Torn - Part Four (The Torn Series) Read Free

So just let me. You might actually enjoy it.”
     
    She was right about that much. I watched her as she worked, scrubbing the sweat and the dirt from my limbs with a determined look on her face.
     
    It was entirely nonsexual but I was hard anyway. How could I not be, with the water and the soap rolling off her perfect breasts, right there in front of me? Her lips quirked as her hands traveled over my hips but she didn’t say anything.
     
    The girl even shielded my eyes when she reached up to shampoo my hair.
     
    I’d never felt anything like this. I’d been a tough kid, and I was a tougher man. I needed nothing and no one; I took care of myself and I prided myself on that just as much as my physical strength.
     
    But Riley was doing something to me. She was softening all my hard edges. She made me feel weaker and stronger at the same time. Weaker for her; stronger on her behalf.
     
    “I have to tell you something,” she said. I didn’t know there was any conditioner in that bathroom, but somehow she’d found it and was smoothing it through my hair.
     
    “What is it?” I muttered, savoring her touch.
     
    “I think I know who called the cops.” She took a deep breath. “I think it was Tyler.”
     
    I tensed. “How would he know about the fights?”
     
    “He snooped through my phone. He always used to do that and even breaking up didn’t break the habit.” She rested her hands on my shoulders and looked up into my eyes. Her own glistened, creased with sorrow and worry. “I’m so sorry, Mal. It was my fault.” Her voice cracked.
     
    I pulled her close. If she was going to start crying I didn’t want to see it. I’d have to go kill Tyler myself if I did.
     
    I didn’t know what to say, though. I wished she’d stop seeing him or talking to him at all but I wasn’t the sort of guy to issue those kinds of jealous orders. This was beyond jealousy, though. This guy was fucking with my life, and hers.
     
    “I want to have a talk with him.”
     
    “Mal-”
     
    “Just a talk. I wouldn’t hit him if he didn’t hit first, obviously he’d love a chance to file all sorts of charges and get me in more trouble.”
     
    “This is my fight, Mal.”
     
    “He made it mine when he called the cops.” I moved her back a step and looked down into her face. “Though I wouldn’t mind going caveman on him and telling him that you’re mine, now.”
     
    She laughed with relief. I realized what I’d said - she was mine. Dammit . There was no pushing her away. She had made me too fucking weak.
     
    “I still don’t think it’s a good idea,” she said, “Caveman chat or otherwise. I need to be the one to tell him to fuck off once and for all.” Her eyes dropped. “I didn’t want us to play nice and act like friends but I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I’m not good at that. I caved.”
     
    “Don’t feel bad about that,” I said, tilting her head back up. “But it’s time to be a little mean. He’ll never leave you alone if you aren’t.”
     
    “I know. You’re right.”
     
    I didn’t like the pained look on her face, so I kissed it away. I pulled her close. There was no resisting a naked woman in a shower, especially not this one, so I ran my hands up and down her sides, tracing her curves and leaving trails of goosebumps on her skin.
     
    I cursed to myself. I was in too much pain to fuck her like I wanted. It was probably for the best - I’d told her that we ought to wait a while. I wondered if I’d been possessed back when I’d said it but it made a certain amount of sense. We’d gotten so physical so fast when we met, which was fine with other girls - the ones that I didn’t want to keep around.
     
    I wanted to keep her, though. So I tapped on the breaks, slowed us down, got to know her as much as I could between work and practice.
     
    I’d wanted to fuck her after the fight. It was the plan in my head. But then the arrests happened. And now I was too injured.
     
    I