“Are…are you going to…to t-touch me?” she whispered, her eyes wide.
Merrick knew at once what she meant and his heart fisted in his chest again. “Not that way,” he assured her, his voice rough. “I just need to press our chests together. To get as much contact as possible.”
“I don’t…d-don’t have a bra on,” she whispered. Then, obviously seeing his look of incomprehension, she explained. “I mean, I’m b-bare under the dress.” She looked down as she said it, biting her lip in shame that made him ache.
“That’s okay, baby,” he assured her softly. “I’ve seen you naked before. You were naked when I found you floating in the stasis tube and I didn’t hurt you then. Do you remember?”
Slowly, she nodded. “Barely,” she admitted. “It’s l-like a dream. B-but yes. I remember.”
“And I won’t hurt you now.” Merrick tried to keep the urgency out of his voice but he was afraid they were running out of time. Elise’s face was white as a sheet and she didn’t look well at all. If he had to, he would forcibly remove the top of her dress—he would do whatever it took to save her life. But he didn’t want to do things that way. Though he told himself he shouldn’t care what she thought, he wanted her to trust him. Wanted it with his whole heart. “Please,” he murmured, stroking a lock of silky black hair out of her eyes. “Elise, please trust me.”
At last, she nodded. “A-all right,” she whispered. “If you think it w-will help.”
“I do,” Merrick said gravely. “Do you want to do it or should I?”
“I w-will.” She tried, plucking at the front of the dress where there was a row of tiny buttons, but her fingers were trembling too much to make any headway.
“Here.” Gently, Merrick brushed her shaking hands aside and unbuttoned the front of the silky red dress. He pulled it off her shoulders, baring her small, perfectly rounded breasts. He tried not to look but he couldn’t help noticing her nipples, tight and pink as little buds. His shaft reacted immediately, his mating fist throbbing with desire but Merrick ignored it. This wasn’t about sex—it was about healing.
“Oh…” Elise saw him looking and tried to cover herself with her arms but Merrick shook his head.
“No. Come here. Right up against me.”
Pulling her close, he pressed their naked upper bodies together, feeling the hard points of her nipples and the soft crush of her breasts against his chest. Elise seemed reluctant at first but then she pressed against him, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in the side of his throat.
They stayed that way for a long time, locked in a silent embrace until her shivering stopped. Merrick buried his face in her hair and breathed her in, inhaling her delicate feminine scent and something else as well. He frowned. What was that scent? Was it heat…desire? But she’d been almost dead—why would she be aroused? His nose never lied though—he could smell her heat. Her body was in need, even if she didn’t know it and Merrick didn’t think she did. Despite the fact that both of them were half naked, there was nothing sexual about their contact. She needed to be healed and she trusted him to do the healing—it was as simple as that. So her scent was a mystery—one he couldn’t help wanting to solve.
“Merrick,” she whispered, breaking into his thoughts. Her voice was a soft sob in his ear. “Oh, Merrick. You came for me. You really came.”
“Couldn’t stay away,” he admitted, rubbing her bare back in long, soothing strokes. “I wanted to but…I just couldn’t. Sylvan told me you were still sick and begged me to bring you back.”
“Oh.” She pulled back from him, covering her breasts with one arm. “So you didn’t really want to come—Dr. Sylvan made you.”
Inwardly, Merrick swore. Why had he made things awkward between them again? But there was no point in being anything but truthful—he’d never been the type of male to mince words. “I came because I had to,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “Because I couldn’t let you die, no matter how angry I still am about that stunt you pulled with your fucking fiancé.”
Elise frowned and lifted her chin. “Once and for all will you please believe me when I tell you that I honestly forgot about him?”
“That’s kind of hard to believe,” Merrick growled. “I mean, he’s a fucking billionaire, isn’t he?”
“You think money matters to me?” Her brown eyes flashed. “If that was all I cared about I could have stayed home with my mother and stepfather. I don’t give a damn about money!”