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“Everything okay?” I ask, wiping the water from my face.
“Yeah. I just wanted to see what you looked like in here. It was kind of on my bucket list.” She shrugs. “I’m not at all disappointed.” She smiles before closing the curtain and leaving me slack-jawed and wildly amused.
My ray of sunshine strikes again.
* * *
The lazy morning turned into a lazy afternoon, only getting out of bed to get food from the kitchen. She asked me four times if she could see my progress in the bathroom and I realized it would probably be the only time I ever tell her no to anything.
She’ll get the grand reveal once I paint. Even without seeing it, she keeps thanking me immensely. She also keeps promising to pay me, which I adamantly keep denying.
“I don’t want your money, Thea,” I insist, leading her back up the stairs and to her bed, right where I want her.
“You have so much going on, the last thing you should be worried about is my bathroom. You should be compensated.” She plants her hands on her hips, fighting a losing battle.
“You can compensate me,” I digress. “But, I don’t want money.”
“What do you want?” She eyes me suspiciously, making me grin.
“Touch me. I like it when you do.” I fold my hands behind my head and lean back against the pillows, my bare chest still on display since I only put shorts on after the shower.
“Where?” She asks, a little breathless.
“Anywhere you want. My hair, my face, my arms. It doesn’t matter. I’m yours to do what you please.” I wink.
She studies me intently for a moment, going somewhere deep in her head. I’m worried that I said something wrong but she snaps out of it and climbs onto the bed next to me. “You’re mine?” She lets her gaze drift up and down my body. “You’ll let me do whatever I want because you belong to me,” she whispers to herself.
“I’m yours, Thea,” I confirm, letting her process through her inner thoughts. I realize that whatever is going on in her head is solely for her. As quickly as everything has happened between us, I know that she’s still healing and will still need to take things at her own pace.
I never expected to reach where we are now, I was content waiting for her as long as she needed. I’m no stranger to it, I spent years waiting to be adopted. Years waiting to be aged out of the system, waiting until I was old enough to enlist, waiting for financial stability. Waiting to start my life. Waiting for her.
If I have to wait for years to see all her wounds healed, then so be it. It doesn’t matter, because, in the end, it will all be worth it. I know how good things are with her now, and how good they’ll continue to be and better. She’s worth the long game.
If she’s telling me that she wants me now though then I’m here. I’m not one to play hard to get, I’m hers and she’ll never have to ask twice.
She doesn’t realize how life-altering being with her is for me. Every touch is a gift and way more valuable than money. I’ll figure out how to fix her entire house if it means being compensated in this way.
I expect her to run her fingers through my hair or touch my jaw like she was this morning, but instead, she goes straight for my chest. Her fingers move slowly across my skin, leaving an electric current in their wake. I don’t move, I hardly breathe, letting her take what she wants.
She moves across my ribs, tracing down my sides until she reaches my hip bone. “What’s this?” She asks, pointing out another old scar.
“Your brother shot me.” I laugh at her startled face. “We were in training, using sim rounds, bullets filled with paint. I was being a smart ass. I’m not even sure what I said at this point, but he shot me, point-blank, without an ounce of hesitation. It hurt like hell, I couldn’t put on pants or sit down without wincing for weeks, but it was also the hardest I ever laughed. We pretty much became best friends after that.”
“Men…” She mumbles, rolling her eyes, but smiling. “His wedding is in November. Are we… Are you and I…” She trails off.
“Thea. Are you asking me to be your date?” I ask, making her blush.
“Well, yeah, but more than that…” She bites her lip, and it makes blood rush to my cock. I can’t control it.
“You’re it for me, Sunshine. Other than being on the low while I’m undercover, I’m not hiding this. I want everyone to know how I feel about you. The world, your friends, your family. I especially don’t plan to keep it from Nathan. I know you talked to him, but I still want him to know how serious I am about this. If he’s pissed at me… We’ll cross that road when we get there.” I shrug.
“He has no right to be pissed one way or another. I’m a grown woman and I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. If he was really concerned about me, he wouldn’t have been gone almost the entirety of the last decade.” She snaps her mouth shut, covering it with her hand like she wasn’t expecting the intensity of the words that flowed from her mouth.
“I’m sorry if you felt alone. He should have come home more, I should have made him. What we did for so many years was dark, it was hard to come back to the real world like nothing happened. I’m not saying that it’s right, but he loves you. He had a picture in his locker of you and him as kids. Hanging on a jungle gym I think.” Her bottom lip trembles at my words and I desperately want to soothe it.
“I wasn’t completely alone. I had Liv through my hardest years. So I guess if I had to share my brother with anyone, I’m glad it was you.” She laughs, wiping away the moisture under her eyes. “I wish he would have brought you home to meet me. We wouldn’t have wasted so many years being strangers.”
“You’re right. I’m shooting him with a sim round next time I see him,” I say seriously, making her laugh again.
