“I missed you,” he whispers once he’s upright, his other hand coming up to cradle the side of my neck.
He leans in before I can answer, brushing his lips against mine. His tongue glides along the seam of my lips, asking, and I open for him without a second thought.
We’ve spent the past two weeks like this — kissing and touching without hesitation or awkwardness, like there was never any distance between us.
This man is dangerous for me. Dangerous to have, but even more dangerous to miss.
My fingers curl into his t-shirt as I savor the kiss, getting lost in the softness of his mouth. His scent falls around me like rain. Firewood and leather, pulling me deeper. Demanding. Igniting.
My eyes snap open when his breathing stutters.
Shit. We can’t get carried away. Not yet.
I break the kiss and lean back, barely holding in the shiver that threatens to run through me.
“You’re in luck,” I murmur, my voice a little husky. “I’ve decided I’m moving in to watch over you. Someone has to make sure you follow the doctor’s orders.”
He drops his forehead to mine with a satisfied groan, like I just handed him the best news of his life.
“Thank you,” he whispers. Then he lifts his head, grin turning wicked. “Now, what can I do to convince you to wear a sexy nurse outfit during my recovery? I guarantee it’ll speed things up tenfold.”
I roll my eyes and nudge him forward, guiding him toward the bed in the back, where Gary is currently sniffing the pillows.
“You wouldn’t be able to handle me in a sexy nurse outfit,” I tease, keeping a steady hold on his arm as we walk. “And just so you know, there won’t be any ‘no clothes in bed’ rule either. Not until you get the all-clear from the doctor.”
He stops abruptly beside the bed and turns to me, eyes wide, horror flashing across his face.
“Are you saying I need a doctor’s note to see you naked?”
The scandalized tone makes me chuckle.
“You sure do,” I confirm with a slow nod.
He huffs, lowering himself onto the edge of the bed before carefully shifting into position. For now, he has to sleep at an angle to keep the pain at bay.
Gary watches him curiously, then stretches his neck to sniff his arm. Dominic absently scratches the little void’s head, and, miraculously, Gary doesn’t hiss or pull away. He starts purring. The sight of Dominic’s hand moving through the black fur like it’s habit, almost overwhelms me. For a second, I see the future that I stopped believing in, unfolding right in front of me.
I force myself to shake it off and clear my throat.
“I’ll grab mine and Gary’s stuff from the car,” I say, already heading for the door.
It doesn’t take long to settle everything. Before I know it, I’m sliding into bed beside Dominic, listening to Gary crunch through the fresh kibble I left out for him.
I keep a careful distance so I don’t accidentally hit Dominic in my sleep, but my hand finds its way to his. Our fingers intertwine in the dark, thumbs brushing softly against each other.
“Good night, adorable. I love you.”
His voice is quiet, filled with the same peace I hear every time he says those three words to me. And he’s been saying thema lotsince he woke up. Like he’s trying to make up for all the times he held them back.
I like hearing them, but every time I do, panic flares in my chest. It’s the same now, and it’s enough to chase the sleep from my eyes.
A long-ass time later, I’m still lying there, blinking furiously at the dark, glaring at nothing, annoyed as hell with the thoughts ravaging my mind.
“I can hear you thinking.” Dominic’s voice startles me. He squeezes my hand, as if in reassurance before he speaks again. “What’s wrong?”
I turn onto my side, facing him. “Did I wake you up?”
I can’t see him in the pitch-black room, but his fingers tighten around mine.
