The Don's Kitten | PAUSED

Three

Ava

One thing I love about living with James is that his noteworthy scent is everywhere; the lounge, his bedroom, the sheets.

It isn't a smell that makes your nose crinkle up in disgust. It's a light, barely-there, fresh, cologne-like smell that makes you take a little deeper breaths.

Once we move into our new place that smell will disappear, and be replaced with the smell of us instead. I have known since a while back that James is the one I want to spend my life with, but moving into a whole new house together makes it all very official. A reality rather than a dream.

I snuggle deeper into the bed, clutching onto the duvet so that it surrounds me like a cocoon. With my nose pressed into the pillow, his smell meets my senses and replaces his presence. He woke up before me, as usual, and I think I remember him saying he's going down to the gym before kissing me and walking out.

When I glance at the clock on the bedside table it shows eleven pm. It's time to get up. I raise myself up to a sitting position and instantly feel a striking pain in my back. I groan and move my hand to the area.

Not feeling any wound, I stand up and move into the bathroom, turning sideways to get a good look. My eyes meet a red mark across the middle of my back.

"Stupid balcony," I mutter and turn to look at my own reflection. After the sex last night neither of us had the energy to put on clothes again, so we went to bed fully naked.

My gaze drops from my face and I see even more marks on my waist. It doesn't hurt as bad as the one on my back, and the weird thing is that I didn't even feel the pain last night. I guess I was too busy getting my insides rearranged...

The marks he always leaves on my body — after we have sex — don't bother me. I like when he's rough. I always have. My past relationships and sexual experiences have never been like it is with him, this sort of burning with raw emotion and toe-curling passion.

It's a flammable torch that keeps me alive.

I leave the bathroom and make my way into the closet instead, where I look for my training clothes. Might as well join James now that he's in the gym, and I enjoy watching him workout.

When I have put on the thin training shorts and a training bra I pick out a pair of running shoes. I grab my water bottle and walk downstairs, where I greet the guards before walking to the kitchen. After filling up my bottle I move down to the gym, which is in the basement.

Apart from the training center that James took me to a while back, he also has a home gym. It's a big room with all kinds of machines, a wall of mirrors and even a boxing ring.