Page 79 of Unexpected

“I don’t mind the look of that,” I said.

“Did I…” he began to say, beckoning me closer to him with a wave of his hand and a concerned expression. He eyed the inside of my thigh and swallowed. “I bruised you. Fuck, I didn’t mean to bruise you. I didn’t even know I was being that rough.”

I shrugged. I hadn’t noticed either, probably because I was a little concerned with other things going on. “Oh well. It doesn’t hurt. I was a little preoccupied with what you were doing between my legs at the time.”

The look on his face was angry and somber, though. “What’s wrong? It’s not a big deal.”

“I told you I wouldn’t hurt you.” The conviction in his voice sent chills shivering through me. I tossed the comforter over both of us and snuggled into Luke’s side. He was tense, and I ran my nails over his stomach, circling around the dark ink and through his dark hair.

“Luke, I would gladly accept these bruises, especially with what comes along with them. Don’t make this something it’s not. I’m… I’m happy for the first time in what feels like forever. If it doesn’t bother me, it shouldn’t bother you.”

He nodded, handed each of us a glass of wine he’d poured and kissed my forehead. “Okay, Angel.”

THIRTY

Luke

I rolledmy neck back and forth along my shoulders, trying to relieve some of the tension. Hazel and I had fallen asleep on the couch, huddled together under the warmth of her comforter in an intense orgasm stupor. The fire crackling and the rain hitting the window was the perfect soundtrack. The power hadn’t kicked back on until well into the early morning hours, breaking our blissful sleep by lighting up the house.

I had rushed around flipping off the lights and double-checking the locks on all the doors. I was eager to get back onto the couch with Hazel when I second-guessed myself that maybe us falling asleep together was an accident and she wouldn’t want me to stay.

It came as a surprise when she pulled me back onto the couch with a tired yawn and cuddled back into me. She mumbled against my chest that she couldn’t sleep in her bed with me. That it’d be weird and there were too many vivid memories she didn’t want to think about while we slept together.

The woman already had me wrapped around her fucking finger, so whatever she wanted, I was game for. Although not fucking her was so much harder than I expected it to be. Even after the most mind-blowing, unexpected blow job and our time together in the shower, unexpended energy still coursed through me.

Waking up in the morning also proved to be harder than I thought it would be. We were tangled up in the comforter and Hazel’s leg was slung over my waist and her tits were pressed into my side. With all the willpower I could muster, I slid out from under her and found my dry, yet wrinkled, clothes in the dryer. She was still asleep on the light-gray couch with the comforter only covering a leg and part of her chest when I was dressed. Her hair was fanned around her, and her features were soft and unworried.

I could tell that since she’d signed her lease on her new apartment and truly found a way out of her shitty relationship, she was less anxious. I wished the serene calm on her face when she slept was there all the time.

I brushed a few pieces of hair away from her face and kissed her forehead. I planned to sneak out and send her a text about coming over after work to help her pack, but I couldn’t not touch her.

She stirred when my lips brushed her skin and a sleepy smile tugged at the corners of her swollen, pink lips. “Hi,” she said in a drowsy voice.

“Good morning, Angel.” I kissed her one last time and made to move away, only for her to grab my hand and tug me closer.

“Where are you going?”

“Work. I’ll be back later to help you pack. Movers will be here tomorrow, right?”

She nodded and yawned as she stretched her arms over her head. The comforter fell and pooled around her waist, leaving her chest completely bare. I groaned internally and knew I had to leave soon, otherwise I’d have my head between her legs again.

“Okay, I’ll be back this afternoon then.” I held her face in one hand, ran my thumb over her smooth, slightly flushed cheek and kissed her.

She was still contemplating whether to get up or go back to sleep when I unlocked her front door and pulled it open. Her arms were lazily draped over the back of the couch and her head lay atop them.

I forced my feet to move forward and out into the fucking cold. Leaving her already felt like leaving something important behind.

The intense storms from the days before had sent through an impressive cold front, sending South Texas into the midthirties and everyone into a panic. At the clinic, we had received several calls from pet owners asking if it was too cold to leave their dogs outside.

It was a long day, but I was excited to see Hazel.

I jogged down the porch stairs after taking a shower and changing out of my scrubs. But rather than turn toward Hazel, I stopped at the bottom of the porch. In her driveway, Becky loaded Emmy into the back of her SUV.

It wouldn’t have been enough to grab my attention, but nearly everything about Becky I’d grown used to in the years I’d lived next door to her was radically different. Becky often didn’t leave the house—even to check the mail—unless she was completely made up.

“Hey, Becky,” I said, trying to keep my tone casual as I began walking over to her.

She was wearing sweatpants and a large gray hoodie that swallowed her small frame. Her hair was disheveled and when she turned to greet me in return, her eyes were rimmed with red.

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