Page 55 of Forever Touched

Neither of us moved for a moment, as if afraid that we wouldn’t be able to control ourselves. Then we were both lunging for the first aid kit at the same time.

“Sorry.” I jerked my hands back as they made contact with his. “You . . . you do it.”

He didn’t comment, probably because he couldn’t. The air between us was still charged with electricity, and it was almost impossible not to react to it. Somehow, we managed to behave ourselves though, and he finished dressing my wounds in minutes.

When it was time for us to leave the bathroom, I was still slightly horny. He’d briefly entered an attached closet to replace his blood-soaked clothing with a pair of gray sweatpants and black t-shirt. Seeing him dressed so casually did funny things to my insides.Deliciousthings. I allowed my eyes to wander a bit, noticing the way his dick looked extra big in sweatpants.

Catching my stare, he rolled his eyes and muttered, “Okay, time for bed.”

Before I could hop off the counter, he scooped me up again and carried me to the bed. Still in nothing but a thin robe, I let him pull back the covers and tuck me in. The second my head touched the plush feather pillow, exhaustion finally caught up to me. My eyes slammed shut, and I started to drift off.

But as he left my side, I jerked my eyes back open and blurted, “Where are you going?”

He paused. “To the chair in the corner. I don’t think I can sleep in a separate room from you tonight.”

That made two of us.

“Sleep here,” I said before I could think better of it, patting the mattress beside me. As uncertainty crossed his face, I quickly added, “It would make me feel better. Please?”

Nothing like guilt-tripping a guy into your bed, right? It felt strange wanting him beside me. I’d never actuallysleptwith any of my clients before. They had me for an hour and that was it. But Everett didn’t feel like a client anymore, and I didn’t want to fall asleep in a strange house without him next to me.

When he continued to hesitate, I added with a smirk, “I’ll keep my hands to myself. And lips. And other things. Promise.”

He squeezed his eyes shut and groaned out, “You’re killing me, Adalyn.”

My stomach went crazy with butterflies again.

“I like when you say my name,” I openly confessed.

He slowly reopened his eyes. “It’s a beautiful name.”

At the intense way he looked at me, my toes curled. “Thanks. I’ve always liked it. Now, are you going to get into this bed, or do I have to make you?”

He huffed out a laugh. “No female has ever spoken to me the way you do.”

“Hmm. Probably because your scowl scares them into silence.”

He frowned. “What scowl?”

I pointed at him. “That one.”

He scoffed but didn’t argue. Suddenly losing the battle with sleep, I shut my eyes and sank into the mattress. Just as I was drifting off, I felt the mattress dip behind me. A moment later, Everett’s scent surrounded me. He still smelled of blood and violence, but alsowarmth and safety. When he reached out and tucked my body against his, I sighed in contentment.

This was the best thing I’d felt inyears. Maybe ever.

Snuggling against him, I murmured, “Thank you.”

“For what?” he asked.

“For coming back.”

I was almost asleep when I felt him whisper against my hair, “Always.”

18

ADALYN

The room was alive with music and dancing.

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