I choked on a thick sob.
A healing, hopeful sob that spoke of futures instead of goodbyes.
Louise squeezed my shoulder gently. “I’ll go grab a cup of coffee and give you two a minute.”
I didn’t acknowledge her as she left. I couldn’t look away from Sully’s perfect lips and the peace on his face instead of tormented vacancy. If this was a dream, I never wanted to wake up. Then again, the thought of ever going back to sleep again, just in case this miracle popped, made me dig my fingers into Sully’s chest with possession.
Pika and Skittles flew in from the open deck slider, swirling in the rafters, squeaking in their own language. It seemed they weren’t ready to go back to bed either.
Smiling through my grateful tears, I looked up, tracking them as they soared so effortlessly, wishing I had wings to join them. I had excess energy bubbling inside me. The despondent depression I’d been in was lifting. The urge to do nothing had been replaced with the incessant need to do everything.
To jump and dance and dive into Nirvana. To swim naked in the rapidly lightening dawn.
I closed my eyes and sent a prayer of thanks.
Not to a god or goddess or any other deity.
Just thanks and indebtedness for being able to keep the man I loved for a little longer.
“You know…you are the most gorgeous girl I have ever seen.”
“Sully.” I gasped and looked down, focusing on vibrant blue eyes that sparkled with affection and something less innocent. Something that made my breath catch and belly liquefy.
He moved his head on the pillow, the action making sweat bead on his temples as he looked at where I touched him, directly over his heart. “I felt you.”
“I didn’t mean to wake you. If you need to rest, go back to sleep.”
He scoffed. “If I never sleep again, I’ll be happy.”
I laughed under my breath. “I was just thinking something similar. I don’t know if I can sleep again because I’ll be too afraid that you won’t be here when I wake.”
His eyes locked onto mine, dancing deeper, diving right into my soul and revealing just how much he wanted me. “Fuck, I missed you, Eleanor.” He swallowed hard, gritting his teeth as his left arm twitched beside him. He let out a frustrated breath. “I want to touch you so bad.”
Grabbing his hand, I raised his arm and splayed his fingers that’d seized from his long siesta. “Where do you want to touch me?”
Goosebumps prickled as he licked his lips. “Every fucking where.”
I felt that sentence.
Every word had fingers, running nails through my hair.
Every vowel had a tongue, licking between my legs.
I shuddered. “How is it that you affect me this much?”
His gaze dropped from my eyes to my lips to my chin to my breasts. “It’s only fair.” He gave me a pained expression. “I’m hard again and it hurts.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not. I’d rather feel a thousand agonies as long as I never hurt you again.”
“You never hurt me.”
He scowled, his facial features not as stilted as before, moving with the same arrogance and authority that made me fall head over heels with a mercurial monster. “We both know I did.” His gaze rose to mine before feasting on my chest again. “I know where I want to touch you.”
I sucked in a breath, raising my breasts, revealing puckered nipples beneath his borrowed shirt and fluttery, turned-on inhales. “Where?”
“I want to cup you, pinch you. I want to feel your weight and—”
He choked as I sat forward and clamped his entire hand around my breast. I closed his fingers around me. I added pressure so he’d feel every fullness and feminine part of me.
“Jesus Christ.” His eyes snapped closed and the sheet covering his legs tented as his erection sprang to full attention.
“Wow, I really can’t leave you two alone for five minutes.”
I jerked and let Sully’s hand fall. The weight of his arm and the lack of mobility meant it crashed to the bed and bounced.
He groaned as the IV line caught on the sheets.
“Oh, God, I’m so sorry, Sully.” I stood and bowed over him, rearranging his arm so it lay nice and straight alongside his body. He chuckled through tight teeth. “It’s fine. I’m fine. Stop fussing.” He looked past me, narrowing his eyes at Louise. “You must be my doctor.”
“I am.” She came closer, studiously ignoring the stiffness between Sully’s legs and the fact that we’d been caught fondling after I’d confessed to sex and a kiss—both that’d had disastrous results.
Louise gave me a look and rolled her eyes again. “You both need to learn some self-control.” Her voice slipped from strict into bemused. “Honestly, don’t even think about sex or any version of it for at least a couple of months.”
“A couple of months?” Sully’s shock made me chew on a laugh. “Yeah, that isn’t going to work.”