Page 63 of Pride
She wanted to wipe it off. Permanently.
And finally, maybe she couldn’t sleep because of the long, hard length of male beside her, inches away and also pretending to be asleep. Was he waiting for her to drift off before he left her alone? What was he thinking?
It hadn’t escaped her attention that their sexual encounter had finished one-sided, andthatopened many more questions in her mind. Had her scars truly repulsed him? Did he pity her? If so, then what would he think when he learned what caused those scars?
Her stomach twisted into knots, and she squirmed. She opened her eyes to the dark shadow of Parker’s muscular body next to her and sighed. He wasn’t under the covers with her, and he remained in nothing but his boxer shorts. Golden eyes blinked at her, and she jolted. He was awake.
“Can’t sleep?” His voice was a soothing baritone.
She shook her head, knowing he saw her in the dark.
“You said a closet full of clothes didn’t make this your home. So what will?”
Alice sat up. “Were you watching me sleep?”
He joined her sitting. “You weren’t asleep.”
“Or are you making sure I don’t leave?”
“You’re avoiding the question.”
“Because it’s the middle of the night. It’s not the time for deep and meaningful life questions.”
“Then why can’t you sleep?”
Her lips parted. His question speared right through to the truth. She needed answers to all her questions, and she was too afraid to ask them, so they stayed churning in her head.
“Fine,” he growled. “Then let me hold you.”
She tensed. “You want to hold me?”
“That’s what I said.” Defiance flashed in his eyes, as if simply asking to touch her put him out, but she saw through his stubborn arrogance. It was a sign of vulnerability, a defense mechanism. He was just as afraid of this kind of intimacy as she was. And he craved it just as badly.
She couldn’t remember the last time someone had touched her with compassion. She couldn’t remember her mother hugging her. There was no love at the foster homes, and nothing but distance at the Abbey—the nuns tried to be kind, but ultimately it all felt shallow. It was as though the Sinners were the nuns’ little projects, their own penance.
If it wasn’t from the brief affection from her fellow sisters, she’d be completely bereft of the good kind of human touch.
Slowly, she laid down, facing him. He shuffled closer, smoothed his hand over her hip, and held it there. For long moments she remained tense. He did too. But then he relaxed and cupped the back of her head, pulling her into the cocoon of his body. His unique male scent surrounded her, driving the tension away. On her next exhale, she melted into his side and burrowed beneath his jaw, where his soothing scent strengthened. The last thing she remembered before drifting off to sleep was a low vibrating rumble from the base of his throat that sounded suspiciously like a purr.
23
Alice woketo voices filtering through Parker’s closed bedroom door. The sun shone through the windows, telling her it was mid-morning. How had she slept for so long? She threw off the covers and winced at the ache in her muscles. The days after a battle were always the hardest. She forced her limbs to move, cursed her aging body, took a hot shower, and then dressed in some of the workout attire from her side of the closet.
It still felt odd to think of it as her side, but the more she did it, the easier it became. Could this really be her life?
When she left the bedroom, she found not only Parker but other members of his family surrounding the counter in his kitchen. All of them, including their mates. The penthouse was crowded. Alice’s training took over. She became still. She studied. She assessed the threat.
First, she found Parker standing tall and regal in an untied silk robe that displayed his ridged abdomen and perfect pecs. At least he’d found some navy pajama pants to cover those indecent silk boxers. His slightly damp auburn hair was tied back, and his beard was freshly trimmed and oh so kissable. He must have showered before her, and she’d slept right through it. Alice bit her bottom lip, thinking of what she might have seen if she’d awoken an hour earlier.
He looked up, caught her gaze and held. That simple connection sucked all the air out of the room. Everyone else disappeared. All sound, all sight, simply vanished.
And then someone wolf-whistled.
Alice looked around. Sitting on the large leather sectional were a group of women. The WAGS—wives and girlfriends. Freckle-faced and with blond, bouncing curls, Misha still grinned with her fingers in her lips. Next to her, Lilo rocked a newborn in her arms. Grace cooed over the baby Alice assumed was Wyatt’s and Misha’s. Lilo had her own slight, round belly growing the next generation Lazarus. Sloan and Bailey were deep in discussion at the end of the sectional.
In the kitchen was a feast of male testosterone. Evan, Griffin, Wyatt, Tony, Parker, Max, and Joe—Liza’s mate and FBI agent. Liza stood next to him, arms folded, intense gaze looking at papers and a laptop on the counter. No Mary or Flint.
It was virtually a full house. And everyone stared at Alice. She’d never wished for her sisters more than in that moment. Misha broke from the group first and dragged Alice over to the sectional. Parker sent Alice an apologetic look, but then returned to whatever important job they discussed.Traitor.
