Page 166 of Dare To Fall

Still holding the boy sleeping over me, I lay my head back down on the mattress and close my eyes. I don’t want to think about the funeral or the fact Eli beat up Jace. Right at this second, all I want to do is be the support my boyfriend needs.

Chapter 111

Eli

Consciousness returns slowly. There’s something warm under my cheek. A soft repetitive thudding in my ear. I move my head, rubbing my cheek against the warm softness.

“Eli?” The whisper is joined by fingers stroking through my hair.

I frown, forcing my mind to clear itself of the jumbled exhausted mess it’s been in.

“Ari?” My voice comes out as a rough croak. Finally, the neurons in my brain fire to life and my lids rise, allowing me to see.

Moonlight shines through the window, bathing everything in a silver glow. I lift my head carefully, cautiously. It feels like a heavy weight, but I manage to raise it enough for me to see what I’m lying on.

One pale breast, topped with a perfect pink nipple, fills my gaze. I frown and stretch out a hand, bracing it against the mattress so I can push myself off the body beneath me and roll onto my back.

Fingers stroke over my jaw, my lips, along my throat, and then Ari’s face comes into focus as she leans over me.

“Hey.” The word is soft, accompanied by a small smile.

I blink up at her, my eyes tracking over her face. Her bottom lip is slightly swollen, and I’m certain there’s a small speck of blood in the corner of her mouth. A dark bruise catches my attention, and I redirect my focus to her throat. I follow the line of bites down her neck, over her collarbone, and down to her breasts, where they spill out over the neckline of a black top.

My frown deepens.

“Did I hurt you?”

She shakes her head. I lift a hand and trace it over her lips, then gently push her bottom lip down. Teeth marks indent the pink flesh inside.

“That was me.” It wasn’t a question. My tongue snakes out to toy with my lip ring. “I made you bleed.”

Her tongue licks at my fingertip. “I made you feel. It’s a fair trade.” I pull my finger away from her lips and fist my hand into her hair, so I can pull her head down to mine. The kiss I place against her lips is gentle. “Thank you.”

She draws away slightly, her eyes intense as she stares at me. Tightening my hold on her hair, I tumble her to the mattress and roll to pin her beneath me. She braces her palms against my shoulders, stopping me from lowering my head to capture her mouth.

“I haven’t cleaned up since last time.”

My brow furrows as I try to decipher her meaning. Then it becomes clear. “Oh. Why not?”

“You collapsed, and I … I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“How long was I out?”

“Three … maybe four hours?”

“And you stayed with me?”

One side of her mouth tilts up. “In the wet patch, yeah.”

The laugh that escapes my lips surprises us both. Her lips part, and then curl up into a full smile. Laughing feels good, seeing her smile feels better. Still chuckling, I dip my head and kiss her.

“I love you, Kitten.”

***

I come out of the shower feeling almost human. Ari is sitting cross-legged on my bed, scribbling into a book. I pause in the doorway and look around.

“You tidied up?”

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