I tap my fingers against the mattress, staring at nothing, a desperate itch crawling under my skin.
It’s the first night in weeks I’m not sleeping at the hospital. I miss that stupid bed next to Dominic’s, the one Bones probably paid a fortune for. The mattress must’ve been better, and now I’m addicted to it.
“Why the fuck am I lying to myself?” I mutter, fisting the sheet.
That’s the mental slap I need.
I tried. I really fucking tried. But I have no idea how to take things slow with Dominic, especially after everything that happened. Impulses be damned. I’ll deal with it in therapy.
Less than an hour later, I’m walking away from Dominic’s truck, which recently became mine, and using my spare key tounlock one of the six brand-new one-bedroom cabins scattered around the clubhouse.
It’s where I left Dominic a few hours ago after his release from the hospital.
The cabin is small and cozy, very similar to a studio apartment — table to the right, kitchenette to the left, a room divider hiding the king-size bed, and a bathroom. That’s about it. But the entire back wall is practically a huge floor-to-ceiling window, creating the illusion of a much bigger space, and that’s perfect for Dominic.
He can’t use his room inside the clubhouse yet because stairs are his number one enemy right now. So Bones suggested this cabin, and at the time, it felt like a good idea. Mostly because I was dangerously close to dragging him home with me.
Gary meows in my arms as I push the door open and stride inside. He meows again when I jolt, startled by Dominic sitting at the small table to the right of the door. He’s gripping the edge of it, breathing hard, staring at me like I’m a hallucination.
I recover quickly, kick the door shut behind me, and set Gary down so he can explore. Then I cross my arms and glare.
“What the hell are you doing up? You’re supposed to be resting,” I say, one brow lifting.
He squeezes his eyes shut and drags in a big breath before answering.
“I was coming to you.”
My mouth drops open. How insane is this man?
“You can’t drive, much less ride a bike, Dominic,” I point out. “And I didn’t see anyone outside waiting for you.”
He presses his lips together, frustration rolling off him in waves.
“Yeah, I realized I’d need help,” he mutters. “I was going to call Bones before you came in.”
A slow smile spreads across my face.
“I left over four hours ago. It took you that long to figure that out?”
He glares, unimpressed, mumbling something under his breath that I don’t quite catch.
I step closer, stopping beside him, and run my fingers through his messy hair. I hope I never see him this helpless again, but I can’t deny there’s something… endearing about it.
“What did you say?” I ask, still smiling.
He groans and leans into my touch, eyes drifting closed.
“I said I fell asleep right after you left,” he murmurs. “The drive from the hospital wiped me out.” He opens his eyes and looks up at me, frowning. “You left me, adorable. I’m hurt and in pain. How am I supposed to heal all alone?”
I lean down and brush my lips over his forehead in a featherlight kiss.
He got this clingy and whiny when he was recovering from Temperance’s spanking, too. But curiously, I’ve never seen him act like this with anyone else. Not even Mama. He had plenty of chances in the hospital, but he kept it locked in every time, until it was just the two of us.
“You can dial down the drama now,” I whisper. “Come on. You need to get into bed. The doctor said you’ll need a lot of rest for the next few weeks.”
“It’s not drama if it’s the truth,” he says, a small smile tugging at his mouth.
He slips an arm around my waist and pushes to his feet slowly, wincing halfway up.
