I close my eyes, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “You’re perfect, in every way.”
Silence settles, but it's warm, peaceful.
Not empty. Not…lonely.
Chapter 7
Emory
Iwaketothesoft gray glow of snow-filtered light and the steady warmth of Pike's body wrapped around mine. His arm rests across my waist, heavy and secure, and the slow rise and fall of his breath brushes the back of my shoulder.
For a long moment, I stay still and simply enjoy the feel of it.
The heat of him.
The weight of his presence.
The peace I didn't expect to find on a mountain in the middle of a storm.
I shift slightly, and Pike's arm tightens instinctively, pulling me closer. His voice is low and rough with sleep when he murmurs, "Don't move yet."
I smile into the pillow. "Are you awake?"
"Unfortunately." He nuzzles the back of my neck, his breath warm. "I loved being asleep with you trapped under my arm."
"You can still trap me," I tease gently.
His arm stays firm around my waist. "Don't tempt me."
The words are quiet, but there's something real behind them. Something heavier than teasing.
I turn to face him. His hair is tousled, and the shield he usually keeps up hasn't fully returned. His eyes are softer than I've ever seen them, morning light catching the amber flecks.
"Are you all right?" I ask.
He studies me for a long moment before saying, "I haven't… let anyone this close in a long time. It's not because I didn't want to," he continues, his voice steady but careful. "I just… didn't know how to let someone in without losing part of myself."
"And now?"
"Now," he says quietly, brushing a strand of hair away from my cheek, "I'm trying to figure out how to keep you close without scaring you away."
My heart clenches.
"Pike," I whisper, "you're not scaring me."
"I could," he says. "Easily. I want you more than I should. More than I have any right to this soon."
I touch his chest, right over the steady beat of his heart. "Wanting someone isn't dangerous."
"It feels dangerous," he admits.
"For me or for you?"
He doesn't hesitate. "Me."
The honesty floors me.
He shifts onto his back, staring at the ceiling for a moment, then says quietly, "When you came up that trail yesterday, I knew you were going to disrupt everything. And I didn't want that. But the second I saw you, I couldn't send you away."
