I found Chris half sitting and trying to pull off his boots. Shaking my head, I went to him and helped him out of the wet boots. He rewarded me with a lopsided smile that made my heart flutter.
“Thanks,” he murmured as he reached for the top button of his shirt.
My pulse jumped. “What are you doing?”
“Wet.”
I watched him try unsuccessfully to unbutton his shirt for several minutes before I gave in and did it for him.
“I should let you sleep in your wet clothes,” I grumbled as I released his arms from the sleeves. I kept my eyes on his face so I didn’t stare at his sculpted chest and rock-hard abs. Nope, wasn’t going there.
As soon as his hands were freed, they went to the button on his jeans. He got the button undone, but the wet denim was plastered to his body. There was no way he was getting out of those without help.
“Lie down.”
I pushed him back on the couch, and he complied without argument. Grabbing the waist of his jeans, I worked them over his hips and down his long legs. I had one heart-stopping moment when his boxer briefs started to slide down with the jeans, and I had to stop to tug them up. By the time I dropped the wet jeans on the floor, I felt overheated and my stomach was a quivering mess.
Needing to compose myself, I took my time getting him a blanket, which was more for my benefit than his. I laid it over him, and he opened his eyes and gave me another one of those devastating smiles.
“You’re so beautiful.”
I smiled in spite of myself. “And you’re drunk.”
His eyes grew sad. “I was trying to forget.”
“Forget what?”
“That you hate me. Can’t bear you hating me.”
My chest started to ache. “I don’t hate you. I don’t like you sometimes, but I could never hate you.”
He closed his eyes and let out a breath. When he opened them again, a smile played around the corners of his mouth.
“Do you like me now?” he asked playfully.
“I’m on the fence.”
He lifted his hand, and I foolishly let him take hold of one of mine. The next thing I knew, I was sprawled on top of him with his arms wrapped securely around me.
I wriggled to free myself and froze when I felt the hard length of him against my thigh. Drunk Chris I could handle. Drunk, aroused Chris was a whole different story.
He seemed to sense my anxiety, even in his drunken state, because he lifted me until my face hovered just above his. I used my arms to prop myself up on his chest, but he wouldn’t allow me to go any farther.
“Let me up.”
“Tell me you like me.”
I scrunched my nose at the alcohol fumes on his breath. “Oh, my God. What do they put in that demon liquor?”
He grinned crookedly. “You don’t want to know.”
Something told me he was right about that.
“You’re looking awfully happy for a guy who’s going to have a hangover from hell tomorrow.” Literally.
“I’m happy because you like me.”
I arched an eyebrow. “I didn’t say that.”
His mouth turned down into what was most definitely a pout. My chest fluttered. God, I was hopeless.
“Fine, I like you. Now, can I get up?”
I expected him to smile and make a funny comeback. I wasn’t prepared when his eyes filled with longing.
“I miss you.”
“I miss you, too,” I admitted softly.
His face lit up. “Yeah?”
I scoffed. “Don’t let it go to your head. I’m still working things out.”
“Does that mean we can be partners again?”
“Maybe,” I conceded.
Chris’s gaze burned into mine for a long moment, and I thought he was going to try to kiss me. My one kiss with him had rocked my world, but no way was he putting that mouth on mine without using a bottle of mouthwash first. If murren smelled this bad, I didn’t want to know what it tasted like.
And why am I thinking about kissing him anyway?
I’d just told him I was still working it out. The last thing I need to be doing now was making this more complicated when I wasn’t ready to go there yet.
I think he knew that, too. He moved me again, but this time, it was to tuck my head under his chin like he was settling down for the night.
I tried to push myself up, but he wasn’t ready to let me go.
“Not yet,” he implored sleepily.
There was a vulnerability in his voice I’d never heard before, and it tugged at my heart. What could it hurt to stay here a few more minutes?
My arms were uncomfortable, tucked under me in this position, so I let them fall to either side of him. He sighed contentedly, and I felt his breathing slow as he finally began to succumb to sleep.
“Dove,” he murmured so softly that I couldn’t tell if he was awake or dreaming.
“Yes,” I replied, starting to feel drowsy, too.
His next words were barely discernible, but they were still able to knock every bit of air from my lungs.
“I love you.”
Chapter 16
Chris
Someone was going to town on the top of my head with a steel bar. That was the only explanation for the excruciating pain in my skull and the feeling that my eyes were about to explode from their sockets. I moaned, wishing they’d just get on with it and kill me already.
A sound penetrated the haze of pain, a soft feminine sigh that momentarily made me forget my suffering. Suddenly, I was focused solely on the soft, warm body I was spooning. Silky hair tickled my nose, and a delicate floral scent invaded my senses.
I opened my eyes and saw that I was on the couch in the guesthouse…with Beth. God, she felt amazing in my arms. I had to be dreaming this.
It took me a minute to realize the crushing weight that had sat in my chest for days was gone. The next thing I noticed was the blissful state of my Mori. The demon was so happy it was practically purring.
Beth stirred, and so did my body. Apparently, my Mori wasn’t the only one excited to be this close to our mate. I willed my body to relax. The fact that I could feel desire with my head threatening to split open was a testament to how much I wanted this woman. But I needed to hold her now more than my next breath, and I didn’t want to do anything to drive her from my arms.
I would have killed for some gunna paste, and there was a can of it in my bag a few feet away, but nothing could make me move from this couch. Something told me Beth wouldn’t let our sleeping arrangement continue when she woke, and I wanted to enjoy it as long as possible.
Doing my best to ignore the relentless pounding in my head, I ran through the events of the previous night, reliving every minute from the moment I saw Beth. Some of my memories were a little foggy from the alcohol, but there was no way I could forget her hands on me as she undressed me or the feel of her body when I’d pulled her down on top of me. Just the thought of it sent a fresh wave of heat through me, and I had to fight the urge to press closer to her.
I focused on remembering her demeanor as she’d tended to me and the things she had said. She’d told me she could never hate me and she’d missed me. She’d even smiled a few times. Did that mean she’d forgiven me? Was she willing to give us a chance? She’d come back. That had to mean something.
I’d left here the night she’d almost broken the bond, feeling like my heart was being ripped from my chest. Hearing her talk about waiting for me to come home and how she’d blamed herself for me leaving filled me with so much regret. I hadn’t realized until that moment just how much I’d hurt her, and I hated myself for it. The pain I’d felt the last four days was nothing compared to what I’d put her through.
“Mmmm,” Beth murmured softly.
She shifted and let out a small gasp before she lay still. Not wanting to startle her, I didn’t move as I waited to see what she would do.
Minutes passed before she started to ease away from me. Instinctively, my arm tightened around her waist, not wanting to let her go yet. She lay back down with a resigned sigh.
“I did not crawl into your bed this time,” she grumbled.
Lightness spread through my chest. Despite her words, she didn’t sound unhappy to be with me. I hadn’t imagined it or dreamed it. Something had changed between us.