Page 77 of Unbroken

“That could be the hottest thing I’ve ever experienced,” I stated honestly.

“Which part?”

I tumbled back onto the pillows and stretched. “All of it. Start to finish, it was the hottest sex I’ve ever had.”

A very unDevon-like smile slipped onto his face as he dropped onto the bed next to me. “Then you better get ready. That was nothing.”

THIRTY-FOUR

Blakely

With that delightful promise,I kissed his lips, rolled over him, and got out of bed. I immediately scooped up the first piece of clothing I could find—his white T-shirt—and tossed it on over my head.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

The only unfortunate thing about the massive bedroom was that it wasn’t one with an en suite. Which meant I had to tiptoe across the hall and hope I didn’t get caught.

“I’ll be right back,” I whispered to Devon, who was still sprawled out on the bed. I carefully twisted the doorknob and made sure no one else was in the hallway before I hurried across.

I slipped inside and used the restroom. When I was washing my hands, I glanced up into the mirror to find I had a small smile on my face. I almost didn’t recognize the woman in my reflection. My fingers brushed against my swollen lips and the sensitive skin on my jaw and cheeks. It was a little red from where his facial hair had scratched against me, but I would put up with it.

Thinking about going back into the bedroom, where Devonwould likely still be laying on the bed and waiting for me, made my heart flutter with excitement. I turned to leave but was struck by the immensity of the emotions. Inches from the door, my hand froze mid-air, and tears suddenly gathered in my eyes.

I was happy. I wassohappy, and that was hard to wrap my head around. That kind of happiness had been so foreign to me that I didn’t know how to react.

I’d been miserable and lonely for so long, it was hard to comprehend those emotions. That there was a man who was waiting for me and a house full of people who’d forgiven me.

There were so many moments over the past two years where I didn’t think it would be possible for me to feel anything more than indifference. And indifference was the best of the myriad of darker feelings I’d experienced.

Now, I just had to let myself have it and not dwell on the fact that it might all be temporary. In the midst of healing, it was difficult not to slip back there. It was easier to let myself be dragged back into the darkness.

But I wouldn’t let myself do it. Life could change second to second, and I wasn’t going to let what had happened to me, or Nick fucking Hammond, win.

With a shaky, uneven breath, I tried to push away the uncertainty. I wanted to live in the moment. That mindset had seemed so shallow and problematic two years ago, but after what I’d been through, sometimes it was the only way I knew how to get through a day. Dr. Mann said it wasn’t a bad thing either. That it was healthy to only worry about what you had control of, and sometimes all I had control of was the moment I was in.

I reached for the door handle again and was able to push it open. Glancing back and forth down the hall, I hurried across to the bedroom and stepped inside.

I walked in to see Devon back in his gray sweatpants and tugging the comforter off the end of the bed. He looked at me over his shoulder as he let the comforter fall to the ground.

“Didn’t think you’d want to sleep in a giant wet spot.”

I smiled until I considered his word choice, and asked, “Does that mean you’re not staying?”

He stopped and turned completely, appraising me near the door before crossing to me. He reached for one of my hands and tenderly gripped my fingers. “I would love to stay, Iwantto stay, but it’s up to you.”

“I want you to stay.”

He smiled, and I didn’t know if I was ever going to get used to seeing that. Devon smiling, showing off his gorgeous white teeth, was magical. Years of small, timid half-smiles were a thing of the past.

He took another step forward and kissed me softly. “I would love for you to be the first thing I see when I wake up tomorrow morning.”

I hummed my agreement against his mouth but pulled away quickly. If I didn’t, I knew things would escalate just as quickly as they always seemed to between us. And I could feel the exhaustion beginning to slip through my muscles.

“Go lay down,” Devon said. “I’ll be right back.”

He slipped out of the door, and I immediately flopped onto the bed. Shimmying beneath the sheets, I tucked the pillow beneath my head and stared out into the room. There was a closet on the other side and along the same front wall. I hadn’t paid much attention to it, but it was hard not to notice it now.

A small column of light peaked out from between the door itself and the frame.

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