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“They don’t matter.”
“I happen to think things that hurt you do matter.”
She was going to wreck him. He knew it. Accepted it with one hundred percent certainty in that moment and understood—
I can’t ever let her go.
“I’m sorry he hurt you,” she said as her gaze never broke from Midas’s. “I’m sorry you went through that nightmare.”
He couldn’t be hearing her right.
Her hand pressed to his cheek, then dipped to press over the beard that covered his jaw. The beard he always kept because it hid his scars.
Scars his father had given to him.
When he’d turned his knife on me.
Her long lashes flickered. “I think that promised adrenaline crash is hitting me. My knees are weak. I’m trembling.”
She was. He could feel the faint tremble in her fingers as she touched him.
“But I’m scared to close my eyes.”
Her confession broke something in him.
“I closed my eyes before, and I woke up to fear.” She wet her lips. “I know I’m safe here. I know you’ll just be downstairs. You won’t let anyone get to me.”
“I won’t.” A vow. He’d keep that promise no matter what it took.
“But I’m still scared. Scared to turn out the lights and scared to sleep alone.” Her hand pulled away. “Could you—will you just stay with me until I go to sleep? The bed is big. You saw it. You can stay on one side. I’ll stay on the other.”
When you were Midas’s size, a bed was never big enough. And there were a thousand reasons why it would be a bad idea to go back into that bedroom with Alina.
“Please, Midas. I’m scared.”
And there was one reason to go in. She needed him.
He scooped her into his arms.
“Why are you doing this? I can walk.”
Sure. “Your knees were weak. Why risk it?” Besides, he liked carrying her. Liked touching her. Being close to her. Liked her.
He carried her to the bed. Put her down and then carefully pulled the covers over her.
“Midas, are you tucking me into bed?”
“Yeah, got to say it’s the first time I ever tucked a woman in bed.” Usually, he did a whole lot of other things. And not that he wasn’t tempted to do all of those things with Alina. More than tempted.
He reached for the lamp, but her hand flew out and caught his hand. “Leave that one on,” she whispered.
Nodding, he did. But he turned out the overhead light. He shut the door. Locked them inside. Then he walked around the bed. Midas emptied his pockets. Ditched his shoes but kept on his clothes. And he climbed on top of the covers. Midas stretched out his body and tried really, really hard not to touch her.
Impossible. He was too big.
“Uh, Midas?” A sleepy yawn.
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
