"Hey," Gage says as he joins me in his room. "What are you doing in here?"
I look down, too ashamed to tell the truth.
"It's getting worse," I sigh out, and then the bed shifts as he sits down beside me.
"Your wrist? I've been doing all the research I can to figure out what that means. I'm still trying to figure out when you got it."
"My wrist concerns me, but that's not what I was talking about." My eyes find his again to show him whatever bizarre color is in place.
Since the whole ordeal with Kane, my eyes have flipped random shades nonstop. His eyes glance out the window, and then they meet mine.
"You mean the bond?"
"Yeah. I need to do something about it. I know you don't want to, and as much as it pains me to say, I'm just going to call Thad."
His eyes slant in a confused and a slightly angered turn.
"Why do you assume that? And I would drag you away from Thad while you kicked and screamed your protests before I let him put his filthy hands on you."
I would at least try to laugh, but this is all becoming too much right now. It's definitely taking its toll on me.
"You've been avoiding me since that day at Kane's. This is actually the most we've talked. I don't blame you. What I asked wasn't exactly fair. Has anyone called about my new house?"
"No, no one's called, and, Alyssa, I haven't been avoiding you. I've been reading the book you brought in an effort to find out what that damn mark on your wrist means."
He sounds a little angry, but I'm too distracted by the burning pain inside me to acknowledge it. I just nod, turning my gaze back toward the window once more before standing up.
"I'm tired. This is draining me. I'll see you tomorrow."
He breathes out heavily through his nose, his lips pressed in a thin line, and I feel his eyes on me as I walk out. When I reach my room, I fall down onto the plush bed to let my tears drip without fear of being seen.
My knees curl to my chest as my whole body burns. I feel like I've got a fever at this point. If I've ever been more miserable, I can't remember it.
As I'm weeping softly into my pillow, I feel eyes on me. Wi
th a jolt, I whip around to see Gage standing in my doorway, his shirt absent, and his eyes burning into mine.
My fever only grows as my eyes rake over his perfect lines, sexy symbols, and his mouthwatering lips.
"What?" I murmur while quickly wiping my eyes. "Is something wrong?"
He vaporizes, leaving me confused until he suddenly appears on the bed beside me. I don't have time to question anything before his lips find mine, quenching the thirst I've had for so long.
My phone rings, but I completely ignore it, not giving a damn about who wants to chat right now.
While moaning involuntarily, my tongue dances with his to learn he's gotten a new piercing I haven't noticed... oh boy. The stud in his tongue feels smooth inside my mouth, and the grip of his hands feels as needy as mine.
He falls between my legs jerking me tightly to his center as the sound of his zipper resonates in my ears. My hands tangle in his hair, while the slick skin of his erection slides against me when his pants push down just enough to free it.
He slides my small pajama shorts to the side as the tip of his perfection grazes my sex, making me gasp.
"Are you sure about this?" he murmurs against my lips before devouring me and pressing himself almost inside me, making me squirm beneath him in anticipation.
"Definitely." My words come out in a gasped whisper, but that's all he needs.
He rips my shorts down, and then pulls my shirt over my head before he lowers his mouth to my bare breasts. His tongue dances along the edge of my nipple before drawing it fully into his mouth, and I grip his hair too tightly as I try to pull him up.
"I can't handle foreplay right now," I gush out like an eager fool, but it hurts too much to draw it out.