“Yes.”
I smile despite everything.
“Then yeah. On the couch.”
She nestles closer, one hand still fisted lightly in my shirt even as her eyes start to close.
Like she needs something solid to hang on to.
She has it.
She’s got it.
I settle deeper into the cushions, one arm around her, the other within easy reach of the weapon on the table, because some habits don’t die and tonight I’m not interested in trying.
Her breathing evens out little by little.
Soft.
Warm against my chest.
Asleep.
I stare into the dim room and listen to the sounds of the house around us. My team. My people. The woman in my arms.
And for the first time in a long time, exhaustion doesn’t feel like emptiness.
It feels like something else.
Something dangerously close to peace.
41
Tessa
Iwake up warm.
That’s the first thing I notice.
Not the room.
Not the light coming in through the window.
Not the faint sound of someone moving around in the kitchen.
Warm.
Solid.
Safe.
For a second, I don’t move.
Because I know what that means.
Slowly, I open my eyes.
Ace.
