Page 26 of Lawless
He doesn’t say those final words, but I read them in his eyes nonetheless.
Removing my arms from his shoulders, he lowers them to my sides and takes a step back.
My fingers twitch with my need to reach for him, but I stop myself.
As much as I might need him, I’m also aware of how much he’s been pushed out of his comfort zone recently.
I’m not the only one who needs a little peace and quiet to try and get everything straight in my head.
So without saying a word, I let him back out of the room and close the door behind him.
The second I’m confident he can’t hear me, I let out a pained sigh before stripping out of my hoodie and underwear and stepping into the bath.
The temperature is perfect, despite how long we were standing down on the beach.
A satisfied groan spills from my lips as I sink under the mass of bubbles, my muscles relaxing more with every second that passes.
Resting my head back, I close my eyes and allow my thoughts to drift to nicer things, the future where Mav and I could have a life together like this. No danger, no fear, no stress.
I don’t fall asleep. At least I don’t think I do. Instead, I just linger on the edge of consciousness. It’s a place I like, a place where I can control my thoughts, stopping them from going to dark and twisted places that will leave me fighting to breathe and drowning in my own fear.
When I come back to myself, the bath is cold and the bubbles have all but vanished.
Pushing myself up, I lift my hands from the water and find my fingertips pruned.
I climb from the bath, wrap myself up in a huge, white fluffy towel and wring the water from my short locks with another.
Rummaging through the vanity, my eyes narrow in suspicion when I find some of my products.
I can’t help but smile at Mav’s thoughtfulness as I cleanse and tone my face, and then slather on some vanilla moisturizer.
Do I miss the cherry scent JD got me? Yeah, if I’m being honest, I do a little.
By the time I’m ready to walk out the door to find something to wear, I feel a little stronger than when I first walked in here.
Yes, things are still a mess. But while I’ve got my husband by my side, how bad can things really get?
“Oh my God.” I gasp the second I pull the bathroom door open and discover what’s waiting for me. “Mav, this is…” My words trail off as I take in the darkened room and flickering candlelight. He stands right in the middle of it, wearing only a pair of tight black boxer briefs, his hair and skin still damp from a shower.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything quite so tempting in all my life.
“Is it… shit,” he says, lifting his arm and combing his fingers through his hair. His muscles ripple, the ink covering his tanned skin almost dancing as he moves. “It’s romantic, right? I wanted it to be—”
“Perfect.” I sigh, my heart aching in the best possible way. “It’s incredible. You’re incredible.”
At my words, his face relaxes, an almost smile twitching at his lips.
“Yeah?” he asks shyly.
He probably hates how unsure he is right now, but I can say for a fact that he looks fucking adorable.
There’s something to be said for bringing a dangerous gangster to his knees like this.
It’s addictive. And I pray it never gets old.
Moving closer to him, I press my hands against his chest and slide them up until they’re gripping the back of his neck.
“Yeah.”