She sucked in a breath as the hurt in her voice socked me in the gut. “What?” I asked incredulously. She couldn’t possibly think I hadn’t enjoyed that.
“I’m not very experienced. I—” she began, her voice tearful, her eyes still turned away.
Relief like no other poured through me. But so did regret. I hadn’t meant to hurt her with my question. I caught her chin and turned her face so I could look into her eyes. “Stop right there,” I said gently. “This was by far the best I’ve ever had. You are the best I’ve ever had.”
“Really?” she whispered.
God, her vulnerability was going to be my undoing. I’d never in all my years ever met a woman so capable of tying me up in the most impossible knots. She was a tomboy yet girly. She was rich, but not spoiled. She was inexperienced but made me insane with need.
“I didn’t mean to make you think I wasn’t satisfied, sweetheart,” I murmured, stroking the hair away from her face. “I’ve never been so satisfied, and it’s made me crazy.”
The emerald of her eyes shone a little as I spoke.
“The thought of you doing that with anyone else… Well, I won’t lie. It’s got me thinking about murder.”
She giggled like my confession of wanting to kill was something she was charmed by.
“How many, Tay?” I asked again. I had to know.
“A few.” She hedged. “But it’s never been like this.”
“Never?”
She shook her head. “The first was in high school. We had no idea what we were doing and it really wasn’t that great.” She made a face like she was grossed out, and it pleased me to no end. “The second was in college, but the only time he ever wanted to do it was when he was drunk… It sort of made me feel like I wasn’t that attractive when he was sober.”
“Douche,” I muttered. “He was probably gay.”
She laughed and her belly vibrated against my chest. It made me smile.
“And then there was someone a couple years ago… We might have been more serious, but when my mother died, I pulled away. I just didn’t have it in me to be in a relationship at that time in my life.”
“Makes sense,” I whispered, rubbing my thumb across her lower lip.
“And now there’s you.”
“I’m the best,” I said, cocky. Now that I knew there was no one I needed to kill, I felt a lot better.
“You definitely are.” She agreed.
I kissed her deeply and lay back down, taking her with me.
I felt her stiffen a little and I realized I likely tugged her arm. I sat up and stared down, lifting the bandaged area and checking it to make sure nothing was wet, bleeding, or coming loose.
“It stayed almost completely dry,” she said.
“How long’s it been since you’ve had your pain meds?”
“Since this morning.”
I frowned. After all the movement and activity at the lake and then here in bed, she needed to rest it. She needed her meds and that sling back in place. If she kept moving around this much, it was going to get even sorer and take longer to heal. I pulled away. “Come on. We need to get you taken care of.”
She made a sound of protest. “I don’t wanna get up.”
I grinned lazily. “There’s more where that came from.” I leaned down and kissed her. “But what the hell kind of man would I be if I neglected my girl’s wounds?”
“Your girl?” she said, looking up at me from amongst the twisted blankets and sheets.
I’d never claimed anyone as solely mine before. I never really cared. But claiming her was as natural as breathing. I didn’t even have to think about it.
She was like finally finding home.
I hooked my hand around her ankle and slowly towed her across the bed toward me. “Yeah, mine.”
“Does that mean you’re mine?”
“Do you want me?” The question kind of ripped from my throat, like it was sticky. It was hard to put myself out there like that, to practically lay out my vulnerabilities at her feet.
“I want you very much,” she whispered, reaching out her hand.
I took it and towed her up onto her feet, bringing her naked, luscious body against mine. I flattened my palm against the back of her head and hugged her against me. I wasn’t sure how this happened. How I went from a solitary man to a guy who needed someone else.
And I did need her.
In the beginning, I might have felt the weight of responsibility by having her around, but nothing about her now seemed heavy. If anything, she made me feel lighter.
It was a little unsettling for this to happen so fast.
She laughed and pulled back. “Your stomach is growling like an angry bear.”