Page 32 of Learn For Me

Fucked in public. She made a strangled noise, blinking up at him in shock.

“Don’t give me those eyes,” Zeke groaned. Kissing her fiercely, he rolled off her in a smooth motion. “Breakfast. Pancakes. If we don’t move, Lisha will be back in here, bouncing on the damn bed, and I’ll be inside that sweet pussy again before it’s ready.”

The loss of his warmth chilled her skin, but ice slithered down her spine when her gaze landed on the strong canvas of his back. A tapestry of survival, a testament to what he’d suffered through to still be here, his skin was a patchwork of scars.

Seeing them was a nasty blow, even though she’d been there during the treatment and healing process. Her hands knew the shape of them, the tangible difference between healthy skin and damaged, but some part of her cried silently for his pain.

Oblivious, Zeke bent and picked up his pants, turning as he stretched. The scar running down his belly started at his sternum and cut all the way down to his navel. There were more on his legs.

“Do your legs ache?” she asked as he stepped into his jeans, pulling them up to where his erection stubbornly refused to be hidden away. “The breaks were substantial.”

He glanced at her, amusement in his eyes. “Are legs a euphemism for my cock? Because if it is, yeah, angel, it fucking aches like a bitch.”

“No! Get your mind off that…” She licked her lips without thought as he tried to wrangle the zipper over the thick shaft. Clearing her throat, she shook her head to gethermind off it. “The blast messed you up, Zeke.”

With a grimace, he got his dick into the confines of his jeans, much to her disappointment. The ruddy head emerged over the waistband in protest. “They give me shit sometimes, mostly if it’s wet or cold. Don’t get much of that here, so I manage okay. The scarring on my back restricts movement, but I’ve learned how to compensate.” He lifted his hand to the back of his head absently, then let it drop. “Get migraines every now and then, but at least my brain’s still intact.”

“You’re an optimist, huh? Always seeing the bright side of life?”

“Nah. I’m a realist, Livvy. Take what you get and deal with it. The only way is forward.” Flashing her a grin, he retrieved his shirt, tugging it over his head. She noted the way he twisted his shoulders, adjusting to the restriction he’d spoken of. “Don’t mean I don’t see the bright side, though. Looking at her right now, ain’t I?”

She melted into a puddle on the mattress. She should be scrambling to cover her nakedness, but the hot stroke of his eyes over her body as he emerged from the shirt was enough to pin her in place.

He held out his hand. “Up you get, angel.”

Sliding her fingers into his palm was the easiest thing she’d ever done, but the instant she moved, Olivia realized last night was going to stalk her for at least a week. Her moan was full of discomfort; every muscle in her body, particularly thosedown below, was adamantly refusing to cooperate.

“Just leave me here; I think I’m broken.”

Laughing, Zeke bent and scooped her up. “Guess I’ll have to fix you then.”

***

Zeke

Breakfast was a chaotic affair.

Sipping his coffee, Zeke took in the scene with interest.

Atticus and Alicia worked together in unison to feed Natasha and Link.

The wide-eyed little girl refused to take her eyes off Zeke, staring at him in a way that suggested she was searching his soul for flaws.

Link, however, was laughing like a loon, smushing his toast in his tiny hands, smearing peanut buttereverywhere. His bright green eyes were alive with the joy of a two-year-old, mischievous and full of wonder as he offered Olivia the mashed ruins of his breakfast.

Hesitantly, she accepted the gift. “Ah… thank you?”

Like a baby bird, he opened his mouth, giggling.

“Mind his teeth,” Lisha called over her shoulder. “He’s a little monster when he’s in a mood.”

Olivia’s hand paused a few inches away from the kid, and she shot Zeke a glance that told him she was completely clueless how to proceed, which raised questions.

Did she have no experience with children? Or people in general?

While she knew their hosts, she was quite clearly uncomfortable, and he suspected it wasn’t just because she’d lost her virginity in the guestroom. This ran deeper, as though being around people—no matter how friendly or young—was a foreign concept.

“Here,” Atticus rumbled, walking over with a cloth. He took Livvy’s wrist gently and removed the mangled toast, wiping her fingers clean much like he would Natasha’s. That jungle-green gaze met Zeke’s, and he winked as though stating he wasn’t poaching. “Link isn’t the finger-eating cannibal his mom makes him out to be, Olivia.”