VERSUS (Second Chances 2)

I packed my things, moved to Buffalo, and took care of my dad and his financial needs.

Carrying that burden for him was the right thing to do.

The move also gave me more time with him before he died.

Dylan’s phone vibrates on the coffee table. He glances down at it. “It’s Griffin calling.”

“Take it,” I suggest, needing a break from our conversation.

We’ve covered a lot of ground quickly.

It’s good but exhausting and since I have more to tell, I need a break to recharge. “I’m going to take another nap.”

“I’ll come to tuck you in as soon as I’m done.” He scoops his phone into his palm. “I’ll be right there.”

I let him help me up from the couch, waiting as he presses a kiss to my cheek. “I love you, Eden. I’ll always love you.”

“I love you too.”

I always have.

***

I wake to a rush of desire when I feel Dylan’s body wrap around mine from behind.

He’s nude.

I am too.

He helped me undress, taking special care with the sling on my arm. I only suffered a sprain and not a fracture, which means I’ll be healed in no time.

I invited him to join me under the covers, but he insisted that I sleep first.

When his lips brush over my bare shoulder, I’m grateful that he didn’t let me sleep the entire night away.

“I called Dr. Yelena,” he admits on a sigh.

Worry crowds my thoughts. After the accident when I was seventeen, the doctor didn’t tell me everything. He held things back because my dad asked him to.

It wasn’t until the third surgery on my right leg that I realized that I’d never dance professionally.

I still suffer from pain in my legs, but it’s not enough to steal away my love of dance for good.

I glance over my shoulder at his face. “Why?”

His features look softer in the darkened room. “I wanted to be sure it was safe.”

“You wanted to be sure what was safe?”

I’m not sure if it’s the minor concussion I suffered or sleepiness, but I finally realize what he’s talking about as the question leaves my mouth.

“Oh, you’re talking about…”

His hand skims over my hip. “I know you’re tender. She said I had to be gentle, so we’re not going all out tonight, but I want to do one thing for you.”

I close my eyes, relishing in the way his fingers are gliding over my hipbone. “What do you want to do for me?”

His hand moves slowly, trailing a path over my stomach until it dives lower. “I want to touch you, kiss you. I want to feel you come.”