Page 63 of Dreadful

“You want to sleep next to me?”

She snorts. “No. I’ll go stay with myno…nni…” She drifts off before talking to herself again. “Merda, I don’t want to wake them. They have a hard enough time getting to sleep with Gio’s sleep apnea…”

“You could always stay here. Inyourbed.” I pat it for emphasis.

She nibbles her plump bottom lip, and my cock jolts again.

This woman might give me death by blue balls. I barely have enough blood left without my cock throbbing for it.

She finally shakes her head. “No…I’ll sleep on the floor—”

“Assolutamente no, you’re not sleeping on the floor.”I groan at her stubbornness and stand up more carefully this time so I don’t pass out.

I take a careful step, grabbing onto the bedside table for support. Pain shoots up my leg like an electric shock, but I make it through with just a grimace. If I didn’t live with this shit every day for the past fifteen years, I’d think my ankle was broken from where my uncle kicked it. But no, I’m sure he only aggravated the old injury. What I wouldn’t give to have my cane right now, though.

“What’re you doing?! Sit back down!” She rushes forward and pushes me back onto the bed with her hands splayed over my abs.

“You’re not sleeping on the fucking floor,vipera. I’ll be fine there.”

“No, you’re injured—”

“So? This is your home. You doctored me up. I’m not letting you sleep on the damn floor.”

“Sev—”

“No, Talia. End of discussion.”

Her eyes flare, and her cheeks pinken as she shivers.

Like that, do you?

Does my sweet little viper like to be told what to do? I store that delicious morsel of knowledge away for later and attempt to stand again, but her hands stay firmly in place, despite my warning. Okay, so maybe she likes being told what to do, but only because the stubborn woman will still do as she pleases.

“I have an idea.” She leaves me to grab various blankets and fabrics from around the room.

“What’re you doing?”

She doesn’t answer as she tosses the mountain of soft items onto the bed and makes a line down the center. When she’s finished, she props her hands on her hips and smiles at her handy work.

“There.”

I frown at the makeshift wall until it finally registers. A huff of laughter rumbles through my chest.

“Are you so afraid of kissing me again,dolcezza?”

She scowls at me and crosses her arms. “These are my conditions. Take it or leave it.”

“If you think I’m passing up sleeping beside you, you’re out of your mind.”

“Madonna mia.” She swats the air in frustration and roams around the room again, “Just keep your hands to yourself,hai capito? You can sleep on the side you’re already on. Oh, there’s some extra-strength pain meds in the bedside table drawer. Take them, and I’ll be right back.”

I follow her instructions and take a swig of her water bottle as she grabs a pair of scissors and the fabric that Gio brought her. Her narrowed gaze darts from the fabric to my chest and back again. After a moment of studying me, she cuts off a long strip of fabric and brings the bundle to me.

“Stay still.”

I do as she says. I’ve spooked her too many times already to disobey her now. She wraps the fabric into a ball, then signals for me to lift my arm.

“I don’t have gauze, but this should help protect the wound until we get some.” She gingerly unrolls the ball of fabric around my shoulder, underneath my arm, and over the stitching. While she works, I barely breathe, afraid that she’ll stop touching me if I move. She finishes all too soon and begins to bunch up the down comforter I’m on top of. For the first time, I realize blood has soaked into it. My stomach churns, and shame heats my cheeks.