I hated to think of her showering in this place, eating in this place, talking to the people living in this place while I’d slept like a fool.
What conversations and experiences had she enjoyed without me? Had she talked about me? How long exactly had we been here?
My questions vanished as Pim’s fingers drifted to her waistband and undid the button before slipping the zipper down. She didn’t mean to be a seductive minx, but fuck, everything about her was seductive.
I couldn’t look away as she inched the denim down her legs.
Once again, no underwear.
My breath caught as I feasted on how drop-dead gorgeous she was. How her hips had filled out and formed curves instead of edges. How her body had strengthened and showed muscle instead of bones.
“Christ, you’re beautiful.” I patted the mattress. “Get into bed.”
Climbing up, she lay down smoothly beside me. She moved like water while I jerked like machinery. She was healed, and I was wounded. The stark contrast to how it was when we first met scrambled my thoughts.
Rolling onto her side, she pressed her hand against my bandaged chest. “I can’t stop comparing this to when we first met.”
A smile tugged my lips. “Me, too. It was hard for me to be gentle with you while, at the same time, I wanted to do anything to protect you.” I reached out and traced a fingertip over her shoulder. “Even if it meant protecting you from myself.”
“I feared you at the beginning but not because of what you would do to me.” She shivered as I ran my touch down her arm.
“Why were you afraid?”
She blushed. “I feared what you made me feel. I was weak to want to end my life, but I could forgive myself for it as long as I felt nothing. But then you went and made me feel everything.”
Gritting my teeth against agony, I shifted as much as I could onto my side. With painful limbs and useless fingers, I clamped my hand on her hipbone and pulled her into me.
Our skin connected.
Our lust ignited.
We shuddered as lust trampled over our desire for talking. “I want to feel you, Pim.” My hand cupped her breast. Soft, beautiful…mine. “I want to—” I couldn’t finish, crashing my lips against hers.
She liquefied in my arms as her mouth opened.
No hesitation.
No refusal.
She kissed me back as hard as I kissed her. Sharing body heat, sharing electricity, sharing all the things we knew and felt.
It was the best kind of fantasy.
Was I dreaming? Was I awake? Having Pim in my arms, thrusting against her soft belly and dipping my tongue into her sweet mouth felt real, but was it?
Does it matter?
All that mattered was it felt so goddamn good.
With my heart pounding and my injuries flaring hot, I pressed Pim as tight as I could against me.
Nothing between us.
Nothing stopping us.
Her lips moved beneath mine, matching me lick for lick.
Our bodies listened to the same song, hardening me, softening her, preparing us for something primal and true.
I groaned under my breath as my need grew. I’d never been so sensitive in my life.
Our noses brushed as we kissed faster, deeper, diving into the cyclone we’d created. Our legs tangled, and I didn’t care about the pain in my ankle or shoulder or any other piece of me.
All I cared about was her.
She’d worshipped me by washing me. She’d understood my need to wipe away the grime without me admitting the level of exhaustion I battled. I hadn’t had to confess or ask for help and reveal my worst nightmare of looking weak.
She’s perfect.
Clutching her harder, our teeth clacked together.
She smelled different. She smelled of this place. It tore me apart to think of her on her own, defending me when I should’ve been fulfilling that role.
Did he talk to her?
Did the asshole who shot me dare speak to my woman?
Jealousy mixed with desire, robbing me of peace. I shifted, wedging my leg between hers. “I missed you.”
Her eyes snapped closed. “I’ve always been here.”
“I need you to remember me.”
“I never forgot you.” She groaned as I rocked higher, rubbing against her clit.
“I shouldn’t do this.” I kissed her fast, deep. “I should stop.”
“Yes…you should.” Her breathlessness didn’t match the grasping demand of her fingers. “You’re not well enough.”
“Don’t tell me what I already know.” Removing my thigh, I lowered my hand between her legs.
I found her instantly.
Drenched and scorching, she clamped her legs instinctively around my wrist as I plunged a finger inside her. “Nothing can stop me from having you, though.”
“God, El.” Her head fell back as I drove upward, filling her body and thoughts of me.
I knew what arguments she wanted to deliver. I argued the same thing even as I ignored common-sense. I shouldn’t undertake anything that would drain me of what little energy I had left. Everything pounded. Everything hurt.