Page 32 of Unbroken

Always.

Maya’s fingers curled against his shoulders as she leaned into him, trusting him with the fragile parts of herself she kept guarded from the rest of the world.

The feeling nearly overwhelmed him.

He’d never believed much in fate. Never thought there was one person crafted perfectly for another.

Until her.

Until Maya.

Holding her like this felt dangerously close to Heaven. It was like coming home. Like maybe every terrible thing either of them had endured had somehow led them here—to this exact moment, wrapped around each other while the rest of the world disappeared.

Aiden deepened the kiss slightly, still gentle, still patient. Not rushing. Not taking more than she willingly gave.

He wanted forever with her, and forever was worth moving slowly for.

When they finally pulled apart, Maya stayed close, her forehead tucked beneath his chin. Aiden closed his eyes and held her tighter.

She was everything he’d ever wanted.

She might not believe him yet, but she would.

Maya was his.

CHAPTER

NINETEEN

Maya finished up the last of her work for the day, then logged out of the computer system. She leaned back in her chair and scrubbed her hands over her face.

Her job was easy but tedious, and she was beginning to detest it more and more as the days passed. Recently, she’d even considered going back to school to finish her degree or trying to find a different job more relevant to her intended field.

Unfortunately, that would mean having to reenter the workforce… in public.

She didn’t mind going out from time to time, but she was always surrounded by friends or family. She knew she would eventually need to get back out there, but she wasn’t sure she was quite ready yet.

Her stomach rumbled, and she glanced at the clock in the lower corner of the computer screen. It was well past dinner time, and she pushed away from her chair to go in search of food.

She grabbed a single-serving frozen entrée from the freezer and popped it into the microwave, then settled back to wait as it cooked. Her gaze strayed toward the hallway that led to the bedroom, and warmth settled over her skin.

A different hunger nagged at her, and she picked up her phone, hoping to find a message from Aiden.

Her screen remained infuriatingly blank, and she let out a little sigh.

He’d been called out again on another case a week ago, and he seemed to have pulled away.

She wasn’t aware of the details of the case—he wasn’t able to tell her much—but she sensed it was something bad. He’d called only twice this week before bed, and his voice was full of some emotion she couldn’t name.

After only a few minutes of conversation, they’d hung up, leaving her feeling needy and insecure.

She hated feeling that way because she knew it wasn’t his fault. His job was incredibly demanding, both physically and mentally, and she knew he was doing his best to juggle everything.

Still, the knowledge didn’t lessen her disappointment.

She only hoped things would improve once he was back.

She quickly ate, then showered before bed. She kept her phone near her at all times, but it remained quiet all evening.