Page 50 of Misery and Ecstasy

“Come on, Kins.” I fucking melt as he tilts his head toward the French doors. “Live a little. We can even call it my next appointment, and you can get an hour back to yourself on Thursday.”

I think about it for a split second.

“I’ll go with you on two conditions.”

“Which are?” He lifts an eyebrow.

“The appointment stays. And don’t bring up my mother.”

“You have my word.” He looks at me like he’d be crazy to bring up that topic again, which isn’t a surprise since I all but threw him out of my house last time.

Winking, he holds his hand out to me, and I take it. His palm feels good pressed against mine, but unfortunately, he lets go the moment we’re outside. Standing on the back deck, I look out over their property, grateful for the full moon overhead.

Its bright light shines over the vast property, alleviating my trepidation of an unknown threat hiding in the shadows. But it shaves off only a fraction of my fear of being alone with Draven again though.

Running my hand through my hair, I push through the lust I can’t seem to get away from.

“It’s so quiet and peaceful. You’d never know so many other people live here.”

“Oh, you’d find out pretty quickly.” Draven laughs, obviously knowing something I don’t. “They’re abnormally quiet tonight. I think everyone is still a little shocked over the scuffle between Maggie and Delilah.”

“Ah.” I nod. “So where are we walking to, Draven?”

“Just to the garage.”

I’m beginning to sink into the fear I carry around with me that the club will want to dispose of me at any given moment—whether prompted or not. Draven must notice the apprehension on my face.

“What? Remember what I said. You’re safe with me.”

How ironic that I’ve never felt safe with a guy until now. When I’m alone, in the dark, with a guy I barely know but who I think may have killed at least one person before and who I literally picked up fromjail.

But Draven has this air about him. It was there the first night we met—it’s what allowed me to get into my car with him then. It was there when I fell asleep a few nights ago and left him sleeping on my couch. And it was there yesterday when he looked straight into my soul as he filled me so completely that I’m afraid I’ll never feel whole without him again.

“Lead the way…”

There are several cars parked in the garage including a large, black truck, an old mustang, and Draven’s Trans-Am.

“You asked me what I like to do for fun the other day.” He walks toward his car with his hands out in front of him, gesturing toward it. “I figured it may be okay to give you at least one straight answer you don’t need to fight for.”

“Yes, honesty usually yields better, quicker results while in therapy.” I mock roll my eyes. “But what do I know? I’m only the doctor.”

My sarcasm pulls a genuine smile from Draven. It’s the same one he shared with me yesterday, and like then, the sight of it warms me from the inside out.

He places his hands on the hood of the car before running them up the frame of the windshield and along the roof’s edge over the driver’s side door.

I recognize his movements, the graceful way his fingers glide over the surface.

It was the same way he ran his hands over my body yesterday. The strong, smooth paths he traced across my skin, igniting the blood as it rushed through my veins. Like it’s beginning to do again, now.

Get a fucking grip, McK. Quit acting like a sex-crazed kitten.

When Draven’s eyes meet mine, I can barely be bothered to make it appear as though I wasn’t just thinking about him. I can do this. I used to have willpower, I just need to find where the hell I put it.

I like the way he looks at his car with pride when he speaks, but I miss the warmth I feel in my bones when he’s looking at me.

“My dad and I always wanted to build a car together. We found this one about a week before he died. It sat in the garage on my family’s farm for almost a decade before I was able to even think about restoring it. In my free time, I like restoring things. Cars, bikes, houses… Anything, really.”

Without warning, he turns his stare back to me, his next words catapulting pleasure through me.

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