Unraveling (Second Chances) - By Micalea Smeltzer Page 0,94
said, softly.
“See, you’re just going to have to move in,” he joked. “Problem solved.”
“I’m going to see if I can maybe get some sleeping pills,” I looked at my fingers, suddenly finding them very interesting.
“You do whatever it is you have to do, to stop reliving this. It’s the only way for you to truly move on,” he removed the icepack and inspected my forehead. “It’s going down.”
I pressed tentative fingers to my forehead.
“It might bruise,” Jared said, squinting in the darkness as he looked at it.
“I’ve had worse,” I stood up, letting the blanket fall back to the couch.
“We both have had worse,” he whispered kissing my cheek. “Let’s get you upstairs and in bed.”
He went to pick me up and I protested, “No, Jared. I can walk.”
“Let me carry you, kitten, you’re light as a feather.”
I started to protest but the look he gave, shushed me.
He carried me up the steps, down the hall and bumped his bedroom door with his knee so it would open. He gently laid me on top of his duvet cover. My hair fanned around me.
“You are so beautiful,” he groaned, placing a light kiss to the injury on my forehead. His large hand cupped my cheek. “Now that you let me touch you, I never want to stop.”
I smiled up at him. “I like touching you.”
He growled and kissed my chin. “Scoot over,” he commanded, pulling his sweatshirt off and then hooking his thumbs in the back of his t-shirt and pulling it off. He undid his belt and let his jeans fall to the floor.
My breath stuttered at seeing Jared in only his black boxer briefs.
He pulled the covers down and then over me, before climbing in beside me.
“You won’t have any nightmares, now,” he crooned, spooning me against him.
A smile lit my face as my eyes closed with exhaustion. No, I definitely wouldn’t have any nightmares now.
30
“JESUS, KATY, YOUR PUNCHES ARE GETTING STRONGER,” JARED GRUNTED AS I PUNCHED THE BAG.
I snorted. “Stop trying to make me feel better. I know you’re not feeling that,” I rolled my eyes.
My cast had come off over a week ago and Jared was just now letting me join him at the gym. I think he was afraid I’d break it again. Sometimes, he worried way too much about me.
Jared chuckled and let go of the bag, coming around and wrapping his arms around my waist. He kissed my neck, then my chin, before finally, kissing my lips.
He let go and grabbed my arm. “Look, you’re getting some serious muscle definition,” he squeezed it.
I swatted at his side. “You are so full of crap.”
“The truth isn’t ‘crap.’” He held his fingers up in air quotes.
I pushed his shoulder. “Just go lift weights so I can watch you.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Why does that make me feel like I’m a piece of man meat?”
I giggled. “Man meat?”
“You said you wanted to watch me,” he chuckled. “That makes me man meat.”
“You’re full of yourself, today,” I followed him over to the weight station.
“Here,” he handed me some light weights. “You can use these.” He picked up much heavier ones for himself and started to flex, his arms completely bare in his sleeveless top.
“Show off,” I muttered.
He grunted as he brought the weight back up. “Kitten, this isn’t showing off. Would you like me to show you what ‘showing off’ is?”
“Yeah,” I smirked.
He put the weights down and took mine from me, stacking them both back on the rack in their rightful places.
“Come here,” he took my hand, guiding me to an empty area of floor, covered in a blue mat. “Lay down.”
“O-o-kay,” my voice quaked.
“Don’t be nervous,” he said with a chuckle, lowering himself over top of me. I was so short that his feet stretched way beyond mine. His hands rested flat on the mat, holding him above me. Our faces were even, just inches apart. “This,” he said, raising himself and then lowering, “is showing off.”
He did another pushup but this time when he came down he pecked my lips.
“Hmmm, I could get used to this. It’s like a reward system,” he kissed me a little longer this time before going back up.
“How long are you going to do this?” I asked.
“At least seventy-five more times, kittycat. Remember, this, is showing off,” he smirked.
“I get it, you have endurance and strength. Point proven, Jared,” I stared up into his warm brown eyes. “You can stop now.”