Page 77 of Safe Haven

The tingling at my spine becomes a full bolt of lightning and my balls ache as they cinch so tight I’m afraid I’m going to pull something. I still manage to hang on a few more seconds, but that’s all I have. I lose the fucking fight, groaning loud and long as my cock flexes inside her, the already wet sounds we’re making becoming downright obscene.

As a stroke of pure luck, Audrey only makes it a few more seconds herself, and she’s able to finish before my body runs out of steam. When she collapses against my chest, I finally bring my arms down, hooking them around her body. Her face is smashed against my neck, hair scattered across my face as she breathes heavily, trying to catch her breath.

After a few long minutes, she raises up, looking happy and satisfied and a little sleepy. “What’s your headboard like? Does it have posts?”

I laugh, the sound surprisingly loud as it comes out of me. “I guess you’ll have to wait and see. If it doesn’t suit your needs, I’m more than happy to replace it.”

She smooths down her wild hair and ducks beneath my grip. Her soft fingers move over the belt at my wrists as she unfastens it and sets me free. “Does that mean you want me to come to Nashville?”

I hold still as she rubs the lines creased into my skin. “I feel like I already made my position on where you should be pretty clear.”

Instead of looking happy by my words, Audrey’s lips flatten, her brows pinching. “I really like working.”

“Are you saying you don’t want to leave Memphis?” I don’t like the thought of that. At all. I would make it work if it’s what she really wants, but?—

“I’m not saying that. At all.” She laces her fingers between mine, continuing the connection still holding us together. “I just mean I don’t think I would be happy if I didn’t have a job.”

I get that we haven’t worked out the specific parameters of what our future looks like, but I guess I thought Audrey knew me well enough to know I would never stop her from doing what she wanted. Even if that involved staying in Memphis.

“I’m sure there are lots of stores in Nashville that would love your expertise.”

“Yeah?” She seems pleased with my answer. “Maybe while I’m stuck here waiting, I’ll look around and see what’s out there.”

I take a deep breath, knowing I’ve got to tell her not only what Butch shared with us during our meeting, but also that Darion, the PI Trevor hired to follow her, is missing. I’m not looking forward to explaining either one. As if the universe can sense my desire to delay, the phone on the table beside me starts to ring before I can open my mouth.

Stretching to grab it, I press it against my ear. “Hello?”

“I need to talk to Audrey.” Becca sounds wound up.

I pass the receiver right over. “It’s Becca.”

Audrey takes it and I head for the bathroom while the two women are talking. I’m pretty sure I left one hell of a mess on—and in—Audrey, so I grab a washcloth and run it under the warm water.

When I get back into the room, Audrey’s pulling on her clothes.

“What’s going on?”

“Becca needs some…” She scrunches up her face as she wrestles on a sneaker. “Feminine products.” Audrey goes into the bathroom and comes out with a handful of plastic packages. “I’m going to take her some.”

“Hurry back.” I stretch out on the bed without bothering to get dressed. “You’ve got a whole stack of rain checks to get through.”

Audrey gives me a sweet smile, but her cheeks pink up as her eyes drag down my body, pausing on my re-energized dick. “I’ll make it quick.”

TWENTY-FOUR

AUDREY

“COULD THIS DAY get any fucking worse?” Becca rants as she grabs one of the pads I brought over and carries it into the bathroom, leaving the door open. “Like I didn’t have enough problems, now I’ve got to deal with cramps and clots on top of everything else.”

I cringe because I’ve been there. I think every woman has. “Have you ever thought about having an IUD put in?”

“For what? It’s not like I’m having sex,” Becca yells from the bathroom. “And that’s bullshit too.”

“It doesn’t only keep you from getting pregnant. If you get the one that has hormones, it will also get rid of your period.”

I don’t point out that’s what I have, because I don’t want to rub my lack of periods in her face right now. She might try to murder me, and Maddox has worked so hard to keep me alive.

Becca groans, then the toilet flushes and she comes sulking out. “I should have made Owen get me pain medicine when he was out today. I’ve been a little distracted and wasn’t paying attention to what day it was, so I totally forgot this was coming.”She’s gone from yelling to sounding like she might cry in the span of only a few seconds.

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