The Healing Touch - Anniversary Edition (A Manwhore Series Book 3)

by Apryl Baker

  When they pulled up, the lights were on. He’d left them on for the dog.

  “It’s not as big as I thought it would be,” she mused.

  “What, you were expecting a million-dollar beach house?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Sorry, sweetheart. I don’t need much. I grew up in a small house, and I guess I still love the comfort of one.”

  “No, I like it. It’s what I’d be living in if it were me.”

  “See, we’re two peas in a pod. You should surrender now and say yes.”

  She only hummed and got out, her arms going around herself as the chill of the night air hit her.

  He strolled over and pulled her close as they walked up the driveway. He could hear his dog’s nails clacking on the hardwood inside. Carefully, he stepped aside and opened the door. The dog barreled out and hit him full force. He staggered under the weight, but he caught the dog and lifted him, trying to avoid all the wet kisses.

  Becca laughed at the dog’s eagerness. Oliver turned his head to look at Becca. Dimitri put him down, and Becca held her hand out for the dog to sniff. It took him three seconds before his tail started wagging. Her hand got covered in the same wet kisses Dimitri suffered.

  “I think someone likes you.”

  Becca petted the dog for several minutes, rubbing his belly when he’d flopped down and over, whining like a baby. She loved him instantly. Her dad never let them have pets when they were growing up, and she’d always one. Her apartment now didn’t allow pets either.

  “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get inside and find you a warm jacket. I have something I want to show you.”

  He rummaged through his hall closet until he pulled out a jacket that would swallow her, but she’d be warm. He led her through the house and out the back door to the private beach. It was what drew him to the house to being with. He’d bring his laptop and a six-pack out here some nights and write until dawn. It was peaceful.

  And deserted.

  Other than the Coopers three doors down. They were out on their patio. The smell of steak reached his nose, and his stomach grumbled.

  Becca giggled at the sound.

  “Maybe you should call Mason and have him get you something that’s not Mexican?”

  She was right, and he shot a quick text to his brother to swing by Sonic and bring him a double cheeseburger and strawberry shake. He told him to bring Becca a chocolate one.

  He pulled her down to the shore and watched her face transform from laughter to wonder. She’d never seen the ocean before, and he knew it was the one thing she really wanted to see. He’d always wanted to be the one to show her, and the feeling of contentment was just as wonderous to him as the ocean was to her.

  “It’s beautiful,” she whispered as Ollie splashed into the water, running through it like a madman.

  “Is it everything you hoped for?”

  She nodded, her eyes round as she glanced out over the water. He wished it was clearer so she could see the moon shining over the waves, but with smog, it was hard to get those nights.

  He wrapped his arms around her, his chin settling on the top of her head. “Welcome home, baby.”

  For once, she didn’t argue with him, and Dimitri was content to stand here on the beach, his dog having a grand old time in the water, and his woman nestled in his arms.

  Chapter Twenty

  The breeze felt wonderful against Becca’s hot skin. The sand she was squishing her toes in was still warm from the sun that baked it earlier in the day, even though the night had cooled. The beach was beautiful at night, but it was even more glorious in the daytime with the water sparkling beneath a cloudless sky.

  That didn’t mean she liked it enough to want to stay here, though.

  Los Angeles was loud, dirty, and hot. Not that Chicago didn’t get its fair share of heat waves, but it was never this muggy. Dimitri’s condo afforded them some privacy at night when she ventured out to the sand. His neighbors were nosier than hers, though, and that was saying something.

  She knew he was going to ask her to stay. And she probably would. She might hate the city, but she loved the man.

  After everything that went down in Charleston, LA was a safe haven. Dimitri’s ex had been taken to the hospital, screaming she was going to file charges and sue Becca. Something she wasn’t worried about. The woman had attacked her, after all. She’d been booked for assault and battery. Even if she somehow managed to get out of those charges, she was still facing a bench warrant in Philadelphia, where they had her dead to rights on embezzlement. And thanks to her jumping bond, she was currently being held without bail. She wouldn’t be seeing the outside of a prison cell any time soon.

  The signing was something she’d remembered only after she’d woken up the next day. Sara Jane had taken care of everything. She’d left a note on Dimitri’s table telling readers to pick his pre-orders up at her table, and her assistant packed up his things for him. He’d collected them later that day and arranged for UPS to ship them.

  Sheila, the event coordinator, had been very understanding, as had his readers. Becca still had people talking about how she deserved it for breaking up the crazy ex’s relationship with Dimitri, but they could keep on hating. There would always be those who wanted nothing more than to believe the worst and gossip about it. Her true friends had shown themselves in their defense of her. That was all a person could really ask for.

  Since she’d been here in LA, her anxiety had calmed down quite a bit. She still had attacks, but they were shorter, and she was able to get a handle on them a little quicker. It could be because Dimitri had been right beside her the entire time. He never lost his patience, never got angry, and doted on her.

  He pushed her too. He made her go out, took her to the movies during the matinee when it wasn’t so crowded, or took her to find new places to eat. They’d been to three restaurants featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives already. She’d gotten him hooked on the show. For a man with a finicky stomach, he loved food.

  “Hey, you.” Dimitri slipped his arms around her, and she leaned into his chest, loving how safe he made her feel. “You’ve been out here a while. Are you cold?”

  “Not anymore.”

  “What are you thinking about?” He leaned down and lightly kissed her neck.

  “Not what you’re thinking about.” She giggled. Yes, giggled.

  “Witch, you tempt me then deny me.” He bit her ear, but ever so gently.

  She turned in his arms and grinned. “No, the Thai food tempted you straight to the bathroom.”

  “We shall not speak of that ever again.” He grimaced.

  Becca had ordered Thai takeout, and Dimitri settled on a sub from his favorite sandwich shop last night. Not her fault her food smelled divine and he’d filched a little of it. She told him not to, but he never listened. Poor guy had spent all night in the bathroom and a good portion of today.

  “Are you feeling better?”

  “I haven’t had an attack in over three hours, so I think the worst of it’s gone.”

  “I really should make a meme out of that photo I took of you running for the bathroom.”

  “You wouldn’t dare!”

  “Try me.” She laughed and leaned in so she could breathe in his scent. He smelled like the ocean, having taken his dog out in the waves to play with the big chocolate lab. Dimitri grouched the dog liked her better, since he refused to leave her side from the moment he’d met her. Called him a traitor on a daily basis.

  “You are a mean, mean woman.” His hands wandered down her backside until he gripped both of her ass cheeks, squeezing them. “I can be just as mean, though. How about I take you inside, tie you to the bed, and keep you right on the edge for the next few hours. I think that is a proper punishment for threatening memes.”

  “You know the rules. No sex for two weeks, and you don’t get to tie me up until you let me tie you up first.”

  “It’s been ten days.” He pulled back, forcing her to look
up at him. One arm came up, and he traced the deepest of the cuts on her face. Dimitri insisted on having a plastic surgeon look at it. She was glad he had. The wound hadn’t been sutured to salvage her face, but for efficiency.

  The surgeon worked his magic, but it meant she still had stitches all along the right side of her eye. The smaller cuts had healed nicely, and those stitches had been removed yesterday. The damage to her eye had been worse and required more time to heal. The eye doctor assured her there would be no permanent damage, but she’d experience blurriness for a while.

  All in all, not bad, considering the beating her face had taken.

  “Ten days is not two weeks.”

  “I have a serious case of blue balls, Becca. I think I may need to be hospitalized before we leave for Texas.”

  “You’re a grown man. You can suffer through it.”

  He shook his head. “Suffer through it? Do you know how much my dick and my balls hurt when you go prancing around in those damn lace panties of yours?” She kept her face as straight as she could, and he groaned. “Witch. You don’t give a shit how much you’re making me suffer!”

  She smiled. “Nope.”

  He laughed and hugged her. “God, I love you so much.”

  “I love you too.”

  They stood there for a while, staring out at the ocean, enjoying the quiet of the night and each other’s arms. It was peaceful and settled Becca’s nerves more than anything else. Dimitri’s next question shattered the quiet little interlude.

  “What do you think of LA?” He sounded almost coy, and she knew where this was going. A conversation she’d hoped to put off until after Texas. Especially after that welcome home comment their first night here.

  “It’s okay, I guess.”

  His arms tightened. “You don’t really like the city, do you?”

  “No.” No point in trying to dumb down her dislike. “I’m sorry, but I really don’t.”

  “I figured that out on your second day when your nose scrunched up and you complained about the smog and the heat.” He smiled and pulled her toward the closed sliding glass door. “It’s okay, though. I think I’m about done with the city, anyway.”

  “What do you mean?” Oliver met them and demanded attention. The dog was a big baby and rolled over to get his belly scratched as soon as Becca dropped to her knees.

  Dimitri didn’t answer right away. He just watched his traitor of a dog get the attention he himself wanted. Why wouldn’t she rub his belly like that?

  Fuck. He had it bad. He was jealous of the damn dog.

  “All my brothers are on the east coast. They’ve been bugging me for months to move to New York. With Mason transferring to NYU, there’s no reason to stay here anymore, especially if my soon-to-be wife hates it.”

  “We still haven’t established I’m marrying you.”

  Dimitri wanted to demand she marry him and have her obey him, but he knew she had her own mind and wouldn’t be pushed on this. She’d told him more than once she wouldn’t be forced. It was a big decision.

  He knew that. Nothing had ever been more important to him. Sure, he might play the jokester, laugh all the time, and flirt like nobody’s business, but once he realized Becca was his, all that silliness went out the window. His relationship with her was the one thing he took seriously. And he’d make her realize that, no matter what it took.

  “What made you move out here, anyway? I don’t think I ever asked.”

  “It wasn’t cold.” He threw a bag of popcorn in the microwave. “I grew up in Russia where it’s damn cold, then moved to Virginia where the cold wasn’t as severe, but still horrible. I just wanted to stay warm for a change.”

  “And you’re willing to give up the sunshine state to be with your brothers?”

  “No. I’m willing to give it up for you.”

  Which was true. He would have flat out refused, if not for Becca. He loved the sunshine and the warmth, but he’d give it all up and freeze his ass off for his woman.

  “I love the cold and the snow.” She gave Oliver one last rub and got to her feet. “It makes for good cuddling weather.”

  “Well, since you put it like that, I love the cold and the snow too.” He opened the microwave when it beeped at him and took out the popcorn. “Can you hand me a bowl, please?”

  “Movie night?” She found the right cabinet after three tries. He could have told her, but he enjoyed watching her stretch to get the cabinets open then push up on her toes to reach it, causing her shirt to ride up her backside. It afforded him a fantastic view.

  “Since it’s so late, I thought we could settle in and watch Game of Thrones. You said you’ve never seen it, so why not introduce you to my fascination for Cersei?”

  “Isn’t she the one everyone hates?” Becca held the bowl while he shook the popcorn into it. “Or is it the imp they all hate?”

  “Cersei is the evil queen of the show. Everyone loves to hate her. Except me. I think all those evil tendencies she has are hot as fuck.”

  “You’re terrible.”

  “Get your ass upstairs before I show you just how terrible I can be.” She laughed when he slapped her ass but took off for the stairs. He was slower than she was, but it didn’t matter. He’d been babying his legs and going to his physical therapy every day.

  Taking Becca’s advice, he ’fessed up on social media about his legs. As she’d pointed out, he’d barely made it through two hours of standing. He couldn’t stand for the five-hour signing event in Texas. He’d made a long post about it on Facebook, and much to his surprise, he’d received an outpouring of sympathy from readers and authors. So much so, he felt stupid for thinking they’d jump ship when they found he was less than perfect.

  She was in the bathroom when he finally rolled into his bedroom. He saw the bowl of popcorn sitting on the bedside table. Stripping, he fetched a pair of pajama bottoms out of his dresser and pulled them on before turning down his blankets and finding the remote to the TV. He had the entire Game of Thrones series on his DVR.

  He knew Becca was a sucker for fantasy novels, so he couldn’t wait to see her reaction to the series. How she’d never read the books the series was based on, given her love for the genre, he didn’t know. At least she wouldn’t be complaining about the show being different from the books. He and Mason had started watching the show last year. Mase had read the books and complained or told him what was about to happen. Complete buzzkill.

  He crawled into bed, stretching out his legs. Oliver jumped up to keep him company while Becca did whatever she did to get ready for bed. He learned quickly not to walk in on her while she was on the toilet. She’d thrown the entire roll of toilet paper at his head that first night. It pissed her off to no end when she’d had to ask him to throw it back to her.

  Chuckling, he leaned back and closed his eyes, ignoring Ollie, who rolled into his side. The dog usually snuck in while they were both asleep and curled up at the foot of the bed, anyway.

  When Becca came out of the bathroom, she found both Dimitri and Oliver sound asleep. He must have dozed off. Poor guy. He’d had a rough couple of days, thanks to the Thai food. She’d have to remember to only eat spicy food when he wasn’t home.

  She shooed Oliver out of the bed and closed the door behind him. Becca stood there a moment, admiring the toned physique of the man who proposed to her at least three times a day, every day. He wouldn’t be deterred. She’d found the ring in the bowl of cornflakes he’d presented her with her third day. It was a beautiful ring, elegant and not flashy. She hated big stones. They were so ostentatious, they tended to look gaudy. Becca couldn’t believe he’d remembered how she felt since they’d discussed it at length for one of his books years ago.

  But he remembered everything she’d ever told him right down to the smallest detail. He was a good man.

  Who had blue balls.

  She chuckled. He’d done his best to seduce her since she’d arrived, despite his promises not to. She hadn’t expected that
promise to hold much value, anyway. He was a manwhore, after all, and sex was his favorite pastime.

  An idea formed in her head, and she went into the closet and found what she was looking for right off. She collected what she needed and walked slowly back out into the bedroom. If he woke up, she’d be busted, but she hoped he was tired enough the small movements she made wouldn’t disturb his sleep.

  She tied the two scarves to the bedrail. He had one of those old-fashioned ones with rails on the headboard. Lifting one arm, she laid it against the pillow, waiting to see if he’d wake. When he didn’t, she tied the other end of the scarf to his hand, making sure it was short enough that he couldn’t move it. She repeated the process with his other hand.

  Grinning, she stood and admired her handiwork. He kept refusing to let her tie him up, and she kept insisting he had to before she’d let him do it to her. What was he going to say when he woke up to find himself bound? Tossing her night shirt off, she eased into bed in only her lacy bra and panties. It would drive him crazy not being able to touch her in these. Dimitri loved that she wore lace. He thought it was sexy, and Becca loved the feel of the lace, which was why she wore so much of it.

  He really was a beautiful man. Rock hard abs that flaunted his six-pack, even when he wasn’t trying. Dimitri’s skin was kissed by the sun, making it gleam in the dim lighting of the bedroom. She lightly ran her fingers over his stomach, fascinated when the muscles jumped beneath her fingertips.

  She rolled over on her stomach so she could taste him. Her lips traveled all the grooves in the skin of his muscled stomach. She heard him groan and looked up to see his eyes closed. Was he awake and only playing possum?

  She scraped her nails over his abdomen, pressing down the slightest bit, only enough to tease him with a bite of pain. His entire body shuddered.

  “I know you’re awake, asshole.”

  His blue eyes opened, and he raised an eyebrow. “How did you know?”

  She tickled his side, and he gasped, flinching away from her. “I just did.”

  “No tickling when I can’t move. It’s not fair!”