Sunlight streams in through the windows, by the time that my eyes open the next day. Again, I wake disoriented, until I realize that I am in bed.

Not just any bed, mind you, but Eric’s bed.

I try not to let myself breath in deep, letting his scent do wonders on my very achy body, but of course, I do, which causes a completely different kind of ache in a very different spot.

“Hey.” His voice causes my head to turn towards it, as he emerges from the bathroom wearing nothing more than a plush white towel wrapped around his waist.

“How are you feeling, baby?”

I sit up gingerly, before stretching out my limbs.

“Ah, a little sore. Otherwise, pretty good.”

His eyes roam over my body, as his mouth sets in a grim line.

“Those bruises look pretty painful.”

I pull back the covers before extending my arms and glancing at the bruising.

“I think they look worse than they are.”

He crosses the room to me, slowly, his eyes never leaving mine before reaching down and grabbing the covers, pulling them back over me.

“I think it’s best if you just stay in bed today.”

“I am not staying in bed today.” I can’t even fight my eyeroll. “Jackson can’t take care of himself.”

“Don’t you worry a bit about Jacks. He’s fine. I asked the sitter to come back over today to give me a hand with him so that I could focus on you. He’s in the pool with her as we speak.”

“Oh.” My face falls, “Well, you didn’t need to do all of that.”

“Yes, I did. Because I know you, and you, Avery Cooper? Are a very stubborn woman. You would have been up doing way more than you should be today had I not done that.”

“That’s not true.” I lie, even though I know he is absolutely right.

“Mmhmm.” He presses his lips to my forehead. “You sit tight. I’m going to go and grab you some coffee.”

I lean back against the pillows until he is out of sight. It’s only then that I push the covers back, before standing, and quietly making my way out of his bed, and down the hallway to my own bedroom. I’m rummaging around in my bathroom, looking for my toothbrush, when two strong arms reach underneath me and swing me into the air.

“See?” He growls, before turning back around and heading back down the hallway. “Stubborn.”

“I need to brush my teeth!” I swat at him, as he carries me back into his bedroom and kicks the door shut.

“I moved all of your stuff in here. If you wanted to brush your teeth, you should have just said so.”

“Eric, seriously. I do not need to ask your permission to brush my damn teeth!”

“Never said you did. But I want to be here to help you.” He carries me into the bathroom before setting me on the sink.

“There. Now you can brush your teeth.”

“You are such a pain in the ass.” I grumble, before grabbing my toothbrush. “Seriously.” I mutter, as I watch the corners of his lips turn up, only increasing my anger.

“You’re even cuter when you’re mad.”

“Fuck off.”

His smirk widens.

“You want to take a bath now? Or wait until after you’ve had your coffee. I would suggest coffee first, just because you’re being extra grumpy this morning. But, you do you, babe. Let me know what you need.”

“I need to not be treated like a child.” I mutter, before I’m whisked back off the counter top and carried back to the bed.

“I’m not treating you like a child.” He counters, before handing me a steaming mug. “But I’m taking care of you, because you are my girl, and you’re hurt. I will wait on you hand and foot, until you are feeling better. And there is nothing that you can do about it, baby. I love you, and you love me. And that’s just how this works.”

I freeze in place, mug halfway to my lips, before my eyes snap to his.

“Come again?” I whisper, as he sinks down onto the bed next to me.

“I said, that I love you, you love me, and that you are my girl, so this is how it works.”

“Eric...don’t say that. I’m not your...”

“You are.” His eyes lock with mine, daring me to disagree. “You’ve always been my girl, and you always will be.”

“But you also said...”

“That I love you? Yeah. I think you already know that. Are your eyes wide over the part where I said that you love me?”

He flashes me another smug smile before bending over and brushing his lips across mine.

“You said that yourself last night.”

My heart drops to my feet, as I stare at him, trying hard to remember last night.

Except, I don’t remember much after leaving the hospital.

Damn painkillers!

Could I really have said that? I mean, yes. Most definitely I could have said that.

Because no matter how hard I try to fight it?

The fact remains.

I am always going to be in love with this man.

“I was high.”

“Solid excuse, but, you know just as well as I do. It’s just easier to say what we really mean when we aren’t in our right mind.”

“There is no way that I said that. You’re just trying to put words into my mouth.”

“No, you said it.”

I’m completely sure that I did. Except, I’m not freaking admitting that. Because the second that I do?

All of my fight is going to be lost, and I know, that in an instant?

He will suck me right back in.

“You did.” He nods. “And it was the best damn thing I’ve ever heard you say. Short of the part where you promised to give me another chance.”

“Now I know that you’re making things up.”

His eyes lock with mine, and his smirk is gone. Instead, his eyes are soft on mine as he hold my gaze, tilting his head to the side before reaching out and gently pushing a piece of hair off of my face.

“Avery, hearing you say those things last night? Maybe you don’t remember, and that’s ok. But it at least lets me know that you still have feelings for me. And even though you’re trying to fight it? At least I know that somewhere inside of you, you want to give me another chance.”

“Eric...”

“It’s fine. I’m not giving up on this. After the thought of nearly losing you last night? Fuck. I’m not taking no for an answer. Whether or not you agree to give me another chance? I’m trying. As hard as I fucking can, I’m going to try. Because I realized last night that I could have lost you, and that I’d never have another shot to let you know how fucking much I love you. So deal with it, Ave’s. Because I’m coming for you, baby. Nothing is going to stop me.”

“Always so persistent,” I mutter, even though?

His words honestly make me weak.

“Only for you, baby. Always only for you.”

“You’re impossible,” I mutter, clinging to the only protection that I have from him.

My sharp tongue.

“Impossibly in love with you. You, and only you Avery. Always and forever. It’s always going to be you because you’ve always been the only woman that I ever wanted.”

“Except for that one time, right?” I roll my eyes before breaking forcing myself to break our eye contact.

He doesn’t respond, but out of the corner of my eye, I see him shaking his head.

“Always going back to that, aren’t we.”

“Yep.” I sip on my coffee, before leaning back against the pillow.

“I’ll show you.” He mutters, before standing and heading into the bathroom. “Just you watch.”

**

I’M NOT GOING TO LIE, a part of me is grateful for Eric’s attention because I actually do feel pretty awful today.

After I leisurely finished my coffee, Jackson came up to the room for a bit and snuggled me, but not before asking a million questions about all of my cuts and bruises.

He wasn’t the usual rough and tumble boy that I’m used to, and instead, he let Eric coach him with how gentle to be with Mommy.

He quickly grew bored of me and trotted along after the babysitter happily, while Eric made sure to run me a steaming hot bath.

In a split second, I’m lifted out of the bed and carried into the bathroom.

“You know that I can walk, right?” I tell him futilely, as he rolls his eyes and reaches for my t-shirt.

“I don’t really give a fuck.” He mutters as he begins to pull.

I let out a squeak before flying backward.

“What are you doing? I can undress myself.”

“Really? Now you want to be shy? Baby...I’ve seen it all already. Just let me help you.”

“Absolutely not.” I jerk my shirt down before pointing to the door. “Out, Eric. I can do this part on my own.”

“I’m not leaving. But I’ll turn around while you undress.”

“Oh, my freaking goodness. You have got to be kidding me.” I growl, before reaching down and pulling at my top.

Pain shoots through me as I try to pull, and in a split second, his hands are back on me.

“Eric.” I cry, as he tugs the shirt over my head. “Please stop.”

“My eyes are closed.” He murmurs, before sinking to his knees and tugging down my shorts.

“I promise baby. Completely closed.”

And they must be. They have to be.

Because otherwise?

He totally just touched me...

“Oh my god.” My breath catches in my throat, as his eyes snap open.

“I’m sorry...I couldn’t see what I was doing.”

I don’t know what does me in more...the feeling of his hands on me, or that damned look in his eyes.

The one that tells me he really isn’t all that sorry, the one that is full of want and need.

Fuck.

I tighten up my body, trying like hell to fight the emotions that have suddenly exploded inside of me from the feeling of his hands brushing across me skin, right there.

But I can’t.

A small moan escapes me, and after that?

It’s a wrap.

His arms are wrapped around me, as his lips crash down onto mine. I’m lifted into his arms and carried back into bedroom before I even realize what’s going on.

My body aches, but it’s no longer from the accident. It’s from the feeling of having his skin on mine.

Somehow, he’s managed to get everything except his boxer briefs off before laying me back onto the sheets and draping my body with his own.

His lips move all of me, licking and sucking, before trailing kisses back to my mouth.

“I fucking love you, Avery.” He mutters into my mouth before reaching down with one hand between my legs.

“Love you so fucking much.”

He spreads me wide, causing me to cry out from all of the sensations going on. One finger trails my sex as his mouth moves lower, licking and sucking towards my breast.

And the second he hits that spot?

Well, actually, two spots at the same time?

I cry out before gripping him tightly, causing a wicked grin to fill his face.

“That’s right, baby. That’s right.”

My entire body explodes, seriously, just that fast.

I mean, we’ve been going at it for what? Like thirty seconds?

This is ridiculous...

But I’m too far gone to care at this point.

Before I even realize what I’m doing, my hips are thrusting towards him and my mouth?

Is begging him to do even more.

My legs are quickly spread apart, and as his tongue continues to trail down my body? Well, I’m a completely different person.

The Avery that one hour ago was so hell-bent on not falling for Eric is long gone...and in her place, is a greedy woman who wants his mouth right damn there...

“Eric...Please.” I beg, as his nose trails a soft line on my inner thigh. “Please, don’t tease me.”

“I’d never tease.” He growls, before spreading me wide with his hand. I whimper again, thrusting myself towards his face, making him chuckle which only increases my need.

“Always so greedy.” He murmurs, before pressing a kiss right above where I so desperately need him. “I love that about you.”

“Just...please,” I beg again, as he growls before I feel his tongue lick my entire length.

My fists grip into the sheets as my hips buck against him. He licks me again, slow and long, before I feel his mouth clamp down around me, and then?

I’m completely lost somewhere outside of my body.

I can hear myself moaning his name and can see my poor bruised body thrusting shamelessly against him.

I see his rock-hard erection damn near busting through the seam of his underwear, before he reaches down with one hand and jerks it out, giving it one long slow stroke.

And then, I feel the fireworks, the absolute most fantastic sensation in the world, when he brings me to a climax, and then, I feel him enter my body.

“Open your eyes, baby.” He growls as he stills all movement.

His voice brings me back, and I groan.

“No, please.”

“Open your fucking eyes, Avery.” He demands, before sighing and pulling himself completely out of me.

I whimper from the lost contact before my eyes snap open.

“What are you doing? God, Eric, Please!”

“Keep your eyes open.” He growls, before grabbing himself and sliding back inside of me slowly.

“I want to watch you lose yourself.”

“I...Oh.” I moan, as my eyes close again and he pulls out.

“What in the hell is this? Some kind of game? Please!”

“Keep them open or I stop.” He growls again, before this time, slamming himself back inside of me, causing my body to damn near explode from the sensation.

“Tell me you love me, Avery.” He demands as he picks up the pace. I grip his back, screaming out his name and holding onto him for dear life.

“Eric...” My mind isn’t even thinking clearly right now. All that I’m thinking about is the way that he makes my body feel.

“Tell me you fucking love me! Tell me, baby! Say the god damn words.” He groans, as he grips my hips and really begins to move.

“I love you.” I cry out. “I love you, Eric. So fucking much.”

“I love you too, baby.” His eyes are hard on mine, and I fight to keep them open. “I love you so damn much. Tell me that you’re gonna give me another chance. Tell me that you love me enough to try again.”

Like I said, my brain?

Complete and total mush right now. It’s just as sex-crazed as the rest of my body, and of course, he says this at the exact same time that I’m about to freaking detonate.

“Yes.” I hear myself shouting. “Yes, I will give you another chance.”

His wicked grin is enough to tell me, that no way am I getting out of it this time.

And that was all she wrote.