Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 66962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
I rubbed his back. “I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged. “I could have had it worse. After school ended every day, I’d take the train to a little coffee shop near the Brooklyn Bridge. I’d sit at a table and pretend I was doing my schoolwork, but really I was listening to all the conversations around me. The owner was always kind to me, and he let me sit as long as I wanted to.”
“Then my father figured out where I snuck off to and forbade me to go there anymore. He wanted me to come straight home after school.”
“Did you listen?”
I smiled. “No, but it wasn’t the same because I was scared to death I’d get caught. I still miss the place.”
I squeezed his hand, not sure what to say. Thankfully, he reached for the remote and turned the TV on. We’d talked all we could without stirring up emotions neither of us wanted to deal with.
22
CARLO
Jacob sent Rogue over with dinner for us. When I answered the door after Rogue had practically banged it down, I scowled at the smirk on his face.
“I wanted to be sure I gave you plenty of warning,” he said. “I didn’t want to walk in on anything.”
“One, no one has the nerve to walk into Blade’s house unannounced. Two, he has the flu.”
“You’ve got me on one, but two… I happen to know firsthand that the flu doesn’t have to be an issue for—”
I held up my hand. “I don’t need the details.”
“Yeah. I get it. You wouldn’t want to get jealous.”
“I promise I’m not jealous at all.”
“Oooh. Well, isn’t that nice.”
And people thought I was irritating. “Please tell me you aren’t planning to stay.”
“Get out of here, Rogue,” Blade yelled.
“You feeling better?”
“Yes, and I want to be alone with my man.”
Rogue’s eyebrows rose, and he mouthed, “Wow.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks, but my heart was ready to explode with excitement. I had no idea how we were going to make this work, but for now, I just wanted to shut out all the danger and conflict and family shit and show Blade how very much I loved him.
“Goodbye. Don’t stay up all night.”
“I’ll take care of him.” Blade and I both said the words at the same time.
Rogue’s smile grew even bigger. He made a bow. “My work here is done.”
I shut the door behind him and turned all the locks.
“So how much better are you feeling?”
Blade studied me for a moment. “Will dinner keep?”
“Yes.”
“Then let me show you.”
He pushed the blanket off him and stood. I grabbed his arm, not because he needed steadying but because I wanted to hurry him along. He sat down on the end of his bed, and I stood in front of him. He lifted the t-shirt I’d borrowed, pushing it up until I lifted my arms, and removed it, then tossed it on the floor.
He ran his hands over my chest, bringing them to settle on my waist. “Beautiful.”
My cheeks heated. I’d been using my looks to get my way since I was a teenager, but the way he was looking at me like he saw all of me and still liked what he saw made me shiver.
“Are you cold?”
I shook my head. “Not at all.”
“Good.” His sweatpants slid easily over my hips. One push had them dropping to the floor. He wrapped his hand around my cock and stroked, making me groan.
“Do you still want to ride me?”
“Yes. Oh my God, yes, but I want you naked.”
He shook his head.
“Please. I want to see all of you. I want to touch you everywhere. I’ve seen your scars and—”
“Not all of them.”
I hated the thought that there were more, not because I didn’t want to look at them but because of the pain I knew he’d suffered. “You’re mine, Papa Bear, all of you.”
The nickname made him smile despite his hesitation. “No one has seen them all except Grant and my mother. I don’t know…”
“Please.”
He lifted his shirt, and when he pulled it over his head, I sucked in my breath. His chest was gorgeous, muscular, and fucking perfect. The scars on his sides didn’t make it any less so.
There was one cut that was deeper than the others, the edges redder. It was bad enough he could have died from it.
He reached for his shirt like he was going to put it back on, but I laid my hand over his. “Don’t. I’m looking because I want to take in all of you. I can’t take away the pain from these but let me at least show you that you’re gorgeous to me.” I took hold of his other hand and helped him to his feet. When I pushed his sweatpants down his legs, I realized one of his thighs had scars along it too. I lowered myself to my knees and pressed kisses against the puckered flesh.