Page 38 of Beautifully Savage Butterfly

ORION

My cock is still tingling, and my limbs feel heavy. Elio’s weight on top of me and the hot, citrusy water engulfing me are almost enough to put me right to sleep after too many nights spent wide awake.

I chuckle and drag my hand from the back of his neck down his spine in a slow stroke, feeling too lazy to even fight with my heavy eyelids.

“Not sure I have it in me to get it up again tonight,” I say.

He snorts. “I meant sleep, Boss. In case you didn’t know, that’s another thing you can do in a bed.”

I slide my hand lower and pinch his ass hard. Elio yelps, then laughs.

“Smartass,” I mutter. “I can’t stay. I have to go back to the hospital.”

“You sure?” He shifts his weight and sits up a little more. “Jack is probably sleeping, right? And I’m sure he has doctors and nurses keeping a close eye on him. You won’t be much use to him if you keel over from exhaustion.” I hate to admit it, but his reasoning is sound. It doesn’t help that he starts to massage my shoulders and the back of my neck. Even at an awkward angle, I moan at the way he’s able to melt some of the more persistent knots. “Stay here, get some sleep, and I’ll drive you over there first thing in the morning.”

I know that sitting awake next to Jack’s bed doesn’t do a damn thing to help him. It just feels wrong to be at home, asleep while he’s on a ventilator. But Elio’s right. He won’t miss me one night. If anything, he’ll probably be glad when I show up in the morning and I don’t look like an extra in a zombie movie.

“Okay,” I agree with a groan.

Elio probes his fingers into a particularly stubborn knot near my left shoulder blade and brings his lips close to my ear.

“Good boy,” he whispers, brushing his mouth against my earlobe as he forms the words. The amusement in his voice is as warm as the bathwater.

I pinch his ass again and rumble a laugh. “Watch it, Brat.”

“Yes, Boss,” he says obediently, kissing my cheek.

We fall into a peaceful silence for a while after that, enjoying the massage jets and the heat of the water. Elio can’t seem to stop touching me, alternating between working his magic on my sore muscles and exploring my naked body slowly with his hands. He buries his face in the crook of my neck and brushes leisurely kisses over my Adam’s apple and the spot where my pulse flutters.

“I think this is my favorite moment of all time,” I admit in a tired drawl that sounds half drunk.

My eyes are closed, but I can feel Elio’s mouth curve into a smile against my skin. “Shucks, Boss,” he murmurs. “Now who’s being sweet?”

“Don’t let it go to your head. There isn’t a lot of competition. And definitely don’t get used to the sweet thing. You’ve just got all my defenses down with this bubble bath and a massage.”

“Good. I like your rough edges too much to want them smoothed all the way out. Just because you like me now, doesn’t mean I want you to stop acting like you hate me a little.” He kisses my throat again, flicking his tongue lightly over my skin.

“Who says I like you?” I quirk an eyebrow without opening my eyes.

He drags his lips slowly up to my chin, planting kisses every inch along the way. “You like me,” he says confidently, placing the last kiss against my mouth.

My stomach flutters and my heart beats just a little faster. I dig my fingers harder into his ass cheek and take a deep breath that fills my lungs with the citrus smell of the bath and the even stronger scent that’s all Elio. Maybe I like him… a little, anyway.

ELIO

“Hello?” The quiet rasp of Orion’s voice drags me awake.

It’s pitch dark, clearly still the middle of the night. The light from the streetlamps and nearby buildings seeps in through the small gap in my bedroom curtains, casting a dim glow over Orion’s naked body. His hair is a tangled mess, hanging loose around his shoulders, and he’s sitting up with the blankets pooled around his waist.

I grumble with irritation and reach for him. Who the fuck is calling in the middle of the night? Whoever it is, they clearly have a death wish. I need at least a few more hours with Orion spooned around me, swallowed up by my cloud-like mattress and silk-soft sheets.

“Shit,” he mutters. The quiet expletive shakes the sleep fog from my brain and has me bolting upright instantly. “Okay, thanks for calling. I’ll be there soon.”

He hangs up and drops his phone on the bed, bringing both hands up to his face. He hisses another curse before flinging the sheets back and getting out of bed.

“What happened?” I’m already scrambling out after him. “Is Jack okay?”

“Not exactly. I don’t know.” He turns his head one way, then the other, looking around in the dark. “Fuck,” he shouts the word this time.

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