"Are you okay?"
I nodded then pressed my face into his chest, needing to feel him against me for a few minutes more. Maybe he realized that as well because his arm tightened around my waist and I felt the warmth of his breath wash over my skin a second before he pressed his lips against my temple in a heartbreakingly tender kiss.
That was how my father found us when he walked in a few minutes later.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Nathan
"Stop squirming or it's going to hurt worse."
"It doesn't hurt now—" Addy's voice ended in a hiss of pain and I winced even though I wasn't the one who was hurt. Not physically, at least. Inside, my guts were shredded and I had to fight to keep my stomach in place every single time I looked at her arm.
Like right now. I'd been applying ice to it on and off for the last few hours, hoping to keep the swelling down and the bruising at a minimum. The ice seemed to be working on the swelling but the bruising—
My gut clenched and twisted again and I had to close my eyes and force myself to swallow the rage that threatened to bubble back to the surface. The bruising circled her upper left arm, discoloring the tender flesh in angry purples and blues so dark they were nearly black. The only problem with closing my eyes was that every time I did, I saw the image of that fucking asshole grabbing Addy. Shaking her. Pulling his fist back to hit her in the face.
I should have laid his ass out flat when I had the chance. The only thing that had stopped me was the soft pleading I'd heard in Addy's shaking voice. I had a feeling I'd regret listening to her for a long, long time. She had explained why she asked me to stop but even then, I couldn't really let go of the feeling that I'd made a mistake listening to her.
Especially now, when the evidence of what he'd done was staring me in the face.
Addy was seated at one of the stools at the kitchen island, dressed in a pair of yoga pants and a tiny tank shirt with cute lacy straps, her bare feet resting on the bottom cross brace of the stool. She looked natural. At home. Like she belonged here. As far as I was concerned, she did belong here. I just hoped she felt the same way because I had a feeling I wasn't going to want to let her out of my sight any time soon.
I removed the ice pack and eased her arm out to the side so I could get a better look at it, like I actually thought the horrendous marks might have disappeared in the last two minutes. "How's it feel?"
Addy shrugged, her gaze not quite meeting mine. "It's okay."
"Liar." I tossed the ice pack on the counter then leaned in closer and slid my arm around her shoulders. She rested her head against my chest with a little sigh that lodged straight in my heart.
"It's just a bruise. I'll be fine."
I stepped closer, fitting myself between her legs, then tightened my arm around her. I wanted to hold her, just like this, and never let her go. I'd never felt this way about another woman before, never had this urge to just hold someone. I wasn't sure what it was about Addy that made me want all these different things and honestly, I didn't really care. Not right now. Maybe part of it was from walking in and seeing that asshole's hands on her. Seeing what he'd been ready to do. In fact, I was pretty sure that accounted for maybe twenty percent of these odd feelings. As for the other eighty percent...no idea and again, I didn't care. I figured they'd probably go away or at least ease up in fifty years or so and I was totally fine with that.
What I wasn't okay with was how easily Addy seemed to be dismissing what had happened. How readily she was able to accept that the asshole would get away with what he'd done. Not just to her but to her sister as well. When she told me everything that had happened and explained why she'd gone toe-to-toe with the fucker—because yeah, I asked—I nearly lost it again and would have gone after him right then and there. The only thing stopping me was the fact that we were back at my place when I'd finally thought to ask her for the details.
I breathed in, catching the faint floral scent of Addy's shampoo, something light and fresh. Then I eased away and looked down at her, my heart slamming into my chest like a slap shot hitting the pipes. She tilted her head back, her quizzical gaze meeting mine.
There were so many things I wanted to say to her, so many questions I wanted to ask. Why she'd faced him down instead of going for help. Why she'd insisted on me not doing anything. Why she was so certain that nothing would happen to him, and so accepting of that.
But what I really wanted to say, the words that were most important to say, were—
"I love you."
I blinked, wondering if maybe I'd dozed off and started dreaming. Yeah, those were the exact three words I wanted to say but they hadn't come from me—
They'd come from Addy.
And like a damn idiot, I just stood there, staring at her. Probably with my mouth hanging open, too. Yeah, I'd told her the same thing last night and yeah, I'd been planning on telling her again just a few seconds ago. But I hadn't thought I'd hear them from her. At least, not this soon.
Hoped? Yeah, absolutely.
But thought? Hell, no.
Her gaze slid from mine and I realized that I'd been standing there, not saying a word, for too long. I caught her chin with two fingers and tilted her head back before she could look away then pressed my mouth against hers.
Warm. Sweet. And perfectly Addy.
Perfect for me.
I gently broke the kiss then rested my forehead against hers. "Thank you."
A frown creased her forehead and she pulled back, not bothering to hide her confusion. "Why are you thanking me?"
"For taking a chance on me after I acted like an ass all those weeks ago." I leaned forward and kissed her again, just a quick one. "I love you, Addy."
The sweetest damn smile I'd ever seen spread across her face. She draped her arms around my neck and pressed her body closer to mine. Heat rushed through me when our mouths met, hot and wet and demanding. Claiming, Possessing. Giving. Taking.
I wanted nothing more than to scoop her into my arms and carry her into my bedroom. To toss her in the middle of my bed and kiss every inch of her. To see her skin flush and pebble with every lick of my tongue, with every caress of my hands.
I swallowed a groan and stepped back, ending the kiss before I lost the last tenuous hold on my control. As much as I wanted to take Addy back to my room, I couldn't—
Because Marie was in there, taking a nap. Because I hadn't bothered to buy a spare bed for the second bedroom. Hell, I hadn't even bothered to unpack half of the boxes holding all my shit.
I glanced over at the leather sofa, knowing the damn thing was more than big enough for what I wanted to do. Addy must have known exactly what I was thinking because she smiled and shook her head.
"No."
"But—"
"No. Not when my sister could wake up at any minute."
I started to kiss her again, positive I could change her mind, but a loud knock on my door forced us apart. Even I jumped back, the sound completely unexpected. Addy looked as confused as I felt and I motioned for her to stay there as I moved to the door. It was too early for it to be any of the guys—there was at least another hour left in the afternoon game—
A game I wasn't playing in because the coach hadn't been given a choice, not since the Bourdons were playing at home. I was officially in limbo.