Where are all these smiles coming from lately?
They’re killing me.
“I…” Again, I’m at a loss for words. My fingers brush over the new clothes, a mix of emotions swirling inside me. “This is too much, North.”
“Nothing’s too much for you,” he whispers, his breath warm against my ear. His closeness is intoxicating.
I want to protest, but fuck, those sweaters are so soft and look so warm. Trying to navigate the whirlwind of emotions inside me, I deflect them with a touch of humor. “Funny, there’s nothing blue in here. I thought you’d at least get something, considering you still call me that, even though you haven’t seen my overalls in weeks.”
I pretend to dislike his nickname for me, but secretly, it’s grown on me.
Turning to face him, I’m met with his scrunched-up nose. “Ah, yes, those delightful overalls,” he teases, prompting a burst of laughter from me. “I’m not calling youBluebecause of that.” North smirks, and I can’t help but frown at him.
Such a little liar.
“You totally are. You even glanced at them when you first called me that,” I protest.
I know what I saw.
He chuckles softly, his hand gently brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “You’re quite perceptive about how I look at you,” he notes, and I feel myself blush.
Fuck.
His hand cups my cheek, thumb caressing it. “No, I was looking at a uniquely beautiful woman who was as frustrating as she was intriguing.”
I’m momentarily breathless under his touch. “But whyBluethen?”
“Ever heard of blue lobsters?” he asks, his voice low and gentle.
I shake my head, puzzled.
Is he comparing me to a shellfish?
“Blue lobsters are rare. They’re special, valuable, and so damn beautiful.” His gaze drifts from my eyes to my lips. “You’re one in two million, Sloan.”
If my heart was racing before, now it feels like it skipped a beat.
Then he leans down and kisses me tenderly, his other hand cradling my face. My hands find his hips, pulling him closer, and he smiles against my lips. The kiss is sweet, filled with unspoken emotions that weakens my knees. When he pulls away, his thumb resumes its gentle caress.
“Get some rest,” he whispers soothingly. “The others are going to be back with food soon.”
Nodding, still overwhelmed by his words, I watch him leave, closing the door behind him but not without giving me one last smile.
I sink onto the edge of the bed, trying to process the whirlwind of emotions.
Thinking about my first time in this room, I remember how North seemed barely able to tolerate me yet unwilling to let me out of his sight. Perhaps he was telling the truth, and he was as intrigued by me as I was by him but didn’t want to show it.
Now, enveloped in the sense of belonging that this house and these men give me, I feel a deep peace settling over me. Despite everything, I know I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. With adeep sigh, I let the day’s weariness wash over me, ready to face whatever comes next, comforted by the realization that I’m no longer facing all of it alone.
THIRTY-FOUR
A blanket is tuckedaround my body that I don’t remember pulling over myself when I wake up to the feeling of warmth enveloping me.
Morning light filters through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room. Blinking the sleep from my eyes, I turn, and my heart lurches. There, beside me, lays Saylor, a grin spreading over his face. “Are you a parking ticket? Because you havefinewritten all over you.”
“Saylor.” My voice is a whisper as I can’t quite talk around the lump in my throat.
His hand gently caresses my face, and the tingles that follow are familiar and heartbreakingly tender. “Hey, Boo,” he murmurs, his voice barely above a hush, filled with an emotion that mirrors my own.
