Turning to Stone (Heart of Stone: Book 2)

Chapter 29: Pain

Chapter 29: Pain

I opened my eyes to darkness. Darkness and a warm body tempting me closer.

"You okay?" Ed's drowsy murmur came from several inches away.

"Mm. Is it morning?" The beginning of a sore throat tickled my vocal cords.

"No. Go back to sleep."

Rolling over, I pulled the covers further around my body and tried to ignore the impulse to snuggle up to Ed.

"Cold?" he asked, and the mattress behind me dipped as he repositioned himself.

Heat from his chest singed my shoulder blades, though he made no move to touch me. This was how it started the first time. Middle of the night in Athens, inhibitions obscured by darkness—rules and logic no longer applying.

"You offering cuddles to warm me up?" I tried to keep my tone light-hearted, but my scratchy throat, thick with sleepiness, turned it husky and suggestive.

"I was actually going to offer you some pyjamas." His own tired slur sharpened into low amusement.

"Mm, never mind then." My heavy eyes fell shut again as my head sunk into the soft pillow.

A breath of laughter fanned the back of my neck, and a large palm curved around my hip.

"If you want cuddles, you only have to ask..."

"Mm, sleeping."

"Are you actually sleeping, or just playing hard to get?"

I smiled into the darkness. "Hard to get."

"Hm." His lips brushed my ear. "Don't."

And then his palm slid from my hip to my stomach, drawing me closer into the warmth of his body, and he occupied every dream that followed.

*

The pain woke me. Every inch ached, from my sore jaw down to the tenderness between my legs.

Groaning, I raised a stiff arm to rub at my eyes but instantly froze at the sound of an amused chuckle behind me.

"Did I finally break you?"

Ah, shit.

Definitely shouldn't have stayed.

Definitely shouldn't be secretly happy that I did.

"You make it sound like an achievement," I shot back.

"No, but I kept warning you last night that you'd be hurting today. You didn't listen."

"When do I ever listen to you?"

"Well, that's true."

Shuffling to sit up, I fired a smirk across at him. The sheet slipped down to my waist, but I didn't adjust it. He'd seen every inch of me last night—modesty no longer existed.

Why was my throat so sore? I let my fingers trail down to my neck and gently massaged it.

"Something wrong with your throat?" Ed then asked.

"Just sore," I said. "Like every other part of my body."

"Hm. Probably all that screaming you did."

I narrowed my eyes. "I was not screaming."

"You were definitely screaming. Either that or it's a conveniently timed cold."

Admittedly it didn't feel like a cold. It hurt like an over-worked larynx. Surely I hadn't screamed that much, though? Fuck. Was this room soundproof? We'd put minimal effort into hiding our plans when we dismissed the Security team last night, but it would still be mortifying if they'd overheard.