Page 166 of No Good Fight

“I thought that was the plan.”

“It is.” I keep her hand in mine while I work out how to say the rest without making it sound like another temporary safety arrangement. “I mean after.”

Her brows draw together.

“After you’re healed. After you go back to work. After all of this stops being the reason that you’re staying..”

She goes very still.

I force myself to keep looking at her. “Stay. Live with me. For good.”

Her eyes fill so quickly that I almost regret asking while she’s exhausted and hurting. Then her mouth moves.

“Ryder.”

“What?”

She looks down at our joined hands before meeting my eyes again. “I kind of already thought I was.”

It takes me a second.

“You did?”

A tired smile pulls carefully at her mouth. “Yeah.”

I stare at her, waiting for the part where she explains that she means temporarily or until things calm down.

It doesn’t come.

“You live there,” I say.

“I thought we just established that.”

“With me.”

“Generally how living together works.”

I laugh then, quiet enough that it doesn’t hurt her head, and lean closer to the bed.

Alex lifts her hand to the back of my neck before I can worry about where it’s safe to touch her. I kiss her carefully, barely enough pressure to feel her mouth against mine, and stop when she winces.

She keeps me close.

“I love you,” I tell her.

“I love you too.”

Her forehead rests against mine for a few seconds before I ease her back against the pillow.

The door opens behind me, and I look over automatically.

It’s only the nurse.

My heart still kicks once before my brain catches up.

I turn back to Alex.

She’s watching me, but she doesn’t tell me there’s nothing to worry about or ask me to stop checking.