章 9: Chapter 9: 11 Black Roses...

Mary lay her head on Mickey's chest, their breathing heavy and heartbeats thundering in her ears. Her fingertips traveled over his chest and she smiled at the way he shivered.

“Can you get these damn handcuffs off me now?” Mickey breathlessly chuckled.

Mary sat up languidly, stretching like a content cat. “And why would I do that?”

“Because I wanna hold you, that's why.”

Mickey's sincere answer threw Mary for a loop. She looked down at his eyes, now awash with tenderness, a complete contrast from when they began. Mary leaned over to the bedside table, pulling the keys from the drawer. She nimbly unlocked the handcuffs and put the keys away, expecting to turn and see Mickey try to dominate her again. She was pleasantly surprised when she saw him still lying there, his arms stretched out wide for her.

“Come here, mo pheata.” His voice was soft and his smile was warm as he called to her. “Let me hold you for a bit so you can rest.”

“Rest?” Mary arched a brow.