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To take care of her, have her dependent on o

I'm not sure if this is validation, or maybe it's retribution on my part that she has to depend onme to walk up those apartment stairs with her

Vale unlocks the door, pushes it open with a soft creak, and I walk in right behind her She doesn't even blink twice but drops her purse to the floor as her shoulders seeravity

"You need to eat so," I say as I step past her and into the tiny kitchen with stained-by-ties

She doesn't argue and follows erator and hear the scrape of a kitchen chair as she pulls it out, then her sigh as she sits "I've got to get up in aly clients, and then head back to Duke I'll need to talk with Bruce and let him knoon't be in today at the arena"

"Bruce will be fine with that," I say as I pull out so with a jar of mayo "Where's your bread?"

"Cupboard to your left," she says automatically

I lay my materials down on the chipped Forray and reach for the cabinet After grabbing the bread, I turn to look at her pointedly "You need to text your clients right now and tell theency and you won't make it in tomorrow"

"I can't just bail on theer at her

"Text theitimate excuse to cancel, and you need the rest Especially if you plan to park your ass at the hospital all day tomorrohich I expect you will"

She stares at me

I stare back at her and then growl, "Text Now"

It's a definite surprise that she i her phone out of her pocket I turn around so she doesn't see the triu uptwo bottles of water out of the fridge, I lay the simple meal on the table and take a seat

We eat in silence, not because there isn't anything to say but because we're both starving and exhausted I inhalehalf her water bottle after she ss the last bite

She gives me an almost shy smile as she wipes her mouth and lays the napkin on the plate "Thank you"

"Just a sandwich," I say as I rise fro to take them to the sink

The scrape of her chair against the floor indicates she's risen I hear her soft footsteps co the plates in the sink, her arms come around my waist from behind She presses her cheek to s

"No," she says softly "Thank you for everything Being there when I called, come dinner I'm not sure why you did it or why you think I deserve it, but justthank you"

A stab of so pierces the center of my chest and I have no will over my body It turns in her e over her lower back, and I pull her in to oes to ainst nant eht on by her vulnerability and my need to save the day for her

For a blessed moment, I don't question all the hurt between us

I simply hold her

After several long moments, Vale stirs in my arms and I loosen my hold She pulls her head back, followed by her chest, and leans back to look at me Her eyes are tired, but it doesn't di into , maybe another expression of thanks, but then she lifts up on tiptoes and presses a kiss to my lips

It's soft and over all too quickly, and I sense a world of gratitude within it I expect her to drop down to her heels, but she continues to stare at me

Then she kisses ain

I hold absolutely still, shocked by this move, because as she presses herdefinitely ratitude

I'ue tentatively pushes past ainst the tip of mine

My body reacts swiftly, cohten around her and I angle ainst hers

She purrs deep in her throat and the ruhten with need

For a brief