Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 155037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 517(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 775(@200wpm)___ 620(@250wpm)___ 517(@300wpm)
The only person who ever made her feel better when she was eaten up with guilt and feeling like a crappy person was Loki.
And he wasn’t here.
Remy lifted her up over the console and into his lap. He slid his seat back so there was plenty of room. He arranged her so her legs were on either side of his lap.
Then he gently pressed her face against his chest. He ran his other hand lightly up and down her back.
“You’re all right, baby. You’re okay.”
She bit down on her lip. Was she? “I’m sorry.”
“Shh. Stop. You don’t have to say sorry anymore. You’re forgiven.”
She frowned. “What? Just like that?”
“Yeah, baby.” His hand moved down her head to her neck and massaged the tight muscles he found there.
“You can’t just forgive me.”
“I can’t? Why not?” His voice was low, soothing. And in the dark, with the heat of him warming her, she could almost drift off to sleep. If it wasn’t for the knot in her tummy, that is.
“Because you have to make me earn it.”
“Earn my forgiveness?” he asked.
“Uh-huh.”
“How would I do that?”
“I dunno . . . remind me over and over how much I owe you, how disappointed you are in my behavior, give me extra chores, ground me . . . wait . . .” Shoot. She hadn’t meant to say any of that.
“That’s what your dad used to do, huh?”
Crap. Crappity crap.
“I know what your special skill is. You’re not a mind-reader, you’re a mind-blurter.”
“Um, what?” he asked.
“You get people to blurt out whatever is on their mind.”
His chest moved as he laughed. “Is that so?”
“It’s the only explanation for what’s happening here.”
“Poor baby.” He kissed the top of her head. “Unfortunately, you don’t tell me everything on your mind. There’s still a lot in here.” He tapped her temple.
Yeah. He wasn’t wrong.
“I’ll get it all out.” He drew her back and cupped her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “What you need to know now is that you’re forgiven. I don’t want any more ‘I’m sorry’s.’”
Could she do that? Just accept that he’d forgiven her?
“Does Loki make you feel like this, too, when you do something to apologize for?”
“What? No. Of course not. But Loki loves me.”
“Your dad didn’t?” he asked incredulously.
“I don’t think so. Not that I ever noticed.”
“Baby. I’m so fucking sorry. What a fucking asshole.”
She shrugged, but it still hurt. Feeling like her own dad didn’t love her.
“You don’t have to beg for my forgiveness. Although, if you’re ever in need of punishment, I’ll gladly hand that out. A spanking does wonders for a guilty conscience.”
She snorted. “You would say that.”
“Just the truth. There’ve been studies.”
“There has not!” She grinned, then she leaned against him.
“Joking aside, once I forgive you, that’s it. No more worrying or angsting, understand me? Or I really will spank you.”
“Like that would be a hardship for you.”
“Oh, it certainly would not.”
Twenty minutes later, they pulled up the driveway to her house.
As she reached over to unbuckle her belt, he placed his hand on hers and kept it there for a moment. But it was enough for her to get the picture.
With a blush, she removed her hand and he undid her belt.
“Good girl,” he murmured.
Damn. If she got a ‘good girl’ like that every time she did something he liked, she was going to be a very, very good girl.
He climbed out of the truck and walked around to her side. The lights were on in the house, which meant that Loki was home.
Shit. Was Remy going to walk her to the door? His old-fashioned tendencies would mean that he’d insist, right?
And she didn’t want to mess up again or hurt his feelings by telling him that he couldn’t.
He lifted her down and wrapped his jacket around her again. It had fallen off in the truck when he’d picked her up.
Then he took hold of her hand in his. “Shit, you’re still freezing.”
“Just my hands.” They were tingling too. And not the good kind. The sort that came after they’d been numb and they were coming back to life.
Yeah, the kind that made you clench your teeth against the pain.
“Next time you leave the house, wear a jacket and gloves. And a scarf.”
“It’s not winter yet,” she protested.
“It’s getting colder. Especially at night. Don’t want you getting sick.”
She huffed out a breath. He was so protective.
And she loved it.
He walked her up to the door. “Loki’s home?”
“Yep. He is.” Did he expect her to ask him to come in? She shifted her weight from foot to foot. It was only polite, right? But how would that make Loki feel?
“Easy, baby.” Remy cupped her face between his warm, large hands. They were calloused, yet they felt perfect against her skin. “Don’t expect you to do anything that will make you uncomfortable. But I am gonna work on uncomplicating this.”