Page 151 of Restitution

“No, the meds dulled the pain. But there’s no heating in here and I’m certain my toes are falling off.”

He chuckles deeply. “The manor was too hot; this building is too cold. Where do you meet in the middle?”

I roll my eyes. “When my supposed boyfriend takes the hint that I’m asking for cuddles.”

He tosses down the towel, his dark, wavy hair basically dry. He needs a haircut, but I like getting a good fistful of the length it’s currently at. “Maybe I don’t want to cuddle you.”

I laugh and lean my chin on my fist. “Says the clingy one.”

Kade smirks, pulling aside the duvet and getting in beside me. I yelp as his warm hand grabs my cold thigh and hikes it over him, then he wraps his arms around me so the warmth of his body bleeds into mine.

He feels like home.

“Better?”

“Yeah, but your dick is still kind of hard,” I state, sliding my hand over his growing bulge and making it twitch.

“Of course it is. I just spent half an hour watching you rub soap all over your naked body. Regardless of our situation and the monster of a woman downstairs, my body’s going to react to seeing yours,” he replies, groaning as I trail my fingertip down the length of him, feeling the faint ridges and veins. “You want to take my boxers off and tend to it or you going to keep teasing me?”

I lean my chin on his chest and look up at him. “I think my jaw might fall off if I blow you again. It’s all we’ve been doing since I got my period.”

“You aren’t really bleeding much now though, are you? Can I fuck you?”

“Hm,” I say, considering.

His eyes glint. “Please?”

There’s a bang on the wall beside us. “The partition between us is thin. Don’t you dare make me share a room with Barry.”

“Sorry, Tobias!” I call out, feeling my face turning a deep shade of red. “Goodnight!”

Kade shakes his head, rolling onto his side and holding me to his chest. “Sleep, Freckles. I have a feeling tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”

“Goodnight,” I whisper, watching his lashes fall as his eyes close. I nudge his nose gently with mine. “I love you.”

But I don’t get a response, because he’s already fallen asleep.

Once Kade’s arm goes heavy and his breathing turns shallow, I check to make sure he’s definitely asleep by asking, “Do you want a drink of water?”

I wait for a beat. Two. Three. Nothing. Good.

I carefully slide away from him, tiptoe towards my shoes and pull them on before sneaking out of the bedroom. The door closes with a soft click, and I take a deep breath and lean against it.

Luciella and Base are in the room across from us, and going by the loud snoring, Base is fast asleep. How my best friend can sleep beside such a despicable noise will forever baffle me.

As I make my way down the corridor, another door opens, and I pause and glance behind me. Tobias is rubbing his eyes and leaning against the doorframe, wearing only a pair of cotton shorts. “Where are you going, little one?”

For a long moment, I stare at him, this older version of Kade. “Um,” I start, pointing my thumb in the direction I was going. “Water.”

“The kitchen’s that way,” he says, gesturing in the opposite direction.

“Oh.” I falter and straighten my spine, limping past him. “Sorry if I woke you.”

“You didn’t,” he says, sighing and slipping back into his room before coming out in a black top that accentuates his build. “Areyou hungry?”

“A little.”

I follow him into the kitchen and sit at the table. He gives me a glass of water, and I watch while he rummages through the fridge and then opens the freezer.