Page 110 of Lesson In Forgiveness

Returning to the bed, he tended to her pussy, cleaning between her swollen folds gently until he was satisfied. He found a treasure trove of gifts from the giant Dom in a basket beside the bed—water, chocolate, protein bars, ibuprofen, and a finger-sized bottle of aloe vera gel—and promptly put the gel to good use.

A light knock on the door spun his head around.

“Safe to come in?” Evander murmured.

“She’s asleep.”

“Are you surprised? If she can think straight when she wakes, it’ll be a miracle.” Bending to fit through the door without bashing his head, he didn’t venture any further forward. “I just wanted to make sure everything’s okay before I head back to the city. Elias is in charge of packing up the hotel room, and Callie is in full Little mode. She’s driving him crazy.”

“Which you think is hilarious,” Grit commented.

“Of course. That stick up his ass gets in the way sometimes; Callie knows how to wind him up until he snaps, and then we all reap the rewards.” Anticipation gleamed in those dark eyes. “Feel free to stay here as long as she needs. I’d say use the cabin, but you’ll probably be more comfortable here until we get it furnished.”

“Thanks. For everything, Evander.”

“Call me Van. Do you think my being here made a difference?”

Grit glanced at his girl. “Honestly? I don’t know. I don’t think she even remembered you were here, but on some subconscious level, maybe your presence was reassuring. Regardless, I appreciate you taking the time to chaperone.”

“Always happy to help.” Evander gave him a long, considering look. “You know, the amount of patience a man possesses makes a statement. Tabitha’s a lucky woman, or perhaps an astute one; she chose very well for her savior.”

“Are you trying to make me blush?”

The blond’s grin flashed. “I’ve only got eyes for Eli and my Callie, but it would be interesting to see how far down that blush could go.”

What? Dropping his gaze down his own body, Grit rolled his eyes. “Mature, Van. Real fucking mature.”

Laughing, the giant idiot tipped his head. “I gotta go. There’s food and supplies in the other room if you need them. The crews won’t disturb you in the morning, should you decide to stay.”

That was the best thing about friends, Grit thought as Evander took his leave. They might rib the hell out of him, annoy him, even piss him off to the point of losing his shit, but friends like Eli and Evander, Jasper and Atticus… they always had his back no matter what.

Would that change now he was literally in bed with a serial killer? Mass murderer? Whatever the hell Tabitha was in the grand scheme of things.

Obviously, Elias and Evander didn’t have an issue with it. They’d spent enough time with her to realize she was more than what she purposefully portrayed herself to be; Atticus and Jasper were probably more hesitant to believe that, seeing as they’d witnessed her brutality up close and personal.

Settling in beside her, resting his arm over her stomach, Grit sighed and wondered how Jasper felt about becoming his brother-in-law at some point in the future. The sadist had his opinions on his sister, that was for sure—whether he approved of her being in a relationship shouldn’t matter, but for some reason, it mattered to Grit.

Tabitha’s opinion was the one he held above all others, but Jasper’s came in a close second.

Trying to imagine how a conversation where he asked the sadist for his blessing might go, Grit trailed absent circles over the soft skin under his fingertips. Warm and silky, a little damp. Rising and falling gently with quiet breaths.

Yeah, he was gonna marry this woman. Tie himself to her, bind himself to her wildness, chain himself to all she was for as long as they had time on this earth.

Because the moment seemed to call for it, he began to hum again, low in his throat. Something quiet and melodic to fill the silence so she’d know she was safe when she woke, especially if her dreams were fraught with memories of her father.

She slept for another twenty minutes, thankfully undisturbed. As a plus, she didn’t try to murder him before her eyes opened; she stiffened when she felt him pressed against her, then relaxed as best she could once he murmured her name.

“Did I do good?” she mumbled.

He wondered how many times she’d asked Dominic that after he’d raped her, and what the consequences had been; her father’s reputation wasn’t a lenient one—no doubt she’d been punished for a lackluster performance in the past.

Grit kept his voice light, positive. “You were perfect, Tabby. So brave.”

“I’ll do better next time, I promise.”

Well, at least he hadn’t terrified her so badly she didn’t want to do this again, he mused, but he wasn’t pleased by her response. “Listen to me, Tabby. All you need is confidence, okay? That comes with time and,” he added suggestively, “lots and lots of practice.”

Slowly, painfully, she lifted her gaze to his. She’d hate that her emotions were so clearly written on her face. “Does that mean all the crying hasn’t put you off?”

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