I shuddered and couldn’t help but imagine our naked bodies moving together as one.
“Have mercy,” I swatted his chest. “You’ll bloody kill me.”
Risk’s smile made my pulse spike.
“You good?” he asked. “I don’t hear the wheezing anymore.”
I nodded. “I’m good . . . I didn’t even realise an attack was incoming.”
“I’m a good distraction from bad things,” he winked. “Trust me.”
I looked down as he capped the inhaler and tucked it into his pocket.
“Is that not mine?”
I figured he took it from my pocket when my eyes were closed.
“No,” he answered. “I got this one before I went to London this morning . . . I always carried one when we were together. I feel safer having it.”
I stared at him, and how I felt for him couldn’t be described as anything other than raw love. I loved him. I loved him so desperately and I couldn’t even tell him.
“Thank you.”
“For what?” He nudged my head with his.
“For thinking of me,” I said, lowering my eyes to the buttons of his coat. I began to play with them. “You don’t have to carry an inhaler for me, Risk, but you still do . . . after all of this time.”
“Hey. Look at me.”
I lifted my eyes to his.
“Nine years have passed by, but right here with you, it feels like we’ve lost no time at all.”
Butterflies fluttered around my tummy.
“What are we doing?” I asked. “Are we going crazy? Kissing each other like we just did?”
“If kissing you is crazy, Cherry, I don’t ever wanna be sane.”
I smiled. “Me either.”
He lifted his hand and brushed his knuckle over my cheek.
“We’re complicated,” he murmured. “God knows we are, but can’t we just kiss when we wanna kiss? Being denied your touch, your taste . . . I’d have to go to rehab for the rest of my life to cope, Frankie. I can’t stay sober when it comes to you. I always want you.”
“I feel the same way about you.”
He leaned down and brushed his lips over mine.
“You wanna come back to May’s house with me?”
I felt my eyes widen and Risk instantly chuckled.
“Not to do anything like that,” he assured me. “The guys have been hassling me to bring you by, and by ‘the guys’ I mean May, and by ‘hassling’, I mean he has been nagging me half to death so he can see you. Please, put me out of my misery.”
I covered my mouth with my hand as I tittered.
“Okay, rock star.” I grinned as I lowered my arm. “Take me to see Blood Oath.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
FRANKIE
“As I live and breathe, Frankie Fulton is in my front garden. O.M.Fucking.G!”
The teasing words had barely left May’s mouth before I set out in a run towards him which caused Risk to say, “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” from behind me.
May caught me when I jumped at him and he just about squeezed the life out of me. He even gave me three kisses on the cheek that made me laugh like a little schoolgirl. A throat was cleared behind us, making May snicker and give me another peck on the cheek. A big one.
“Great to see you, gorgeous.”
“May, give it a rest.”
I ignored Risk and so did May.
“It’s good to see you too, May.” I smiled up at him. “I think you’ve gotten even more handsome since I last saw you.”
He bobbed his head in wholehearted agreement.
“I’ve gotten one hundred per cent more handsome, sexy and everything in-between these past nine years. In case you didn’t know, I’m a sex symbol now.”
“I was voted People’s Sexiest Man Alive last year and three years ago,” Risk interrupted. “Not you.”
“I can’t have anything with you,” May hissed at Risk. “Bastard.”
Their bickering amused me greatly.
“Still modest as ever, I see, Mr May.”
He winked, looked over my head and devilishly grinned as he leaned down to kiss my face again, but he suddenly jumped backwards, laughing. The two men walking up behind him shoved May when he bumped into them. One man was someone I once knew well.
“Hayes!”
Without a word, he advanced on me and wrapped me up in a bear hug. He kissed the crown of my head which just about melted me. Hayes was always a fantastic hugger and it seemed that that hadn’t changed a bit over the years.
“Congratulations, Mr Married Man.” I squeezed him. “I’m so happy for you, honey.”
He gave me another kiss on the head.
“Thanks, short stuff.” He chuckled as we separated. “I thought my wife was small, but I forgot that you’re a walking hobbit.”
I playfully thumped him in the stomach as the others stopped chuckling and took a step back.
“I’m small,” I eyed him. “But always dangerous, you’d best remember that.”
“Wouldn’t dream of forgetting it, Frank.”
When I turned my attention to the person chuckling on the right of Hayes, I straightened.