The Rules of Survival (Mercer #1)

RoS Chapter Twenty Nine

Chapter Twenty Nine

I didn't feel any different.

I didn't know if I expected to, but apart from a little soreness I was still me, the exact same girl I was before Justice and I had had sex. Of course I kept the fact that I was marveling over something so stupid to myself. Truth be told I was little embarrassed to be laying here thinking something as innocuous as losing my virginity would have some weird, changing effect on me.

I was an idiot for even contemplating these things. Sex was sex, no buts about it. There was nothing profound about the act other than we were two people who loved each other as opposed to two horny teenagers endeavoring to scratch an itch.

On the upside, there was nothing better than watching Justice Montoya rise slowly from the bed wearing nothing but his tattoos and scars. Unaware of me ogling every inch of his bared skin he walked with a stiff gait over to his abandoned clothes, snagging his jeans from the floor. Taking in every inch of that powerful body triggered recent memories - specifically the feel of his weight pressed on top of me and the heat of his skin rubbing against mine. We'd had to get creative thanks to his injuries and I got the sneaking suspicion he'd been lying when he said anything we'd done last night hadn't hurt him.

"If you stare any harder, my ass might catch fire," he drawled, dragging the black denim up his thighs.

I blushed furiously but rather than rolling over to give him some privacy I brought my gaze up to meet his as he turned, fastening the button of his jeans. Eyes one shade lighter than black were alight with amusement, his full lips quirked at the edges. I had to work not to think about the havoc those lips had wreaked trailing over my body...

Yep, okay, so I wasn't being too successful in that department. Clearing my throat, I groped for a distraction.

"How are you feeling?" I sat up and peered around the room for my clothes. They were hallway across the room. Justice was a lot politer than me, opting to dedicate all of his attention to checking his gun and rearming himself with it and his knives.

"I'm fine," he said with his back to me. The severe bruising over his shoulder blade looked even worse since last I'd seen it.

"You know, you used to be a much better liar," I said, redressing and finger combing my hair. I hastily braided it down my back, ignoring the pain emanating from my broken fingers.

Justice turned around and threw me a smirk, folding his arms over his solid chest. "I'm still an excellent liar. When I say I'm fine, I mean it."

The barest hint of challenge laced his tone and I couldn't resist responding. My feet ate up the distance separating us. Using a basic maneuver I swept his legs out from under him. He hit the floor with a grunt and a spectacular slew of curse words.

My combat skills were a little rusty; I nearly landed on top of him. Hitting the floor with my hands either side of his face and my legs straddling his waist, I recovered by throwing him a triumphant smile. "If you're as fine as you say, why didn't you see that coming?"

"Who says I didn't?"

We were so close I could feel his breath against my cheek, and my stomach had time to perform one nervous back flip before Justice turned the tables on me. With what appeared to be no effort whatsoever, he flipped me so I was on my back, the air crashing out of my lungs. His body came down over mine, his weight pressing hard enough to make me squirm.

"You were saying?" he taunted, lips pressed against my ear.

I scoffed, a sound that died halfway out of my mouth when Justice rubbed himself against me. Forcing coherency, I brought my hands up to press at his shoulders.