Page 56 of Iron Willed Warrior

I splashed water over my face and neck, washing off the day’s sweat and frustration. I was glad to put Westwick, Ryker and Stillwater out of my mind for the night.

But Brynn? She was in my head. Under my skin. Everywhere.

My cock perked up. But we would just have to wait and see.

After brushing my teeth, I opened the bathroom door. Brynn was sitting in a chair and staring off into space, deep in thought.

“If you’d rather not share the bed—” I began.

“I’m okay with it.”

I chewed my lip. “All right. I’ll stay on my side.”

“Maybe I don’t want you to.”

My nerve endings lit up like sparklers. “You just let me know.” I sat on the edge of the mattress and rucked up the left leg of my sweats. This was the first time she would see me without my prosthesis. But no point in hesitating.

I pushed a button on the side of the socket to release the pin and slid off the device, followed by the sock and the liner. I felt her looking. I could’ve tugged my pant leg down to cover up, but fuck that. Better she get an eyeful and decide now if she had an issue.

I was a confident guy. I’d been with women since my divorce, and they’d found me plenty attractive. But my wife had left me within two months of seeing my injury. That kind of thing wasn’t easy for a man to forget.

“I’m not winning any beauty contests anymore,” I joked. “That ship has sailed.”

Brynn huffed. “Are you kidding? You might be the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.”

I smirked, glowing with pride at her words. “Might?”

“I would need to get closer to find out.”

“I’ve got no objections to that.”

But Brynn stayed in her chair for several long seconds, long enough I thought she had decided to let the moment pass.

Then she got up.

Taking slow strides, she crossed the space. Stood between my spread knees and put her hands on my shoulders, assessing me. “Somehow,” she murmured, “you keep getting sexier every day that I know you.”

“Glad it’s not the opposite.”

When her brown eyes lifted after her perusal, they were dark and dilated. She knelt on the bed to either side of me, straddling my lap.

Huh. Whatever was happening right now, I was on board.

Brynn pushed my shoulders until I lay backward on the bed, taking her with me. We fell easily into kissing again. This was a new position, horizontal this time, but we found our rhythm. Tongues gliding, teeth nipping.

I rolled, taking the top position now as she fell back onto the mattress. Then I caught sight again of those marks on her shoulder. A splash of cold water over the mood.

Her hands slid up my sides. Reluctantly, I took hold of her wrists and put her arms above her head. God, she was beautiful. She was in bed with me. Willing. Moments ago, I’d been desperate to touch her, taste her, explore every part of her. Yet this didn’t feel right.

“It’s been a long day. And you got knocked around tonight.” I dropped one more soft kiss to her lips. “We’re going to save the rest of this for later.”

She sighed. “Why do you have to do that?”

“Do what?”

“Be so…thoughtful. I want to believe you’re for real, but it’s hard to.”

I almost smiled, but there was a sadness in the cut of her mouth. I didn’t like it.

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