Page 54 of Life Or Death

I turn to face her, and we stare at each other. The air between us feels charged.

“Fuck it,” I mutter.

I lean back against the cushions and slide her leg onto my lap. She sucks in a breath, her hand falling away from her knee as I take over.

“Where does it hurt?”

Her hand moves to the spot just below her knee, her fingertips brushing against mine as she points. “Here. It’s a weird sensation. Almost like pins and needles.”

I wrap my fingers around her calf, my thumbs finding the spot she indicated. Her skin is warm beneath my palms, and I start to work the muscle in slow, deliberate circles.

“Is this okay?”

Again, she pulls her lower lip between her teeth. But she nods. Her chest rises and falls a little quicker as she does, and my gaze drops, tracking the movement.

My suspicion from earlier is confirmed instantly. She’s not wearing a bra. The thin fabric of her dress does absolutely nothing to hide the shape of her tits. They’re not overly big, just the right size for my palms. Her nipples are pert, pressing against the thin fabric of the dress, and I have to force myself to look away before I do something I can’t take back.

“Getting a massage from you wasn’t on my bingo card,” she says, her voice slightly breathless.

I keep my thumbs moving in slow circles. “Yeah, well, you being here wasn’t on mine.”

She settles back against the couch, and the front of her dress dips a little more, giving me an even better view of the cleavage I’m desperately trying not to stare at.

“Amelia came to see me the other day and invited me. I wasn’t going to come, but all I do is go from therapy back to my apartment.” She lets out a soft sigh. “I thought a change of scenery would be good.”

“How have you been feeling since you’ve been home?”

She glances at me, something vulnerable flickering across her face.

“Truthfully?”

“Yeah.”

My fingers continue their work, drifting a little higher, just above her knee.

“You were right.”

I raise an eyebrow. “About?”

“Everything.” She exhales slowly. “I can’t stand for long periods of time, and it’s a lot on Tori. I still haven’t been cleared to drive. That’s why Jude drove me.”

My hands tense on her leg at the sound of his name. I force myself to keep the motion steady, but something dark curls in my chest.

“Amelia offered for Maddox to give me a ride, but with it being his sister’s wedding and all, it made sense for someone else to do it.”

I suppose that’s true, but I don’t like it.

“You should’ve called me.”

She cocks her head to the side, studying me with those big brown eyes. “Lucifer . . . come on. I was awful to you the last time I saw you, and we haven’t spoken in a month.”

“Doesn’t matter. You need something, you call me.” I press my thumb firmer into her skin, and she hisses. “At least until we’re divorced.”

“Counting down the days, are you?”

I don’t respond. That’s a loaded fucking question, because right now, I don’t want to divorce her. I want to carry her into my room, lay her across my bed, and make this marriage real in every sense of the word. The girl is fucking killing me, and she doesn’t even know it.

“Not going to answer? Okay,” she says. “I’ll just ask you something else.”