His voice was full of restraint, as if he had to force the words out.
I blinked, trying to steady my breathing.“You should, too.You look…tired.”
His mouth quirked.“Is that your polite way of saying I look like shit?”
Despite myself, I let out a small laugh.“You could never look like shit, Henry.You’re far too handsome for that.”
“Glad you think so.”
I felt my cheeks heat.“I just meant you look like you’re carrying the weight of the world again.Some sleep might do you good.Andnotin your office.In your actual bed.”
He waggled his brows.“Care to join me?”
My lips parted.I wasn’t sure whether I was shocked or tempted.Maybe both.
“I’m kidding.”He winked, and warmth bloomed in my chest.
God, I’d missed this.The teasing.The hint of light beneath all his darkness.The reminder he was still human.
“I promise not to stay up all night working,” he said when I remained mute.
“Good.”
Another silence fell as we stared at each other.But this one felt different.Gentler somehow.Easier to breathe in.
“Well…” I stepped back, increasing the distance.“Good night, Henry.”
His gaze held mine.“Good night, Ariana.”
I lingered for a beat, unsure what more I wanted him to say.
Unsure if Iwantedhim to say anything more.
So I turned and continued through the house, stepping into the night.
The air outside felt colder now, but my skin still burned from where his lips had touched mine, a quiet fire I didn’t think I’d ever be able to put out.
ChapterSeventeen
Henry
The horizon was still smeared in shades of silver and pale pink when I stepped outside the following morning.The air held a crisp February bite.Sharp enough to sting your cheeks, but soft enough to remind you that you’re alive.
Sometimes I forgot how much I needed mornings like this.How much I craved them.
When my father had moved us to the middle of nowhere, isolation felt like punishment.
I needed noise.Lights.Movement.Wanted to drown out the echoes of everything he forced me to endure.
After I left the military, that was precisely what I did.
Atlanta gave me all the chaos I could handle…and then some.Traffic, sidewalks teeming with people, a constant barrage of sights and sounds.
Somewhere between long hours and sleepless nights, I started dreaming about quiet.About air that didn’t taste like exhaust.About somewhere I could just breathe.
That was why I bought this place.At first, it was a weekend retreat.A place I could go to recharge my batteries.
Now, it was home.I worked out of the city one or two days a week.The rest of the time, I stayed here, where the only thing demanding my attention was the dog at my side.
