’ a jaw-dropping display of her form. Her brown hair is braided to the side and off of her back putting her scars on full display.

“Do you trust me?” I ask while grabbing my bag from the cupboard. I see her tense but I need to know the answer. This is not a small matter. This is me marking her as mine but also as her own. I will be the only one allowed to cage her ever again. No man will lay a hand on her beautiful skin and live to tell the tale.

“Yes, Leo I trust you, even when I can’t trust myself,” she whispers in response. The fact that she is willing to take that leap with me after all that she has been through is a testament to her strength that outshines her beauty. This project is going to take hours to complete. Applying the numbing cream to her shoulders and upper back I wrap the skin in cellophane to allow it to soak in. She has no other tattoos, but given that her shoulders are scarred and constant reminders of her past, the urge to change the way she views her body outweighs my concern. I know she can take the pain, but unlike all before me, if she needs a break or to stop entirely she is welcome to that.

“Good girl, Butterfly. Today I am going to free you of the physical reminders of your pain. Not because you are weak, but because you have been strong enough to survive. The numbing cream on your back should take away a lot of the pain and give me time to work over the scars without adding to the memories of pain. I cannot stop the vibrations, but I personally find them soothing. If you feel pain or need a break, what do you say?” I ask her while rubbing soothing circles on her delectable ass cheek.

“Yellow or red depending on the discomfort, Sir,” she answers. I knew she could do this. I draw the general design on her upper back covering her shoulder blades and smile. It's time to mark my girl and free her from her past. It's time to let her demons go, or at least all of them but me, because I am wholly hers. She and I can exact our revenge together.