She stepped forward and slid her arms around his waist.
He didn’t hesitate. His arms came around her, pulling her in. She buried her face in his chest and let herself feel it, the weight of the day crashing in like a tide.
For a long moment, neither of them moved. The warmth of his embrace, the steady beat of his heart—it was all she needed right then.
And maybe, just for a little while, it was enough.
Delaney stayed pressed against Eli, breathinghim in. The scent of him grounded her. He smelled like soap and sweat and something sharp and steady she had come to associate with safety.
He shifted slightly, one hand moving up to cup the back of her head. His fingers threaded through her hair, anchoring her as if he didn’t want her to slip away. When she tilted her head back to look at him, their eyes locked.
“Delaney,” he said, voice low and rough, as if her name alone carried the weight of everything they had been through.
She answered by rising on her toes and brushing her mouth against his. A soft, tentative kiss at first, but when he didn’t pull back, she kissed him again, deeper this time.
That was all it took.
Eli groaned softly and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her hard against his chest. His mouth claimed hers, hot and hungry, and everything between them unraveled in an instant. The kiss turned to fire. He angled his head, kissing her deeper, tasting her like he’d been starving for it.
Delaney clutched the front of his shirt, needing to feel something solid, something real. His hands moved over her back, her waist, strong and sure. The exhaustion in her limbs vanished under the heat building between them.
She barely remembered moving, but suddenly her back landed against the wall behind them. Eli pressed into her, one hand braced beside her head,the other at her hip. He kissed down her neck, the scrape of his stubble making her shiver. Making her burn.
She reached for the bottom of his shirt, fingers slipping underneath to find the heat of his skin. He hissed softly at the contact, then leaned back just enough to meet her gaze again.
His mouth crashed into hers again. There was nothing careful now. Just fire. Hands, breath, mouths, all tangled in the heat that had been simmering between them for far too long.
And this time, neither of them pulled away.
Delaney didn’t want to stop. Her mouth was still on his, her body straining to stay molded to his. Eli kissed her like he couldn’t get enough, his hand tangled in her hair, the other gripping her waist as if letting go would undo him.
Then he suddenly pulled back.
“Shit,” he muttered, his gaze dropping to her arm.
She blinked, dazed, her lips tingling. “What?”
“Your stitches.” He looked stricken. “Did I hurt you?”
Delaney shook her head, breath catching. “I didn’t feel any pain. Just heat.” Her hand slid along his side, wanting him back against her. “Eli—”
He caught her hand gently, brought it between them, and pressed it flat against the front of his camo pants.
Her pulse jumped.
“I’m stepping back,” he said, voice low andrough, “but not because I don’t want you.”
Her hand stayed where he placed it, and she could feel the solid truth of his words.
“I do,” he added, his eyes locked on hers. “So damn much. But I’ll make you a deal.”
Delaney swallowed hard. “What kind of deal?”
“When your stitches are out,” he said, “we come right back to this spot, and we finish what we started.”
She hesitated, fighting the urge to tell him she didn’t care about the stitches or the timing or anything except how he made her feel. But deep down, she knew he was right. They were too raw, too wired, and she was still healing.
Her fingers curled into his shirt. “Okay,” she whispered.
