Page 10 of Defy

I see the fight in her return. “And what if I told you that the only way to save us was for me to fuck your brother?”

Touché.

“Don’t even joke about that. I know it’s a double standard, Libby, but you are my priority. No matter what, you have to remember that. If my brother lays a hand on you, he’s a dead man.”

Her emotions swirl in her eyes. They’re all present as her mind absorbs my words while she undoes my belt and pushes my cargo pants and my boxers down my legs, letting out a harsh exhale as they hit the floor. She may be pissed at me, but she’s still attracted to me. I get it. Oh God, do I get it.

When she begins to remove her own clothes, it’s like something has numbed all my pain and moved me into euphoria. I reach a tentative hand out to run a finger down between her breasts, smiling as she shudders beneath my touch.

“It feels like we’ve done this for forever,” she whispers. “Like my body has known yours my whole life, not just meeting it for the second time.”

“Technically it isn’t the second time. We had a lot of sex last night,” I joke, trying to lift her spirits even though I agree with her statement.

She rolls her eyes. “You know what I mean.” Her eyes drop to the floor as she begins to lather the soap in her hands. “Somehow, it also feels like I have more of a right to you than I actually do. Everything that’s happened since we met –”

I cut her off mid-sentence. “Libby, you haveeveryright to me.”

I fight the urge to crush her to me and fuck some sense into her but my damn side hurts too much. Fatigue and tequila are replacing the adrenaline and I feel myself sway on my feet under the hot water so violently that I have to put my left hand on the wall to steady myself.

“Dom!” she cries, as if that’s the name she’s always known, noticing my wobbling frame. “Here, can you lean? I’ll be fast.” And bless her, she is.

Soapy hands clean my hair and with the lightest touch she cleans around my wounds. She lathers her hands up again and rubs my chest and thighs. She gets on her knees in the shower and I think I’ll pass out if she puts her mouth on me, but instead she pulls my right foot into her lap, massaging while she cleans. I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired in my life. With her here with me and a moment of peace, I could sleep for days.

She pulls my other foot onto her lap and I hear her small laugh when I groan over how good it feels. Working her way back up my body, she washes everything and damn if it doesn’t feel good. I’m too exhausted to be turned on, but I feel another emotion moving in loud and clear.

And strong.

I was afraid maybe I’d been hasty in thinking the L-word when we separated earlier, but standing here with her now, perhaps it isn’t strong enough. It’s amazing the bond you can form with someone when you fight for your life alongside them – especially when you fight for their life too.

“Libby?”

“Yeah?”

“Everything we’ve been through and everything we’re about to go through? It’s worth it just to have you in my life, no matter how brief a time it may be.” I know I’ve made a similar statement to her before, but I just need her to know it’s true.

I had given up the notion that I would ever find someone who could make my damaged heart beat again, but she has.

Libby stills her hands and I notice her teal nail polish is cracked. It makes me angry that she’s here, in a place where much more than the paint on her nails is going to be ruined.

“That sounds an awful lot like goodbye, Dom.” Her voice is quiet, her features somber.

“Do you remember what I told you? That I need you to do everything I ask, when I ask, without asking questions, even if you don’t understand it or like it.”

She comes to stand in front of me, peppering kisses on her way up, holding on to the connection. Looking up into my eyes, she confirms, “I remember. Doyouremember whatItoldyouat Richard and Bea’s? I will not hide while you risk your life for me, Dominic. And I will not stand down while another woman touches what’s mine. We’ll find another way to get that information.”

Using my left hand, I reach behind her head and pull her to me. Despite my current appearance, she comes willingly. Her moan in my mouth damn near undoes me. Her fingers start tracing the outline of my chest and stomach causing another sharp pain to pierce my side as my muscles contract under her touch. Something between a hiss and a gasp leaves my mouth, causing her to pull back.

“I’m okay,” I say, trying to reassure her. “I thought my rib was broken but it’s just badly bruised. I promise as soon as I can move, I’ll be inside you.”

This draws a smile out of her. “I’m holding you to that.”

If this situation were any less bleak, I would grab her waist, push my hips forward, and make a corny joke about holding something to her right now because she brings out a playful side of myself I haven’t seen in quite a while.

But the situationisn’tless bleak.

And I don’t want to waste precious time with her on jokes.

She releases me to take a step back, breaking the contact. It’s the most painful thing I’ve felt all day. Worse than the bullet hole. Worse than the beating from Diego. She starts to wash her own hair and body creating the absolute best kind of torture.

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