Page 61 of Wrecked
Which is where he should sleep tonight.
Sleeping in the same bed with her every night? Jesus, if he did that, how the hell would he ever walk away? She was his. He felt it down to his bones. But that didn’t mean shit, not when he damn well didn’t deserve her. Not when she didn’t know exactly how Adam had died, the part he played in his partner’s death.
Now he stood in the doorway of that room, staring at the empty double bed, tension thrumming through his veins. This was not where he wanted to be tonight. Not the bed he wanted to climb into.
This is how it needs to be.
When he’d come back with his stuff this morning, she’d looked at him in that way she often did, like she saw more, like she believed there was more to him, more between them. And he equally loved and hated it.
He had no right to it. Hadn’t deserved it in the first place. And sure as fuck didn’t deserve it now. Still, he wanted it all the same.
Cursing, he limped to the bathroom to grab a shower but stopped in his tracks when he noticed light coming from under Piper’s door. Was she awake, listening to him move around her house—or had she drifted off?
Was she wearing one of those silky nighties she liked? What color?
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to move away from her door and into the bathroom. Shutting himself in, he turned on the water and stripped carefully. His knee was still giving him more trouble than usual, but the hot water should help. He climbed in, and as the water slid down his body, his mind automatically drifted back to Piper.
His blood started pumping thickly through his veins, his breathing becoming labored and harsh—his cock hard as iron.
He reached down, wrapping his fingers around his erection, and squeezed, sliding his hand up and down his slippery length, eyes clamped shut, desperate for relief. He stroked his cock for several minutes, hissing through his teeth in frustration when he realized he wasn’t going to get off this way. It didn’t matter how many images he conjured of Piper in his head, he wanted, needed the real thing. He needed her. Her softness, her sweetness. Everything that made her who she was.
He quickly rinsed off, turning the water to cold in an attempt to cool the hell down. Like that was ever going to happen with her just across the hall.
Climbing out, he dried and brushed his teeth, then wrapping the towel around his hips, left the bathroom. The light was still glowing from the thin crack below her door when he walked out. And an image of Piper, how he’d found her the night before, huddled in her room, terrified and vulnerable, assaulted him.
It struck like a physical blow, and he clenched his fists against the surge of anger and helplessness. He rubbed his thigh, the dull ache lingered, never went away. His leg had stopped him from catching the guy, stopped him from protecting his woman.
Jesus.
He couldn’t risk leaving her on her own, couldn’t leave her unprotected again. He needed to stay close. He needed to be right here.
If anything happened to her…
Before he knew what he was doing, he’d taken several steps toward her room, until he stood at the threshold. And no matter how many times he told himself to turn around and walk away, that she wasn’t for him, he couldn’t. He had to see her. Had to know she was okay. Had to look into those big, blue eyes and see for himself. Every protective and possessive instinct he had rejected the idea of walking away, of giving her up.
Wrapping his fingers around the cool metal doorknob, he twisted it, giving it a light shove so it swung open. Piper lay propped up in her bed, a book in her hand, resting on her stomach. He lifted his gaze to hers.
He didn’t know how long they stared like that, each watching the other, not saying a word.
Green.
The silk lovingly hugging her breasts was green.
So beautiful.
She kept her eyes on him as she placed her book on the bedside table, then reached across and slowly dragged back the covers beside her.
All the oxygen was punched from his lungs.
He knew he should turn around and go, but he couldn’t. How the hell could he walk away from this woman? He was powerless against her, against his feelings for her. Moving farther into the room, he walked to the side of the bed and, dropping his towel, climbed in beside her.
He didn’t know who moved first. All he knew was that suddenly Piper was pressed against his bare skin, the silk of her nightie sliding over his stomach and chest. Curling his arm around her, he pulled her in, tucking her head under his chin, and just held her in his arms.
Where she belonged.
They lay like that for a long time, so many words, so much he wanted to say swirling around in his mind.
He kissed the top of her head. “I can’t stop thinking…what if I hadn’t been here, what if I didn’t get your call?” He was shaking but didn’t give a shit. “Fuck, baby.”
