his, cool and soft. Shani peered up at him with dark liquid eyes. She was so strong, stronger than he’d ever had to be. “It’s okay. It’s the past.”
Royce didn’t realize he was shaking his head and muttering until Shani pressed a palm to his face. “It was a long time ago. Probably for her too.”
“You’re really fine?” He realized how stupid that sounded and struggled to find a new way to phrase it. “I mean… Hell, I don’t even know what I mean.” His makers had built him to be eloquent, to talk about feelings as easily as the weather. But he’d never faced this…this anger before, it was like acid in his veins.
“I’m fine.” Shani stepped away from him, patting his shoulder as if they were nothing more than friends. “Really. Let’s just do this.” Then she bent to pick up the toy bag and lifted it onto the bed. “I’m not gonna lie and say I like being in a place like this, but we might as well make do and get moving again.”
The way she shoved her hands into the satchel chilled him. As if he were a job, a trick. As if he was making her relive all the crap she’d ever been through.
“Hey.” He caught her up in his arms and hugged her, and it was awkward since he wasn’t used to being so close to a woman he actually liked. But she smelled good, and let out a breath to soften against his body. Royce whispered in her ear, “Lemme return the favor first.”
Shani shoved at his hands, shaking her head. “No way!” She batted his arm, none too softly. “No way in hell.”
Royce let her twist out of his hold, but pinched her side in a tickle. His mind raced for ways to get closer. “Just a massage then.” He caught her hand when she tried to step away, and then smoothed his touch up to her shoulders. With firm fingers, he rubbed at her knotted muscles. Royce whispered, “I’m very, very good.”
She chuckled. “I’m sure you are.” Shani gave him a teasing smile, but when he rubbed deeper into the knots behind her shoulder blade, Shani’s eyes fell to half-mast and she bowed her head.
“Turn around.” Royce pressed her onto the bed and then climbed onto his knees behind her. He pressed his thumbs into the flesh where her neck met her shoulder.
Shani groaned, the sound almost a growl. She sat with her legs over the edge and her head bent forward. The smooth line of her neck ran from the tight curls at her nape down to the arc of her collar—her skin brown, warm and totally kissable.
“Harder?” Royce plucked at the ropey muscles along her spine. An ache throbbed in his groin at the suggestiveness of his question, but Shani’s body went rigid and he forgot his desire. “What?” He didn’t move, and his hands stilled—not leaving the rough fabric of her sweatshirt.
“I don’t normally like men touching me.” She said it to her knees, her head still bent.
Royce paused, but then shifted so that he sat straddling her back. He didn’t let their bodies touch, but worked his thumbs in deeper. He grinned at her happy sigh. “Well, then it’s a good thing I’m neutered.”
Shani might have twitched, but only in a tiny movement. Royce was glad when she didn’t argue or try to comfort him. This was about her—making her feel better, atoning for someone else’s sins. And for once in his life, Royce was happy someone wanted him for something other than his dick.
She bent forward, giving him a better angle. “That feels great.” Shani sighed the confession, making his chest expand with pride.
He worked his touch lower, along either side of her rib cage, past the strong muscles of her upper back, to where he spanned her waist with his hands. Then Royce walked his thumbs down to her hips. The upper curve of her ass filled his hands—thick and meaty. His groin ached as he imagined holding her still while he thrusted.
A blip of data popped into his field of vision. Then another. Royce gripped Shani’s hips.
“Don’t stop now, Romeo,” Shani teased. Then
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