His breath misted over her cheek, the corner of her mouth. “I’m going to kiss you, Roxy.” She gasped, a soft inhalation, and she felt his smile against her cheek. His words were quiet, just breaths, as he spoke to her. “Not right now. Not with that bastard’s marks all over your face and that memory in your head… but I am going to kiss you, baby girl.”
She was a puddle of frayed nerves and needy desire when he finally pulled back, her breaths coming in quick, ragged puffs. He grinned, but then his gaze fell on the bruise on her face and his eyes grew dark, sad. He raised one hand and trailed it along her marked-up face, gently, so gently his fingers were mere whispers against her flesh. And then he was ducking his head, pressing tender kisses to the bruises along her temple, below her eye, across her nose, and then to that jagged white scar thatbisected her bottom lip. A healed memento of the last time Neal had struck her.
“I’ll never let him put his hands on you again, Roxy,” he murmured gently, a quiet promise. She licked her lips, swallowing hard. “You have my word.”
She could do nothing but stare up at him, a long way up, as he hadn’t moved more than a foot away from her. Then he smiled gently. “Now, put me to work. What do you need?”
Her mind was blank except for screaming for more.I need more.
He grinned then, his beautiful, straight white teeth flashing in a knowing smile. “I already told you; not right now. Get your head out of the gutter.”
Glaring up at him, she shoved against his chest, and he grinned again, allowing himself to be moved backward. “My head isnotin the gutter. Your giant male ego is showing.”
Closing his hands over the backs of hers where they were still pressed to his chest, he ducked his head. “My ego isn’t the only thing that’s giant about me, Red.”
She rolled her eyes, though her heart was hammering in her chest. She could feel his own heart beating beneath her hands, still pressed to his chest. “You’re ridiculous,” she whispered faintly, though a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
His thumb was stroking the back of her hand, making it hard for her to concentrate, and then he leaned forward and rasped, “If I put my hand in your panties right now, would I find you wet?”
Oh Jesus fuck.“No.”Because I’m soaked.
“Liar,” he breathed tauntingly, then pecked a chaste, closed mouthed kiss to her lips before dropping his hands from hers and stepping away.
She was stunned into silence, the feel of his lips against hers—even in the totally chaste kiss—sending her entire being into aspiral. How was she supposed to concentrate on anything with him so close? With the memory of those lips on hers? With the memory of what he’d justsaidto her?
“Put me to work, Red. Want me to go pack your unmentionables?”
She glared at him again. She was over here fighting for her damn life after that kiss—could that even be called a kiss?— and he was unruffled enough to beteasing her?
“Why don’t you go home and pack your own stuff—”
But he was already shaking his head, all levity leaving his face, those honey-gold eyes serious as he stared down at her. “I’m not leaving you alone. I don’t trust him, and I would never forgive myself if you got hurt again because I wasn’t with you.” He smirked then, crossing his arms over his heavily muscles chest, making his biceps bulge. Her mouth went dry. “That, and I don’t trust you not to take off without me.”
She sighed heavily. She had thought about it, the bastard. “Okay. So how are you supposed to get your things? It’s going to be probably two or three days to drive north, and then another day or two for you to get a flight back. Which I’ll pay for, by the way. But I’m sure you’ll need a travel bag.”
“Let me worry about how I get home. We’ll get you packed up and then drive over to my place to get my stuff. I don’t need much, just a couple changes of clothes and my toiletries.”
“What if he sees us leaving together? What are the chances that he follows us?”
“We’re not going to take an obvious route north. I’ll make sure we get there safely, Roxy. I told you; I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“You’re really not going to let me go alone, are you.”
“Not a chance in hell, baby girl,” he murmured, shaking his head.
She nodded in defeat, sighing again. Looking around the kitchen, she let her eyes linger on everything, just for a moment. “Even if I’m not taking much, it’s going to take me most of the day to pull everything that I do want to take with me together. I have to say good-bye to Natalie, I have to call work, and Bobby—”
His hands came out and clasped her shoulders firmly, grounding her. “Put me to work, Roxy. Let me help you.”
“I don’t even know where to start,” she whispered forlornly, her shoulders drooping beneath his hands.
“You know what, why don’t we start with breakfast. I’m starving, and can’t think on an empty stomach. Let’s get some food, sit down, we’ll compile a list for each room, and go from there.”
Licking her lips, she gazed around the kitchen again, analyzing everything. Categorizing items into necessity, want, and not needed. Then, as if in answer, her stomach growled nosily. He grinned down at her. “I guess I’m hungry, too.”
Swiping his phone out of his back pocket, he scrolled while she poured herself another cup of coffee, then went to the fridge to take stock on what she had to make breakfast with. He tucked his phone back into his pocket and grinned. “Uber Eats is the best invention.”
“Did you just order us breakfast in?” she asked, laughing, as she closed the fridge door.
