She props herself up on one elbow, looking down at me. “I'm already staying.”
“I mean really stay. Move your things from the guest room. Be here. With me.”
She's quiet for a long moment. My heart hammers against my ribs.
“Okay,” she says finally. “I'll stay.”
I pull her back down, wrap my arms around her. Hold on.
Tomorrow I'll call Maddox. I'll start unraveling the web.
But tonight, I have this. Her warmth. Her trust. The steady rhythm of her breathing as she falls asleep in my arms.
For tonight, that's everything.
CHAPTER 36
THE GIFT
EMMA
I wake slowly,awareness coming in pieces. Soft sheets. Warm light. A bed that smells like Kai.
His side is empty but still warm. I stretch, muscles pleasantly sore, smile at the ceiling like an idiot.
The smell of coffee draws me out of bed. I pull on one of his t-shirts, hem hitting mid-thigh, and walk barefoot toward the kitchen.
Kai’s at the espresso machine, back to me, wearing gray sweatpants and nothing else. That should be illegal.
The boot is off for the morning, ankle wrapped in a compression bandage. He's moving carefully but without the crutches.
I stop in the doorway, suddenly unsure. Last night changed everything. What if?—
He turns. His whole face softens.
“Good morning, baby.”
The word sends warmth flooding through me. He crosses the kitchen, movements slow but steady, cups my face in his hands. The kiss is gentle. Unhurried. A promise.
“Good morning,” I manage when he pulls back.
“Coffee?”
“Please.”
He makes me a cup. Remembers exactly how I take it without asking. We drift to the window, stand side by side, watch the city wake up below. His arm settles around my waist like it belongs there.
“No regrets?” he asks quietly, eyes searching my face.
I lean into him. “None.”
“Good.” He pulls me tighter against him. “I like seeing you in my clothes.”
I smile. “Ah, that’s why you keep giving me your clothes.”
His phone buzzes on the counter. He ignores it.
“That could be important,” I say.
