It was stupid how normal it felt.
How easy it was.
When she yawned so hard her jaw nearly cracked, I started clearing the table before waving her off. “You’ve had a long day.” I stared at her, noticing the dark circles under her eyes were more prominent than I realized. “Go on upstairs, have a hot shower and hit the sack.”
She yawned again, stretching. “What are you gonna do?”
“Straighten the kitchen,” I answered easily. “Check the house before I come up.”
She stood there, hesitant as if she didn’t want to leave me alone.
“Go on, Mace. I’ll be up soon, I swear.”
She nodded, rubbing her arm the way she always did when she was finally starting to relax. “Okay. Goodnight… I mean, not goodnight, but—”
I smirked. “Go, Mace.”
She disappeared upstairs and I cleaned the kitchen, checking every door and window twice before I headed up too. The shower was still running when I reached the top of the stairs, steam drifting out from under the bathroom door. The second the water shut off, I moved towards my room.Ourroom.
I pulled off my vest and my t-shirt, getting ready for my own shower when Macy stepped in wearing nothing but an oversized towel, still damp, with droplets of water sliding down her collarbone and disappearing beneath the terrycloth. They appeared again at her thighs, turning my mouth to a fucking desert. She’d always been beautiful but now she was a goddamnknockout with curves, muscles and strength. And scars. Too many fucking scars to count. Some of them were faint, pale lines along her legs and back. Others were newer. Fresher.
Rage burned through me like a fucking lit fuse.
Eventually, I dragged my gaze up to her face, forcing myself not to stare.Too much.
“You sure this is a good idea?” she asked on a whisper.
Hell, no.But I wasn’t backing down. “Yep,” I said, popping the ‘p’ because my brain had stopped functioning temporarily. “Which side of the bed do you want?”
Her violet eyes scanned the room, taking in the nightstand with a few books, a charger and two discarded bottles of water on it and pointing to the opposite one. “That one.”
It was also the furthest from the door. “Good choice.”
“Yeah,” she grinned, rolling her eyes.
When she turned away and bent over the bag at the foot of the bed, I practically ran to the bathroom for the fastest shower of my life. I washed quickly, before thoughts of Macy in a towel could intrude and lead my hands to my cock—which seemed all kinds of wrong considering she was in the next room. I soaped up and washed off, toweling off and stepping into my boxer briefs with a heavy sigh.
Okay, bedtime.
I took in a deep breath and crossed the hallto the bedroom. “Fuck that felt good.”
She spun around and looked at me with wide eyes. And red crawling up her cheeks. Her gaze quickly took in all the details as her blush grew.
“Like what you see?” I teased, because if I didn’t break the tension, it would probably strangle us both.
She swallowed hard before looking away. “Last time I saw you without a shirt, there were a lot fewer muscles. And ink. The tattoos, though…” she sighed, “are… beautiful.”
My chest heated and filled with masculine pride. “Thanks.” I laid on the bed, leaving enough space for her. “You gonna be okay with me beside you? After everything?”
She shrugged, her eyes focused on the blinds that covered the window. “He wasn’t violent. It was just that I didn’t fuckingwanthis touch.” She knelt on the bed and then stood up again before she turned around and lay down on her side. Away from me.
I stared at her for a second, at the tension in her shoulders. The way she held herself so still to avoid taking up space and showing her emotions. Instinct—deep, old, familiar—kicked in. I crossed the distance between us and curved my body around hers, using the same protective hold I used when her the beatings got too bad. “Is this okay?” I murmured.
She exhaled like she’d been holding her breath a little too long. “Really okay,” she whispered.
Good. I pressed my cheek to hers, inhaling her fresh, familiar scent. “I’m so fucking happy to see you, Mace. Knowing you’re alive makes the whole damn world brighter somehow.” I meant it. Knowing she had survived reminded me that the world could be good.
Sometimes.
