Page 63 of Best of Me

“Hey, c’mon, no sleeping, Cricket.”

“I’m not,” she slurs the words as her eyelids droop.

As gently as possible I pat her cheek that’s not resting on my chest. “I mean it, baby. Open your eyes, look at me.” She does and I find myself thanking God all over again.

At the car, Nate opens the door for me before climbing behind the wheel. I help Mallory into the back seat, sliding in after her despite the tight space; there’s no way in hell I’m letting her out of my sight for the foreseeable future, not even for the five-minute drive to the hospital.

With the use of our siren, Nate makes the drive in three. He offers to wait with us, but it’s late and I know if he stays Jenny will want to be here and if she’s here, Natalie and Alden will want to come. Not to mention, we’re going to be here for at least a few hours. So, I send him home—with much grumbling on his part.

A CT scan and way more time than I ever imagine later, Mallory’s discharged with an all-clear and we’re in the back of an Uber on our way to my place, with me counting down both the miles and the minutes until I can hold her in my arms.

chapter thirty-nine

Mallory

At Duke’s insistence, he carries me from the car, into his house, and straight back to his bedroom. He gently lowers me to the floor at the foot of his bed. Neither of us speak as Duke drags his eyes over me again and again. “You’re really okay?” he asks, a mixture of fear and relief swimming in his green eyes.

“I am.” I try not to fidget under his heavy stare. The way he’s looking at me, like I’m delicate—fragile, broken—sets my soul on edge.

Duke wears his inner-turmoil on his sleeve as he brushes past me to turn down the covers. It’s a battle of wills—should he stay and comfort me or simply let me recuperate.He moves his eyes over my body, as if checking for some hidden injury the hospital may have missed, before saying, “Rest, Cricket.”

I climb into the bed and he pulls the comforter up to my chin, tucking me in like a child—strangely, it’s another first for me, which makes me feel sad and cherished all at once. Still shaking from the adrenaline rush, I reach for him, desperate for his touch and the stillness it brings. “Shh, baby, it’s okay,” he murmurs as he turns and heads for the door. I whimper as I reach out and grab his hand, halting his retreat. “I’ll be right back. I need to make a quick phone call. Try and sleep.”

“Duke,” I croak, terrified at the thought of being left alone. “Please. Please don’t leave me.”

His eyes flash. “I swear to you, I’m not going anywhere. Not now, not ever. I just need to check in with the department. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

I shake my head. I can’t wait a few minutes; I need him now. A lone tear slides down my cheek, dripping off my chin, splattering onto his comforter. “I was so scared. The car was spinning and spinning and all I could think was—”

He cuts me off, his own voice cracking. “God, Mallory.” He falls to his knees on the floor beside the bed, his large hands cupping my cheeks. “I was so fucking scared, too, baby. When I saw your car, it almost paralyzed me. I…I thought I’d lost you.” His thumbs stroke my cheeks before his lips chase away my now freely falling tears. “I can’t lose you.”

“Say it again,” I beg and he instinctively knows exactly what I’m asking for.

“I love you, Mallory.” His deep voice rumbles, the words coming straight from his heart. “I love you so fucking much. But you need to rest; to recover.”

I shake my head vigorously, ignoring the slight pain. He’s wrong. I don’t need anything but him.

Over me.

Around me.

Filling me, making me whole again, in the way that only he can. “You love me?” I ask, nuzzling my face into his chest.

“More than anything.”

I pull back and look up at him, my golden gaze pleading as my tongue darts out, wetting my lower lip. He follows the movement like a cobra coiled and ready to strike. His pupils dilate as his worry mingles with his arousal. “Then show me. Show me how much you love me.”

His breathing becomes heavy as his lust takes over. He looms over me, but I don’t give him a chance to hesitate. Pushing up onto my elbow, I wrap my free hand around the back of his neck, bringing his face to mine. “Make love to me, Duke.”

Gently, he lays me back onto the bed and places his hands on my hips, squeezing lightly before skimming his hands up my sides and over the dip in my waist. My belly flutters at the feel of the soft cotton sliding over my skin as Duke pushes my shirt over the swell of my breasts, before pulling it off completely.

The cool air washes over me, covering my skin in gooseflesh while Duke’s hot gaze draws my nipples to pebbled points beneath the lace of my bra.

He brushes his nose over the sensitive skin of my exposed lower belly. “God, I’ve never been so scared in my life. I…I thought I’d lost you, too, and I…fuck, baby…”—he speaks the words against the waistband of my jeans as he undoes the button and slides down the zipper—“…I love you. So damn much. The thought of anything happening to you guts me.”

“Duke.” His name slips past my lips like a prayer as he slides my jeans down my legs; the combination of his heartfelt words and his calloused hands as they move over my skin has me feeling as though I may combust. I use his broad shoulders for balance as I kick my jeans away, leaving me in only my panties and bra. They don’t match in the slightest, but with the way Duke licks his lips as he takes me in, it’s safe to say he doesn’t mind.

He stands, rising to his full height so I have to tilt my head back to see his face. He brings his hands to my cheeks and drops his forehead to mine. “I. Love. You. I’ve loved you since I kissed you in Alden’s laundry room.”

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