The Bound Princess (Dark Romance)

Chapter 42

Emma

My fingers froze over the piano keys when I spotted a shirtless Dawood in the doorway with his hair all over the place, his eyes red from disturbed sleep, and a haunted expression on his face.

"Everything okay?" I inquired.

I was worried for him since we returned home, but Dawood went to sleep after showering, and I came to the living room. Sleep was far from me after what happened at the club. How Dawood beat the boxer within an inch of his death shook me to the core. Dawood had warned me it wouldn't be a good idea to watch the fight, but I never expected it to be so gruesome.

Not even an hour might have passed since he slept, and I started playing. But he woke up for some reason, and the thought that it could be due to one of his nightmares made my gut wrench.

Once when I was awake late at night working on an assignment in the study, I heard him whimpering. When I checked up on him and found him thrashing in the bed, I was terrified. The agonizing sounds he made and his terror struck face even in sleep made my stomach churn.

I had woken him up, and the moment he saw me, he pulled me into his arms and asked me to stay with him for the night. We spent hours talking in bed while cuddling. I felt safe in his arms for some reason, and Dawood didn't try anything even though we were in the same bed. It felt like he just wanted to be with me, and I was happy that my presence soothed him.

"Just a nightmare," Dawood replied, striding towards me and confirming my suspicion.

So he did have a nightmare.

"Will we ever talk about it?"

Dawood used to avoid my questions about the reason behind his nightmares. It bothered me a lot to find him awake in the middle of the night and working on his laptop if I woke up and went to the kitchen for water or a late-night snack. He barely slept for a few hours, and I used to wonder how he managed to function throughout the day with so little sleep.

"Play for me," Dawood avoided my question as always.

I wanted to probe but gave up the thought when I remembered Mike's warning from earlier tonight about Dawood having a rough night after the fight.

"What do you want me to play?" I asked.

"Anything to calm my nerves," he replied without hesitation.

I nodded, then started playing a song Ahmed loved and always said helped him relax. The notes of the song echoed in the silence of the penthouse while Dawood settled on the bench beside me. His arm brushed mine, and my body came alive at the mere touch.

My eyes snapped to him, but his eyes were closed. I watched him as the song progressed, and my heart squeezed when I noticed his feature relax. Dawood opened his eyes and glanced at me when he sensed my stare. I smiled at him, and a ghost of a smile graced his lips. I turned my attention to the piano and continued playing.

Dawood stayed still while I played the song, and when I stopped after it ended and looked at him, he said, "You play beautifully. Can you play it again for me?"

"Of course," I nodded.

It gave me immense joy to play for Dawood, and knowing that it helped him calm made my heart swell with pride. I used to play for Ahmed for hours when he went through one of his spells. He told me my song helped him drive away his demons. I knew Dawood was battling his own demons, and I wished he would talk to me about them and let me help him to be free of them.

Dawood sat so close to me that the heat from his strong body kept hitting me like a tidal wave. His strong male scent invaded my senses, warming my insides. Every time my arm grazed against his skin, sparks erupted. I wanted to ignore the building tension between us, but it was nearly impossible as the air around us crackled with electricity.

I had no idea how long I kept playing the song on a loop, but my breath hitched when Dawood buried his face in my neck. It became challenging for me to continue playing while his mouth seared kisses on my throat as they traveled upward on it. My nipples hardened and pressed against the satin of my camisole, creating delicious friction.

My hands trembled over the keys, and I mixed up the notes when he sucked the sensitive spot behind my ear. I wanted to stop him before things went out of hand, but all my restraint washed away when he slipped his hand below my shirt and traced his thumb above my puckered bud; a zap of pleasure shot through me and straight to my center. Moisture pooled between my legs, and my skin burned with desire.

I gasped when he rolled it between his finger and thumb and gently tugged on it. Dawood wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me onto his lap.

I should have stopped him.

I needed to stop him.

But when his fingers grazed the waistband of my shorts, I bit on my lip. My body was on fire, and my center throbbed with wanton need. It had been so long since he made me come the last time that my body begged me to let Dawood continue what he was good at and sit back and enjoy.

The remainjng part of the scene is exclusive to Patreon.

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