saw Ronin poke his head out of the den. “Did you invite my sister up too?”
“Don’t get your panties in a twist, Ronin,” Knox said. “I figured Amery would need provisions, so I waited her out. Not her fault.”
“Provisions. Spoken like a true soldier.”
When Ronin started down the hall, she said, “Not so fast. I brought you something.”
“A crutch? Jesus, Amery. I’m not that bad off.”
She marched up to him and shook the crutch in his face. “I imagine if you would’ve remained in the hospital like you were supposed to, they would’ve discharged you with a pair of these. You need to stop aggravating your knee. This, at least, will allow you to take the pressure off. I assumed you’d rather have this than my original idea of locking you up in your practice room.”
His eyes bled from brown into the molten black that indicated he was turned on.
A curl of heat unfurled in her belly.
“Careful, baby. That sharp tongue, those fiery eyes, and your pouty lips are a potent combination.”
Backtrack. Backtrack now. “Really? You’re freshly out of the hospital, Ronin. You are injured. In. Jured. Get that through your head.”
“The big head hears you. The little head sees you and wants you.”
The man took advantage of her distraction and brushed his mouth across hers. His tongue even snaked in for a little taste before she snapped out of it.
She stepped back and fiddled with the crutch, attaching the foam pads to the top and the bar in the middle. “Try that.”
He headed down the hallway. “You’re right. Much easier. Thank you.”
“This is not the first time you’ve used crutches.”
“No, but I hope it’s the last.”
Knox was messing with his phone when they walked into the kitchen. Without looking up, he said, “I texted your sister and assured her you were being looked after and hadn’t taken a header off the roof in your doped-up state.”
“Since when are you and Shiori texting pals?”
“Since we realized we had the same goal. Trying to keep you out of the ring. Obviously, we failed on that front.”
Amery hid her smile.
“I’m also here to inform you that I’d better not see you downstairs for several days. Trust that your staff can step up to the task of running the dojo in your absence.” He pocketed his phone. “I’ll let myself out. But I strongly suggest you don’t lock the goddamn elevator again. I know you’re an island and all that shit, but straight up, Sensei, you fucked up. If not for Amery letting me know you were all right after your hospital escape, I would’ve had the fire department here using an emergency override to get to you.”
Ronin said nothing.
“You need anything, holler. I’ll bring it up.” Then he walked away without saying another word.
• • •
AMERY forced Ronin to rest for the remainder of the weekend. They sat by the pool, stretched out in the shade of the garden, and napped. One moment they’d be holding hands, enjoying the easy silence, the next Amery would feel the tension rolling off him. She figured out his tension came when he’d overexerted himself and was in pain. Or if she wasn’t right by his side.
“What was that sigh for?”
“Did I sigh?”
“For the third time. Are you already bored?”
“No. Why? Are you?”
“I’m never bored with you.”
She set her laptop on the coffee table. “What show are you watching?”
“Hell if I know. I’ve been watching you.”
Amery rolled her eyes. “How’s your head?”
“Sore. Before you ask, it’s no longer a constant pain. It comes and goes.”
She grabbed a pillow and draped it across her lap. “Maybe lying flat will help.”
Ronin nestled the back of his head against her stomach and stretched out. “That is better.”
Amery ran her hands through his hair from scalp to the ends, over and over, just because she could. She’d take this rare intimate indulgence while he allowed it.
“God. That feels so good.”
She remembered that the last time he said that he’d been buried inside her. His breath in her ear. His body sliding against hers, all heat and hardness and urgency.
“You tensed up. What’s wrong?”
“Just thinking about work,” she lied.
“I haven’t asked about that. How’s it going?”
“Pretty much the same. No major client losses, but I haven’t been hired by anyone either. I pounded the pavement the past two months, but all that’s yielded me is sore feet.”
“And Molly?”
“She’s still working for me part-time and going to school. Emmylou has been traveling with the Colorado Rockies, so she hasn’t been around. Chaz is Chaz. He does his own thing.”
“That was short and sweet.”
“Not a whole lot has changed.” Amery twisted small sections of his hair, amusing herself by how fast the curl reverted to straight. “We never really did this, did we?”
“What? Lounge around?”
“Yes. I mean we did lounge by the pool, but we ended up fucking on a chaise or in the water.”
Ronin shifted to face her. “Not every time.”
“Most every time. Once we started having sex, that was pretty much all we did.” Amery put her fingers over his lips. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“But?”
“No buts. Although I am sorry that you’re hurting, I’m content to spend time with you like this. Without the pressure of sex.”
“Just because I haven’t pinned you down and fucked you like we both want doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about it.”
“I know.” She continued to stroke his hair. “Even if you were one hundred percent healthy, I still wouldn’t be all in for sexcapades.”
Ronin looked at her quizzically. “Why not?”
“Because I’m not ready to resume a sexual relationship with you. We need to reestablish intimacy first.”
“The sexual pull between us hasn’t diminished at all since we’ve been apart, and fulfilling those needs is the ultimate intimacy, Amery.”
“It is in part. Intimacy means sharing. Bodies, minds, thoughts. Parts of the past. Fears for the future.”
He stared at her. “My biggest fear is you don’t believe we have a future.”
She said nothing.
“Your silence is not reassuring.”
“I know.”
“So maybe I need to reassure you first. I swore when I got the chance with you again I wouldn’t hold back. On anything. Thoughts. Feelings. Actions. Words.”
Her heart raced.
“Maybe I need to start with the words and tell you that I lo—”
Amery put her hand over his mouth so fast his teeth connected with her skin. “Don’t.”
Ronin didn’t bother to hide his frustration.
“The only reassurances I need right now are that you’re taking your meds and giving your body time to heal.”
He pushed himself upright. “I am healing. But fair warning, baby. Just as you wouldn’t let me use my health issues as an excuse not to talk, I won’t let you use my health issues as an excuse not to rekindle our physical relationship. Because we both know we would’ve ended up fucking each other like crazy the first damn night after we talked things through, if not for my—”
“Visit to the hospital because of your fight injuries?” she supplied. “That’s a crap reason because we wouldn’t be here if not for that.”
“Wrong. I wouldn’t have let this break between us go on much longer.”
“Let?” she repeated.
Ronin caged her against the back of the couch. “Yes, let. This is not a temporary thing between us. Never has been, never will be. So I’ll let you try to push me away. I’ll let you try to convince yourself that you’re holding back from fucking me blind because I don’t understand intimacy. But we
both know differently. And I’ll do everything in my power to prove you wrong.” He dipped his head and ran his lips along the edge of her jaw and down her throat until she shivered. “I want you. I need you. And in the end, baby, I am going to have you. All of you.”
Her will to resist went as mushy as her heart. Damn him.
He stood and grabbed his crutch. “Now, are you coming to bed, or what?”
CHAPTER FOUR
THE next two days passed in a blur of boredom.
Early the third morning, Ronin woke up annoyed that Amery had turned away from him during the night again. He spent an hour in the practice room working on katas. He blanked his mind to everything except maintaining the proper breathing and stance as he moved through the forms. For the first time in a week, he completed his usual routine without any breaks.
He climbed out of the shower, and the cold air chilled him to the bone. But Amery’s heated look when she handed him a towel set his blood on fire. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. The scrapes on your arms and knuckles are healing.”
He wanted—needed—more than just her eyes on him. He craved her touch. “Can you check the ones on my back?”
“Sure.” Amery moved in behind him, and he closed his eyes when her soft fingertips brushed his spine. “You’ve still got discoloration from bruises.” She swept her thumb across his left scapula. “How did you get injured back here anyway?”
“Probably from a takedown. Are there marks anywhere else?”
She lightly pushed on his neck until he dropped his head. More gentle touches across his shoulders. “One here. It’s on a bone, so it’s still a big lump. Does it hurt?”
Not when you’re touching me like that.
“You’ve also got a big knot in this muscle.”
As soon as her fingers connected with that sore spot, his skin broke out in gooseflesh. It’d been a lifetime since she’d put her hands on him.
“This tension is probably from how you’re holding the crutch.” She rubbed a few more times. “Any other tight spots?”
The skin covering his dick was getting tighter by the second—he couldn’t tell her that, but pretty quick it’d be obvious. “No.”
She moved to stand in front of him and placed her palms on his rib cage. “Does this hurt?”
“A little.”
Amery’s scent surrounded him so completely he couldn’t think of anything except pulling her into bed with him and holding her captive until she promised never to leave him again.
“Will any of these marks scar?” She inched her fingers down his belly.
His cock nearly leaped into her hand, and he willed the motherfucking thing to stand down. “Doubtful. They’re just bruises.”
“Just bruises, he says.” She traced the contusions with such tenderness he ached for more. “Such a tough guy.”
“I don’t know about tough, but today I almost feel back to normal.” When she looked up at him, he said, “Being this close to you and not being able to touch you like I want is killing me.”
Just like that, Amery sidestepped him. “I wanted to talk to you before I left for work.”
Allowing her retreat, he briskly towel dried his hair. “What’s up?”
“I think it might be best if I stayed at my place tonight.”
Ronin didn’t answer. He just waited.
“You’re getting better, and you don’t need me—”
Before she could finish, he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and brought her against his body. “Do you really believe the only reason you’re staying with me is because I needed you as my nursemaid?”
She blinked those big blue eyes at him.
“Answer me.”
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do know, and that’s why you’re running. Guess what? That’s not happening.” He slanted his mouth over hers and kissed her. Not bothering to hide his hunger, not allowing her to retreat. Holding her in place until she responded with the passion she still felt for him but tried to discount.
The taste of her was hot and sweet. Heaven and hell because he wanted so much more from her than this small taste.
And he knew she wanted more too when she plastered her body against his, not caring he was wet. Fisting her hand in his hair with the possession he’d missed.
He forced himself to end the kiss. He brushed his lips over her chin and down her throat, holding her tighter when she trembled. “Amery, I need you. If I haven’t made that clear, then allow me to do so now. I need you in my life every day. Not just for the short term.” He nuzzled her ear and whispered, “Please. Stay with me.” He tipped her head back and smiled at her. But his smile dried when he noticed her tears. “Baby. What’s wrong? I thought we—”
“I’m scared. I trusted you once, and that nearly broke me.”
Ronin wiped the moisture from her face. “You walking away did break me. I threw myself back into those fights because I wanted the outside of my body to hurt as badly as the inside.”
Her eyes, her posture, everything about her softened toward him.
He had no problem taking advantage of that. “We’re working through this. The only way we can do that is if we’re spending time together reestablishing intimacy and trust, right?”
“You are so damn smooth.” She traced his lips with the tips of her fingers. “And so gorgeous. Sometimes I look at you and find it hard to breathe.”
“You humble me.” He dropped another kiss on her mouth. Then he parted his lips and followed the curve of her neck on a slow glide from top to bottom. Then bottom to top.
She shivered.
Rather than get greedy and push for more, Ronin withdrew, but he had secret satisfaction in seeing that Amery trembled from just the brief touch of his mouth on her skin. “It’s too damn cold in here. I’m freezing my balls off.”
“I thought it was just me.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “There’s no excuse for you not to turn on the heat since you’ve got the funds to cover the higher cost of winter utilities.”
That was the first time she’d joked about his financial status. Had to be a good sign. He smiled at her. “That is an upside.”
• • •
THROUGHOUT the day, Ronin’s determination that they’d reunite as lovers grew. He’d made his intentions clear this morning; tonight, he’d drive the point home.
After he left the dojo, he stopped in the penthouse long enough to grab a beer, a towel and to tell Amery he was going for a swim.
On the pool deck, he rolled back the thick plastic cover, leaving three quarters of the water covered. He popped off his knee brace and shed his gi pants and T-shirt. The brisk wind blowing over his nakedness forced him to get into the pool quickly.
The water warmed him, but it wasn’t as warm as he’d like. His outdoor spaces designer had assumed he would use the area for entertaining and had set it up accordingly. But half the lounge chairs hadn’t ever been used. The tiki bar looked cool in theory, but in reality, he’d rather have a hot tub.
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