His voice was her anchor, jerking her up through layers of terror.
“Lachlan …” Britt choked out, her throat raw from screaming.
The pain faded, replaced by the solid warmth of arms around her. Reality crashed back as her eyes flew open, chest heaving with ragged breaths. She stared into Lachlan’s amber eyes, clutching desperately at his t-shirt.
“You’re okay.” He curved protectively around her, his hand gentle as he brushed sweat-dampened hair from her face.
Britt wrapped her arms around his muscular chest as sobs wracked her body. She buried her face against his neck, not fighting the urge to meld with him. Become one with this man who felt like home. The place she belonged. The only place she was safe.
He gripped her tighter, one hand running soothingly up and down her back as he rested his chin on her head. “I’m here. You’re safe now.”
“It was horrible,” Britt said, shuddering. The phantom sensation of flames ghosted across her skin. “The … fire. Heat. The pain … it was too much …”
“Shh, shh,” Lachlan whispered in her ear. “It was just a nightmare.”
She pulled back from him, a haunting truth lingering within her. “I don’t think it was …” She pressed her palms against his chest, forcing distance between them. “It was too real. I think it was … a memory. Lachlan … what happened to me?”
His jaw tightened, the muscle jumping beneath his skin. His eyes shifted away for a moment too long before meeting hers,and in that brief hesitation, she knew he was holding something back.
“The doctor will help you figure that out. Help you get your memories back,” Lachlan said. He caressed her face as he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers.
She breathed in his familiar scent—clean soap mixed with a hint of sandalwood that was uniquely him—letting it ground her. The only place she wanted to be was in Lachlan’s arms. Her breaths synchronized with his, inhaling as he exhaled, bonding them in a way her brain couldn’t comprehend.
She didn’t care to understand why. She just needed him. Wanted him. Wanted to feel his lips on hers. For him to kiss away the horrible memories and replace them with pure bliss. Britt slipped her arms around his neck, tilting her lips toward his.
“Britt …” Her name tumbled from his lips like the sweetest caress.
“I want you to … kiss me,” Britt said, unable to fight her desire for him. An insatiable need she couldn’t control. She was losing the battle. She couldn’t resist him when he was so close. When he was right here when she needed him the most.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Lachlan said, but he didn’t move. Didn’t separate them from this closeness. Did he feel it, too?
“Because you don’t want to?” Her heart pounded as she waited for his response.
“Because I want to, too much,” Lachlan said, licking his lips slowly. “And I won’t take advantage of you. Not when you’re confused and hurting and scared?—”
“I’m not scared when you’re with me. I feel safe and protected. The only time I can relax is with you. And I don’t know why.”
“Then just hold on to that. Don’t try to figure out more.”
“Lachlan … please …”
“Aye, damn it, woman. What ye do to me,” Lachlan growled, his voice low and husky.
Before she could ask again, his lips claimed hers.
The kiss ignited like wildfire, fierce and all-consuming. Britt melted against him, her body molding to his muscular frame. His lips were hot, demanding, stealing her breath as effectively as the flames in her nightmare. But this was a different kind of burn—one that set her aflame with desire rather than pain.
Lachlan's lips moved against hers with a desperate hunger, as if he’d been holding back for far too long. His hands roamed her body, leaving trails of heat in their wake. He cupped the back of her head, fingers tangling in her hair as he deepened the kiss. His tongue swept into her mouth, tasting, exploring, claiming. She met him stroke for stroke, loving the taste of him on her tongue. New, exciting, yet familiar and comforting.
Britt whimpered, pressing closer. She needed more. Needed to lose herself in his embrace. Her hands slipped under his shirt, tracing the hard planes of his abs, reveling in the way his muscles twitched beneath her touch.
"Britt," Lachlan groaned against her lips as he broke the kiss. His eyes darkened with desire as he searched her face. “We need to stop.”
"No," she whispered. “We don’t.”
He appeared utterly powerless to resist her as she leaned in, her lips meeting his with a determined passion, taking charge this time. She lingered, tracing the contours of his mouth with her tongue, savoring the smooth texture, the intoxicating taste, the subtle tremor of his body when she gently nibbled on his lower lip. She drew his tongue into hers as she weaved her fingers through his hair, feeling its silky strands through her fingertips.
He shifted her onto his lap. Britt rolled her hips, grinding against the hard length of him. Passion blossomed within her. All she wanted was to feel him inside of her. To know what it felt like to be with a man again. But not just any man. She wanted him. Because deep inside, she felt like she belonged to Lachlan, and he belonged to her.
