Her little sounds turn sharper, more insistent as she nears her ruin, and my body reacts to every one of her movements, every fucking sound she makes.
And it's every time I imagined this moment with my hand around my cock, praying, wishing,beggingthe universe that one day I'd feel the press of her body against mine again. Even knowing I didn't deserve it.
When Aurora comes on my mouth, I can't fucking help it. As she screams her release, I choke out a broken groan against her pussy and come all over the damn floor.
Between shuddering breaths in the steam-filled dark, she pulls away, and red-hot shame burns in my neck.
"Did you…"
Jesus fucking Christ.
I'm already getting hard again, still aching to be inside her, but whatever fucking spell we were under broke. The energy's shifted, and the dark shape of Aurora pulls from my hands and leans back against the wall.
"That's a first," she pants.
"I…"
I don't know what to fucking say.
She sighs and sits forward like she's about to get up. Like she's about to walk out, but I can't let her. Not yet. I need to know…
"Wait." I take her wrist in my hand and swallow. "Aurora, what was this?"
She tenses in my grip.
"This was me trying, too." Her voice is small, nervous almost.
"You're giving me a chance?"
The steam pulses around us in the few seconds of silence before she replies and my anticipation heightens with every millisecond.
"Yes," she says finally. "Please don't make me regret it."
It's more than I hoped for, and my next words scrape raw from my throat. "I won't. I promise. Thank you."
I flex the muscles in my hands to keep them from trembling where they touch her.
"And, Atticus?"
"Yes?"
"I'm going to tell them tomorrow—about Ambrose. It should be me."
I shake my head even though she can't see me. "I won't say anything until you're ready. You have my word."
She slips from my hands and then she's gone, taking the warmth with her.
42
COME WHAT MAY
ELIJAH
I'm turning into Atticus.
But instead of killing myself in the gym at 5:30 in the morning how he is—the whirring sounds of the rowing machine have been a constant in the silent cabin for the last hour—I'm using the quiet dawn moments to get in another hour of work before anyone else wakes up.
When I'm finished, I lean back to get a wider view of the new additions, and a smile tugs at my lips.
