Chapter 33

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Cam's grip tightened slightly on Kinley's elbow as he led her up the steps to his front door. He could still feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, and his mind was a maelstrom.

He pushed open the door and gently guided her inside. The warmth of the house enveloped them, a stark contrast to the chill of the night outside. He moved to the end table and turned on the lamp before guiding her to the couch. She sat automatically when he pressed a hand to her shoulder, but her body trembled with remnants of fear.

He squatted next to her. "You holding up okay?"

"I feel so cold." She glanced up at him and briskly rubbed her upper arms. "Like I can't get warm."

Cam nodded. "Why don't you go take a hot shower? I'll make you a cup of tea while you're in there."

She nodded and swallowed hard but made no move to get up. He lightly grasped her hands and pulled to her feet. "Come on, sweetheart. I'll get the water going for you."

He wrapped one hand around her elbow, and Kinley sucked in a sharp breath. Cam immediately froze, his hand falling away. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

She shook her head, but a glance at his hands showed a crimson stain on his fingers. Shock rolled through him. "Kins, you're bleeding."

She looked down at her dark sweater and bit her lip. "I know."

He stared at her for a second. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She glanced down, avoiding his gaze. "I didn't want to go back to the hospital," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Cam understood. The hospital was the last place she wanted to be after the ordeal she'd just been through. He gave a small nod. "I get it. Let's take care of it here then."

Inside the bathroom, he guided her toward the counter.

"Sit here," he said, helping her onto the top of the vanity. She had a smear of dirt on one cheek, and he tenderly swiped it away before pulling out a bottle of antiseptic, a tube of ointment, and a roll of bandages.

Kinley hesitated for a moment, then started to pull her sweater over her head. Her movements were slow and cautious, and a wince creased her face as the fabric tugged at the cut on her forearm. Cam stepped forward to help, gently easing the sleeve down her arm, then pulling the sweater over her head.

She wore only a black satin bra beneath, and he quickly averted his gaze, swallowing hard as he dropped the garment to the floor and turned his attention to her arm.

He saw the wound clearly now—a shallow cut, already starting to clot but still angry and red. She was lucky it wasn't worse.

"This might sting a bit," he warned as he soaked a cotton pad with antiseptic. She nodded, flinching only slightly when he cleansed the wound.

"You're doing great," he murmured, pitching his voice low and soothing.

He applied a thin layer of ointment over the wound before wrapping it with a bandage. He kept his touch gentle, his motions cautious, making sure not to wrap it too tightly. "There," he said, securing the end of the bandage. "That should do it."

Kinley nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "You're pretty good at this," she said, her tone teasing.

Cam chuckled. "Comes with the territory," he replied as he lowered her to the ground. "Let's get you into the shower."

He reached for the shower handle and turned it on with a flick of his wrist. Kinley moved in front of him and extended one hand under the spray, testing its warmth.

He couldn't say what prompted him to do it. Maybe it was the residual fear he'd felt from the evening; maybe it was the culmination of everything that had happened over the past two years. But he surprised them both when he slid his hands onto the curve of her waist, then dipped his head and kissed the slope of her shoulder.

For the briefest moment Kinley tensed; in the next second, she turned to putty in his hands. Her head dropped back as he grew bolder, trailing kisses along the base of her neck and up the side of her throat. Kinley turned at the same time he curled his arms around her, their mouths unerringly meeting in a clash of fiery need.

She buried her hands in his hair as his mouth slanted over hers. One hand coasted downward and fisted in his shirt, and she yanked on the hem. Between kisses, he managed to pull it up and off before attacking her bra. He practically ripped the material in his haste to get it off her, and he let out a low growl as her full breasts filled his palms.

Her fingers tightened in his hair as he dipped low and took her nipple between his teeth, then sucked hard. She arched into him and he grabbed her ass, grinding into her. Kinley's eyes fluttered closed and her teeth cut into her bottom lip as myriad sensations played across her face.

Cam shoved his jeans down, then stripped her out of her shorts and scooped her into his arms. His mouth fused to hers once more as he stepped into the shower, dousing them under the warm spray. Kinley wrapped her legs around his back and shifted her hips, digging in her heels as she positioned herself over him. He slid deep, heart racing as he pinned her to the slick wall.

A thousand emotions volleyed inside him as he drove into her, lifting and lowering her until she finally broke on a ragged cry, fingernails digging into his shoulders. He kissed her hard as contentment and pleasure swept over him and everything else around him faded except the feel of the woman in his arms.