Page 38 of Heal Me

Gunnar raises an eyebrow and smirks. “Food is a four at most.” He stretches across the mattress and grabs my ankle, which is the only thing he can reach from his position. “And I have a feeling that sex with you will always be a ten.”

I feel my cheeks heat, and my insides go a bit gooey. Who knew beneath Gunnar’s surly exterior was a soft romantic? “It was pretty amazing.” I crawl back toward him like I knew I would, and settle into his side. “So you’re okay with what we did? I didn’t pressure you into something you didn’t want because I was overwrought?”

He strokes my cheek and shakes his head. “No, you didn’t pressure me into anything, baby. I wanted that as much as you did. And I was kind of hoping we’d get there tonight, anyway.”

I nuzzle into his beard, happy to hear him say that. “Me too.” Dracona yowls loudly and headbutts my thigh a little too close to my manly bits, letting me know she’s at the end of her patience. “Alright, your majesty. I’m getting up. You win.”

Gunnar chuckles and sprawls back on the pillows, all muscly and relaxed, watching me as I pull on sweatpants and a T-shirt. God, he looks incredible. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to feed her and order food. Do you want anything from the kitchen while I’m down there?”

“For you to hurry back.” He winks and I laugh. “Nope. I’m good. You wouldn’t happen to have a spare toothbrush, would you?”

I nod. “Check the linen closet in the bathroom. Second shelf. Help yourself to whatever you need. I’ll be right back.” I practically skip down the stairs, feeling surprisingly light of spirit, and follow Dracona into the kitchen, opening a packet of cat food and pouring it into her bowl. “There you go, sweet girl. You’ve been very patient.” I stroke her back as she daintily nibbles her dinner. “Thank you for taking care of me earlier. I know you were worried.” She twitches her ear, acknowledging my words. “I’m okay now, though. You and Gunnar took good care of me.”

I leave her to her food, pouring myself a glass of water and drinking about half of it before refilling it and going back upstairs. I pick up my phone and dig my wallet out of the pile of clothing in the corner. After placing the food order, I step into the bathroom just as Gunnar turns off the shower.

“Just rinsing off. Hand me a dry towel?”

I pull one from the linen closet and hand it to him. “The food will supposedly be here in about forty-five minutes, but they always get here sooner.”

“Good. I’m hungry.” He dries off and steps out of the shower, wrapping the towel around his waist.

Moving closer, I weave my fingers into his wet hair as my other hand slides across the muscles of his chest and arm. “You have the body of a god. Look at you.” I visually devour him without an ounce of shame. A body like his should be appreciated, and his smirk tells me he agrees. “Will you tell me about your tattoos?”

Gunnar laughs. “All of them?”

“You can start with this one.” I poke him in the hip, wanting to know more about the vaguely familiar symbol of three interlocking triangles.

He chuckles and kisses my cheek. “It’sValknut.”

I roll my eyes. “And that is?”

“Odin’s knot. It has to do with the transition from life to death and back again. I got it for my dad. And the roses on my arm are for my mom. They were her favorite flower.”

I trace the tattoo over his heart of eight spiked tridents radiating out from a central point. It’s another Nordic symbol of some kind. “What’s this one?”

“Ægishjálmr. The Helm of Awe. It’s supposed to defend against hostile forces.”

I can guess at the significance for Gunnar, and it breaks my heart. I lean up and kiss him softly. “Is that all?”

Gunnar nods. “Other than my arm, and you’ve seen most of that.”

“They’re beautiful.” I lightly kiss Gunnar’s shoulder and slide my hand along his hip to knead his perfect ass, pressing against him, pushing him back against the sink.

Gunnar chuckles. “I thought the food would be here soon.”

I nip at the muscle where his neck and shoulder meet, rubbing my still soft cock against his hip. “It is, but you feel good. And you’re standing here, mostly naked, looking incredible.” I mouth the words against Gunnar’s wet skin. “Mon dieu, I love touching you. I love kissing you.”

“Fuck yes. I love when you touch me.” Gunnar groans and wraps his arms around me. “But we don’t have time for exploring right now.”

I slide my other hand down his back to grab his other cheek. “What if I want to anyway?” His chuckle warms my insides, and I sigh, knowing he’s going to win this. Especially after my stomach growls loudly, betraying me. “Fine. But after dinner...”

“It can be playtime. I promise.”

I scowl, but he only laughs again. With one final nip at his shoulder, I let him go. “You’ll need to borrow some clothes.” I dig in my drawers for a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. He eyes them skeptically, then pulls them on. They’re a bit snug, but I’m not complaining. At all. “You can borrow my clothes anytime.” The security buzzer sounds. “Food’s here.” I kiss Gunnar, and hurry downstairs like I’m twelve, and it’s Christmas morning. I hit the intercom button, and Jim’s voice comes from the speaker.

“Good evening, Mr. Allard. Your food is here. Should I sign for it?”

“Yes Jim. Thanks. And it’s Jocelin. Mr. Allard is my father. Meet you at the elevator?”

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