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Bravely, she stammers out, “I can take it from here. You… you made your point.”
“What point was that?”
Her eyes flit away from mine. “Have you really not been with anyone?—”
“No. You’ll be my first and my last.”
Her eyelashes flutter and she lowers her head. “Don’t say that.”
“Which part?”
“I won’t be your last. You’ll live, Cullen. And you’ll find someone you really like.”
My hand digs into the towel. What does that mean? Does she still think I’m only clinging to her out of convenience? I was so gentle with her, it almost killed me. Did she really not see my heart? Could she really not tell?
A little frustrated and very much fighting my need to have more of her, I wrap Nardi in the towel and help her out of the bathtub. Setting her gently on her feet, I rub her arms briskly over the towel and then grab another towel to dry her hair.
“I can do that, Cullen,” she whispers.
“Enough, Nardi.”
“But—”
“Serving you and pleasing you are my responsibilities. Let me do my job.”
Her jaw drops. I’ve rendered her speechless.
I kiss her one more time, my body primed and my heart racing. She’d moaned against my mouth and the vibrations of her voice left a tingle against my lips.
I want her to feel it.
To know it.
I’m here because my love for her burns me, strips me of my skin, and turns me inside out. She dug herself into my mainframe, created a new code when I wasn’t looking and now every slash, every stroke, every tap of the keys is a hardwiring of my program.
I was made for her.
She was made for me.
It’s just that we found each other too late.
Groaning, I pull back. These kisses aren’t helping my restraint. “Go put on some clothes and I’ll set up your hair dryer.”
She patters away.
I’m frustrated with myself and I lean over the sink, ignoring the pounding in my head. My heart’s racing fast and my adrenaline is rendering the pain meds useless.
Sweat beads on the side of my neck.
I hang my head down as the ache swells from my cranium to my chest. It’s agony.
Images of Nardi’s pleasure, mouth open and limbs loose, fill my mind. It was worth it. Even with this pain, it was worth it.
But I definitely can’t do anything more.
Nardi’s footsteps force me to stand tall and wipe the pained grimace away. She’s dressed in a loose shirt and shorts. She’s dragging a chair behind her and carrying a different towel.
I reach for the towel.