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He took my hand and pulled it away from my face. “Stop shielding your mouth,” he told me with a gentle yet slightly demanding tone. “I want to see it.”
From now on until the end of eternity, I would brush my teeth the moment I woke up. Just in case.
“It looks the same as yesterday,” I quipped.
His eyes heated as he stared at it, and he made a pleased-sounding hum before lifting his gaze to meet mine. It wasn’t cold out, but I shivered anyway. The dark gleam in his eyes felt … possessive maybe, or was that just appreciative lust that I was reading too much into?
Things with him were moving fast. Faster than I’d ever allowed them to with a guy. But unlike the ones before him, I wanted to grab him and hold on.
My heart had never been broken, but I feared this might just be the man who would end up wielding the power to do it. I was helpless to stop it. There was no control over this thing that was happening to me.
“What are your plans today?” he asked me as he ran the back of his fingers down my arm.
I wished I didn’t have to wear sleeves to cover up my bruises. I wanted to feel his touch on my skin directly. He stopped as he reached the tender area, and his eyes dropped to look at it, as if the shirt wasn’t covering it up and he could see through the fabric. A pained expression flashed across his face, and he tenderly brushed his thumb over my bruised arm.
He had asked a question. What was it? He’d flustered me. I tried to remember what I was supposed to be saying.
When his gaze returned to my face, his dark, straight brows drew together into a scowl, and his chiseled jaw stood out more than usual. His expression caused a mixture of uneasiness and fascination to settle over me. I wasn’t scared of him, yet there was often something in his eyes that seemed to warn me of things I didn’t know. I should probably be put off by that, but it did the opposite. I found myself wanting to get closer to him instead.
“Your plans?” he asked, snapping me out of my wandering thoughts.
Right. He’d asked about my plans today. My problems came crashing back to the forefront of my mind, and I let out a weary sigh. I couldn’t spend time with him, if that was what he was asking. I had a missing father and Grams to take care of.
“Dad didn’t come home last night, and I didn’t get a call from Miller’s. I can only assume he went home with someone. Until he gets here, I can’t leave Grams, and I was supposed to go to the library and use the computer there in the back to write two essays and print them. My friend Coral is working today, and she always lets me use the computer and printer there.” I left off thefor freepart. No need to remind him how I had to live my life.
“I have somewhere I’d like to show you and your Grams,” he told me.
“Me and Grams?” I asked, not sure I was understanding him correctly.
“Yes,” he replied, his expression softening.
“Why?”
He slid a finger under my chin and ran his thumb over my lips. “Because I think it will benefit you both.”
I had questions—so many questions—but I nodded. “Okay. Um, I’ll need to change and get Grams dressed to go out. She doesn’t go anywhere unless it’s to a doctor’s appointment, so an outing would be good for her.”
He smiled. “Indeed. Which has to do with what I want to show you.”
I let out a small laugh at his smug expression, then turned to walk toward the house when he reached out and grabbed my waist, pulling me back against his chest. His warm breath smelled of mint as he lowered his head until his lips brushed my ear. He inhaled deeply and let out a satisfied-sounding groan.
“I needed that,” he whispered. “I missed feeling you pressed against me.”
I bit my bottom lip as I sank into him more. “It’s not even been twelve hours since you left,” I pointed out.
“Mmm,” he replied, pressing a kiss to my neck. “You shouldn’t feel so good. I’d be able to stay away longer if you weren’t so damn addictive.”
His hand slid under my shirt slowly, and I held my breath as my eyes fluttered closed. The warmth of his large palm covered my left breast, and I felt my knees go weak.
“Amory,” I gasped as the tingle began between my legs.
His hand stilled, and his body tensed, but only for a moment.
Then, he slid his hand from my shirt. “Sorry. I got carried away. Let’s go inside,” he said before squeezing my hips and nudging me to move forward.
It was a good thing he’d stopped us because I hadn’t thought once about the neighbors or who could be watching. This man was making me do things I’d never done before. Perhaps I should be worried about the pull he had on me, but right now, all I wanted was to keep him close. Enjoy the way he made me feel. Safe, wanted, protected, desired … no longer alone.
•Twenty-One •
