He closed his eyes and let himself believe it.
CHAPTER 17
Jessa drifted in the half-space between sleep and waking, unwilling to open her eyes and let reality intrude on this perfect cocoon of warmth and contentment.
A heartbeat pulsed beneath her ear, slow and steady. Strong arms encircled her waist, one hand splayed across her stomach with unconscious possessiveness. Hot breath stirred the hair at the crown of her head in rhythmic waves.
Tarek.
Memory flooded back—the storm, the stories, the way he’d finally stopped running. The way he’d touched her. The way he’d held her all through the night like she was something precious, something worth protecting.
She smiled against his chest and let herself enjoy the moment.
His skin was impossibly warm, almost feverish by human standards, but she’d grown accustomed to the elevated temperature of Vultor physiology. What had once seemed strange now felt like a luxury—like sleeping beside a bankedfire, the kind that kept burning steadily throughout the coldest nights.
She shifted slightly, nestling closer, and felt his arms tighten in response. Still asleep, by the sound of his breathing, but even unconscious his body knew she was there and wanted to keep her close.
I could get used to this.
The thought should have frightened her. It should have triggered all her carefully honed survival instincts, the ones that warned against depending on anyone and letting herself become vulnerable. She’d spent the last three years building walls, protecting herself and Dani from the disappointments and betrayals that came with trusting the wrong people.
But lying here in Tarek’s arms, those walls felt very far away.
A soft sound reached her ears—a whispered giggle quickly stifled. She opened her eyes.
Dani stood in the doorway, one hand pressed over her mouth, her blue eyes enormous with barely contained delight. She was practically vibrating with excitement, bouncing on her toes like she might explode if she had to stay silent for one more second.
Their gazes met.
Dani’s grin widened impossibly. She pointed at Tarek, then at Jessa, then made an exaggerated heart shape with her hands before dissolving into silent giggles and scampering away down the corridor.
Oh no.
Heat flooded her cheeks. She extracted herself from Tarek’s embrace as carefully as possible—no small feat when his arms seemed determined to keep her in place—and slipped out of the narrow bed.
Behind her, Tarek made a low, displeased sound in his sleep. One hand reached towards the space she’d vacated, his fingers curling around empty air before relaxing back onto the blankets.
Later,she promised him silently.Let me handle this first.
She found Dani in the main room, perched on a cushion by the fire with an expression of supreme satisfaction.
“Don’t say a word,” Jessa warned.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Your face is saying plenty.”
Dani’s grin somehow grew even wider. “I was just surprised, that’s all. I woke up and you weren’t in bed with me, and I got worried, so I went looking, and then I found you, and?—”
“Dani.”
“—you looked so happy, Jessa. Both of you. Like you belonged there.”
The words cut through her embarrassment, leaving something raw and tender in their wake. She crossed to her sister and knelt beside her, taking Dani’s small hands in her own.
“I was going to explain?—”
“You don’t have to explain.” Dani’s eyes were suddenly serious, far too old for her ten years. “I’m not a baby. I know what it means when two people like each other.”
