Page 31 of Rehabilitated

She gasps, then moans as I make love to her again.

It’s a long night, the best night of my life.

It’s just the start, my bear says.

I grin, knowing he’s right.

8

Ever

I wake slowly. It’s still an adjustment to wake up without someone yelling or throwing something at me. I always half expect it when my eyes open, but there’s none of that here. No footsteps thundering overhead, no locks clicking open, or angry voices barking orders at me.

Instead, I wake because sunlight spills across the bed and because Russo’s arm is wrapped a little too securely around my waist.

A smile finds my lips before I even open my eyes. My bear stretches contentedly inside me.

Home, she sighs happily.

I still can’t believe that’s what this is. Home. The word feels new and fragile. It feels wonderful too.

I turn carefully in Russo’s arms until I’m facing him. He’s still asleep. I’m not surprised. He must be tired after everything we did last night. My face heats with a blush as I replay our lovemaking in my head.

I study Russo in his slumber. His dark hair is sticking up in every direction. He’s impossibly handsome when he’s awake, but he’s somehow even more handsome like this. He looks peaceful, relaxed, and happy. His brow isn’t furrowed the way it was the first day we met, and the constant tension he’s carried seems lighter now. Maybe I’m not the only one healing.

As if sensing me watching him, his eyes blink open.

“Morning,” he murmurs, his voice still rough with sleep.

“Morning,” I whisper.

He smiles immediately. “I was hoping you were still here.”

I laugh softly. “Where else would I be?”

“I was worried that it was all a dream. I’ve been waking up like that a lot lately.”

“Well, I’m not going anywhere,” I promise.

“Good.”

His thumb traces slow circles across my hip, and that now-familiar desire tugs low in my belly. I lean forward and kiss him gently. His bear rumbles faintly beneath the surface, and mine answers with a happy little hum.

I still smile every time I hear her. After twenty-three years of silence, having someone inside my mind feels surprisingly comforting, especially now that she’s constantly reminding me how loved I am.

Russo breaks the kiss and brushes a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “How are you feeling?”

“A little sore, but happy. I feel, I don’t know, complete. It’s like I have everything I’ll ever need.”

“You do,” he mumbles, kissing the shell of my ear.

I gasp, almost purring as his lips trace along my skin. I arch against him, sensing his desire burning hotter, matching my own.

“I’m not too sore,” I pant.

He chuckles, his lips brushing over the bite mark at the base of my neck. “Does my mate need me again?”

I nod eagerly. “Badly.”