“Truth or dare.”
He blinked at me, clearing water from his eyes as I stared up at him, refusing to leave him. Refusing to let him deal with whatever this was on his own.
“What?”
“You heard me. Pick one.”
He heaved a sigh but rested his forehead against mine. “Dare.”
Stubborn brute.
Mystubborn brute.
“I dare you to let me take care of you. Let me be here for you and ease this. Even if you’re not ready to tell me what it is yet. I feel your pain whether you say the words or not, and you’re strong enough to fight it alone, but you don’t have to anymore. So, I dare you to share it with me. Let me do whatever I can to take it away.”
His expression twisted with more pain, his jaw tightening further and his nostrils flaring as he fought against the rising emotion threatening to consume him. “I can’t?—”
“You’renotalone. And I’m stubborn enough to know when you need me, even if you won’t admit it. I promise if you share it with me, we can get through it together.”
“I ruined everything before I knew—” He cursed and hid his face. “I want to believe that’s true, but I don’t know how…”
I rested my palm against his cheek, easing his face back so he’d look me in the eye. “You chose me, remember? That’s what you said today?”
His eyes filled with tears, but he nodded.
“Well, I chose you, too.”
He sank back against the shower wall, running a hand through his hair and staring down at me. His mouth opened and closed like he was trying to find words to say, but they wouldn’t come.
I ran my hands over his chest and his shoulders, trying to ease the tension in his body, but it wouldn’t leave.
When I ran my hands down his sides, squeezing him tightly, he sucked in a sharp breath. And despite the heaviness of his emotions, his body responded to mine. I leaned forward and kissed his chest, right over his heart. It pounded hard and fast against my lips.
“Quinn…”
“Don’t call me that.”
He huffed a laugh. “Sorry. Princess, we shouldn’t…”
The trail of kisses I left over his heart, leading down his body, silenced whatever argument he’d wanted to make.
“I don’t deserve you.”
My head snapped up at his words, and I searched his darkened, hooded gaze to find where that had come from. What demons he battled right now that still convinced him he wasn’t enough.
Whatever they were, I wanted them gone. I didn’t care about his past, his mistakes, or anything else. I wanted those parts of him as much as I wanted his strength.
“Yes, you do, Max.” And before he could argue with me, I pushed up on my toes and kissed him, pulling back to whisper against his lips. “Now, let me show you.”
I raised my eyebrows and waited for his consent. He drank in my features, hopefully sensing how much I meant those words, and he finally nodded.
As I slid down his body, I kissed every inch of him I could.
And then, I sank to my knees.
Taking his cock in my hands, I stroked as I stared up at him. Water rained down from the shower, and he cupped my face with his hand, shielding me from it.
But it didn’t distract me.
