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A shiver dances down my spine as Tex’s fingers brush a rogue strand of hair behind my ear. The touch is light, but its impact punches through the chill of the night, sparking a trail of heat I can’t ignore. I’m leaning into him before I even realize it.
“Better?” His breath a warm whisper against my temple.
“Much,” I admit.
“Didn’t take you for one to get cold so easy,” he teases, a playful note in his voice.
“Everyone has their moments of weakness.”
Our bodies are close, pressed together by an invisible force that neither of us wants to acknowledge aloud. It’s here in the silence that hangs heavy, filled with the unspoken words that linger on the tip of my tongue. When I muster the courage to meet his gaze, there’s an understanding there which gives me shivers.
“Jane.” My name in his mouth feels like a caress.
“Tex,” I breathe back, and the space between us crackles alive with something fierce and undeniable.
His eyes hold mine, there’s just us, the night, and the soft sighing of the leaves overhead, bearing witness to the connection that binds us.
“Feels like the world’s just us, doesn’t it?” I whisper, struck by the surreal bubble we’ve created.
“For tonight, maybe it is.”
A chill whispers through the air, and I shiver, not entirely from the cold.
“Jane.” His voice a low rumble that vibrates through my bones. “You gotta know, I won’t let anything happen to you.” His hand encloses mine.
I look up at him, my gaze tracing the hard line of his jaw, softened by the shadows. “Why?” The question falls from my lips, barely above a whisper.
“Because.” He pauses, searching for the right words. “No one gets left behind or stands alone—not on my watch. I’ve seen things, Jane. Been places where the difference between life and death was decided in a heartbeat.” His thumb brushes over my knuckles. “I can’t stand by and watch any harm come your way. Not now, not ever.”
“Tex...” My curiosity flares. “What kind of things? What places?”
He looks away, gazing out into the dark expanse beyond the bridge. “Ghosts of my past, darlin’. Shadows that follow you no matter how fast you ride.” There’s a wistful note in his voice.
“Everyone has ghosts,” I say softly.
“True.” He turns back to me, and there’s a flicker of something—apprehension, maybe even vulnerability. “But not everyone has someone to fight ‘em off with.”
“Are you saying I’m your someone?” A playful challenge lights my tone, but the undercurrent is all too serious.
“Maybe I am,” he replies, his half-smile tinged with shadows. “Or maybe we’re each other’s.”
The night grows still around us. Here in the heart of the bridge, with this man who carries his scars like badges of honor, I sense the weaving of a new narrative—one where tragedy meets hope, and where a shared burden might just become the foundation of something extraordinary.
“Tell me more,” I urge, stepping closer.
“Another time,” he promises, and though I yearn for more, I nod in acceptance. “Jane.” His voice barely above a whisper. “There’s something ‘bout you I can’t shake.”
I swallow hard, feeling the tension coil between us. It’s there in the way he looks at me, like he sees right through the armor I’ve built around myself.
“Tex...” My voice trails off, heavy with the things I want to say but don’t dare to.
He steps closer, closing the distance with a certainty that makes my heart race. “Can you feel it?” He reaches out to brush a stray lock of hair behind my ear.
His fingers are calloused but gentle, leaving a trail of heat along my skin.
“Feel what?”
“This.” He pulls me into him, and every nerve ending comes alive.
