Page 25 of You Can Make Me

“Yeah.” His voice cracked, and he switched his handhold on the trimmers.

I glanced down to see tufts of darker blond and reddish hair falling onto the white tile.

“God, what is that? You didn’t tell me I turned ginger on you!”

Dennis smirked. “Not the only place you’ve got red hair.”

I pinched his side, and he sucked in a breath.

“Now, now. I’m going to end up carving my initials into your beard if you keep that up.”

The thought of his mark on me sent a thrill throughout my body. His ownership.His.

Denny had strict boundaries, and he was so good at doing the right thing, but the thought of him being possessive over me, possessingme, was so hot.

It wasthatline of thinking that had led me to attempt to seduce him. It was also the line of thinking that should be furthest from my mind, sitting here naked in just a towel, with my parents and our friends down the hall. But being this close toDenny took me to that place I longed to be again. I wondered if he’d even let me after the awful things I’d said and done.

I wondered if I could do it, knowing what I looked like.

He clicked off the trimmers and gazed down at me, not touching me, but not moving out of my grasp. It seemed as if the world had stopped for a long moment, and we existed in this space where I wasn’t in pain, didn’t care that Denny could see all of my wounds, and where he still cared about me, not just as an invalid who needed his help but as a man who…cared forhimso much.

Without taking his eyes off of me, Denny set the trimmers on the toilet seat to his left and placed his hands on my jaw, gently turning my face to look at his handiwork.

“I’m no expert, but I think it looks better. I can clean it up with the razor if you want.”

I licked my bottom lip. “I don’t think our guests care about my clean, close shave.”

He brushed his thumb over my jaw, and my lips parted, my eyes closed, and I moaned softly.

Denny froze.

He started to let go, and I held on.

“Denny? I want to ask you a question but doing it right now, while I’m naked, feels really scary.”

He blinked. “You want me to get naked too? Will that make it easier?”

I rolled my eyes and pinched his barely there love handle again.

“You being naked never makes it easier.”

He shrugged. “Depends on?—”

“Dennis. I’m going to ask, and I want you to be honest with me. Don’t answer how you think I?—”

“When have I ever been anything but honest with you?” he asked quietly. “Besides not telling you about my heart procedure?—”

“Do you think you could ever…want me again?”

A pained expression crossed his face, and I let go of his sides.

Stupid, Cooper.

He grabbed my hands, and he squeezed them. When he spoke, his voice was tight—and it shook.

“What makes youpossiblythink I everstoppedwanting you?”

I leaned forward and pressed my forehead against his chest, exhaling from the depths of my soul. He still wanted me. The relief barreled through me.