Page 90 of Pretty Little Scars

“I love your sassy mouth,” he growls as his lips come up to mine again, and I sink into the kiss as his hands do delicious things to my skin.

But just when he grinds his hard cock against me, his phone rings.

“Fuck.” He leans his forehead against mine and we both sigh in resignation. “I have to go.”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not fucking okay. I miss you.”

“I should be around through tonight, as long as?—”

“Don’t even say it. If we don’t voice it, it won’t happen.” His eyes bounce over my face as if he’s memorizing me, and then he hugs me close and kisses the top of my head. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Be careful.”

His knuckles drift down my cheek, and then he’s off, pulling on a clean T-shirt—no idea where that came from—and striding quickly away, and I huff out a breath.

At least I got to see him.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

TUCKER

T-

In case you’re hungry when you get home, there is chicken salad in the fridge and crackers in the pantry. You need protein! I did a ton of baking this afternoon, so take your pick from that, too. I’m upstairs. Didn’t get called out! But so, so tired. This morning’s nap has long dissipated, and I need to crash.

xo,

D

My beautiful girl is upstairs in our bed, and I get to crawl in with her for the first time in more than a week. Fuck protein, I needher.

But first, I need to shower this day away. We finally caught the lion and her babies, and the authorities have relocated her to Glacier National Park, where they can safely hunt all they want. But she was squirrely and difficult, and managed to kill one more of my cattle before we finally trapped her and the babies. It’s been a long fucking week.

After turning off the lights downstairs, I make my way up to the bedroom, and there she is, sleeping soundly in our bed. My heart catches at the sight of her sweet face, her dark hairspread out behind her. Her face is buried in my pillow, and she’s hugging it to her, as if it’s a substitute for me. As if she’s trying to find the last remnants of my scent there.

As quietly as I can, I stumble my way through a shower and brush my teeth. My body feels so heavy with exhaustion. I don’t know that I’ve ever been this tired, even during calving season, and that’s saying a lot. But once I’m dry, I pad to the bedroom and slip in behind my girl. I want to let out a loud groan because it feels so fucking good to have her against me. She’s not wearing any clothes, something that I learned about her not long after she came to live here with me.

We’re both naked sleepers.

So fucking convenient.

I could curl up like this and sleep for a week. Just hold her to me, her warmth and sweetness a balm to my weary soul, but she lets out a little whimper and wiggles back into me, as if needing to get closer, and her perfect ass rubs against my growing cock.

Apparently, my dick didn’t get the exhausted memo. Or, it just doesn’t give a shit because I finally have Darby in my arms.

Suddenly, she wiggles again, and I loosen my hold so she can turn around, and my lips immediately find her forehead.

“You okay?” she whispers softly, sleepily.

“Yeah. It’s over.”

She sighs and presses a kiss to my chest. “Good. Can’t open my eyes.”

“You’re so tired, baby.” And I can’t stop peppering soft kisses to her head, my hands drifting up and down her soft back. We’re facing each other, hugging, our legs tangled, and it’s the first time in days that I feel calm. Like my nervous system can finally level out again.

I’ve been here, in this bed, every day, but it hasn’t felt like home until this moment, with her.