Page 79 of Handcuffed to the Bear

After they’d stared at each other for a moment, Jack smiled, crinkling the corners of his eyes. The twin cuts in the corners of his mouth, where he’d slashed them chewing through the speedboat’s mooring rope, had healed to fine pinkish traces.

“C’mon in,” he said.

She crutched inside. His condo was small but tidy, without the sort of mess she stereotypically would have expected from a bachelor pad. The kitchen and living room were united in an open plan, with only an island countertop separating them. Sliding glass doors led out onto a patio with a barbecue grill and deck chair.

Avery was on the couch, but he pulled himself up when he saw her, using his cane.

“We have burgers,” Jack said. “Courtesy of Avery.”

“Who is just leaving, actually. Sorry I can’t stay.” Avery gave her another of his warm smiles, lighting up his solemn face. “Nice to see you again, Casey.”

He slipped past her, out the door.

“You too!” she called after him, and then, to Jack, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to chase off your friend.”

Jack snorted, opening the paper bag on the counter. “I think he thinks we’d rather be alone.”

“Would we?” she asked, her heart beating a little faster.

Jack smiled lopsidedly. “Maybe. Depends on what you want.”

He smelledso good. She crutched a bit closer.

“Go on, sit,” Jack said. “I’ll bring these over to you.”

Sitting wasn’t exactly what she wanted to do most, but she did need to get off her feet. She flopped onto the couch and laid the crutches beside it with a sigh.

Jack brought over two plates, each with a pair of burgers on them, unwrapped. “Do you like Coke? It’s basically that or water.”

“Either is fine.”

He fetched the drinks and, after the briefest of hesitations, sat next to her on the couch. She couldn’t help being acutely aware of the heat of his body, his intense proximity. Which was silly, she thought, because they’d been in nonstop, 24/7 physical contact on the island, and they hadn’t done more than kiss.

But that only heightened the anticipation. She knew his naked body as intimately as she knew her own, and yet she hadn’t done more than casually touch it. She’d never drawn out the gasps and groans that she’d heard in her fantasies, had never touched the large, uncut penis nestled between his legs, had never been swept up in his arms or felt that long, muscular body shudder in pleasure ...

She swallowed.

“Burgers okay?” Jack asked.

“Uh, yeah.” She’d barely touched hers. She made herself pick it up and take a bite, which she swallowed without tasting.

Jack reached for his glass of water; his arm brushed hers, making the hair stand on end. He had, she couldn’t help noticing, settled onto her left side, the side where he’d been handcuffed to her.

“How’s your wrist?” he asked, and she realized she’d left her hand resting on her knee. The healing scrapes and bruises girdling her wrist were clearly visible.

“It’s all right. Getting better.” She opened her hand and held it up to show him.

Jack took it lightly in his right one. Casey tensed automatically and then relaxed as he turned her hand over, examining her injuries. The bruises had faded to light yellow and violet, and the scrapes had healed to new, pink skin.

The touch of his hand on hers made her heart beat faster.

He lifted her hand to his mouth, and brushed very lightly across the tender new skin with his lips. She let out a faint, involuntary gasp.

Jack kissed the back of her hand, the fingers, then turned it over and kissed her palm. When he looked up, his heart was in his eyes.

“You came back,” he said.

“You wanted me back,” she whispered.

---