Page 37 of Cognac Secrets

He didn’t help things by kissing me languidly and whispering against my mouth, “Don’t you move,” before carefully withdrawing from my body and clambering to his feet off the side of the bed.

He stretched like a cat, and I couldn’t help but admire his physique, both going and when he returned from the bathroom with a wet washcloth. I reached for it and he laughed a little and shook his head.

“I’ve got it,” he said firmly and he cleaned me up between my legs gently with it. Oh, wow, it was nice and warm even. Usually, I was lucky if a cold one was tossed my way, but more often than not, I had been the one to get up and take care of that sort of thing.

“You’re spoiling me,” I remarked gently as he reached down and took my hand.

“Sorry, that ends now,” he said, hoisting me up. “Go use the bathroom.”

I laughed and got up and did what he said. When I came back, he was tucked between the sheets, the blankets up over his lap as he sat up in bed.

He flung back a triangle of those blankets in invitation and I slid into bed beside him while he covered me up and gathered me close into his side. I laid my head on his shoulder and my hand on his stomach.

“You good?” he asked gently.

“Yeah, why?” I asked.

“You just seem thoughtful,” he said with a little shrug.

“Nope,” I lied. “Just enjoying myself.” He kissed my forehead as I looked up at him and my eyes drifted shut, savoring the sensation.

“All good,” he said. “You can keep your secrets.”

I laughed a little and said, “There is no secret.”

“Mm.” He cuddled me close and closed his eyes.

I sighed, closing mine and asked, “Can I turn out the light?”

“Of course,” he said. I reached behind me, hit the switch on the lamp beside the bed, and settled back down in his embrace… and it was so cozy, and so nice.

“What happened here?” he asked, his fingertips playing back and forth over the scars on my back.

I knew it was coming eventually, but my stomach still dropped.

“My dad took after me with his belt,” I said.

His arms tightened around me and he grunted, letting out a harsh breath.

“He dead?” he asked.

“Not that I know of,” I answered.

“That’s too bad,” he said and he kissed the top of my head.

“I couldn’t agree more,” I said softly.

“Tell me about it?” he asked, and I drew in a long slow breath.

“I’d rather not, if it’s okay,” I murmured. He was still and quiet for long enough that I was worried thatno,no it was not.

“I’m sorry it was so bad,” he said, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me.

“Thank you for understanding,” I said, and he gave me a little squeeze in the dark.

“Not at all,” he said.

I closed my eyes and listened to the steady cadence of his heartbeat as he trailed fingertips up and down my back in a soothing motion. I couldn’t say that I was awake very long… nor could I say that I fell asleep very quickly. I didn’t know when or how it happened, but I was simply gone sometime after that.

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