sleep until you showered anyway, so why not shower then move to the nice comfortable bed?”
I didn’t really want logic. Just…him.
But since he’d moved, I might as well get it done. I glanced around, my gaze bouncing over the shattered mirror.
“You’re getting in.”
Frowning at the command, I arched a brow.
He was looking at the floor. “There’s glass. I’ll clean it up and then be in with you.”
I hadn’t even started washing my hair when he joined me. He took over the job. Strong hands kneaded my scalp and neck until I was all but purring with pleasure and then, after he’d nudged me under the water and rinsed me clean, I found myself sighing in sheer contentment as he wrapped himself around me.
His chin tucked against my chest, his arms enfolded me. Closing my eyes, I lost myself in that one moment.
If only I could held onto that moment, that feeling…forever.
That feeling lingered, something that might have been peace sliding through me as we settled down in bed. My bed wasn’t as big as his and he ended up half-wrapped around me.
I didn’t mind that at all.
I hadn’t felt this…easy in a long time.
It wouldn’t last—couldn’t. Under the mask of my calm, there was that underlying tension about what lay ahead—disappearances, Justin…my family.
His lips pressed against my temple. “This…” he muttered, his voice a deep, sleepy rumble. “This is what I missed.”
“What? Me, naked?” I smiled, even though I knew that wasn’t what he was talking about. “That’s because you’re a man, ergo, you’re a pervert.”
He laughed, but it sounded hoarse.
We lay there, like that, just like that, for a long time.
It seemed like I’d lived with a cold, aching knot inside me for too long. Ever since the day I’d collapsed against my car with a tranq dart in my chest and a wrong witch in front of me.
That knot was gone now. I just felt happy.
His hand stroked down my side, rested on my hip. “I miss smelling you on my skin. It didn’t matter if it had been two days since I’d seen you. I could still smell you on my skin. I missed it more than I thought possible.” His hand shifted to my belly, spread wide. “Missed seeing you.”
He hesitated for a moment and then said, “I know we’ve been seeing each other some, but it’s not the same. I don’t let myself touch you. I miss that, being able to touch you and hold you and knowing I’ll have your scent on me when I’m done. I missed that smart mouth of yours…missed everything about you and I came so close to you just being…gone. Forever. And it was my fault.”
Well. That peace hadn’t lasted as long as I’d hoped.
Slowly, I uncurled from his arms. He didn’t seem to want to let go, but I couldn’t have this conversation without looking at him.
I watched him go to his back and then I sat up. Looking into his haunted grey eyes, I reached for the words. In my head, we’d already had this conversation. In my head, it was over and done. But that wasn’t reality.
“What happened…” My voice caught and skipped, tripping over the next few words. “When Jude grabbed me, that wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t my fault. It wasn’t anybody’s fault but his.”
“If I hadn’t been such a fucking idiot, then you wouldn’t have been alone.” His arms came around me and when he moved, sitting upright and dragging me onto his lap, I let him. I needed the connection, his touch as much he needed mine. “I…fuck, I was ready to come chasing after you the minute I walked, but I had to calm down. There was something wrong, I knew it and I was ready to kill somebody over it—it didn’t matter who it was, I was ready to kill over it. I had to…”
His eyes slid away. “Because I was so fucked up in the head, because I wasn’t thinking straight, you were alone.”
Looking into his eyes, feeling so vulnerable and exposed, it made it too hard to think. So I did the easy thing. I buried my face against
I didn’t really want logic. Just…him.
But since he’d moved, I might as well get it done. I glanced around, my gaze bouncing over the shattered mirror.
“You’re getting in.”
Frowning at the command, I arched a brow.
He was looking at the floor. “There’s glass. I’ll clean it up and then be in with you.”
I hadn’t even started washing my hair when he joined me. He took over the job. Strong hands kneaded my scalp and neck until I was all but purring with pleasure and then, after he’d nudged me under the water and rinsed me clean, I found myself sighing in sheer contentment as he wrapped himself around me.
His chin tucked against my chest, his arms enfolded me. Closing my eyes, I lost myself in that one moment.
If only I could held onto that moment, that feeling…forever.
That feeling lingered, something that might have been peace sliding through me as we settled down in bed. My bed wasn’t as big as his and he ended up half-wrapped around me.
I didn’t mind that at all.
I hadn’t felt this…easy in a long time.
It wouldn’t last—couldn’t. Under the mask of my calm, there was that underlying tension about what lay ahead—disappearances, Justin…my family.
His lips pressed against my temple. “This…” he muttered, his voice a deep, sleepy rumble. “This is what I missed.”
“What? Me, naked?” I smiled, even though I knew that wasn’t what he was talking about. “That’s because you’re a man, ergo, you’re a pervert.”
He laughed, but it sounded hoarse.
We lay there, like that, just like that, for a long time.
It seemed like I’d lived with a cold, aching knot inside me for too long. Ever since the day I’d collapsed against my car with a tranq dart in my chest and a wrong witch in front of me.
That knot was gone now. I just felt happy.
His hand stroked down my side, rested on my hip. “I miss smelling you on my skin. It didn’t matter if it had been two days since I’d seen you. I could still smell you on my skin. I missed it more than I thought possible.” His hand shifted to my belly, spread wide. “Missed seeing you.”
He hesitated for a moment and then said, “I know we’ve been seeing each other some, but it’s not the same. I don’t let myself touch you. I miss that, being able to touch you and hold you and knowing I’ll have your scent on me when I’m done. I missed that smart mouth of yours…missed everything about you and I came so close to you just being…gone. Forever. And it was my fault.”
Well. That peace hadn’t lasted as long as I’d hoped.
Slowly, I uncurled from his arms. He didn’t seem to want to let go, but I couldn’t have this conversation without looking at him.
I watched him go to his back and then I sat up. Looking into his haunted grey eyes, I reached for the words. In my head, we’d already had this conversation. In my head, it was over and done. But that wasn’t reality.
“What happened…” My voice caught and skipped, tripping over the next few words. “When Jude grabbed me, that wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t my fault. It wasn’t anybody’s fault but his.”
“If I hadn’t been such a fucking idiot, then you wouldn’t have been alone.” His arms came around me and when he moved, sitting upright and dragging me onto his lap, I let him. I needed the connection, his touch as much he needed mine. “I…fuck, I was ready to come chasing after you the minute I walked, but I had to calm down. There was something wrong, I knew it and I was ready to kill somebody over it—it didn’t matter who it was, I was ready to kill over it. I had to…”
His eyes slid away. “Because I was so fucked up in the head, because I wasn’t thinking straight, you were alone.”
Looking into his eyes, feeling so vulnerable and exposed, it made it too hard to think. So I did the easy thing. I buried my face against
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