His arms wrap around me, tugging me against his chest, and that’s all it takes for me to break.
The fear, the sadness, the anger, it all comes out in brutal sobs that feel like my heart is being torn straight from my chest.
Allowing myself to fall apart in front of him is basically the same as handing him my heart and begging him not to break it.
Colten holds my head against his chest with one hand while the other travels up and down my bare back. “I’ve got you, Wildcat. You’re safe.”
His words only make the tears come harder and faster, but he holds me through every sob, a steady presence as the storm of emotions tears me apart.
I’m not sure how much time passes, but Colten remains steady throughout, his body relaxing with each minute he holds me.
When the tears finally clear, he holds on for a few extra minutes before he takes a small step back. “Let’s get you showered, and then you and Pancake can get acquainted.”
“You’re leaving?” My voice breaks at the idea, and I immediately reprimand myself for being so needy.
This is what my father used to punish me for, and something I’ve always loathed about myself. Cruz was always independent, never needing anything because he could do everything himself, but I was weak. It took me longer to learn to do things, and Dad hated me for it.
I mean, he hated me for being born a female, but the fact I was useless definitely added to that hatred.
Colten shakes his head. “No, I’m not going anywhere. But I’m trying really fucking hard to give you space, so I was planning on moving my desk immediately outside the bedroom door and hoping that’s close enough for my overprotective instincts.”
“You don’t have to leave,” I say softly. “I don’t want to be alone right now.”
Tension bleeds from his shoulders at my words. “Thank God,” he breathes.
He steps away from me for long enough to turn the shower on, adjusting the temperature until he’s satisfied, his brow furrowed in concentration.
A cocky smirk tugs at his lips when he catches me staring. Without taking his eyes off mine, he grips the back of his shirt, tugging it over his head in the way guys do that makes women’s knees weak.
I open my mouth to ask what he’s doing but quickly snap it shut again when he shucks his pants, leaving him in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs that do exactly nothing to hide his very hard cock.
Sweet Jesus.
“You’re staying?” I squeak, my voice betraying how much he affects me.
He quirks a brow at me. “Didn’t you just say you didn’t want to be alone?”
Okay, he has me there. Those words did in fact leave my mouth mere minutes ago.
Taking my silence as acceptance, he closes the distance between us and reaches behind me to unclip my bra.
The lace falls away, and his eyes drop to my hardened peaks.
“Fuck, you’re perfect, Wildcat. I can’t wait to devour every inch of your softness.”
Heat spreads across my cheeks, his words affecting me far more than I would like.
He slips his fingers beneath the waistband of my panties and slides them down my legs slowly, as if he’s savoring the moment the way he might a gift he’s unwrapping.
I’m not sure I’ve ever felt quite as treasured as I do right now, and it’s a direct contradiction to the way I’ve spent most of my life.
Once my panties are discarded somewhere on the other side of the bathroom, he loses his underwear, and just like the first time I saw him in all his glory, I just about swallow my tongue.
Surely, it’s not legal for attractive men to also have perfect cocks.
Like, that’s just not fair.
A rough chuckle tumbles from Colten a moment before he scoops me off the edge of the counter and carries me beneath the warm spray.
