Page 87 of Unchained

He clapped his hand to his chest. “Seriously? If you really think that you must have missed the memo.”

Her mouth wriggled into a grin and she climbed the stairs. “I need a shower.”

He followed. He’d prefer her in the sheets, more access to her body, but he’d take what he could get. Her ass swung side to side as she climbed the stairs, and desire scorched his skin. The blood test had confirmed the drug was still in his system, but given the events of the last week, he no longer feared the level of his control. He cared about Cam. Loved her, dammit. And he wouldn’t let fear or the substance making his muscles pump steal that away. Sliding his hand over her butt cheek, he ascended on her heels.

She laughed. Reaching the second level, she turned around and held out both her hands. “Brooks. Really. You just suffered a heart attack for god’s sake.”

“Mild heart attack.” He caught her hands, reveling in her joyful laughter and the playfulness in her eyes. “You heard the doctor. He’s amazed by how much my body healed overnight. He said it takes most people two weeks to be where I’m at.” He lifted a shoulder. “The drug has its perks.”

“Another night in the hospital wouldn’t have killed you.”

“It might have,” he said heavily. Even though the bright, noisy room had been different from where Leonetti had kept him, the environment had been too similar: the stringent scent of disinfectant, the cold and clinical room, and, worst of all, the beeping machine telling him he was still alive. When he’d been confined to a bed under Leonetti’s watch, that damn beeping had punched through his thoughts, reminding him that he had more suffering ahead.

Cam’s features softened, and concern jumped back onto her face. “Let’s get you some rest.”

He let her take his hand and lead him to the master bedroom. A cleaner must have come in while he’d been in the hospital because the scent of orange zest hung in the air.

Cam stopped at the edge of the bed and swept her hand over his shoulder. “Will you sleep for me?”

He grimaced. “No promises.”

“You know the withdrawal will hit again.”

The wind left his sails. Dammit, he didn’t want to put her through that again. Funny how before he’d feared the unbearable pain slicing through his body. Not now. Now, he hated the thought of her worrying over him, staying awake all hours to ensure he’d survive. “I know.”

She huffed, turned on her heel, and went to the bathroom. The sound of water hitting the basin came next. Cam was right, he’d need his rest before the withdrawal ravaged him. But more than that, he needed her. He walked into the bathroom just as she stepped through the open glass door. Her slim body pivoted under the water, and sprayed off her ass. His cock tightened.

“You don’t listen well, do you?”

He yanked off his shirt then kicked off his pants and boxers. Thankfully, the gash on his leg sported a thick waterproof bandage. Opening the door, he slid under the spray. “What? I need a shower too.”

“Mmm.”

He circled his arms around her waist. Damn, he’d never wanted anyone so bad in his life. Droplets of water collected on her eyelashes and cheeks, and black mascara smudges still darkened the skin underneath her bottom lashes. He moved his gaze leisurely over her lithe little body. The pale pink slash of her scar beneath her collarbone caught his attention. He brought his fingers to her skin and gently stroked it. He didn’t want to bring up Isaac. She needed time to mourn, but dammit, he couldn’t say he was sorry that the man wasn’t around to hurt her again.

Bringing his fingers to the side of her neck, he stroked her earlobe. “I can leave if you want.” He spoke the words begrudgingly through a tight jaw.

Her soft laugh settled his nerves. She rose onto her tiptoes and kissed his mouth. “Never.”

He skimmed his hands down her spine and touched the crest at the bottom of her tailbone.

She draped her arms around his hips and kissed his pec. “I thought I lost you.”

He closed his eyes and inhaled the fruity scent of her shampoo, which lingered on the shower tiles from the last time she’d washed her hair. “You never should have fucking been there. It’s my fault they were so close to you. My fault for leaving you.”

She drew back, putting inches between them that he didn’t want. “Brooks Ivanov. Don’t you dare say you’re responsible.”

He chortled, the sound a little harsher than he’d intended. “C’mon, Cam. If it weren’t for me, you’d still be safely in Utah.”

She rolled her eyes and spun out of his arms. Then she grabbed the bottle of the shampoo that would flood the bathroom with its scent, squirted a dollop into her palm, and scrubbed her hair. “Safely? Are you forgetting that I was working for Leonetti? It was just a matter of time before I caught on to what he was doing—whether to you or someone else.”

He caught her hip, unable to not touch her. Suds ran down her back as she stood under the spray. The soap bubbles zigzagged over her ass crack, highlighting the road he wanted his hands to travel.

“You’re right,” he said, done with trying to convince her otherwise. “It’s Leonetti’s fault.” He twirled her around to face him then smoothed his hands over her forehead, pushing the water out of her eyes so she could look at him. “I hate that I brought you into danger. That you lost your nephew and that your mom was hurt because of me. But I don’t regret meeting you. I never will. You saved me, Camryn. And not just because you untied me.” He wet his lips, tasting the words that screamed from his chest and paused at his tongue. “You brought me back from an abyss. Before I laid eyes on you, the only thing that kept me going was hate and revenge. That first moment I saw you, the concern and kindness in your eyes reminded me of all the goodness and love in the world that I’d forgotten existed.” He lowered his hands, coasting them down the wet curtain of her hair. “That’s why I survived. Because of you.”

Her lips parted, and she sucked in a breath. She surged onto her toes and pressed her breasts against his chest. Tears mingled with water on her eyelashes. “You’re the most incredible man I’ve ever met.” Her raspy whisper stirred desire in his gut.

She pressed her lips to his and slipped her tongue between his teeth. His body responded as if he’d been lit on fire. He deepened the kiss, arching her back over his forearm as he licked inside of her. Drifting his fingertips over the luscious cushion of her ass, he swept his fingers between her legs from behind until he reached her hot, wet slit.

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