Chapter 88
MASON
Isee the bruises forming on her wrists. The red mark on her cheek where he hit her.
My hands curl into fists. I wish I could bring him back to life to kill him again.
"Mason." Her voice cuts through the rage building in my chest. She tips her head, watching me steadily, her hand still out. "Are you coming or not?"
I strip in seconds. I put my hand in hers and let her draw me into the shower.
The water is hot—almost too hot. Lily stands under the spray with her eyes closed, letting it wash over her face, her hair, her shoulders. I step in behind her, and the space is so tight our bodies are almost touching.
She doesn't move away.
I reach for the small bar of soap on the ledge and work it into a lather between my hands. Then, carefully, I bring my hands to her shoulders.
She goes still.
I want to kiss that spot but I’m not sure she’s ready, despite what she says. "Tell me if you want me to stop.”
Lowering her head, she shakes it. "I don't."
My hands move over her skin—watchful, reverent, possessive. I wash away the dirt, the blood, the memory of Kelly's touch. My fingers trace the curve of her neck, the line of her collarbone, the slope of her shoulders.
I turn her back around and finish washing her—her arms, her back, her legs. Every touch is a promise. Every stroke of my hands is a vow.
She leans back into me, and I feel the tension start to leave her body.
"He didn't get to touch me," she says, her voice steady. "Not the way he wanted. You made sure of that."
"I should have killed him sooner."
"No." She turns in my arms, water streaming down her face as she looks up at me. "I needed to be the one. You gave me that."
Her hands come up to my chest, her palms flat against my skin. She's looking at me like I'm the only solid thing in the world. "I love you."
The words hit me like a physical blow. "Lily—"
"I love you," she says again, stronger this time. "I've been running from it since the moment I met you, but I'm done running. I love you, Mason. And I need you to know that before anything else happens. Before Turner makes his next move. Before—"
I kiss her.
It's not gentle. It's not careful. It's everything I've been holding back since the moment I saw Kelly's hands on her.
She's mine, and I'm never letting her go.
When I pull back, her eyes are bright, her breathing ragged.
"I love you," I say, my voice rough. "I've loved you since the first time you walked into that bar and looked at me like you could see straight through every wall I've ever built. You're not just mine, Lily. I'm yours. Completely."
Her hands slide up to my face, her thumbs brushing over my jaw. Then she gets up on her toes and kisses me, her sleek body pressed to mine.