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“Uh-huh.”
I remained quiet and focused as I worked, keeping the top longer and cutting the sides into a fade. Relieved I’d actually done it, when I looked up, I saw others had gathered around, watching us. My fingers ached, but likely because my grip was too tight.
As I wiped the residual hair off his neck, I said, “Did you hear that I filed a police report about the night I was attacked?”
“We all heard that,” Joe said.
“Do you think you and Darius might want to talk to the police as well?”
“Oh, I don’t know about all that,” Darius said, hopping off the barrel and backing away as if I’d burned him. Fuck.
I held up my hands. “I get it. I was scared too. It took some convincing to get me to do it.”
“What convinced you?” Joe asked.
“Hearing that the attacks were continuing. I want them to catch the guy so he can’t hurt more of us.”
“Getting one creep off the street doesn’t mean there won’t be more,” Darius argued. “Why would we want the police in our business?”
I frowned. Could I blame them? I’d used the same logic.
“I understand. But that guy probably thinks he’ll never get caught.” I huffed out a frustrated breath. “If you change your mind, the policeman I spoke to was Officer Holt from the shelter. Tessa’s cousin. Now, anyone else need a cut?”
When they all volunteered at once, I chuckled, then got to work. By the end of the afternoon, I was beat but felt way more comfortable with the clippers.
30
FOSTER
The smell of dinner wafted through the hallway as I exited the elevator.
“Damn, I’ve got it good,” I said as I stepped inside. “A home-cooked meal from a sexy man?”
Lachlan laughed, wiping his hands on a towel and joining Oscar in greeting me at the door.
“Hope you’re hungry, hot stuff,” he said with a kiss to the lips that left me wanting more. But we had all evening to ourselves.
I’d felt off-kilter all day, likely because I was on sensory overload after my weekend trip, and I felt fatigued down to my bones. Sometimes when I got like this, I took Oscar for a long walk or lifted weights. It usually helped clear my foggy brain.
Or jerked off to porn.
Maybe I just needed the sustenance of a good home-cooked meal.
I put away my bag, then settled on a stool at the island. “What did you make?”
“Chicken and roasted veggies,” he said tentatively, as if I wouldn’t enjoy what he’d made.
“Something lighter and healthier sounds perfect,” I said when he slid my plate in front of me. But I still picked at my food because I just wasn’t feeling very hungry.
“You okay?” His eyebrows drew together as he watched me. “I mean, I know you’re not, exactly, but you seem extra…I don’t know.”
“I’m sorry.” I swiped the napkin across my mouth. “The truth is I’m not very hungry, and I feel bad because you went through so much trouble—”
“Hey, it’s all right.” His fingers trailed over my wrist. “We’ll just have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow.”
I helped him pack up the food and clear the dishes, but I was distracted and edgy, like I was crawling out of my skin. I splashed cold water on my face in the bathroom, then padded to my room to change out of my work clothes into something more comfortable.
Standing in my boxers, I looked at my reflection, wondering if I had lost much weight during this latest episode. That was when I felt Lachlan step up behind me and enclose me in a tight embrace. His eyes met mine in the mirror, and I loved the way I looked and felt tangled up in his arms. I sighed, reveling in the weight of him, feeling like it was relieving the burden a little. But not enough.
“What do you need?” he whispered against my ear.
“I… Will you fuck me?” I asked, and his eyes widened. “I want to feel something other than numb and drained. I want to feel you inside me.”
“Are you serious? I haven’t topped in years.”
“Oh, damn.” I hadn’t even thought of that, maybe because I was vers. “I don’t want to put you on the spot. Forget I—”
“No, I didn’t realize how much I wanted that until this very moment.” He kissed my shoulder. “I want to be inside you too and make you feel good.”
His lips trailed along my nape as his fingers brushed over my nipples, making them stand at attention. I groaned as I leaned my head back and shut my eyes, giving in to the sensation.
I needed this. From him. Needed it more than I needed anything else right then.
As he circled to stand in front of me, I pulled him into a desperate kiss, my hands winding tightly in his hair as Lachlan drew away to lash his tongue against a nipple.
