Page 120 of Surviving Slater
There was still the part of me that was frightened of the future and what could happen but after experiencing what I had with him, it would be impossible to embrace the life I had led before and still feel fulfilled.
Meeting him and loving him had shown me there was more to life than I had ever hoped for.
I was breathless when his lips lifted from mine. He leaned his forehead against mine. "I don't think I will ever get enough of you."
A lifetime of him wouldn't be enough. His thumb brushed my bottom lip before he dropped his hand.
"Before we get sidetracked, I should probably feed you," he said. I nodded.
I was a little hungry. I sat down at the kitchen counter as he searched through his cabinets. Unlike me, he knew his way around a kitchen.
"Pasta or steak?" he asked.
"Pasta."
I watched him while he made some spaghetti and sauce.
"How did you learn to cook?" I asked.
He stopped and turned to face me. "I had to learn to survive on my own from a young age. My foster parents left me to fend for myself so if I didn't make something to eat I went hungry."
My heart squeezed and I hated that I had reminded him of a painful past.
"I'm sorry," I said, standing up and walking to him.
"Don't be," he said as I put my arms around him and hugged him, needing to chase away the memories. "We can't change the past—and besides, if I hadn't walked the path I had, I wouldn't be here with you now."
I had never thought about it like that but I liked the positive way to view our damaged childhoods.
We sat side by side and ate our food. Afterward he put our dirty plates in the sink.
"Let's go to bed," he said, and I put my hand into his.
He led me through the bedroom and into his bathroom. He turned on the shower and began to help me undress. I got in and I half-expected him to join me but he didn't.
"I'll get you a change of clothes." My beautiful dress had bloodstains from my cut hand.
When he got back he helped me wash myself before rinsing me off. He switched off the shower and wrapped me in a towel. His clothes were too big but I loved the feel of them against my skin. The smell of him surrounded me.
He led me to the bed and pulled the covers back. I got in and lay down.
"I didn't like seeing you hurt today," he said when he got in beside me on the bed. His hand touched mine.
I turned my head to look at him. His fingers brushed against mine.
"Usually when that happens I don't let anyone close."
"Really?" he asked with a slight frown marring his handsome features.
I nodded. "But when you touch me, I feel…safe." I knew by admitting this important fact I was letting him in again, giving him more power to hurt me. It seemed too natural to resist.
"I want that."
"Even when I'm freaking out because some guy called me 'baby'?" I was pushing him to see how far I could go. "What if it happens again? What if this time it's in a crowded place where lots of people witness it?"
He shook his head gently at me. "I don't care what people think. You should know that."
His fingers wrapped around my uninjured hand and held it more tightly, before looking at me again. "I like looking after you. It makes me feel good."
