Page 36 of Swerve (Boosted Hearts 1)

I pulled away . . . groaning in pain at the sudden movement, then jerked back to correct myself, and almost flipped off the side of the bed. Neco fisted my shirt, stopping me from eating carpet and adding more bruises to my collection.

“Jesus. Hold still,” he muttered.

“I’m . . .” I gasped. “I’m fine. I’ll just . . .”

“I said don’t fuckin’ move.” He ab curled and my brain went a little fuzzy at the sight of his rippling, dancing muscles. He slid out the end of the bed—he was still wearing his jeans—walked around, and scooped me up. The covers slipped away, flashing my panties. I shoved down my shirt. “Neco!”

“Quit your squawking.” He grabbed my glasses from the bedside table and handed them to me.

I slid them on. “I do not squawk.”

He smirked. “My ringing ears say different.”

I shoved at his chest—ouch—and winced. Note to self. I hated that he was partly right, but I needed to stop with all the jerky movements. I didn’t tell him this, though, instead I said, “Christ. What is it with you guys? I can walk.”

“Looks to me like you can’t even lie down without hurting yourself.”

“Whatever.” Right then, pressed against him like I was, that’s the best I could come up with.

He chuckled and opened the door, walking the short distance to the bathroom. He didn’t stop there though. He walked right on in and set me down in front of the toilet.

My face exploded with molten heat. “To the door would have been sufficient.”

He swiped the pad of his thumb over my overheated cheek. “Wouldn’t have seen you get all red and embarrassed if I did that.”

“I’m not embarrassed,” I lied.

“Yeah, you are.”

“Am not.”

He smirked again. “You wanna stand here and debate this all morning, or pee?”

“Jesus.” I pointed to the door. “Get the hell out of here.”

He chuckled again and walked out, swagger in full effect, shutting the door behind him.

I stared after him.

Who the hell was that masked man? I barely recognized the Neco I’d woken up with this morning. I still couldn’t believe I had woken up with him this morning. I felt like I was in some alternate reality.

I quickly took care of business, washed my face, and brushed my teeth, avoiding looking at myself in the mirror, and then shuffled to the door. My face was still a mess. Every damn color of the rainbow. Looking at myself only served as a reminder of my own stupidity.

I just had to make sure I remembered this change in his attitude toward me was fueled by guilt, nothing more.

He’d get over it and we’d be back to where we’d been before. If I let myself get sucked in by this temporary change in him, I’d only be hurting myself when it came to an end.

And it would end.

CHAPTER TEN

Neco

I was leaning against the breakfast bar when Ruby walked out. She was wearing black yoga pants and a baggy T-shirt. My eyes dropped to her chest before I could stop myself. Her tits were big for her size, made more obvious since she wasn’t wearing a bra. Probably couldn’t get it on without help since she was still pretty banged up. But the alternative was to look at her face, at her bruises. Not a good idea, when I was barely keeping the rage riding me on a leash. Her right cheek was still a little swollen, a smallish cut held together with Steri-Strips. And though she was walking fine, I knew she was still uncomfortable.

I ate up the sight of her. I was powerless to do anything else.

Her hair was a messy, dark tumble and with her spare glasses on, larger than her usual ones, her heart-shaped face looked smaller. She looked like a delicate fairy. Fragile.