Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 100367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100367 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
His green gaze holds my own, and I feel my heart trip over itself.
“And is that what I am?”
His brow furrows. “Have I not made that abundantly clear?”
Shrugging a shoulder, I check the wax, and when I see that it’s ready, I start mixing in the other ingredients. I work fast because it’ll start to harden as it cools, and I need to get it poured into little pots.
I fill the one I reuse for myself first. It’s the biggest, and this will last me about three months. Then I pour into the smaller ones that I’ll share with my sisters and friends.
“This is my scar salve,” I tell him and glance up to find him watching me closely. “It’s calendula, comfrey, plantain, and I add some shea butter, too, so it’s extra soft. I also add frankincense for the scent because I like it. I need to put it on your scars too. I planted some calendula in the garden, so I won’t have to buy it next time.”
He’s listening and watching me with patient green eyes, but there’s something humming under the surface that I can’t put my finger on.
Once all the vessels are filled, I clean the pot I just used and start to get ready for my arnica salve, using the flowers I picked from this ranch several weeks ago. They’ve also been steeping in oil, and they’re ready for processing.
But before I can start that batch, I see that my tub of scar salve is hardened, and I whip my shirt off, making Tucker growl.
“Can you help me with this?”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
TUCKER
She holds the tub out to me, her eyes wide and innocent, but there’s nothing innocent about this.
And I fucking love it.
“Yeah, I can help.”
I walk around the counter and take the tub from her. She licks her lips before turning away from me, showing me her back. The wound from last week is doing well. She doesn’t need the Steri-Strips anymore, but I can see that it’s still tender.
I’ve done my best not to hurt her. I hardly sleep at night because she wants to be in my arms, which is exactly where I want her, but I’m afraid I’m going to hurt her by accident, and the thought absolutely terrifies me.
So I’ve kept sex on the back burner because she hasn’t felt well, and I’m not an asshole.
But fuck if I don’t miss her.
“Wait, let me do you first.”
I almost groan at her choice of words as she spins around and takes the salve from my hand.
“This way you can see how much to use. A little goes a long way. Strip.”
I lift an eyebrow, and she blinks, as if she doesn’t know exactly what she’s doing.
We’ll play this game, sweetheart.
“If you want me to fuck you against this counter, just say so, Duchess.”
“Oh, I absolutely do, but first we need to do this because I’ve been meaning to for weeks and I didn’t have any of this left.” She wiggles the tub in front of my face. “Take it all off, Hotshot.”
With a smirk, I reach over my head and whip my shirt off, sending it to the floor. Darby’s eyes skitter along my skin, and she swallows hard, and I fucking love it when she looks at me like this. Like she needs to get her little hands on me. Like I’m the best damn thing she’s ever seen in her life.
“Pants too,” she whispers and then clears her throat. “I have to get your hip and leg.”
“Don’t want to miss those.” With my eyes pinned to hers, I unfasten my jeans, kick off my shoes, and step out of the denim, standing before her stark-ass naked. “Do as you wish.”
Her eyes fall to my already-hard-and-ready cock, and I grin down at her.
“Did you miss my cock, baby?”
“Fuck yes, I missed it. You’ve been withholding sex from me, Tucker.”
I grip her chin in my hand and tilt her head back, my other hand going into the hair at her nape and holding on tight.
“I’m not withholding anything. You were hurt, baby.”
“I’m doing much better now.”
My lips drift over hers so lightly, it’s barely a kiss, teasing her. “There’s nothing I want more than for you to be pain-free and healthy. Now, let’s do this fascinating witchy-gunk thing so I can get inside your pretty little pussy.”
“How dare you, sir. This is not gunk.” She winks at me and then holds up the tub and swipes her finger through it. “See? Just a bit to start.”
Her hand falls to the scar that bisects my abdomen, and my muscles ripple when she rubs over it. She takes her time, making sure to massage her magical potion into the scar, then drifts down my hip and upper thigh, also working it into the tissue there. It feels fucking amazing. I don’t usually like to touch the scars, but she has a technique that makes them feel better.