Thirty-Eight
Hale
The medicine had worn off, and I’d not had enough whiskey to dull anything.
I was preparing myself for the pain that would come with lying down.
It was bad enough, standing up. At some point today, Bay had come back to the bedroom and made up my bed.
She began folding back the covers. I was hoping she’d change into those pink pajamas again, but she was still in the black shorts and cropped T-shirt she’d put on after her shower.
“Thanks,” I told her when she finished fixing the covers so I would just have to sit and lie down without much other movement.
“You’re welcome,” she replied before turning and walking back to the other side of the bed.
I watched her go, enjoying the way her ass looked, until I realized she was going to the sofa, not the other side of the bed.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
She picked up a blanket from the first morning she’d slept there. “Uh, going to sleep.”
I shook my head. “Not on the sofa you’re not.”
She frowned. “You’re getting around fine. I don’t think you need me that close.”
“The bed, Snow. Now.”
Her small fists went to her waist as she stood up straighter. “Don’t order me around.”
“The bed,” I repeated.
“You will sleep better without me.”
“The bed!”
Her shoulders rose and fell dramatically with her frustrated sigh, drawing my attention to her tits as they bounced with the action. I wished she’d take off that damn bra.
“Fine,” she said angrily, then stalked over to the bed as if she were a child being sent to her room.
“You act like this is a punishment.”
“I don’t like being told what to do,” she shot back at me.
“We need to work on that,” I drawled, thinking of the ways I’d like to order her around, naked, beneath me.
“We don’t need to work on anything. I’ll be gone soon. You’ll never see me again,” she said like an accusation, jerking back the covers.
I watched her as she fumbled with the sheets while getting under them before finally turning her blue eyes to me.
“What?” she asked.
“Why is it that you seem upset by that?”
Her chin lifted. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I am upset about you telling me what to do.”
She knew exactly what I was talking about. Little minx. And I’d thought she didn’t lie. I bit back a smile.
“Sure you are. Hell, who wouldn’t be upset over being forced to sleep on a top-of-the-line mattress instead of a sofa? Might as well take a swing at me,” I drawled sarcastically as I sat down and did my best not to show how fucking much my shoulder was hurting.
“It’s time for your pain medicine.” Her voice took on a different tone. There was concern in it now.
“I’m about to take it,” I told her.
“Do I need to get you some water?” she asked.
I shook my head. “Don’t need it.”
I shook a pill into my hand and popped it into my mouth, swallowing, then glanced back at her. “I could use some help getting my shirt off,” I told her. I’d slept with it on last night, but I didn’t like it.
She took a moment before responding, then nodded and got back out of the bed to walk around until she was standing in front of me. I should have asked her before she got in bed, but she had me so damn distracted that I hadn’t thought about it.
“Um, so…what is the best way to do this?” she asked, looking down at my shirt.
Right now, I was considering cutting the bastard off. Ransom had helped me wrap my shoulder up so I could shower earlier, then get dressed. I hadn’t considered how hard it would be to get undressed.
“I can bend my elbow. I just can’t lift my arm,” I told her. “If you can get it off the good side first, then we can ease it down this side.”
She nodded and licked her lips nervously before taking the hem of my shirt and slowly inching it up my chest. Her eyes flickered to mine, and I watched as her cheeks flushed.
This wasn’t the time to tease her, but I fucking wanted to.
I wanted to do a lot of things to her, and the more I was around her, that desire got stronger.
The left arm was out, and it was over my head easily enough.
There was some slight hesitation as she studied my wounded shoulder before gently sliding the shirt over and down my arm.
Her extra care not to hurt me told me more than she wanted to.
She didn’t hate me. If she had, she’d have enjoyed causing me pain.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice huskier than normal.
“You’re welcome,” she breathed out, as if relieved that it was over.
When she started to back up, I grabbed her wrist with my left hand, and her eyes widened in surprise as they shot up to meet mine.
“I will sleep better if you’re in my bed. The sofa isn’t comfortable,” I told her.
She blinked, and her expression softened. “Okay,” she said just above a whisper.
I let go of her even though I didn’t want to. I wanted to pull her close and use the one hand I could move to feel up and under that shirt she was wearing. Feel the smooth skin of her flat stomach that she had been flashing all afternoon.
But I was going to—at least I could admit that to myself. She wouldn’t be leaving this house without me having a taste of her. Even if it was only a small one.