In A Fix - Mary Calmes Page 0,96

assured him, sliding my hand over his cheek, unable to not touch him.

“You got—it’s just luck that Ryder didn’t kill you. He’s an excellent marksman and—”

“I don’t think his heart was in it, and I did hit him with your omelet pan.”

He closed his eyes and breathed while I stroked over his cheek, the strong line of his jaw under the coppery-gold stubble, and finally slipped my thumb over his lips, over and over, until he whined with such raw hunger that it was all I could do not to attack him.

I was gentle instead.

Cupping the back of his head, I held him still as I leaned in and kissed him, deeply, relentlessly, not letting him breathe, finally putting him on his back so I could lie down on top of him. We were separated by the covers, him under them, me above, but I could feel the heat of his body seeping through the layers.

“Croy,” he gritted out, and I heard the crack in his voice. “When I ran into the living room and saw you there bleeding, I thought—I’ve never—”

“It’s okay,” I soothed him. “I’m fine, you’re fine, and it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I can’t imagine being threatened at home like that ever again, though I really want to know why you had a spare door on hand.”

I meant to be playful, teasing, but realized after a moment that it seemed like he was holding his breath.

“Dallas?”

“Get in bed with me.”

“You need to—”

“Please,” he rasped, choking on the word. “Don’t tell me to rest, because my mind is racing and—I know what I need.”

“Dallas—”

“Croy,” he murmured, calming, exhaling slowly. “Hurry before I lose my nerve.”

“Listen to me,” I soothed him. “I—”

“I need to know you’re safe, and words aren’t enough,” he croaked, eyes brimming with tears, meeting mine. “Take off your clothes, get the lube, and fuck me so I know.”

He was overwrought and exhausted, mentally, emotionally, and physically drained. Add to that he had taken all the choices, all the responsibility and the onus of the relationship on himself. He thought he was the only one who cared enough to turn his life upside down, only because he’d realized before I had that distance wasn’t going to work. He was better with me around. I brought out the best in him. What he’d missed was that I felt the same.

Instead of complying with his demands, I sat up, straddling his hips, and put one hand flat over his heart as I stared down into his eyes.

“Croy,” he husked.

“It’s not only you,” I told him. “You’re not the only one here who understands that us being together works.”

He blinked several times before finally lifting his right hand to his face and brushing away the tears.

“This shouldn’t work,” I said, my voice thick and low, finding it hard to speak around the lump in my throat. “We couldn’t be more different, and yet—”

“We fit,” he said, shivering. “We belong together.”

I sighed deeply. “Yes.”

He jolted underneath me, staring up at my face. “Yeah?”

“We already agreed to try,” I reminded him.

“This is more than trying,” he clarified as he took hold of my thighs, gripping tight.

It was, he was right. This was making a decision to stay. “It makes sense for me to move here,” I said gruffly. “Your family is here, you own your house, you have a job you love, and—”

“Hey.”

I stopped listing things and met his gaze.

“Thank you for having faith,” he said softly, not taking his eyes off me. “You’ll see, Croy, I’m gonna make you so happy.”

“I’m happy now,” I groused at him.

“Yeah, I can tell,” he said, chuckling, letting go of my legs and lifting his arms. “C’mere.”

When I bent into his arms, he wrapped them around me and held tight. I ended up under the covers, spooned around him, and it turned out that he wasn’t the only one who needed sleep.

Seventeen

Going mattress shopping with him was harder than me leaving Chicago. That was the simple part.

My landlord let me out of my lease, because there was a family that wanted to move into my fully furnished apartment as soon as I could get out. My boss had his moving company pack me up, clean so I could get my deposit back, and shipped my clothes and shoes overnight since the few things I had brought with me were in heavy rotation with some things I could borrow from Dallas. We were not built the same at all. I was taller, leaner muscled,