Heart-On: Turf Wars #2, Bella Jewel [ebook reader screen txt] 📗

growls, grabbing a dishwashing cloth from the sink and putting it under cool water.

“Ouch, shit,” I say, swatting at my thighs where the worst of the milk hit. It was pretty hot, not quite boiling but close and now my thigh is burning, god is it burning.

“Sit down, I need to put this on it,” Adan orders.

I rush into the living room and sit on the sofa, staring down at my skin which has turned red. Adan kneels in front of me and places the cloth on, immediately relieving it with the cool sensation.

“Is that clean?” I croak, staring at the cloth.

“Yeah,” he mutters. “Got to keep this on and keep putting cool water on it to keep it damp. Trust me, it’s the only thing that works.”

He has a bottle of water next to him, and every few minutes he soaks the cloth again without taking it off my leg. The cool is an instant relief every time.

“What the fuck were you so jumpy for?” he asks, looking up at me.

“I don’t know,” I say, shrugging. “You scared me.”

“You’re actin’ fuckin’ weird.”

He’s right.

I am.

And I need to snap the hell out of it right now.

Adan stays in front of me, checking my leg every few minutes.

“Got yourself good, it’ll hurt all night. Take one of my painkillers.”

“I’m not taking one of your painkillers,” I say trying to avoid the fact that it hurts, it fucking hurts, and I suddenly have a very new appreciation as to why Adan is so angry. He must be in pain all the time.

“Why the hell not?”

“Because you need them one hundred times more than I do. I have Tylenol, that’ll be fine.”

“No.”

“Yes, Adan.”

“I said, no.”

He stands and walks off down the hall and comes back with a white pill in his hand, he walks over and hands it to me. I turn away, shaking my head. “That could be anything, no.”

“It’s fuckin’ pain medication, you stubborn shit, and you’re takin’ it.”

“I’m not, though.”

“Yeah, you fuckin’ are.”

“Nope.”

He straddles me.

Every inch of air is sucked out of my lungs as I look up at him, feeling things that are making me full crazy.

Get it together, fucking hell, Ramona.

Pull it together.

“You put this in your fuckin’ mouth, or I’ll put it in for you.”

“I bet you’re turned on right now,” I say, pulling my sass back out from the parts of me where it was hiding.

It’s my only savior.

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ, I’m not.”

“I bet you’ve got a hard on.”

He snorts. “I don’t, trust me.”

I reach forward but he shoves my hand away. “No touchin’, those are the rules. Now take the pill.”

I pluck the pill from his hand and pop it into my mouth, he reaches for the glass of water and hands it to me. I swallow it.

“Happy now?” I mutter.

He leans down, so close his breath tickles my face. “Night night, sweetheart.”

I don’t remember a single thing after that.

Not a single thing.

7

I move with a groan.

My thighs are sore, just a dull ache that almost feels tight when I get out of bed. I don’t even know how I got into bed? How the hell did Adan bring me in here?

I remember him giving me a pill, we spoke for a few minutes and then everything after that is a haze. Whatever pain medication he gave me knocked me out cold and gave me the best sleep of my life. Without a doubt. I wasn’t in a single ounce of pain. I climb out of bed and look down at my leg. It’s covered, once again, I don’t remember that. I peel off the cover and see an oozy, red patch of skin that is bubbling up.

Oh yuck.

That milk must have been hotter than I thought. Luckily, I’m living with a burn patient and have everything we need here to prevent any kind of infection. I’ll have a shower and clean it off, but not until I go and check that I didn’t leave Adan unattended and needing help. After all, I am here for him.

I walk out and down the hall but stop when I hear voices.

The guys are here.

There’s no missing that.

I pause, leaning against the wall so I can listen.

“She okay then?”

Riggs.

“Yeah, put her to bed. She’ll be sore but she’s fine. She was drugged out, yabberin’ on about shit to me. Was pretty funny.”

Please, sweet baby Jesus, tell me they’re not talking about me.

“What was she sayin’?” That’s Beckett’s voice.

“She was tellin’ me that she would get me to like her, no matter the cost. And she didn’t understand why I couldn’t get hard over her.”

Oh, god.

No.

No.

“Fuck me, that’s funny. You should give the girl a break and fuck her, man,” Beckett tells him. “God knows the two of you are puttin’ off some energy.”

“I’m not interested,” Adan growls. “So don’t fuckin’ go there.”

“Not sure why you wouldn’t be,” Riggs tells him. “She’s fuckin’ lovely. Stop bein’ a fuckin’ pussy.”

“She’s not my type,” Adan snaps. “Does nothin’ for me except work here. Her little game is pointless, because my dick doesn’t twitch unless I want it to, and with her, it don’t want to.”

Oh, my god.

Ouch.

So fucking ouch.

That hurts my heart far more than I thought it would.

It also pisses me off.

There is nothing wrong with me, not a single damned thing.

For a man who doesn’t have any interest in me, he sure as hell puts the moves on.

He’s full of fucking shit, and I’m going to prove it.

I drop my shorts so I’m in nothing but my sleepshirt and panties. Then, with groggy eyes and messy hair, I waltz out past the guys and into the kitchen, ass on full display. “Morning boys,” I murmur.

I reach up and grab a coffee cup, and I don’t miss Beckett’s low whistle. “Bro, if you don’t tap that, fuck knows I will.”

“Fuck up,” Adan grunts at him.

I grin.

Then I put the coffee on and turn to face them, sliding my bottom onto the counter and crossing my