Page 106 of Nowhere to Hide

I laughed. “No, more like I worked too much.”

“And I bet there are more than a few that have let you know in between.”

I slid a hand along her hip and drew her back against me. Her breath whooshed out. “I don’t really care. What do you think?”

She lifted a hand up to graze her fingertips down my cheek then along my jaw. “I think I wouldn’t mind a little beard burn for once in my life.”

I lowered my mouth to her neck, dragging the bristles on my chin along her neck up to the space behind her ear. The soft skin as well as the wisps of hair brushed my lips. “I wouldn’t mind seeing you marked by me.”

She shivered.

I breathed her in, then the microwave chimed making us both startle apart. I cleared my throat before I grabbed the rice and dumped half on my plate then gave her what was left.

When she built her plate, I grabbed utensils and took them all to the table, letting her use the counters to make her way over on her own steam. She sat down gingerly. There was a little sheen of sweat at her forehead, but the paleness had faded. The sun had been kind to her, warming her skin into a honey golden tan.

The navy dress showed off her tan and she was already gaining some of the weight back from her stay in the hospital.

She actually dug in for once instead of picking at her food.

“Our field trip seemed to help your appetite.”

She glanced up, vegetables speared on the tines of her fork. “More like I don’t want to be so fucking weak.”

I covered her other hand. “You’re anything but weak, Cil.”

“Tell that to the asshole who was ready to drag me away.”

My hand tightened over hers. “We can both use some strength training. I’ve been slacking off.”

She nodded. “I’d like that.”

Hozier’s dynamic blend of music and voice rose in the unspoken spaces between us as we ate. The beat thrumming and surreal with words that spoke of longing and defiant love.

She licked her lips, a chili flake stuck to her full lower lip. I reached over, brushing it away with my thumb. She lifted her napkin to wipe away the rest and I curled my fingers into my palm as I drew back.

My randomizer, being an absolute menace, added a watery Halsey song to rise between us as we cleaned up. The space small for one, but nearly impossible for both of us, but I didn’t want to tell her to go sit down.

I liked her beachy citrus scent in my nose. And I definitely wanted to feel her against me in this safe way.

I couldn’t do anything more than this. She wasn’t ready and I was less than in the right frame of mind to touch her the way I wanted to. But I wasn’t ready to go to our separate corners.

With the dishes finished, I caged her in against the sink, my nose drawing a teasing line up the nape of her neck. “You smell so fucking good.”

She shivered. “Your bar must be low. Between the hospital and the docks, I’m a sweaty mess.”

Unable to help myself, I tasted the skin behind her ear. “Salty Cilla might be my new favorite snack.”

She shivered and her body tensed.

I stopped, making sure she was all right with this move. Just as I was about to step back, her pinkie brushed my fingers on the counter.

“Don’t stop,” she whispered.

I traced the shell of her ear with my nose. “Are you sure?”

“I just want to feel something other than afraid.”

I pressed my cheek against her hair. “I can do that.” Then I lowered my mouth to the skin between her neck and shoulder. I dragged my bristly chin against the soft skin again and again. She gave me more access to her neck, and I swirled my tongue along her pulse point.