“Part of me doesn’t want to believe it, just in case it’s not real,” she whispers into my neck. “But there’s a part of me that never felt like she was gone. Like I knew she still existed, but I thought it was just my mind desperately clinging to her.”
Even though she can’t see it, a faint smile tugs at my lips, and I press them to the top of her head before responding.
“Mothers have intuition about their kids,” I rasp against her hair, pressing my lips to the soaked strands again before continuing. “Maybe you did always know, even if it felt impossible.”
“It still feels impossible.”
“It does,” I admit, my voice rough with emotion. “It’ll take some time to get used to after everything you’ve been through… but wearegonna get her back, Angel. If she’s alive, I’ll burn the fucking world down to bring her home to you. That, I vow.”
Shifting in my lap, Abbey tilts her head back, her blotchy red face lifting until those puffy tear-filled eyes lock on mine.
“Everything but get yourself killed.”
My lips kick up, and her hand lifts, her fingers grazing through the longer length of my beard, her touch so soft it damn near undoes me.
“I’ll try my best to stay alive, Angel.”
“I can’t do this without you, Cam.” Her voice shakes, but her gaze is fierce, like molten caramel searing straight into my fucking soul. “Promise me you won’t get yourself killed.”
I nip at her fingers as they brush my mouth and nod. “IpromiseI’lltry notto get myself killed.”
She rolls her eyes. “I guess that’ll have to do.”
Leaning in, I press a quick kiss to her lips, fighting the urge to linger, to taste more. Fighting the urge to claim, her bare skin warm against my lap, teasing my control.
Now’s not the fucking time to be imagining my tongue tracing over every inch of her… right?
Fuck. Now I’m getting hard, my cock thickening in my soaked jeans.
Shifting, I somehow manage to stand with Abbey still in my arms. It takes every lick of control I have to not take her the way I’ve been dreaming of. Fuck, maybe I should. It would help her forget, but no. Fuck. Tonight isn’t the right time.
Lowering her feet to the tiles, I reluctantly let my hands fall away from her, taking a step back, forcing space between us before she notices the bulge in my jeans.
“Finish up, Angel. I’ll change into some dry clothes.”
Her red-rimmed eyes lift to mine as a frown pinches her brow, and she opens her mouth to say something, but then stops. Her gaze drops, slowly roaming over me and the drenched fabric of my shirt plastered to my chest, to the cling of wet denim over my thighs, before her gaze stops, lingering on my crotch.
“What if I want what’s under there?” She points towards my groin, and my fucking cock jerks in anticipation.
“You’ve been through a lot today, Angel.” I take another step back, and her frown morphs into anger.
“So? What? That means I can’t feel good?”
“No, that’s not what I mean.” I sigh, pushing the door open. “If you want me to fuck you, I’ll fuck you. I just don’t want you tofeellike you have to because you know I’m hard. I can deal with it.”
She shakes her head. “That is mine to deal with.”
A low laugh rumbles out of me as I close the shower door. “Like I said, I’ll fuck you if that’s whatyouwant.”
Abbey huffs in the shower. “Then why are you walking away?”
“Because I’d rather throw you around my room than break our necks in the shower.”
A small giggle falls from her, although it’s a little strained. I know she’d love nothing more than to hunt down Dr Madden now and try to get answers about Bobbi. I know she’s fighting against every instinct she has to just go on a rampage and tear the world apart until she finds her, but instead, she’s trying like hell to use her head. To take the night to rest and regroup.
I’m tempted to step back inside that shower so I can wrap her in my arms and reassure her that everything’s going to be okay. But since I don’t actually know that, and since we most definitely will injure ourselves in the shower given how fucking exhausted we both are, I start peeling off my wet clothes and dry myself with a towel.
“I suppose you make a good point.” She sighs, shutting off the water before opening the door. “I’ll meet you in the bedroom then.”
