Needing to get her out of my system now, I squeeze myself hard, letting pain mix with the pleasure. Imagining her gripping me so tight, like she’d never had a cock in her life, I’m left panting hot and heavy until finally, I hit my release. By the time it reaches the drain, I’m turning the water to pure ice.
Even now, I feel like I’m on fire.
“You have better control than this, asshole. Act like it…” Cursing myself, I force myself to remain under until this hunger has numbed with the rest of my body.
It’ll have to happen eventually.
* * *
By the time I return to the kitchen, Emery’s made herself at home. Having already raided my cabinets, she’s found the dishware.
The bowl she’s sitting in front of is still steaming, and so is the one sitting next to her.
“You’d better hurry up.” Clueless to the war I just fought in the shower, she tilts her head, and that red hair tries to cling to her cheeks. “As much as I don’t want to think about the cute critters you used to make something that smells this delicious, the longer you make me wait, the more I’m going to start drooling over it.”
She waited for me?
Rubbing a hand down my face, I nod and carefully approach her. Thankful for the table that covers her lower half, I settle next to her.
As strange as it is, the food tastes better with company. I don’t mind the sound of spoons scraping, or her little satisfied sighs that follow with every bite she consumes.
“How long have you been out here on your own?” Expressing her curiosity, she watches me in between bites. “I’ve never met someone who lives off the land like this. You don’t like going to the grocery store?”
Hitting me with a lineup of questions, I hesitate to answer. I haven’t really opened up with anyone in years, not that I’ve ever had anyone to listen. Not really.
“After I got discharged, I used my savings to get this place. Been up here since.” I don’t want to put a number on it withoutfeeling older again. “I don’t… mix well with public places. I need the silence, and the town doesn’t have that like this place does.”
There are other veterans in town, those who understand where I’m coming from. Hell, I still get their invitations to meet up at the local bar if I ever want to be social, but I haven’t found the energy to go down and check it out.
Her gaze softens at my answer, and she nods. “Unfortunately, I don’t know anyone who has gone through what you have, so I can’t put myself in your shoes. I wish I could, though.”
I wouldn’t ever want to put anyone, especially not some innocent woman like Emery, through this occasional haunting experience. It’s not too bad as long as I stay in control. Having her here is already asking for trouble, but so far, I haven’t found the time to worry about anything going in the wrong direction.
Thanks to my dick, I’m distracted in all the wrong ways.
Grunting, we continue eating. Thankfully, she doesn’t keep poking at my past. Instead, she lets out a dreamy sigh.
“I’m a little jealous of what you have going on here. You know how easy it would be to get the shots I need? All I’d have to do is step outside, and I could easily catch something right there in your backyard.
“More reason to stay.” The words leave me without thought. Catching how quickly her brows lift, I try to backpedal a little. “On the mountain, I mean. They rent cabins, or you could camp.”
There’s no way she’d want to stick around with a man she’s just met. I can be a little delusional, but there’s a limit.
Her eyes fall, and that smile remains, but it looks pinched, almost forced. “Sure, yeah, those are options. I’d have to teach myself how to pitch a tent if I want to try to survive through the night.”
A chunk of meat catches in my throat. “Trust me, you’ll be a natural.”
Her snort of disbelief follows up with her finishing her meal, and I quickly catch up.
Despite offering to clean up and pursing her lips at me when I tell her to stay off her feet, I feel her eyes against my back as I wash our dishes.
Once that’s wrapped up, I’m checking her leg once more, just in case anything’s gone wrong with my tending.
“You’ve got a few bruises from the fall.” Poking and prodding, I drag my touch toward her knee and force my focus on nothing but her injuries. “You’re sure you don’t want ice? You don’t have swelling, but—”
“I’m okay. Really. I mean it.” Letting out a yawn, her toes curl and uncurl, most likely to prove that nothing is broken. “I’m just tired. Today has kicked my butt.”
Nodding in agreement, I pull back just far enough to drink in her exhaustion. “Let’s get you to bed, then.”
