Page 150 of Stalkers Anonymous

We collapse onto the comforter, hot and sticky and breathless.

“Fuck.” I smile widely, letting out a shaky laugh.

Once he’s somewhat caught his breath, Cole rises from my bed and disappears into my bathroom, quickly returning with a warm washcloth. He takes his time drawing it over my thighs and pussy, soothing me where I’m pink and swollen from friction—and multiple orgasms. Then he helps me into an oversize T-shirt before tucking me beneath my sheets. Pulling on his boxers, he pauses.

“Can I—” He runs a hand through his hair. His body, so relaxed and languid just a moment ago, seems to shudder with tension.

I know what he wants to ask. Because even though this man was just so deep inside me I’ll be feeling it into next week, he’s not sure if he can sleep over.

I pull back the blanket and pat the space next to me. He slides into bed beside me, pulling my body against his.

Cole’s chest is solid muscle behind me. I snuggle into him, letting his body envelop me as I fade into the deepest sleep I’ve had in months.

He breathes in. I breathe out. And something that’s been broken for a very long time quietly clicks into place.

Cole Matthews is my home.

…

I wake around noon to sunlight on my face and a man-size warm spot beside me…occupied by a ferret.

Chewy is curled in the dent Cole’s body left in the mattress, looking very pleased with himself.

I stretch carefully—ribs, ribs, ribs—and listen. The coffeemaker is going, and Cole’s in the kitchen, on the phone. His voice is quiet.

“…Yeah. Yeah, she’s still asleep. She slept the whole night, Tyler. The whole night.”

A pause.

“No. Nothing on the local news yet.”

Another pause.

“I will. Yeah. Two o’clock. Banana bread. I’m going to the store now if you want me to grab anything.”

I close my eyes. I do not particularly want to be the kind of woman whose boyfriend is on the phone with the cleanup driver of his vigilante therapy group, and I am also, distantly, the kind of woman who finds it incredibly reassuring.

Cole comes back into the bedroom a few minutes later. He’s in a pair of gray sweatpants Jessica had waiting for him in the van. She knew what she was doing when she packed those for him. Such a girl’s girl. I make a mental note to thank her later, then turn my mind back to Cole. He’s shirtless and holding out a mug of coffee for me to take.

“Morning, beautiful.” He gives me the most incredible smile.

I can’t help but bite at my bottom lip as I watch him walk closer. I mean, the guy is built like a fucking god. “Good morning.”

He hands me the mug and sits on the edge of the bed, looking at me for a long moment the way he looked at me last night, then he leans down and kisses my forehead, careful of the bruises.

“Nothing on the news yet,” he says quietly.

“Hmm,” I hum as I take a sip of hot coffee.

“Tyler said nobody’s reported him missing. His aunt apparently goes days at a time without checking on him. He’ll turn up sometime today, probably this afternoon.”

“Okay.”

“How do you feel now that you’ve slept?”

I take another sip of coffee. “I feel,” I say slowly, “weirdly fine.”

“Yeah?”