Page 239 of Under Her Skin

‘That makes no sense but thanks anyway. If you like, I give you some serious dirty talk with my ‘crack’voice…’

He waggled his eyebrows suggestively but she knew he wasn’t serious. She sighed. The lack of sex over the past couple of months was beginning to get to her but the doctor had told her – after repeated badgering – to take thingseasy.

And the last thing she wanted to with Theo was to ‘take it easy’. She wanted him to fuck her senseless, to suck his cock, bite down on his nipples… She shook herself.You are a nympho, Wood.But she knew Theo was feeling it too. She caught him looking at her last night, his eyes raking over her body as they shared a bath. The red raw scars on her belly were a stark reminder of why they couldn’t rush the sex thing and he’d traced them gently with hisfinger.

‘Does it stillhurt?’

She shook her head.It wasn’t a complete lie – it was just sometimes when she’d move awkwardly, the healing muscles inside her would screech and she’d curse softly. But, god, she wanted him so badly. She had felt, all this time in hospital that she had become this sexless thing. Someone who smelled of antiseptic and medication, someone as alluring as a bedpan. She’d told Theo that one night when she’d gotten upset, overtired and in pain. He had held her all too gently and told her she was the most beautiful thing in theworld.

If only she could believe him. She looked over at him, saw the stress etched on his gorgeous face even when he was smiling, the smile never quite reached hiseyes.

‘We’re nearly there,’ he said, obviously sensed herscrutiny.

The tension in chest became almost crushing but she kept it inside as Theo expertly landed the helicopter and helped her out of thecabin.

Theo tookher hand and they walked slowly towards the house. His mother had been here, after the crime scene investigators and had cleaned up the blood. Jess’s blood. Amelia hadn’t said much to him but Seb, his usual exuberance missing, had told him that she’d gone home and immediately taken a long bath. The twins had heard her heart-broken, stricken sobbing through the silent house. His mother, Seb, and Tom had been frequent visitors to Jess’s bedside when she was in hospital, and even his sister, Milly, had flown into meet her. Jess was their family now. It had helped himimmeasurably.

Now, he unlocked the door and turned to Jess. He could feel her trembling and took her into his arms. ‘Jessie…’

‘It’s okay,’ she said, looking up into his eyes, ‘I’mready.’

She wasokay right up until she saw the blood on the floor. Her hand flexed, tightened in Theo’s. As she took in the place where she nearly died – no, she thought, was almost murdered - she drew in a shaky breath and closed hereyes.

‘Jess?’

She shook her head, put her hand up to silence him. She felt his arms go around her, his lips on her hair. They stood like that for what seemed an age. She opened her eyesfinally.

‘Okay.’ She whispered. The wall looked bare without the huge mirror. Her stomach roiled when she remembered him, with that lethal shard of mirror raised above his head stab her to death. The indescribable agony when he’d plunged it into her belly. The smell of her own blood. Shegagged.

‘Honey? It’s okay, it’sokay.’

Shenodded.

Theo stroked her face. ‘Let’s go.’ He kissed her, ‘We don’t have to do thistoday. ‘

She smiled at him but shook her head. ‘No. I want to. However hard it is. Until I do, I can’t move forward. And I won’t let him dictate my life in any way. In any way,Theo.’

He nodded, understanding. She took his hand and walked into the kitchen. Her legs shook. The bloodstains weren’t so bad in here, the stone floor less porous than the wood of the hallway. Where Jules had stabbed her. Jess kept saying it in her head so that she could accept it. Jules stabbed me. Jules stabbed me. It worked. Every time she said it, she became less scared,angrier.

She nodded at Theo.‘Okay. I’m good.’ He smiled at her but she could see he wasn’t convinced. She put her arms around hisneck.

‘This was a place of horror. For one hour. One night. He doesn’t get to sully all the good times we’re going to have here. With you. Our family. With all of us together.’ She kissed him and felt him respond. He ran his hands down her back, pulling her to him. She pressed her body into his, hearing his intake of breath. He picked her up and carried her into the living room, laid her on the couch. She took his face in her hands as he moved on top ofher.

‘You are the most wonderful man, Theo Storm. Have you missed this as much asme?’

He nodded, his smile filled with desire. She took his hand and guided it, under her dress, between herlegs.

‘Make this is a place of joy again, Theo.Please.’

He slid his hand into her panties and grinned down at her. ‘My pleasure, ma’am.’ He kissed her as she unzipped his pants and touched him. ‘God, I loveyou.’

She laughed, gasping at his caress. ‘I love you, Theo, so, somuch.’

He started to unbutton her dress, kissing her from her neck, between her breasts. He pressed his lips to every scar, every bruise on her stomach. He hooked his fingers into the side of her panties and pulled them down. He smiled up ather.

‘You’re beautiful, baby.’ Then his mouth was on her, his tongue caressing her. She moaned withpleasure.

‘Theo.’ shewhispered,