Page 48 of Wrecked for Love
“Very much.” Her hand slipped beneath the blanket. “Trunks are sexy, and you look incredibly sexy in them. It means you have great taste and a great body.”
I squeezed her wandering hand, drawing it to my chest as I turned toward her. My fingers brushed her fringe, and she nudged herself closer. I wanted her—badly. For crying out loud, I did! And I could see in her eyes that she wanted me just as much. But making love next to the very room where Tessa had died…I couldn’t do it. The words stuck in my throat, and I didn’t know how to tell her.
She sensed it, though, her eyes softening. “I had a great time,” she whispered. “Thank you.”
“You mean that?” I asked, trying to push past the lump in my chest.
“Of course. You know Miss Chili Pepper doesn’t do bullshit,” she said with a wink. “Now, bull-wrangling? That might grow on me, but not bullshit.”
I laughed, grateful for how easily she could make the moment feel right.
“Good night,” she said, leaning in to peck my forehead.
“That’s it?” I blurted out, perhaps too innocently. I didn’t want sex tonight, but that quick peck left me feeling a bit shortchanged.
With a giggle, she leaned back in and kissed me, slow and sweet, her lips lingering just long enough to leave me wanting more. Her long arm reached behind her, her fingers brushing the switch as she turned off the bedside light. Then she wriggled closer, her back pressing against my pecs. I spooned her, fitting myself around her.
“Don’t run away,” I whispered, my voice barely a breath. “At least not tonight.”
“I’ll be here when you wake up in the morning,” she promised, pulling my hand tighter around her waist.
The darkness settled around us, but all I felt was her. The rise and fall of her breath soothed me, and I matched my own to her rhythm. Her hair brushed my chin, and I nestled my face against the crook of her neck, the scent of her calming me in a way nothing else could. I wasn’t sure when she drifted off, but eventually, her breathing slowed and deepened. I parted my lips against her skin, comforted by the simple truth that she was here, safe in my arms.
I inched closer to her, and for a moment, she reflexively held on to me.
“I’m not going anywhere.” I pressed a soft kiss to her earlobe. With her, everything felt right again, and the happiness Logan claimed was “too hard”? It came effortlessly when I was with her.
18
ELIA
The next morning, just before dawn, I woke up to a thudding noise. Claire wasn’t beside me anymore. She was on the floor, on the other side of the bed.
I rushed to her. “Claire! Claire!” I gathered her trembling body into my arms, cradling her as carefully as I could. A part of me braced for her to push me away, just like she had after that nightmare at The Lazy Moose.
But this time, she didn’t. Instead, she curled into my embrace, even though she was still caught in the grip of her nightmare.
“Wake up, baby. Wake up,” I whispered, tapping her cheek.
Her eyes fluttered open. “Code…please…” she panted, her voice shaky and disoriented.
I knew then that her nightmare was about Cody—her brother.
She sat up slowly, but after a moment, her eyes found mine, and she leaned back into me, seeking comfort.
“I’m so sorry,” she exhaled, her breath uneven.
“Hey, don’t apologize,” I soothed. “Do you have these nightmares every night?”
“No, not usually. But I guess that’s two for two with you,” she said, a small, apologetic smile forming.
“It’s okay,” I reassured her, trying to ease her guilt. “Maybe I’m the common denominator.”
“No, absolutely not. Maybe my body just gets a little needier when I’m around you.”
Closeness invites loss. But holding her, I realized how much I’d been missing. The risk, the pain, the vulnerability…it was all worth it for a chance at something this real.
After some time spent holding her, I reluctantly shifted. The pull to stay with her was strong, but the thought of the sabotage at Diesel’s pen still weighed heavily on my mind.
