So you brought up constipation? Good one, man.
Savannah raised her face, blinking as she stared at him. Her face was still too pale, and a small tremor shook her body, but he knew the moment she actually saw him. Her eyes widened, and her hold on her bent legs loosened. “Max?”
“Yes, baby. It’s me.” He didn’t reach out to touch her, scared she might try and fight him again. Not that he was afraid she’d hurt him, but he didn’t want her getting harmed in the process. “It’s me. I frightened you when I came through the door,” he reminded her in case she didn’t remember why they were sitting there on the floor. That used to happen to him. Something would trigger an old memory, and he’d come to on the floor, uncertain how he’d gotten there or what he’d done in the moments he’d been out.
Thankfully, that hadn’t happened in two years now. The last episode had been before he’d met Savannah.
“Yes. God, I completely freaked out. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“No, baby. Of course, you didn’t.” He stood and stretched, feeling his tired, aching muscles complain. He held his hand out to her, just waiting, not trying to push. After a few seconds of hesitation, she reached up and slipped her hand into his.
Her hand was cold and a little clammy. He pulled her up, holding her steady as she swayed a little. He drew her close against him and just held her. She shuddered then pulled back to look up at him.
“Sorry.”
He cupped her face between his hands. “Don’t be sorry.” God, he wished he could make this all better for her. Maybe giving her something else to focus on would help. That had sometimes worked for him. “How about I take a shower while you make some popcorn and choose a movie?”
“You don’t have to watch a movie with me. I know you have work to do.”
He clasped her face between his hands. “Nothing is more important to me than you.”
She smiled at him.
“Although I’d like to know what you were doing. You didn’t tell us your therapist said you could attempt to walk outside. One of us would have been here to support you if you had.”
She glanced away, and he knew from the guilty look on her face that something was wrong. Savannah was no good at hiding what she was thinking. Any time they played cards together, he and Logan always made certain it was strip poker. Although by the time she was naked, their concentration was shot, and the game usually finished rather abruptly.
His body warmed as he thought of the way Savannah would accuse them of cheating, her lip stuck out in a pout, brows furrowed. One of them would usually have to tickle her or spank her until she conceded there was no cheating going on.
Not that they hadn’t resorted to cheating a time or two. But that secret was going to their graves.
“Savannah,” he said in a low, warning voice.
She stared up at him, her mouth opening slightly. The sight of those plump, red lips was too much for him to resist. He leaned in and kissed her. He explored her thoroughly, as though he hadn’t kissed her thousands of times before. But then, he hadn’t kissed her like that since she’d been kidnapped.
He’d placed kisses against her cheeks and forehead, brushing his lips briefly over hers. But nothing close to this. Like he was a man starving, and she was a delicious banquet to be feasted on. He forced himself to draw back, even though he longed to take this further.
Slow. She needed slow.
When he pulled back, she looked dazed, her eyes were glazed, and her lips swollen. He rubbed a thumb over her lower lip then tapped her nose warningly. “Savannah, I expect an honest answer.” He injected some command into his voice.
“And if I don’t?” she asked.
He frowned slightly. “What’s going on?”
She sighed. “I’m just frustrated. I thought I’d be better than this by now.”
“After three sessions? Sweetheart, you have to give yourself time. And I don’t think pushing yourself to do things without your therapist’s go-ahead is the way to go about getting better.”
“Yeah, I know. I actually am feeling better. I managed to get some more sleep last night.”
He hadn’t. It had been his turn to sleep upstairs. Alone. He didn’t think he would sleep again until he held her in his arms.
“I thought if I just tried then I might be able to do it, you know? But I couldn’t. I was already panicking when you came through the door and I thought-I thought—”
“That I was him?” He slowly took her into his arms, holding her close and rocking her gently.
“Yeah, stupid, huh?”