Taivon: Book Three of the Cantrell Brothers Series

Chapter Thirty-Three

Taivon was acting differently. But if it meant staying up all night to find out why and to get him to feel better, then so be it. She was too far gone when it came to this man.

Sitting down where his bed was set on the couch, she crossed her arms and waited. “No. Come down here.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Go t-t-to bed.” His voice was sharp.

“How do you expect me to go to bed when there's obviously something wrong, Taiv?”

He rubbed one hand over his eyes, took a deep breath, but stayed where he was. “Nothing's wuh-wuh-wrong.”

“That's bullshit,” she whispered. “And we both know it.”

When, even minutes later, he still stayed right where he was at the middle of the stairs, she stood up from the couch, walked over to him, didn't give a fuck about how loudly the stairs creaked, and took both of his hands in hers. She yanked as hard as she could, and while that wouldn't be enough to make him budge, she felt as he gave in and walked with her.

Only, instead of sitting back down on the couch, she dragged him all the way to the room she would be sleeping in for tonight. They tiptoed carefully, making sure not to make a sound; once in the room, she shut the door and turned to him.

“What's wrong, Taiv?”

He walked over to the window where moonlight was streaming in, casting his rigid body into a perfect silhouette. “I hate th-th-this.”

“Hate what? Being here? Is it-”

“N-Not being able to fuh-fuh-fucking t-t-t-talk!” he snapped. “It's driving me cr-cr-crazy.”

Walking up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his firm, tense waist and laid her cheek against his back. Alix placed both her hands over his heart, feeling the elevated beat with every heavy inhale and exhale he took.

“It's okay,” she whispered. “It's okay.”

He heaved in a few breaths before one guttural cry escaped. “You d-d-deserve s-so much better th-th-th-than me. S-Someone who c-c-can actually t-talk. And...I never...I never asked about yuh-yuh-your tattoos and why and I'm not-”

“See, that's where you're wrong.”

He turned around in her arms. His eyes were watery, a few tears leaking down his face, and his nose was runny, but Alix had never in all her life seen something so perfect. Gently, with the lightest of touches, she wiped the tears away and simply touched his face for a long while.

“I just wuh-want t-t-t-to be normal, like th-the rest of th-th-them.”

She clasped his jaw in her hand, forcing him to hold her gaze. “Nobody's normal, Taiv. I don't know what I'd be doing if I didn't have you in my life. You're the funniest, sweetest, most amazing man I've ever met.”

Taivon crushed her to his chest in the next instant, all but squeezing the air out of her as he rocked back and forth. She breathed in the familiar scent of him, stroking his back as time seemed to stand still, as if they were the only two to exist.

“And don't forget what I said,” she mumbled, long moments later. “Or I'll get really pissed, because I usually don't say that type of sappy stuff.”

“For a romance wr-wr-writer, you sure duh-do know how t-t-t-to t-take the romance out of ev-everything.”

She smacked his chest. “What? I'm romantic!”

“No.” His eyes filled with that heat she was so accustomed to, and he pressed forward, moving until her knees pressed against the small bed. “Yuh-You're loud.” He pushed her backward. “Unpredictable.” Crawled on top of her. “Wild.” Pinned her hands above her head. “Always looking fuh-fuh-for t-trouble.”

She arched her hips up into him. “You like it.”

“Yuh-Yuh-You're right. I do.” He pecked her on the lips before climbing off her and adjusting himself through his jeans. “But I guh-guh-gotta go to bed now. Don't wuh-want my m-m-ma fuh-freakin' out.”

“But-”

He kissed her once more. “Go to buh-bed, Alix. We'll figure s-s-something out t-t-t-tomorrow.”

With that, he left, closing the door quietly behind him. She could hear his heavy footsteps as he walked into the living room, where he would be sleeping on the couch, probably as aroused as she was. Sighing, Alix slipped into her pajamas, got into the small bed, and pulled the quilt up over her.

It was hard to fall asleep when the man she loved was just down the hall.