Chapter Twenty-One
Rylan held her tightly against his chest as he and Duncan tried to gain back enough of their strength to pull out of her.
“Shhh,” he said when she whimpered. “We’ll get you taken care of. Just sleep.”
“I’ll be right back,” Duncan said as he walked into the bathroom.
Rylan moved them up the mattress until their heads were on the pillows. He heard the shower, and then a few minutes later, Duncan came out of the room with a towel around his waist and a washcloth in his hands. “Let me clean her up a bit.”
“Thank you,” Rylan said.
After Duncan wiped her off and disposed of the cloth, he pulled the blanket up over them.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll head home. I’ve got quite a bit of packing to do.”
Rylan grinned. “You found a house?”
“Yeah. It’s close to yours.”
Another piece fell into place. “Good. I’m glad.”
Rylan closed his eyes as Duncan got dressed. They opened when Duncan leaned over and kissed Faith on the forehead. “She’s something. You’re a lucky bastard. If you ever need to punish her like this again, call me.”
“I know I’m a lucky guy. I know you want someone like her, and we’ll find you one. Just wait.”
“I’d like that a lot.” Duncan turned at the door. “It’s going to be funny seeing her the first time after this.”
Rylan chuckled. “She’ll probably run the other way.”
They both laughed.
“I’ll see you later.”
“Thanks again, man.”
Duncan grinned. “No, I should thank you.”
Rylan laughed as he closed the door. He turned and spooned Faith, closed his eyes, and slept.
He had no idea how long they slept, but dusk had fallen because the room was just about dark. When he glanced at the clock, he saw it was only seven, but he needed to get them up and fed. They would come back to bed, hold each other, and talk some more.
“Honey, wake up.”
She rolled to her back and stretched.
His heart felt like it was ready to burst when she looked up at him and smiled. He cupped her cheek, lowered his head, and kissed her.
They were both breathing hard, and she was clinging to him by the time he lifted his head.
“I don’t ever want to lose you. You’re the other part of my soul. Please don’t ever take that from me. I wouldn’t survive.”
Tears filled her eyes, and she touched his face. “I’m sorry. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too, baby.”
They kissed for a long time until he put a stop to it. “Let’s go down and eat, and then we’ll come back up here and cuddle.”
“I’d like that a lot, Daddy.”
“Good.”
He pulled on some silky sleep pants and put her in a robe.
Most of the staff were in their own apartments in the back of the house, but Rylan knew Karina had left something for them. He looked in the warmer to find two plates of roast beef, potatoes, and carrots.
He grabbed the hot pads, lifted the plates, and took them to the table.
“Here you go. Start to eat, and I’ll be right back.”
When he came back, he set glasses of milk down and laughed when she groaned.
“It’s a small glass, baby.”
And like every other time, she pinched her nose and guzzled the milk until it was gone. He snorted, shook his head, and picked up his fork.
They talked while they ate, going over the game plan of their move. If all went well, they’d be in Arkansas in less than two weeks.
“Are you excited to see Larkin?”
“Yes. We talk all the time on the phone, but it’s not the same as being together. She’s also introduced me to several girls like us, and they’re all so nice.”
“I think we’re both going to be very happy there.”
They rinsed the dishes and headed upstairs.
When they got halfway up the steps, the doorbell rang. He sighed. “Wait here. I’ll see who it is.”