Brynleigh would have a chat with her body about that later. It was choosing wildly inappropriate moments to remind her that she desired Ryker. She didn’t even know if they’d ever be together again. Not like that.
“You promise you’ve healed?” he asked.
“Mhmm. I’m good as new.”
Brynleigh made the executive decision that this wasn’t the right moment to mention that shock had set in after she had shadowed back here, nor did she mention the blood she’d cleaned off the wall.
That was over, and she just wanted to move on from that night.
Flicking her hair over her shoulder, she displayed her neck to him. “See?”
He pulled his hand from her grasp and trailed his fingers over her neck. They were still cold but no longer freezing.
“This doesn’t hurt?”
Her skin pebbled as his fingers grazed her flesh. “No.”
Neither of them pulled away as he traced her throat. His mouth parted, and his stormy scent deepened as he drew closer. His fingers pressed deeper into her skin, but the sensation wasn’t painful.
Not. At. All.
“What about this?” Ryker wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and tilted up her head. “Does this hurt?”
Her heart was a drum in her ears. Could he hear it? “No, it doesn’t.”
He moved closer until mere inches separated them and slowly lowered his head. His gaze searched hers, and the promise in it had her core twisting.
Outside, the storm clouds lifted, but she barely noticed.
“I meant what I said on the phone,” he breathed, his lips hovering over hers. “I’m so sorry.”
Ryker had always been handsome, almost to a fault, but when apologizing, he looked like a god brought to life.
“I’m sorry, too,” she whispered. “Not just for lying to you in the Choosing, but for everything. I want to try to be better. For us. Do you… do you think you can forgive me?”
He gazed into her eyes as if he could uncover the world’s secrets if he looked at her long enough.
“There’s nothing to forgive.” Ryker leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth.
By the gods, that was both far too little and too much at the same time. She wanted more.
He added, “I understand why you felt you needed to do it.”
Brynleigh blinked. Of all the things she expected him to say, that wasn’t one of them.
“You mean, when I planned on…” The thought was so horrible that she couldn’t even form the words.
“Killing me?” A morose laugh escaped him. “Yeah. Though I will admit, I’m glad you decided not to follow through. I rather enjoy being alive.”
Forming words was proving to be troublesome, so she nodded.
“I am sorry your family is gone,” Ryker murmured. “I know apologies can’t bring back the dead, but still, I’m sorry.”
Her heart cracked.
“Me, too.” A tear coasted down her cheek. “They would’ve liked you.”
Several minutes passed in silence before Ryker drew her closer to him. The storm clouds were long gone, and the sun shone through the windows again.
