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16: Ronan
The eggs sizzle in the pan, and I flip them over. I have no idea if Selene likes eggs, but she had some in her fridge. The toast pops up in the toaster, and I pull it out, putting it on a plate.
She was still asleep when I woke up. I laid next to her for a while, just watching her breathe. In the dim light, it was harder to see where that asshole had hit her, although her lip still looked swollen. It pissed me off all over again, and any chance I might have had of going back to sleep was gone. I got up as quietly as I could, so I wouldn’t wake her.
I take the eggs off the stove before they burn. I don’t know what she’s going to think about me sleeping in her bed last night. Before she woke up, I was too amped with adrenaline to sleep, so I paced around the house for a while, hoping I’d calm down enough to get some rest. Out of nowhere, I heard her cry out. She’d been dreaming. I knew she wasn’t going to get a decent night sleep alone, and my desire to make her feel better was overwhelming. So I did the only thing I could think to do, and climbed in bed with her.
And fuck, she felt good in my arms. Too good. She was barely dressed, her skin soft against mine. She relaxed quickly and fell asleep with her head on my shoulder. Not long after she drifted off, she draped her leg across mine, like she needed to get warm. I drew her closer to me, breathing in her scent. It was so intimate, yet I wasn’t tempted to do anything other than hold her. Part of that was knowing what almost happened last night. The last thing she needed was another man slipping his hands, or his dick, where they weren’t invited. But more than that, it felt so good just to have her near me.
I feel like I cheated—like I got away with something I wasn’t supposed to. A night like that should be reserved for a man who has her trust. Maybe her heart.
I wasn’t sure what to do this morning. I could have gone home, and called her later to see how she’s doing. Her brother and his wife live right around the corner. If she wants company, she has them. God knows they almost didn’t leave last night.
But I don’t want to go. I want to see her come down those stairs and smile at me. I want to touch her face and check her bruises. I want to spend a leisurely morning with her over coffee and breakfast.
I want to stay.
I get another hit of fear. It tightens my chest and makes me feel like I can’t get enough air. What the fuck is that about? I wasn’t afraid when I went after that douchebag last night, and he got in a good shot. I touch my jaw and move it around a bit. Definitely sore, and my knuckles are bruised from hitting him. Apparently jumping in to save a woman from being attacked isn’t cause for fear, but the idea of spending a quiet day with her is what’s going to scare me? There’s definitely something wrong with me. I imagine what Sarah would say. Or my brother. They’d tell me I need therapy again.
Fuck that. I need to go jump out of an airplane. That will get my head back on straight.
Selene comes down the stairs, tying a lightweight robe around her waist. She smiles, but her brow furrows a little. God, I could get used to that sight. I’m so fucking glad I stayed.
“Morning,” I say, and push a plate across the island toward her.
“Wow, thank you.” She sits down on a stool and I pour her a cup of coffee.
“I don’t know how you take it,” I say as she takes the mug from me.
“There’s cream in the fridge,” she says.
I get the cream for her and she pours a splash into her mug. I pour myself a cup.
“Did you sleep at all?” she asks.
“Enough.”
She takes a sip and looks at me over the rim of her mug. “Ronan, I need to thank you for last night.”
“It’s all right,” I say.
“No, I mean it. And, um…” She pauses, looking away. “I’m glad you stayed.”
I walk around the counter and touch her chin with two fingers. “Let me see how this is doing.”
She lets me turn her face. I gently brush my thumb across her lip and along her jaw. There’s still a bit of swelling, and her skin is discolored, but it doesn’t look as bad as I thought it would.
“Does it hurt?”
Her tongue runs along her lip and she winces. “It’s sore, but not too bad.”
My eyes lock on her mouth and I slide my hand around the back of her neck. I keep my grip gentle. If she pulls away, I’ll back off, but my need to touch her is overwhelming. “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
“It could have been worse,” she says, her voice soft.
I brush my nose against hers. Being near her feels so good. My craving for a hit of adrenaline is suddenly sated, although there’s no rush going to my head. I’m calm and relaxed, but just as alive as when I’m hanging off the side of an airplane eighteen thousand feet above the ground. It’s the strangest thing. I can’t remember the last time I felt this way when I wasn’t in mortal danger.
“I’m staying with you today.” There’s no question in my mind. I can’t leave her. What happens tonight, I don’t know, but she’s going to have to kick me out on my ass if she thinks I’m going anywhere now.
