Page 80 of Rebellion

“Naked,” she whispered.

“I told you not to worry about that. I don’t want you worrying about anything right now.”

“That seems impossible.” Everything started to crowd into her head, weighing her down like a dark cloud.

“Shh. It will be. Only if you can just trust me for a few hours.”

“I... I trust you not to harm me. Physically.”

He winced. “I’ll try not to harm you in any way if I can,Mo leannan.” He laid her carefully on the bed on her back. “This position all right for you?”

“Uh.”

The throbbing in her back was becoming more insistent. She covered her breasts with one arm and the bruise over her ribs and stomach with the other.

“That’s a no.” He frowned at her. “You’re lucky you’re not mine.”

Lucky she wasn’t his?

For some reason, those words stung.

Probably because you’d love to be his.

“Because if you were mine, you’d be in a load of trouble for lying to me.”

“Lying to you? I didn’t lie!”

Well, unless keeping things from him was a type of lying. But it wasn’t like she owed him anything, right?

She hadn’t promised him the truth.

“What’s better? Sitting up? Lying on your side?”

“Sitting but leaning back slightly.”

“All right. Just hold on a moment.” He rearranged some pillows against the headboard and then carefully drew her so she was sitting against them.

Sofia let out a sigh of relief as the pain in her back went down a few notches.

“Thanks,” she whispered as he laid a blanket over her.

“You’re welcome, baby,” he murmured.

“You shouldn’t call me that.” She wished the words back as soon as she said that.

Because she really didn’t want him to stop.

“That’s tough because I’m in charge tonight, so I get to choose what I call you.”

“Aren’t you always in charge?”

“Of you?” he murmured as he laid another blanket over her, putting his fingers over the pulse in her wrist. “I should be. You certainly need someone telling you what to do.”

Her jaw dropped in disbelief. “I do not.”

“Need I remind you that I just found you stuck on the floor of the shower, unable to move, without your phone or any way to get help?” he growled at her.

“That was an unfortunate occurrence that doesn’t happen regularly.”

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