Inferno - Chelle Bliss by Chelle Bliss

She slinks down into the couch cushion, moaning as soon as I dig my fingers into the bottom of her foot. “I’m up for anything.”

“You look like it,” I tease her as she becomes one with the couch.

“What do you expect? You’re rubbing my feet. Nothing else in the world matters right now.”

“You’re easy.”

A smile spreads across her face as she closes her eyes. “I am not, but when you do that, I’ll agree to just about anything.”

“Anal?”

Her eyes fly open. “No,” she snaps. “Put that in the no column for future reference.”

“A guy’s got to try.”

“You shot your shot.”

“And missed by a mile.”

She laughs. “What did you really want to do today?”

“Anal,” I tease her.

“Only if I can do it to you.”

For a moment, I think if it’s worth it. Would I let her do that to me in order to do it to her? It doesn’t take me long to decide my answer is fuck no. I don’t have many limits, but that’s sure as hell one. “While your offer is mildly tempting, that’s a hard no for me, babe.”

Has a woman ever asked me to let her do that to me? I don’t think so. If they did, I was clearly drunk enough not to remember the conversation.

“Scaredy-cat.”

I move my hands to her other foot, giving it the same treatment. “Yeah, I suppose I am.”

“Well, then what did you have in mind for today? I don’t look the best.”

I study her face, noticing the bruising looks worse than yesterday. The color is more prominent and has shifted. Bruises always get worse before they get better. The swelling in her nose has gone down, and she’s been able to remove the stuffing. “My uncle James called and wants us to come to his office.”

Opal leans up on her elbows but doesn’t pull her foot away from me. Her eyes flash with panic for a minute. “What’s wrong?”

“He said it’s good news. Don’t worry.”

“No one calls you to their office for good news.” She pulls her foot out of my grasp and rights herself on the couch. “We have to go now.”

“Now?” I stare up at her as she rises from the couch, looking totally panicked.

“Yeah. I can’t wonder all day about what he has to say.” She wiggles her fingers at me, wanting to help me from the couch. “Let’s go, big boy.”

Without hesitation, I take her hands. “I’m ready when you are.”

She pulls me up with a groan, even though I didn’t give her an ounce of my weight when I stood. “Give me ten minutes to fix my face.”

I lift my hand to her cheek, cupping it in my palm. “Your face is perfect,” I tell her, wishing I could carry her into bed and have my way with her.

“My face is a mess.”

“Opal,” I say, wanting her to hear my words. I know she hasn’t had a lot of positive affirmation in her life over the last decade, but it’s important for her to have that every day going forward. “I don’t care about the bruises. You’re still beautiful inside and out, baby. Don’t ever doubt that. Do you hear me?”

She nods, not moving her face out of my palm. “I hear that.”

“Do you believe it?”

She shrugs into my touch. “I don’t know. I guess.”

“We’re going to work on that. Okay?”

She shifts her weight to her other foot. “Okay.”

“Now, take that fine ass into the bathroom and throw on a little of that shit my sister and cousins dropped off, and let’s hit the road.”

A smile returns to her face. “In a minute,” she whispers.

“A minute?” I raise an eyebrow.

She nods as she rocks up on her toes, bringing her mouth close to mine. “I want a kiss first.”

I bend my neck, taking her lips before she has a chance to take mine. I kiss her gently, worried about her nose and bruises, and wrap my arms around her back, wanting to hold her tightly.

She kisses me back, her body soft and warm, but her kiss firm and demanding. My girl’s hungry. I’ve been treating her with kid gloves since the accident, too worried I’d hurt her.

When I pull back, she whispers, “I won’t break, Stone.”

She’s giving me the green light, letting me know in her own way she wants more and is ready for it. “Now?” I ask, because I’m down to make love to my girl at every moment of the day.

“No,” she murmurs against my lips. “We have to go, but later…”

“Later, what?” I ask, wanting to know if she has something planned in her mind. “Anal?”

She slaps my chest and pushes herself away. “You’re an asshole.”

“I want your asshole, baby,” I tease with a smirk.

That statement earns me a middle finger as she stalks toward the bathroom, leaving me in the living room with a boner and no reprieve.

“A guy can dream,” I call out to her.

An hour later, we’re walking into ALFA and holding hands.

“I’m nervous,” Opal says, stopping outside the door to the offices to peer up at the sign. “Why am I so nervous?”

“It’s okay. I promise.”