“I fractured my skull, gave myself brain damage, flatlined twice, and stopped breathing four times. I’ve had two brain surgeries, given myself a collection of new scars, and this pretty accessory.” I hold up my cast.
“But did you die?”
“Um, yep, pretty sure I did that, too.”
Kruger isn’t finding any of this funny anymore.
Con looks more starstruck. “Wow. You’re seriously badass. And I’ve met Amity. Did you know she hung off a cliff, one-handed?”
Kruger holds up his hand and cuts him off. “Okay, time to go.”
Con’s shoulders slump, and I find myself bizarrely fighting to hold back a smile.
“Right, I hope you feel better soon, Delphi. So cool to meet you.”
“Con.” Kruger sighs.
“Right, going.” As Con heads toward the door, I turn to watch him leave, oddly endeared by the strange man-child. He looks back at me, so I offer him a small smile and a wave.
“Don’t encourage him,” Kruger murmurs.
When the door closes, the lightness of the moment evaporates, leaving me feeling awkward again. I pull away from Kruger, needing to put some distance between us.
“Take it you’re feeling better?”
“Um…yeah. The painkillers helped a lot—they tend to if I take them fast enough.”
“I’ll remember that for next time. And the orgasm? That help too?”
Goddamn this pale skin of mine. I dip my head, already feeling the heat spread across my chest and face. I may need to start carrying around a bucket or a ski mask to hide behind.
Rough fingers under my jaw tip my head back so I’m forced to look into Kruger’s eyes. “Don’t hide from me.”
“Can we just pretend that didn’t happen?”
“No.”
“Look, Kruger?—”
I don’t get to give him any of my perfectly good reasons why we need to pretend it didn’t happen and move on because he covers my mouth with his and slips his hand between my legs and starts stroking me.
The shock of the move gives him just enough time to spark the flame that’s been a smoldering ember since I woke up to him touching me in the bathroom. He slips two fingers inside me with ease, sliding them in and out at a leisurely pace, making my body hum with need. I’m so overwhelmed with sensations, it doesn’t dawn on me to resist until he chuckles.
I yank my head away and glare at him. He pulls his fingers free and slips them into his mouth, sucking them clean, his eyes never leaving mine. Holy crap, I swear I feel my womb spasm in response.
“I tell you what, I’ll stop touching you when you stop responding to it. When you don’t melt under my fingertips, and your breath doesn’t hitch the second my lips meet yours, I’ll back off. But until then, it’s game on, baby.”
“Why the fuck are you doing this? You know this will only end in disaster,” I snap, feeling completely off kilter.
“Your idea of disaster is my kinda wonderful.”
That shuts me up real fast.
“Kruger—”
“Don’t. Not yet. I need more time.”
“Time for what?”
