Wicked Love - Michelle Dare Page 0,251

rolling back as I rode the sensations.

The pleasure washed away the last remnants of anxiety I had from earlier.

Erik didn’t know what happened, but his touch brought comfort. His nearness made me feel safe. All the bad faded away with each thrust. He filled me, and only love remained. My heart swelled with desire for him. My body ached with need. And when we came together, nothing in the world could touch us.

He rolled to the side and pulled me against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on my shoulders.

“I’ll never get enough of you,” he said.

I relaxed against him, enjoying the safety of his hold. “Same.”

We lazed about in bed for the rest of the evening, making love and having a picnic in the bed. Erik made everything better without even knowing something was wrong. His touch chased away shadows and kisses warmed me to my very core. The hours passed quickly, and I yawned, curling up close to him.

“Sleep.” He kissed my shoulder. “We’ll plant some daffodil seeds tomorrow.”

I closed my eyes, but thoughts of earlier kept my mind occupied. It didn’t take long for Erik’s breathing to even out. He snored softly. Once I knew he was in a deep sleep, I slipped out of bed. I put on an oversize shirt and a pair of underwear. His phone sat on the nightstand, resting on a portable charger.

After double checking that Erik hadn’t moved, I took the phone off the charger and slipped from the room.

The only computer in the house was in the basement. And that was Erik’s office. He didn’t like for me to be in there. This wasn’t the first time I’d taken his phone either. I’d tried to find out information about the accident, but had no luck finding any articles or other things that might help me.

But with the man accosting me at the supermarket, my curiosity was buzzing. I sat on the couch, the light from the phone bright in the dark living room. I searched “Lenore Franks” with “assault” and other variations. Also, since I didn’t know the name of the man at the grocery store, it was hard to search for him.

It was a long shot, but I checked out the arrest records and mugshots—all of which were public record. I learned a lot from my books, and I couldn’t say how I understood technology so well. Maybe it’s something I knew before the accident. Muscle memory or whatever.

Erik groaned from the room.

I jumped and quickly erased the browsing history from his phone. My investigation into the mystery man from the supermarket would have to wait. Once the phone was clean, I turned the screen off and went back into the room. Erik still slept, but fitfully. A nightmare. He had them every couple of nights. I replaced the phone, walked to the bathroom, flushed the toilet, and then turned on the faucet to wash my hands.

Erik turned over and looked at me with a sleepy gaze. “Lenore?”

I smiled and slid back into bed with him. “Had to use the bathroom.”

He slid an arm around me and snuggled close. His erection pressing against my hip.

I swear this man was insatiable.

That was fine by me.

By morning, Erik asked about the bruise, a little surprised at his own strength. It was easy to pass off, mainly because it wasn’t the first time it happened. I waved it away, kissing him, first on the lips then going lower until I took him in my mouth. I loved having Erik this way. Loved feeling his hips buck underneath me. At that moment, I was in control. I was the one who could speed things up, or slow them down. It made me feel bold and powerful.

And when he came, I knew that he belonged to me, as much as I belonged to him.

After, we cleaned up and then went outside to plant the daffodils in the spot near the deck. Once seeds were in the ground, he got back to work on the gazebo. Heat beat down from the sun. Summer was in full swing, bringing humidity along with it. Even sitting on the porch in the shade, book in hand, I could feel it thick in the air.

But Erik worked diligently, laying planks of stained wood for the foundation. Sweat glistened on his arms and had soaked through his green tank top. Butterfly wings rippled across my stomach as I watched him work. I loved him.