Page 18 of Ice Around the Edges

“You’re a mess.”

He raked his fingers through his hair. “You have no idea.”

“You were really worried about me,” I said.

“Yes.” He nodded, and I saw his gaze turn soft.

“Come here.”

He just stared at me.

“Why don’t you wanna be close to me? You didn’t have any trouble in the hospital.”

“It was different in the hospital.” He cleared his throat. “I couldn’t––we couldn’t do any more than what I….” He swallowed hard and then cleared his throat. “Here’s the thing. I wanna make love to you so bad that it’s just––”

I laughed out loud. “Make love to? That’s a bunch of shit. Since when?”

He wiped his eyes roughly, smiling slightly. “Yeah, right.”

“Say what you mean,” I demanded, my voice flat.

He nodded, eyes on the floor before they flicked up to mine. “I wanna fuck you.”

“Then do it,” I told him.

He smiled at me like I was five. “Honey, you don’t get it,” he said indulgently. “You don’t have the stamina to take what I––”

“If I ride you, like you said before, it’ll be fine.”

His moan was loud and deep, filled with need. “Ev, I… I would be all over you, and I would really try and be gentle if I got in bed with you, but maybe I wouldn’t be able to stop or be gentle or––”

“Yes, you would,” I assured him. “And I’m in better shape than you think.”

He looked so pained.

“So what, then, if you don’t trust yourself?”

He blew out a quick breath, clearly relieved that I was dropping it. “We’ll just wait until you feel better.”

“And what if the spell wears off by then? What if I tell you to just go home without me?”

“You already did that.”

“Well, what if this is your one and only shot? What if me saying ‘Dixon Bain, please let me feel your cock buried inside me’ is the only offer I’m going to make you?”

“I would rather never fuck you again than hurt you right now.”

“Then maybe you should just go,” I said, because I was committed to the line of conversation at that point. I couldn’t back down or show any fear. He had to think I didn’t care one way or another.

“No thanks.” He shook his head. “I can’t do that. I’m just gonna torture myself and stick around.”

“Torture?”

“Yes, this is torture for me, but I deserve it, so that’s okay.”

I sighed deeply. “I didn’t fight.”

He moved and sat down beside me on the bed.