Right now, this felt right.
It was like coming home to a place I didn’t know I was searching for. Like finding something I hadn’t realized I lost.
I could see myself doing this every night. Holding her like this. Falling asleep with her weight pressed against me and waking up to the mess of her blonde hair and the soft sound of her breathing.
It was so clear it terrified me.
But even terror couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore. The exhaustion I’d been fighting finally won, dragging me under with Harlow’s name on my lips and her body warm against mine.
My last thought was that I would figure out how to be terrified tomorrow.
Tonight, I just wanted to hold her.
CHAPTER 24
HARLOW
I wokeup with my face buried in Owen’s chest.
Not against.In. Like I tried to burrow through his sternum in my sleep. My nose was smooshed against his warm skin, my lips were practically kissing the space between his collarbones, and one of my legs had somehow wrapped around his thigh.
Owen’s arm was still wrapped around my waist, and his hand splayed across my lower back. He smelled so freaking good.
I didn’t open my eyes because I knew when I did, it would be over, and I wasn’t ready for it to end yet.
The rise and fall of his chest was slow, steady, and I matched my breathing to his without meaning to.
How could something this right be wrong?
I understood his loyalty to Jax. I did.
I even respected it.
I just didn’t have to like it.
“Harlow.” His voice rumbled through his chest, vibrating against my cheek. Low and rough with sleep, the sound of my name in his mouth was doing things to my nervous system.
I hummed something incoherent, burrowing deeper into him. If I didn’t respond with actual words, maybe I couldpretend I was still asleep. Maybe I could stay in this moment forever.
“Are you awake?”
“No.” The word came out muffled. “Just five more minutes and then you can go back to ignoring me.”
His lips pressed against my forehead a smile curved against my skin.
“I think we’re past that now.”
I went still.
“I can’t seem to stay away. Even when I try. Even when I tell myself all the reasons I should.”
Slowly, I tilted my head back, and our eyes met.
Everything else faded, the morning light filtering through the blinds, the logical part of my brain screaming that this was a terrible idea and I was going to get hurt again. All of it disappeared, leaving nothing but the intensity of his gaze and the thundering of my heart.
I should stay quiet, play it cool, protect myself the way I’d been doing for as long as I could remember. I should remember all the times he pulled away, all the mixed signals, all the reasons this was probably going to end in disaster.
“Owen,” I said softly. “I like you.”
