Page 96 of Revenant

I swear I only blink, but when I open my eyes, I find myself cradled in his arms, my head on his shoulder. I must have blacked out for a second. When I look up, ready to apologize, my eyes catch the naked image of us in the mirror.

I sweep my gaze over us…and freeze when I find him watching me intently. A furious blush heats my cheeks, and I realize he was watching me the whole time, the mirror just low enough that he can seeeverything.

“You were stunning, little vixen,” Ellis says huskily, his smirk more than a little wolfish.

It’s hard to stay embarrassed when pleasure still hums through my body. A bit smug at putting that look in his eyes, I sigh contentedly and rest my head against his shoulder. His fingers trail up and down my spine, and I’m nearly asleep in his lap when he leans down and kisses the top of my head.

“The water is getting a bit chilly,” he murmurs, his grip tightening around me. “Let’s tuck you in bed.”

“Hmmmm…” I mumble in agreement, but I can’t seem to stir, content to remain snuggled against him for a little longer. A chuckle rumbles in his chest, and his grip tightens. It’s the only warning I receive before he stands with me in his arms, sending water sluicing off us in every direction. I shiver at the abrupt temperature change. A second later, static crackles in the room, and the heater overhead kicks on full blast.

“What a handy trick.” I sigh in appreciation, slipping my arms around his neck.

With sure steps, he exits the tub, then lowers me until I’m standing in front of the mirror. Ignoring his own dripping body, he grabs a towel from the heated rack and meticulously dries off every inch of me. He orders me about with gentle commands, and I don’t even blink as I lift my arms or tilt my head back so he can dry my hair, or even spread my legs so he can check to make sure he wasn’t too rough.

I’m too satisfied and way too tired to even blush. He grabs the robe hanging off the back of the door and threads my arms into the sleeves. I’m practically asleep on my feet when he scoops me up in his arms and snuggles me close.

My eyes are closed before he even opens the door. He slips me under the covers and settles me in the middle of the giant bed. Once I’m wrapped in his arms, I wiggle even closer. By the time I’m done, my leg is thrown over his hip and my head is nestled on his chest. Inhaling his scent of warm candles and old books deep into my lungs, I sigh contentedly. “I love you.”

His arms tighten around me almost convulsively, and I’m not even sure that he’s breathing. When I tilt my head back to look up at him, I swallow hard at the mixture of raw hope, stark fear, and pure adoration in his eyes.

My movement must have snapped him out of his paralysis, and he kisses the top of my head reverently. “I love you too, little vixen.”

It’s not long before the others shuffle into the room, freshly showered as they join us. I thought there would be some awkwardness or fighting at the idea of sharing a bed, but no one objects. Only when they are all wrapped around me and safe do I fully relax and allow sleep to take me. It’s sometime later when I wake to someone dragging their fingers up and down my thigh.

I sign in contentment, huddling closer to my warm pillow…only the hard surface doesn’t have any give. I crack one eye open, then the other when I find a pair of green eyes watching me closely.

Hicks.

Out of all of them, of course I would snuggle into him while sleeping. While our relationship is on the mend, cuddling against him while he sleeps feels like an invasion of his privacy. I try to pull away discreetly, and a little sigh of disappointment escapes at leaving that delicious warmth. I don’t even manage to move an inch before his arms tighten around me, and I’m locked snug against his side.

I glance up at him in question, only to find him staring at me with an unreadable expression. It’s only when his palm shifts along my spine that I realize the robe I wore to bed has slipped and I’m basically naked.

Heat fills my cheeks, and I’m careful not to move. I’m not ashamed of my body, I don’t actually care if they see me naked…individually. It’s something different to be the only one naked in a room full of men. I’m almost grateful that Hicks stopped me from revealing everything. “Ummm?—”

I don’t have a chance to think of an excuse before Hicks interrupts.

“Where did you get these?” He traces his fingers along my shoulders and down my spine, and I shiver at the trail of warmth left behind from his touch.

Then I realize what he’s asking.

The scars.

I swallow hard, unaware that I turned away to avoid his too perceptive gaze until I spy the rest of the men in bed. Watching. Ellis is still behind me, looking sexy and adorable, all rumbled by sleep. Jaceson is on his other side, pillows stacked behind him as he rests against the headboard, watching me with unblinking,pale blue eyes. Jameson is next to him, nearly taking up a quarter of the bed, where he’s splayed like a starfish across the mattress.

Upside down, of course.

Jameson is comfortable in his body and expressing his feelings, no matter the situation.

He appears so content that a smile curls the corner of my lips. I’d swear that he’s asleep, but it’s his hand on my thigh, his fingers still tracing lightly against my skin. When I shiver under his touch, I swear he fucking smirks.

Gunner is behind Hicks, his big body taking up almost as much space as Jameson. He holds himself a little apart from the others, and my heart pings at the distance. It’s only when I notice his measured breathing, the way he’s clenching and unclenching his fists that I understand he’s struggling for control.

My scars must have triggered him.

“It happened before my body learned how to heal.” I shrug like it’s not a big deal…because it’s not. It happened so long ago that it might as well be another life. “My mother heard me laughing while she had one of her migraines and went into a rage. I think one of the ghosts was playing with me at the time. I must have been four or five. She grabbed a belt and beat me until I was quiet. Maybe she was trying to beat the spirits out of me, but I suspect she just wanted me dead. If the medicine she was taking at the time didn’t kick in right then and she wasn’t so tired from the exertion, I might have been.”

Ominous silence fills the space, each of the guys turning rigid at my confession. I purse my lips and shrug. “Many of the small scars on my body are from her. The beatings didn’t last many years. She died shortly afterward, tormented by her own demons. I find a sort of justice in that.”

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