Page 54 of Icy Heart, Empty Chest
He nodded. “I’ve got more food to consume.”
I sent a brief tired smile his way and headed toward the bathroom. It was still warm and lightly scented from his shower. I went through the door to the bedroom to grab clean clothes, satisfied with the eating sounds I was hearing.
Closing the door behind me, I stripped off my clothes and turned on my water. Once hot enough to melt my bone marrow, I stepped in and started to scrub over a week’s worth of tension away. He was here and back and I could relax again. I had to keep telling myself that.
After wringing out as much water as I could from my exceedingly long hair, I threw on a T-shirt and shorts and wandered into my bedroom.
Oddly enough, there was a kelpie in my bed, still wearing my bathrobe. I should probably feel more embarrassed. The hair’s a soaked mess. I’m not wearing a bra. Shaving has been forfeited recently. I should be. I wasn’t.
He pulled back the covers to invite me in, wordlessly. I turned off the lamp and snuggled in, put my head on his chest, wrapping my arm around him. He was warm. Smelled like himself again. Wasn’t sickly sweaty. I was just so damn relieved and so damn tired.
“Don’t ever leave me again, OK?” I demanded softly, half asleep already.
“I promise,” he vowed. The darkness won out with my ear pressed to his chest, hearing the gentle thudding.
Hours later, I awoke on my side with his body wrapped around mine.
“Dae?”
“Hey sunshine.”
I rubbed my eyes and tried to peer over to the clock. “How long was I out?”
“Three hours. I was going to wake you in a bit if you didn’t wake up.” I groaned and tried to roll out of the bed.
Damien held fast around my torso though, causing my shirt to hike up a bit.
“Can I just...can we just stay here for a bit?” There was a tenderness in his tone. A longing I hadn’t heard before.
“You haven’t been in bed long enough?” My voice was rusty.
“Not with you.”
I smiled and pushed back into him. The bathrobe in the last few hours had gone slightly askew. I wasn’t complaining about the view.
I settled back into him with a stupid grin on my face. His hand was radiating heat and it had settled on the border of my shorts and shirt—scratch that. It was slowly making its way to my skin below, drawing big circles with his fingertips.
Gone was any notion of rest or sleep. It was replaced by something foreign…need.
His finger machinations were setting off things in my body that had been long pushed to the wayside. I shivered.
The hand stilled.
“Turn over. I’ll keep you warm.” I shivered again at his words and turned. He stiffened for a moment and then relaxed.
“You OK?”
“All good, Cor.”
“I didn’t hurt your scar, did I?”
“No, no, nothing like that.”
“Then what?”
“Curious little nymph. Let’s just say there was some inappropriate blood flow momentarily,” he teased.
“Oh.” I could feel my cheeks burn in the darkness. “Curious how you keep ending up in my bed.”
