Just like always, I felt it. Felt that powerful spark between our lips. My hand moved to his arm, and I felt his muscles, felt the powerful frame that was still strong under those bruises. I closed my eyes as I let my lips linger against his.
His other hand moved into my hair, sliding until he cupped the back of my head. He kissed me again, moaning between our breaths like he’d never had a kiss so good, even though we were barely moving our lips. It was our chemistry, our connection, that lit us on fire.
He pulled away and placed his forehead against mine, his eyes closed. “I can’t wait to make love to you.”
My hand cupped his cheek, looking up into the face of the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. The second we were apart, I was cold as ice, but when we were together, I melted all over again…became a slave to this powerful man. “You’re doing it right now.”
I packed my bag on the edge of the bed and zipped it up.
Heath entered the bedroom but stopped when he noticed what I was doing. He leaned against the frame of the door, crossing his arms over his chest, like he intended to block my path so I could never leave.
“I have to work tonight…and tomorrow.”
He stared at me coldly, like he didn’t accept that answer.
I pulled the strap over my shoulder. “You’ll be fine without me.”
“I never needed you to begin with. It was just an excuse to have you here.” His voice was quiet, but it contained a natural amplification, like the depth of his voice made it more potent.
I moved around the bed and headed toward the door. “I can’t stay here all the time.”
“Why not?”
A sigh escaped my lips. “I’ll be back in a few days.” I approached the doorway and waited for him to move.
He stared at me defiantly, like he wasn’t going to go anywhere. But then he dropped his arms and stepped aside.
I moved down the hallway and started to descend the stairs.
He was close behind me, his bare feet loud against the hardwood floor.
I didn’t want him to take the stairs when he was still recovering, so I turned around to say goodbye.
He wore a slightly sad expression in his eyes, like it was hard to watch me go. He never asked me if I wanted to be with him or if my stance on our relationship had changed. He just assumed we were together again.
But that was a fair assumption to make.
His arm circled my waist, and he pulled me close, his lips near mine. “It’s hard for me to let you go…when I just got you back.”
My hands gently rested against his chest, my eyes on his mouth. “It’s not for long.”
“It’s an eternity to me.” He pressed his lips to my forehead, letting his warm mouth linger as he embraced me. “I’ll be back to normal soon. I’ll be the man you fell in love with. I’ll be the man who protects you, the man who can lift you with a single arm and throw you over my shoulder.”
I pulled back so I could look him in the eye. “Babe, I don’t think less of you.” My attraction to him hadn’t changed. He was still the most desirable man on the planet, even with his scars.
He sighed quietly, as if he thought less of himself.
“I know that’s your entire identity, but there’s more to you than that. And all those things are still there.”
“Yeah?” he whispered.
“Yeah. Like your arrogance, your sarcasm…”
He smiled slightly, immediately feeling better when I teased him.
“The way you look at me…the way you kiss me…”
His arm tightened on my back.
“And I’ll never forget the way you looked in that cage. You’ve come so far, survived when anyone else would have died. Look at you now, and it’s only been a few weeks. I don’t think less of you… I think more of you.”
I worked over the weekend, back to the stage after telling everyone I was sick with the flu—again. But no one seemed annoyed by my absence, especially not my understudy, who finally got to take the stage for a few nights.
When the performances were over, I went home to my apartment—alone.
I wanted some time away from Heath because I’d been at his side since I’d seen him in the cage. We’d been inseparable, and I’d barely had the opportunity to process what had happened.