That realization nearly undoes me.
“You okay?” she asks quietly.
No. Not even remotely.
Because nothing has ever felt this good before. And that’s exactly the fucking problem.
My thumb brushes unconsciously against her waist beneath her oversized T-shirt.
“I shouldn’t have come in here last night,” I say roughly.
Her brows pull together slightly. “Do you regret it?”
“No.” The answer comes out too fast. Honest.
Something warm flickers across her expression.
I swallow hard, suddenly hyperaware of how tangledtogether we are. How close she is. How easy it would be to stay right here. Dangerously easy.
My eyes drift briefly to her mouth.
Her lips part slightly.
The air between us shifts, heavy and quiet.
My pulse starts pounding harder against my ribs.
Her hand slides slowly down my arm, fingertips brushing over my skin lightly enough to completely wreck me.
“Did you sleep okay after?” she asks softly.
I stare at her for a second before answering. “Better than I have in years.”
The confession hangs between us, raw and real.
Peyton’s expression softens so much it physically hurts to look at her.
And suddenly I understand something that terrifies me more than the nightmares ever could.
I could get addicted to this. To her. To waking up feeling human instead of haunted.
My jaw tightens slightly.
This is dangerous. So fucking dangerous.
But when Peyton’s fingers slide through my hair again, my eyes close briefly anyway.
And for the first time in longer than I can remember…
I let myself enjoy being held.
30
DALTYN
The cabin is quiet when my phone buzzes against the kitchen counter.
Peyton’s in the shower, and I’ve been trying to distract myself from thoughts of her naked, water beading over her skin. Blood keeps flowing south, leaving me with a painful erection.
