Page 101 of Axe-ing for Trouble
I swung one leg over him and bent down, kissing him hard.
“I’m not sure I can walk after all that.” I slumped onto the bed beside him and groped for the box of tissues on the nightstand.
He took it from me with a wicked smirk. “Then I guess I’ll have to carry you to the shower.”
“After that,” I sighed, “I’m not sure I’ll ever recover.”
He rolled me over and smacked my ass hard.
“I haven’t even fucked you yet, Trouble. We’re just getting started.”
Chapter33
Jude
It was a foggy Sunday morning, and I was more comfortable than I’d ever been. We’d passed out after another round and leftover late-night pizza, and I’d slept like the dead.
When Ripley nudged me with her cold nose, urging me to let her out, for the third time, I rolled over, being careful not to disturb Mila, who was curled around me, naked, and checked my watch.
I blinked down at the digital display once, then again. Shit, it was already eight.
I was an early riser by nature, but the comfort of my bed and the delicious warmth of this woman had knocked me out cold.
I got up, snagged my boxer briefs from the floor, and took Ripley to the door. While I waited for her to do her business, I turned on the coffee pot and stretched. Something had shifted between Mila and me yesterday. We’d been growing closer for a while, but if I wasn’t mistaken, she was finally beginning to trust me.
It felt good to have earned such a hard-won prize.
Full pot in hand, I was pouring the first cup when she screamed. My heart lurched out of my chest and I damn near dropped the scalding carafe at the sound. Without a second of hesitation, I took off, running. I found her still in bed, naked and crying and clutching her phone.
“What happened?” I whipped my head one way, then the other, searching for danger. “Are you hurt?”
She looked up at me with tears shining in her eyes. “What did you do?”
Frowning, I took a step closer.
“I logged intoWhatsAppso I could let my mom know I’m okay. I check in with her every Sunday.”
I dipped my chin. Okay. She’d mentioned they used the app to keep in touch without being traced.
“She told me that Hugo has increased neural activity.”
A breath I hadn’t realized I was holding whooshed out of me, and my chest expanded. “That’s amazing.”
“But that’s not all.”
She stood and walked toward me in all her naked glory, making my brain momentarily forget about comas and hospitals.
“She says that last week, Hugo was approved for transport to Mass General for care under their experimental neurology team.”
I fisted my hands at my sides to keep from reaching for her. “That’s great news.”
Brow cocked, she studied my face for a moment. “There’s more.” She held up one finger and looked down at the phone. “Turns out a generous benefactor has lent my mother a penthouse apartment down the street from the hospital so she can be with Hugo every day.”
My chest expanded farther, my heart thumping against my sternum. “Wonderful.”
“And this generous person, want to know what his name is?” She didn’t wait for me to respond before continuing. “His name is Owen Hebert.” That cocked brow jumped even higher on her forehead. “Do you know him?”
My brain shorted out. She was naked, yet I was being interrogated. It made it difficult to string words together.
