Page 150 of Bloom: Part 2

I stared at him. “You… what?”

“It’s not something I planned, Keegan. It just… happened. One second he was trying to shank me, and the next…he gets me like no one else ever did.”

“I thought you’d deny it.”

“Why? A lot of time has passed, Keegan. People change.”

But did he, though? Sure, it was convenient for him to end up fucking a man. He was in prison. If he somehow got released, how long would that last?

I shook my head. “I think I should go. This has been a lot to process.”

He reached a hand out, seemed to think twice about it, and pulled back. “Will you visit again?”

I hesitated, the weight of his question pressing on me. “I’m not sure.”

He nodded slowly. “Take care of yourself, son, and congrats on your wedding.”

When I stepped into the cold air again, I drew in a deep breath, trying to shake off the encounter. It felt like a chapter closing, but not entirely. Maybe someday I’d find the courage to open it again. But not today. Not for a while.

Back at the hotel, I let myself into the room and looked around. I’d left Bloom behind when I had gone to meet Pop because he’d slept fitfully last night. He’d had one of those nightmares caused by Dr. Simms. Even though the man was gone, he’d left a dark stain on Bloom’s mind. According toSaint’s mother, it would take time and even more therapy for Bloom to overcome this new trauma that had been forced on him—trauma that never even happened.

Bloom wasn’t in the room. My heart skipped a beat. The bed was rumpled, the comforter lying on the floor, and the door to the balcony was ajar. I crossed the room quietly and pushed the door open enough to step outside. An icy breeze hit me.

And then I saw him.

Bloom stood with his back to me, wearing nothing but a short silk robe, the hem swaying halfway up his thighs, showing off his long, tattooed legs. His blond hair rippled down his back in damp waves, and I couldn’t help but smile. I secretly loved that he’d gone back to being blond. It suited him, this lighter, softer look.

I have to tell him what Dr. Simms did.

It’ll shatter him.

I took a step closer, and the soft sound of my footfall must have drawn his attention. He turned, and my breath caught.

God, he’s stunning. Even with the dark circles under his eyes.

His face was bare, void of makeup, every sharp angle and delicate line of his features on full display. Water droplets still clung to his neck, glistening in the sharp light, and the robe was loosely tied around his waist, teasing glimpses of skin beneath it. His gaze met mine, and a slow, knowing smile spread across his lips, stealing the words I hadn’t yet found.

“You’re back,” he said, his voice soft, a little husky. “How was it?”

I leaned against the balcony rail, unable to stop myself from taking him in, from memorizing every detail of this moment. “Okay,” I replied, my voice rasping.

“Want to talk about it?” He tilted his head.

I shook my head, stepping closer to him, closing the distance between us. “Maybe later. How are you? Did you get any sleep while I was gone?”

“Some.” He walked into my arms, raising his hand to slip his fingers through my hair. “Right now, do you know what I want?”

He raised his head, but I inched back my head, breathing deeply. “Are you…sure?”

We hadn’t had sex since the whole incident, and I hadn’t been able to tell if it was due to our worry about Max or his restlessness from what Dr. Simms had tried to do to him—and somewhat succeeded.

My gaze dropped to his lips, and my heartbeat quickened. I wanted him fiercely, but I didn’t want to make anything worse for him.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Bloom pushed my head down and slammed our lips together. He wound his arms around my neck as he kissed me back, our lips moving in sync and his moans pouring into my mouth.

I brushed my fingers over his jaw, then cupped the back of his neck and pulled him closer. He laced his fingers through my hair and leaned against me as we deepened our kiss. I slipped a hand beneath his robe, touching his cold, bare skin. His ass filled my palm, and I groaned.