Page 91 of Shallow

Grabbing a handful of my hair, he pulls it back until I sink to the concrete floor and raises an expectant eyebrow. “Open.”

I’ve never been one to take orders during sex, but if saving him means being his vessel, I’ll be a fuckingvessel.

I open my mouth, and he guides himself inside, the metal piercing clashing against my teeth. As big as he is, I manage to establish a rhythm and risk a glance up at him. His head is thrown back and his eyes are closed. The line between his eyebrows is deep and pronounced as he draws them together with every upward pull of mylips.

He clenches his teeth and sucks in a deep breath. “Fuck,yes.”

The control is all his. Holding my head steady by my hair, he delivers deliberate strokes, taking his power and pleasure all in one act. It’s not long before his face contorts, his body jerking, as a shudder tears through every muscle and limb. My name rumbles from his throat in a primitive growl, and then my tongue and throat are flooded withwarmth.

“Take it all,” he commands through grittedteeth.

So, I do.Repeatedly.

When he opens his eyes, he’s different. There’s a calm on his face I haven’t seen since last night. The vacant hardness in his eyes is gone, replaced by the piercing ocean blue that hypnotizes me with just a passing glance. I sink back onto my heels and close my eyes, exhausted andrelieved.

My Cary isback.

Hands cup my face and I open my eyes to find him kneeling in front of me, his thumbs alternately caressing my cheeks and lips as if he can’t believe I’m real. “Why didn’t you go home like I asked youto?”

“Cary, I’ve been here for over two months now. When have I ever done anything you’ve asked me to?” Smiling, I lean into hispalm.

“I’m serious,Shiloh.”

I shrug. “I couldn’t. You tore out of here with hell in your eyes. I was worried aboutyou.”

There’s more, but I can’t tell him. I’ve never given enough of a shit about anyone to stick around and worry. My reactions over him confuse and scareme.

“Careful, Starshine,” he laughs and runs a hand across my cheek, “you might actually be putting other peoplefirst.”

“Isolated incident. Won’t happenagain.”

There’s a marked silence between us as he takes in our naked bodies and the open locker room. “I never thanked you for what you did for my family. I’m sorry about that, and I’m sorry aboutthis.”

“You don’t have to thank me, and this was my choice. I’d choose it all over again if I needed to. Are you okaynow?”

Brushing my wet hair away from my face, he nods. “For now,yeah.”

His ambiguous statement unsettles me, but he seems so much calmer than he was twenty minutes ago that I let it go. Besides, there’s one thing that’s still bothering me. “Cary, when you left, you said ‘I’m going to kill her.’ Who is her? What don’t Iknow?”

My last word is cut off as he kisses me. Not a brutal kiss like a few minutes ago, but a gentle one. Soft. Tender. When he pulls back, he presses his thumb over my lips again. It seems to be a thing with himnow.

“I thought I knew who did this to you, but I waswrong.”

I study him for a minute. Then again, maybe it’s not a thing. Maybe it’s his tell and it’s taken us being intimate for him to show it. “Who knows,” I say, forcing a laugh. “I’m not exactly winning any popularity contests around here thesedays.”

“Still, you’re never to be alone here again. Got it?” His stare is intense again. He’s notkidding.

“Gotit.”

Once we’re both on our feet and dressed, we’re walking hand in hand toward the door when he stops and pulls me against him. “Speaking of being alone, I don’t want to be. I won’t be able to rest if I don’t know you’re allright.”

I laugh, more than slightly amused at the one eighty twist our relationship has taken. “Is this your way of asking me to come home withyou?”

“No, it’s my way of telling you to come home withme.”

My smile widens, and I tap his cheek with an open palm, half-gentle in a joking manner and half-firm just to keep it real. “I hate to burst your bubble, caveman, but I have rehabtonight.”

“Can’t you skipit?”