Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
He held up his hands. “I get it. Family is really important to you.”
I wanted to tell him that he was too, but that was too much for tonight. I should let him go, send him back to his partying and antics, let him drink too much, and just be a college kid. The longer he stayed with me, the more potential danger he was in, especially until we brought down Ivanov.
I finished eating, and Alex insisted I lie down on the couch while he cleaned up.
I smiled at him. “So you don’t cook, but you know how to clean up after yourself.”
He glared at me. “Yes. I have one of the few rooms in the frat house that is actually orderly instead of a biohazard.”
“That’s good to know.” I didn’t mean to fall asleep while he cleaned up, but as much as I didn’t want to admit it, I was tired as hell, even though I hadn’t done anything all day. The doctor had warned me I would be. She told me healing a wound like this was a lot of work in itself, but I didn’t want to give in to that. I wanted to get right back to my usual routine.
Because you’re a stubborn ass. That was what Rafe said anyway.
When I woke up, Alex was sitting with me, watching something on his phone.
“You could have turned the TV on.”
“I didn’t want to wake you.” He was so fucking cute, and I did not want to let him go. “Come here.”
He frowned as he slid from the chair and knelt by the couch. “What do you need?”
I stroked his uninjured cheek. “You promised to make me feel good.”
“But Dante, you—”
I encouraged Adenine to jump down and pulled Alex to me with my good arm and kissed him, not giving him any opportunity to complain. I clasped the back of his neck and held him to me as I took his mouth, reminding him who was in charge. He started to struggle against my hold but stopped the second his hands landed on my shoulder, jerking them back, obviously afraid of hurting me. I wouldn’t have cared if he had. I would have kept kissing him anyway. I only stopped when I finally needed air.
When I let him go, he sat back on his heels, taking ragged breaths. “You’re supposed to be resting. That can’t be good for your arm.”
“My arm will be fine. My dick needs attention now.”
He laughed. “I really don’t think your doctor wants you fucking me tonight.”
“Probably not, but I didn’t ask. Were you teasing me earlier? That’s not how a good boy behaves.”
“I… not exactly. I didn’t really mean tonight though, not this soon. I thought…”
“You thought I was going to be compliant and let you tell me when I could have you?”
“Um…”
I shook my head. “That’s not how this works.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Let me worry about that.”
He bit his lip, looking truly distressed. “I promised Rafe—”
“My brother doesn’t get to decide what I do.”
“You could have died.”
I had to remember how scared he was. “I didn’t, and I want to show you how happy I am about that.” I should have just been happy he cared so much, but I wasn’t content with that. I wanted him, all of him.
“Fuck, Dante.”
“Yes.”
He glared at me, and I almost laughed. He looked so annoyed, but also unsure. I didn’t say anything. I wanted to see what he’d do next. How far would he go to keep me safe?
“If you go sit down on the bed, I’ll help you get your clothes off. Then you can lie down, and I’ll make you feel really fucking good as long as you don’t try to put any weight on your arm.”
I narrowed my eyes. “So you’re making the rules now?”
He hesitated for a moment before saying, “Yes, I am.”
“Just this once.”
I rose from the couch and ignored the fact that I felt lightheaded. I didn’t want him changing his mind. I wanted to undress myself to show Alex I could, but it would hurt like hell, and I was being an idiot. This beautiful man wanted to take my clothes off. Of course I should let him. I unclipped my sling and removed it but didn’t try to do anything else.
I turned to face Alex as he entered the room behind me after getting me more water.
“Let me take your pants off first so you can sit down.”
I sucked in my breath when he slid his hands into the waistband of my sweats, or rather, someone’s sweats, maybe Rafe’s. They’d appeared by my bed when I’d woken up wearing nothing but my underwear. He slid his hands over my ass, and I groaned.
“You like that?”
“Yes. I… One day, I’d like to…”
“Look at me and say it,” I demanded.