Chapter Twenty-Nine
The upside of onlysoft tissue injuries and no blade work meant there was far less blood than when it was more violent.That meant Smokey didn’t have to worry about showering before he went upstairs.Once he’d thoroughly exhausted himself, and Werner could barely stand, Smokey headed up stairs.He planned to shower off the sweat and a few flecks of blood, then go find Tania and spend some time with her and Carter.
He glanced around the common room on his way through, hoping for a glimpse of one of them, but he didn’t see either.He didn’t bother to stop, he’d go looking for them once he was clean and dressed again.
When he opened the door to his room, he found Tania sitting in his recliner, cradling Carter as he lay across her lap and drank from the bottle he held up.
“There you are,” he said as he closed the door.“I wondered where you were when I didn’t see you downstairs.”
“Someone is almost asleep.I’ll lay him down in a few minutes.”
“I need to shower.I’m dripping sweat.How about I do that, then we can talk after he’s down?”
She nodded, but he felt her gaze on him as he headed for the bathroom.Once there, he stripped out of his clothes and made quick work of scrubbing off every trace of Werner and what had happened downstairs.Less than five minutes after he stepped under the spray, he stepped out again, only now he was clean and looking forward to spending some time with Tania, just the two of them.He realized he hadn’t brought any clean clothes with him.He wrapped his towel around his waist and headed for the bedroom.
Tania was just straightening from laying Carter down as he stepped into the room.
“Sorry.I forgot clothes,” he whispered as he padded through the room, intent on getting in there and putting something on before she got pissed at him for trying to entice her or whatever.She was bruised and hurting and the last thing he wanted was to push her for something she wasn’t ready to give him, despite the evidence that they’d already been there.
She’s just getting out of an abusive relationship,he reminded himself,she’s not going to be ready to jump into bed with anyone right away, or at least not to sex.He remembered sleeping with her in his arms and vowed he didn’t need to push her for sex.She could have all the time she needed to heal, both physically and emotionally.He could be content to wake up with her in his arms for the rest of his life.
In the bedroom, Smokey swung the door closed but didn’t bother to latch it as he went to the closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and tossed them on the bed, then to the dresser where he took a pair of boxer briefs from the top drawer.He didn’t bother to look behind him before he dropped his towel and bent to step into his shorts.He couldn’t help the high pitched squeak he emitted when he jumped away from the hands on his ass he wasn’t expecting.He jumped upright, jerking the underwear on as he spun around to find Tania biting her lips as she tried to keep from laughing loud enough to wake Carter.
“What are you doing in here?I’m changing,” he said, keeping his voice low.
“I’ve seen it.I just laid the evidence of that down.”She jerked a thumb over her shoulder, toward the door.
“I’m trying to get dressed.”
“I saw that.I wanted to stop you.”
“Why?”He scowled.
“Because I saw something I liked.”Tania stepped closer, closing the distance he’d put between them when he’d jumped and spun around.
“I’m trying to behave, Shell.You’re hurt.”He took a step backwards.Not that it did any good, as she immediately took another step, re-closing the space he’d put between them.
“I know what I am.I also know what I want and what I’m willing to do to get it,” she said, meeting his gaze before looking away, as if there was something she didn’t want him to see.
“What do you want?”He tilted his head as he watched her.
“My life back.My choices back.To take control again.”She met his gaze again.“I want you.You make me feel alive.”
He stared at her for a moment.What could one say to something like that?How could he tell her no after a plea like that?He opened his arms and let her step into them.When she pressed her face against his chest, Smokey wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, though not tightly enough to hurt her bruises, he hoped.
Her arms wrapped around is middle, holding on to him just as tight.After a couple of minutes, she tilted her head back and propped her chin on his chest.
“Kiss me,” she begged.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure, Tim.I want you.”She rolled her hips against him.He had to admit, while he preferred Smokey to Tim, he liked hearing his given name from her, especially when it was just the two of them.He couldn’t keep his body from reacting, making it obvious how much he wanted her, even if he wanted to give her more time.Still, if she wanted more, who was he to deny her?It wasn’t like he didn’t want her, hadn’t wanted her for years.He just hoped that this time he could convince her to stay.He searched her face for any signs of doubt or conflict before he lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers.
She let out a soft whimper, as if she was afraid that was all he was going to give her.But he didn’t let her worry for long.After the first brush, he covered her mouth, teasing and tasting as he tried to keep from pouring all of his need, his desperation for her, into the kiss.To his surprise, she returned his ardor with just as much passion and energy.She slid her hands up his torso, the heat of her hands on his bare skin, knowing that she wanted him, was more than he could resist.He let his hands play over her torso over the thin cotton of the shirt she’d stolen from his drawer.
She leaned into him, her hands on his back pulling him tighter to her for a moment before they roamed his back and lower, slipping beneath the waistband of his underwear to cup and squeeze his ass.He liked that she was comfortable enough with him to make a move like that, and it gave him permission to touch her in ways he wanted to but had held back in case it was more than she was ready for.
Slowly, he moved them toward the bed, then broke the kiss and searched her face once more before tugging off her shirt and tossing it aside.He barely had enough time to realize she was braless before she pulled away slightly, crossing her arms over her belly.
