“Stop.” I smiled gently. “I know…I heard you.”
She froze. “You did?”
“Every word.”
She blushed. “Are you angry with me?”
I winced. “I think the…question is, are you mad…at me?”
Her jaw tightened as she showed me honesty instead of lies. “I admit I hated that you went after me knowing you might not come back. That you forward planned your death by updating your Will and Testament. That you decided, without any consultation, that my life was worth more than yours.”
“But don’t you see?” I swallowed, slowly finding it easier to talk. “You are worth more. You have more…goodness in your little finger than I do in my…entire body.”
“That’s bullshit, and you know it.”
I frowned. “I couldn’t let him hurt you. I couldn’t let him…hurt anything ever again.”
“I know.” She caressed my knuckles. “One day I might ask what you did to Drake, but not tonight.” She risked a shy smile. “Tonight, I just want to hear your voice and feel your touch.”
I looked at where our hands linked, willing my fingers to twitch around hers.
I grunted at the effort and sweat broke out over my forehead as I managed to squeeze her for a second before my ligaments gave up. “I can’t move.”
“I suppose it will take time for your body to regain its strength.” She smiled. “But I’ll help. Every step.” Kissing my knuckles, she looked over her shoulder at the door. “I really should go get Louise, though.”
“Louise?”
“Your doctor.”
“You hired someone else?”
“You collapsed in Geneva, remember?” She shivered and looked away, her face haunted with memories. “I did my best with CPR, but the mercenaries brought you back to life with a small defibrillator. Once the ambulance crew arrived, you were transported to the hospital.” Her shivers turned into a shudder. “I didn’t like it there. Snowy and cold…populated.” She risked a half-smile. “I requested to bring you home.”
“You flew me back?”
What the hell else had this wonderful woman done?
“Campbell arranged it.”
“But you did all that? You were with me the entire time? You kept breath in my body and—”
“I did what I needed to do to keep you.” Her eyes narrowed with ferocity. “No way was I letting you go.”
My chest clenched with her loyalty, glowing with a return vow. “I love you with all my fucking heart.”
“Don’t talk to me about hearts. That’s what started this mess.” She tried to laugh, but it was hollow. “God, Sully…seeing you collapse? It…” She bit her lip and looked away, doing her best to control her grief.
My body crawled with itchy frustration to touch her, heal her, eradicate those brutal memories. “I’m so sorry I put you through that.”
A lonely tear ran down her cheek.
“Hey…” I fucking cursed that I couldn’t capture that droplet and bring her down for a kiss. “It’s okay. I’m here. And I promise I’m not going anywhere.”
She nodded, swiping at her cheeks and forcing another smile. “I won’t let you. I’ll make sure Louise, her team, and Dr Campbell keep you right here with me.”
“Where is Campbell?”
“Still here. He keeps threatening to retire, but I know he’s waiting around. He doesn’t want to leave until you’re okay.”
I frowned. “I want him off my island.”
“He brought Jess back and Cal and Skittles. I know he betrayed you, but—”
“I don’t want to talk about him.” I’d woken a newly born man. Thanks to Eleanor, I had no imprisoned women and no nefarious guests on my shores, but I still had guilt for what I’d done and rage toward the man who’d gone behind my back and ultimately smeared the blood of Serigala’s creatures on both our hands.
“I understand that,” she murmured. “We have plenty of time to catch up later.” She kissed my knuckles again, raising my dead arm, stretching out frozen muscles and locked joints.
I groaned at the mixture of pleasure and pain.
She instantly lowered my arm. “Does that hurt?”
“The opposite. It’s a relief to be in a different position.”
Without a word, she brought my arm up again and rested it high on her lap. With exquisite care and worship, she massaged from my wrist to my elbow, all the way to my shoulder.
I grew hard.
I couldn’t control any part of myself, but it turned out her touch was still an aphrodisiac I couldn’t ignore.
“You have no idea how good that feels.” I dug my head into the pillow, flinching as my cock kept swelling and pain lanced the tip.
She continued to massage me, and I continued to thicken.
I gritted my teeth against the growing discomfort but had to concede when she reached my neck and dug heavenly fingers into seized and tight muscles.
My sexual thirst overflowed. My bodily hunger snarled. And the pain in my cock became unbearable. “Stop.” I swallowed. “Please, you have to stop.”
Instantly, she tore her hands off me. “What is it? What’s wrong?”