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“Did you scar?”
“Pardon me?”
“When your sister hit you, did it leave a scar?”
She moves her hair to the side and points to a small mark on her right temple. Another tear falls when I bend up and kiss it tenderly.
We sit for a few minutes as she tries to calm down. I cradle her in my arms and speak softly, the words heavy in my throat.
“When I was on a mission in Afghanistan, we were caught in a roadside bomb. I lost six guys that day, four of them like brothers. Finn jumped through fire to get to me. I was hurt bad, but physically, I was able to heal. Emotionally, I’m still dealing.”
The small area on my stomach filled with moisture now increases. Ember shakes slightly in my arms as I hold tighter. She sniffs a few times and then lifts up. Even with tear-stained cheeks, she is beautiful.
“Thank you for sharing with me.”
“The same goes to you. I want you to know, from this night forward, you can always talk to me.”
Her eyes search mine for a few seconds before she gives me a slight grin and shows the dimples. Then she lies back on my side. Her hand moves around and grabs mine, squeezing tight, and I restart the movie.
I watch, but don’t really pay attention. My brain replays her story over and over. Her father being in jail doesn’t bother me at all. It’s the fact that she was exposed to such hatred from the women that are supposed to love her. We lay for a few more minutes until she goes slack against me. Her breathing softens, she curls into me tightly, and before long, she’s asleep. I try my hardest to concentrate on the action flick she agreed to, but when her leg buries between my own, blood instantly rushes to my dick, making it hard again. I lower my nose and lips to her head and breathe in her distinct scent. The coconut fragrance of her shampoo fills my senses, and I kiss her hair lightly. My eyes close as I drift off wrapped in her warmth.
A throbbing ache wakes me from a deep sleep, and I immediately know the source of the pain. Ember has changed positions and is laid out completely on top of me. Her foot is digging into my wounded leg. It kills me to move her, but if I don’t, walking will be difficult tomorrow.
“Ember, babe, we need to move.”
She groans sleepily against my chest, clutching my shirt. “No, leave me alone. I’m tired.”
I smile and lift up slowly, one arm holding her against me. Grabbing under her knees, I pull her across my lap and put my legs on the floor. Prickling sensations run down my entire calf as circulation returns. She curls up like a child and exhales loudly, still sleeping.
“Babe, can you wake up long enough to tell me which room is yours?”
“Upstairs. Second door on right,” she mumbles.
I give my leg another minute to return to normal and then stand with her. The soft light of the lamp on her nightstand guides me to her bed. When I lay her down, she finally starts to wake. Her eyelids flutter, and when she focuses on me, her lips curve.
“Are you staying the night?” Her sweet voice causes a stir deep inside.
“Do you want me to?”
“Ummhmm.” She nods and curls back into my body. Within seconds, she’s fallen back asleep.
I pry myself away and go back to the living room to make sure the doors are locked. When I return, the sight in front me causes my blood to pump faster. Ember’s jeans are on the floor, and she’s lying in only a scrap of grey silk panties and the red camisole. The most responsible thing would be to go back to the sofa and restrain from touching her. But the large bed looks much more comfortable and my leg is aching again.
I find her bathroom, wash my face, and then strip down to my boxers. It takes a few minutes to get her under the sheets, elevate my leg, and get comfortable.
Her room is so quiet, too quiet. At home, I sleep with the TV on to help keep me from thinking too much. It’s easy to function normally during the day, but when I lay down to sleep at night, images that have been burned into my brain appear. It’s easier to push them away with SportsCenter playing in the background. Suddenly, Ember rolls over, flings her arm across my chest, and settles her face in my neck.
Her soft snoring close to my ear relaxes me, and my eyes grow heavy. For the first time in a long time, I sleep soundly.
The sound of hushed voices wakes me. Cracking one eye, I see Alex pulling Cruz out of the room. They shut the door quietly, and I shift to move without waking Ember. During the night, she sprawled out- half on me and half across the bed. For such a small girl, she practically takes up the whole mattress. As soon as I’m able to finagle out of her hold and stand, I groan. My morning hard-on aches painfully against the fabric of my boxers, so I adjust myself on the way to the bathroom.
My phone alerts me to the time, and I realize it’s too late to go by my house and change before my morning meeting with Finn and Dad. Making a quick decision to leave from here, I turn on the shower and look through the drawers for a toothbrush.
Five minutes later, I pull on my clothes from last night and send a quick text to my dad.
Me: Be a few minutes late. Leg is bothering me this morning.
It’s a shitty thing to do to play off the injury, but it’s the only excuse that’ll work without me having to answer questions. When I open the door, Ember is sitting up in her bed, looking around hazily. Our eyes meet and she smiles shyly. The color creeping up her cheeks sends a volt through me. Even first thing in the morning, with her hair wild and slightly disoriented, she’s incredibly sexy.
