“I—”
“You can’t. I know. Not yet. After tonight, not for some time. I’m not pushing you, Shea, but fuck it, it’s killing me.”
There was such anguish in his voice all of a sudden that Shea couldn’t stop herself. Lowering her shields just enough to focus on Colton, she picked up on the heat and the pain that was coming off his erection in waves.
“Oh, Colt.” Her expression softened. “You’re really hurting, aren’t you?”
“I’m fine. That’s not what I meant. Forget it. That’s not important. Getting to Julian before he hurts you again… I won’t let him get to you again. I fucking swear it.”
“I know,” Shea said. And she did. No matter what happened next, now that they had a better idea what he was capable of, she’d be prepared next time.
Because, yeah, there was going to be a next time.
She gave a sharp shake of her head. No. Not right now. Not while she was in the middle of this heated moment with Colton.
Julian took too much away from her already. Shea wouldn’t let him have this, too.
She lowered her gaze, then glanced up so that she was meeting Colt’s gaze through the fringe of her eyelashes. “Let me heal you first.”
“I’ve got nothing to heal—”
“I can sense it,” she told him. “You’re stiff, Colt. Achy. Big.” Just in case he didn’t understand that she knew what she was asking. “Let me help you. I… I want to.”
He hesitated. A sliver of desire snuck down their bond, chased by apprehension. He didn’t want to push her. On the heels of what happened with Julian, he was trying to be a gentleman.
She didn’t want a gentleman. She wanted him.
“If you let me heal, I’d have to touch you. Do you understand me?” When he jerked his head in some kind of nod, she smiled. “Okay. It’s up to you. Can I? Will you let me?”
In answer, he flicked the button open with his thumb, carefully pulled down the zipper, then yanked his jeans down past his ass.
He wasn’t wearing anything underneath. As soon as it could, his erection sprang free.
It was, uh, really impressive. Long and thick with a girth that didn’t actually scare her; it seemed like, if they were ever going to mate, it would be the perfect size to feel good without making her wonder if it was going to fit. It was tender, though, a little bit raw, a little bit red, and it was weeping a little at the tip as if he was already seconds away from going off.
Colton angled his hips enough to show his cock off. She reached out through their bond, not even a little surprised when she bounced back. He was completely closed.
Shea was on her own for this one.
“I can make you feel better, if you want,” she said purposely. “Just… I’ve never healed anyone like this before, if you get my meaning.”
Colton’s voice was hoarse, a note of disbelief echoing as he said, “Never?”
She shook her head.
“Touch me, Shea. Do whatever you want to me.”
Okay.
She was tentative at first. Lowering herself to her knees so that she was eye to eye with his cock, Shea lifted her hand, running her fingers along the length of his shaft. Root to tip. Root to tip. Colton shuddered.
She grew bolder.
Wrapping her hand around his cock, she barely missed touching her pointer finger and her thumb as she circled him. She wanted to keep her fingers as tight as possible, offering pleasure as she ran her hand down his shaft again.
At first, she told herself that she was healing the raw skin. Colton didn’t seem to be gentle with his cock and she could sense lots of pain when it came to the engorged monster. She wanted to soothe him—wanted to make hi
m feel better—at the same time as she made him feel good.