Broken

Broken: Chapter 16

I rolled over when I felt the feather-light touch of lips on my shoulder and smiled. "Morning, handsome."

"Morning, gorgeous," Bucky propped his head in his hand so he could stare down at me, that innocent smile dancing in the corner of his lips. "How'd we sleep?"

"Only woke up once when you started mumbling in Russian, but you settled down when I put my hand on your chest. I was going to kiss you but didn't want to risk it. So..." I straddled his waist and pinned him down as I stole a kiss. "God, Buck. Anybody ever tell you even your morning breath is sexy?"

He laughed. "You really know how to build a guy's ego, baby doll."

"Hmm," I purred, running my fingers down his chest. "It's not your ego I want right now."

He pretended to be insulted as he adjusted under me. "Is that all I am to you? A piece of meat?"

"Of course not." I shimmied out of my shorts. "I totally respect you for your mind."

"Really?" He moaned as I slipped my hand between us and undid the single button on his ugly boxer shorts. "You promise?"

"Promise," I answered as I lowered myself onto him completely and began the slow ride to oblivion.

He let out an animalistic growl as I increased in speed, digging his fingers into my skin. I laughed, enjoying having so much control over such a powerful man and continued to push us forward until it felt like I was ready to break.

"Dammit, Des," he snarled, losing his sense of restraint as he pushed me onto the bed and took charged.

"Control freak," I teased before losing the ability to speak. I grabbed his shoulders and yanked him down for a kiss just as stars exploded behind my eyes. Screaming his name as everything became a blanket of primal abandon, I felt him fill me as he let out a grunting curse before going still.

He fell beside me, smiling as he looked over. "I love your wake-up calls."

"What about my afternoon delights?" I teased, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "And my water conservation efforts?"

He laughed as he got out of bed. "I love everything about you. Even your morning breath."

I propped myself up and watched him get ready for a shower. "Everything? Really?"

"You tell me. You're the empath." He leaned over the edge of our new bed and kissed my forehead before continuing.

I sat up and stretched. "But I never tried to feel you before."

He paused to shoot me a surprised look. "Never? Really?"

I nodded. "Yep. You said to stay out of your head, so I did."

He pulled me to my feet and gave me a deep kiss. "Anytime you wanna peek inside my head, you're welcome to it. I trust you, doll."

As he got into the shower, I considered his comment. It hadn't really occurred to me after our first conversation to revisit his concerns about my empathic abilities. I suppose I assumed his stance hadn't changed so why bother.

Now, he was giving me the freedom look inside his feelings, showing a level of trust I'd never encountered before. Slowly, almost like I was opening an unexpected gift I wanted to savor, I reached out to him. There were still so many levels of pain and regret I knew we'd always be working through for both of us, but there was also this beautiful white light of complete and total love that connected me to a single name and image: Me.

I knew instantly that he really did love me. Even after he'd seen my pain and been hurt by me using his, he still had so much love in his heart it brought tears to my eyes. Feeling what he felt for the first time, I knew I'd never doubt anything he said again. He loved me. He really did.