breathing evenly. Gently, he cradled her against his chest and laid her back in the bed where he held her, clinging to her nearly as tight as the glimmer of hope she’d lit within him. She believed in him and he wanted to prove her faith wasn’t false. To hell with what Black had done to him. Becca was his real tether and one that he would hold onto with both hands. For her, he would be his own man again, or die trying.
Chapter 11
Becca wasn’t alone when she opened her eyes in the room just starting to glow with dawn’s first rays. Nor was she damaged in any way. As a matter of fact, she felt good. For the first time in a long time she felt rested. Not entirely back to herself, but better than she had been in weeks. She shifted to stretch and was stopped by a hand wrapped around her middle.
“Good morning.” Michael tugged her back against him so that their bodies were pressed together along her entire length.
“Mmm.” She stretched her legs then scooted back into position. “Good morning.”
“How are you feeling?” He sounded uncertain. “Last night was,” he paused, “cathartic.”
Happy fluttering tickled her belly. “I take it that’s a good thing?” She ran a hand up and down his forearm.
“I had an idea last night after you fell asleep.”
She made a noise. “Fainted, again, you mean.”
“Whatever you want to call it, after you were out and I touched you your vitals settled.”
Her cheeks were hot. “You have that effect on me.” Licking her dry lips, she went on. “Sometimes just being around you does it.”
Michael took a moment to respond. “I’d noticed it before but it didn’t come to me until last night after we’d talked everything out.” He paused, shifting beside her. “That was when I realized we might have the answer for your condition.”
Condition? He was being so clinical. Had he not heard her when she’d told him she loved him? Realization hit, nearly taking her breath with it. He didn’t feel the same. Becca went quiet, waiting.
“If your senses are having trouble handling overstimulation then we can reduce the stimulation and its effects until the blood’s effects start to fade. It’ll take a while because of what you are, but they will fade.” He actually sounded embarrassed. “With trying to maintain a professional distance and sleeping separately when we were at the estate we were underutilizing our best resource to combat your weakness,” he said, touching her shoulder and slipping his hand down it, “our own bodies.”
“Dialysis through the skin, huh?” His logical approach and cool manner cut her to her very center. While it made perfect sense, it did nothing for the fact that her heart was under his heel. She swallowed her disappointment. “That’s pretty drastic.”
“Drastic situations call for drastic measures.” He let his head fall back behind hers, making it clear he wasn’t planning on going anywhere. They lay like that for a while, neither one speaking until Becca had to get up to use the bathroom. When she poked her head back out, he looked expectant and she frowned.
“I think I should take a shower and change.” She smoothed the massively rumpled shirt she’d slept in. “We have lots to do today.” That and she wanted to be alone. She’d told him she loved him for the first time, and a second, and he’d said nothing. No, that wasn’t true. He’d told her she was a witch and she would be reliant upon him to keep her from running down until she could finally manage her own condition.
In the light of day it all seemed ridiculous and she could feel the hulking thing creeping into the room with her, the polka-dotted elephant neither one was apparently going to talk about. He wasn’t being distant; quite the opposite, but that didn’t matter considering he’d explained how he understood she needed him. Physically. That and he might be acting
Chapter 11
Becca wasn’t alone when she opened her eyes in the room just starting to glow with dawn’s first rays. Nor was she damaged in any way. As a matter of fact, she felt good. For the first time in a long time she felt rested. Not entirely back to herself, but better than she had been in weeks. She shifted to stretch and was stopped by a hand wrapped around her middle.
“Good morning.” Michael tugged her back against him so that their bodies were pressed together along her entire length.
“Mmm.” She stretched her legs then scooted back into position. “Good morning.”
“How are you feeling?” He sounded uncertain. “Last night was,” he paused, “cathartic.”
Happy fluttering tickled her belly. “I take it that’s a good thing?” She ran a hand up and down his forearm.
“I had an idea last night after you fell asleep.”
She made a noise. “Fainted, again, you mean.”
“Whatever you want to call it, after you were out and I touched you your vitals settled.”
Her cheeks were hot. “You have that effect on me.” Licking her dry lips, she went on. “Sometimes just being around you does it.”
Michael took a moment to respond. “I’d noticed it before but it didn’t come to me until last night after we’d talked everything out.” He paused, shifting beside her. “That was when I realized we might have the answer for your condition.”
Condition? He was being so clinical. Had he not heard her when she’d told him she loved him? Realization hit, nearly taking her breath with it. He didn’t feel the same. Becca went quiet, waiting.
“If your senses are having trouble handling overstimulation then we can reduce the stimulation and its effects until the blood’s effects start to fade. It’ll take a while because of what you are, but they will fade.” He actually sounded embarrassed. “With trying to maintain a professional distance and sleeping separately when we were at the estate we were underutilizing our best resource to combat your weakness,” he said, touching her shoulder and slipping his hand down it, “our own bodies.”
“Dialysis through the skin, huh?” His logical approach and cool manner cut her to her very center. While it made perfect sense, it did nothing for the fact that her heart was under his heel. She swallowed her disappointment. “That’s pretty drastic.”
“Drastic situations call for drastic measures.” He let his head fall back behind hers, making it clear he wasn’t planning on going anywhere. They lay like that for a while, neither one speaking until Becca had to get up to use the bathroom. When she poked her head back out, he looked expectant and she frowned.
“I think I should take a shower and change.” She smoothed the massively rumpled shirt she’d slept in. “We have lots to do today.” That and she wanted to be alone. She’d told him she loved him for the first time, and a second, and he’d said nothing. No, that wasn’t true. He’d told her she was a witch and she would be reliant upon him to keep her from running down until she could finally manage her own condition.
In the light of day it all seemed ridiculous and she could feel the hulking thing creeping into the room with her, the polka-dotted elephant neither one was apparently going to talk about. He wasn’t being distant; quite the opposite, but that didn’t matter considering he’d explained how he understood she needed him. Physically. That and he might be acting
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