Page 226 of Axis of Fire

And somehow...

That single step eased something inside me.

“I’ve already told you,” he murmured softly.

“You just weren’t listening.”

A gentle smile.

Whenever he was close, the game disappeared.

Only honesty remained.

“I just like hearing you say it again.”

A brief silence followed.

One that had somehow become familiar between us.

“And I like it when you stop pushing me away just to protect yourself.”

Our eyes met.

Sparks flared between us instantly.

A light breeze brushed against my skin.

Then my gaze dropped to his lips.

Suddenly...

Breathing felt less necessary than closing the distance between us.

I woke with a gasp.

My body jerked forward, as though it had tried to follow him.

My gaze swept across the room.

Searching for Airis.

But there was nothing there.

Only his quiet room.

And the lingering feeling that he had been there only moments ago.

It had all been a dream.

A product of my own imagination.

So unreal...

And somehow...

It had felt terrifyingly right.

The clock read 7:30.