Page 36 of Laila Manning
I smiled down at her, surprising her. “Good.”
“Good?” she questioned, frowning a bit.
“Is that not a good thing?”
“It is.” She stammered, rubbing her fingers over her forehead in confusion. “I’m just—,” She paused and tilted her head to the side as she watched me. “That’s not the reaction I expected from you.”
I smiled again, though I felt the darkness in it as I ran my fingers down her arm, desperate to touch her again.
“If you’re happy there, then I’m happy for you,” I replied, feeling the pulse in her wrist skyrocket now that I was touching her again. “Is that okay?”
“Yes.” She whispered as her eyelids fluttered closed distractedly.
“Good,” I whispered, lowering my lips to the side of her face above her ear. “Then nothing else matters.”
She groaned and put her hand flat on my bare stomach, leaning her weight against it. “You’re trying to distract me.”
“How?”
“By shocking me into forgetting the whole reason you’re standing here in my apartment, wearing a towel and nothing else, covered in cuts and bruises.” She sighed. “Will you let me help you?”
“I don’t need your help, Laila,” I responded, standing up to my full height so I could see her. “I’m not that hurt.”
“Will you let me do it anyway?” She whispered, and I swore I saw a bit of seduction behind the quick flutter of her eyelashes and the way she nibbled her bottom lip. Whether she knew what her body was doing or not, she was trying to use seduction to persuade me.
And the responsible man inside of me knew better than to let her do that because she deserved better from me than to let her use such tactics to get her way.
But the monster in me wanted all of her.
The shy, seductive woman, testing boundaries and comfort levels included.
“You can do whatever you want to me.” I held my arms out at my sides. “You’re in charge here.”
She swallowed and then smirked slightly before nodding her head like she was the boss. “Then turn around so I can see all of it.”
I raised my eyebrow at her seductively, “All of it?”
“Your wounds!” She gasped, widening her eyes as she realized her blunder. “On your back!”
I chuckled, letting her off the hook as I turned so she could see the cuts on my back, though I would have given anything to distract her into forgetting about the fight altogether. Because the second she saw the deep wounds along my spine, the flirty seductress that had been in the room with me a moment ago was gone and in her place was the anxious, worrisome woman who blamed herself for my wounds.
“Zeke.” She sighed, gently pressing her fingers to a particularly tender spot on my lower back. “This is all my fault.”
I walked away silently, creating space between us as frustration bloomed anew.
“Where are you going?” She gasped as I reached her door.
“Back to my place.” I looked at her. “I won’t stay here if you’re going to blame yourself. Because we’re both big boys.” I reminded her when she opened her mouth to argue, but I cut her off. “We’re responsible for ourselves. You aren’t, and I’m not going to allow you to put that burden on your shoulders. So, you can either knock it off and play doctor, or you can stew in here alone while I patch up myself.”
“Okay!” She rolled her eyes and then sighed. “Sit.” She pointed at the couch and raised her brows at me in challenge when I didn’t move right away. “I want to play doctor, Zeke.” She baited me with that innocent seduction again. “But I’m the boss in my apartment, just like you said. So, sit.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I smirked, sauntering back to her and sitting down on the couch like she had ordered me to do. She shook her head, still smirking to herself as she grabbed supplies from her bathroom and then came back to me. “I kind of like bossy Laila.” I joked as she pushedmy shoulder, so I’d turn around and show her my back again as she got settled on the couch next to me.
“Be careful.” She quipped, “Or I’ll pour peroxide directly into this deep one.”
I laughed and leaned forward with my elbows on my knees as she went to work. She worked on a few cuts, cleaning them and applying ointment before speaking again. “Why did you say this fight had to happen?” She asked quietly, continuing to work as she talked.
I mulled my answer over before giving it but was honest with her. “Because I refused to stop pursuing you,” I replied as her hand stilled on my back, so I looked over my shoulder at her. Her lips were parted, and her eyes were wide as she stared back. “I want you, you know that.” I reminded her. “And Jed doesn’t approve.”
