Page 136 of Last Light

When I see him start to prop himself up, I give a little squeal of objection. “No! You can’t get up. You lie still, and I’ll come to you.”

“I’ll do better if I can—”

“You’re not getting up. I’m not going to put up with all the disapproving lectures if you move too much and tear your stitches and start bleeding again. You lie on your back. I’ll kiss you.”

Travis is grumbling wordlessly as I lean over him. My lips hover over his. “Are you really whining about this?”

He huffs. “If you kiss me, darlin’, I’ll never whine again in my life.”

That just about does me in.

I’m shaky and unfocused as my lips brush against his. His are dry. They move against mine and cling when I try to withdraw.

My heart is beating at a gallop as he lifts a hand and holds my head in place so he can kiss me more fully. His tongue darts out to run along the line of my mouth, and then he takes my lower lip in both of his and gives it a delicious little tug, triggering a waterfall of pleasure throughout my body.

I make a silly sound in my throat and smile against his mouth. “See. It’s not too bad like this.”

“Not too bad, huh?” His hand is curved around the back of my skull, and he’s smiling as he lifts his head slightly to kiss me again. “Been wantin’ to do this for ages.”

“Then why didn’t you?” I’m having to prop myself over him on my forearms to keep from putting any weight on his injury. My position is awkward, and my back is hurting again, but I couldn’t care less.

“’Cause I was tryin’ to keep a proper distance.”

“Proper distance! You were fucking me.”

“You think I don’t know that? But I kept tellin’ myself that I was only doin’ that ’cause you asked me. So I could still say I wasn’t takin’ more than I was allowed. But I knew if I kissed you, I’d never be able to keep perspective. You have no idea how close I came—over and over again. I never knew I could want anythin’ as much as I wanted to kiss you. But I knew better than to let myself. I never woulda been able to let you go.”

I’m pressing little kisses all over his mouth and chin and cheeks. His skin is scratchy under my lips. I can’t believe I’m allowed to do it at last. “And now you don’t have to.”

“Now I don’t have to.” He gives me the sweetest little kiss. “I love you, Layne. You got that, right?”

“Yeah. I got it. I love you too.”

His lips claim mine again, and his tongue slips into my mouth. My body buzzes with pleasure. It’s starting to get so deep that a coil of pressure is tightening between my legs, and then we’re jarred apart by a voice from the doorway.

“I’m pretty sure this can’t be good for a gunshot wound.” Mack. He sounds amused.

I pull away from Travis, giggling and hiding my face against his good shoulder.

Mack comes into the room. “I guess this means you’re feeling better?”

“I’d be better if we hadn’t been interrupted. Ever hear of knockin’?” Despite his words, Travis doesn’t sound grumpy. He’s flushed now and grinning like a fool.

“I was just stopping by to check on the patient and make sure Layne didn’t need anything. And there’s this dog out here who won’t move. He’s tripping everyone up.”

“Oh, please let him in,” I say, raising my head.

Mack glances behind him as if checking for observers and then steps out of the way to let the dog come into the room. “Just don’t tell anyone I let him in.”

The dog hurries to the side of the bed and snuffles at the mattress. I give him a pet, and he runs around to the other side so Travis can pet him too.

Mack is grinning at me. “I guess since I caught you making out on his sickbed, this means things were pretty simple after all.”

I return Mack’s smile and hug Travis’s forearm to my chest again. “It actually wasn’t simple, but we still managed to figure it out.”

***

IEND UP SPENDING THEnight on the bed beside Travis.

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