Warmth unfurled low in my stomach so suddenly I nearly lost my balance.
The expression crossing his face wrecked me completely.
Relief.
Possessive relief.
Like seeing me physically eased something painful inside him.
“Luna,” he said softly.
My knees almost gave out.
No one should be allowed to say a nickname like that.
Not with that voice.
Not while looking at me like I was the first good thing that had happened to them in centuries.
“Hi,” I breathed.
Smooth.
Very cool.
Sten’s mouth twitched slightly.
He crossed the corridor toward me slowly, enormous body moving with predatory grace that somehow no longer frightened me at all.
If anything—I moved closer instinctively.
Like my body already knew where it belonged.
“You alright?” he asked.
The low roughness in his voice wrapped around my spine like warm velvet.
“Yeah, fine. I, uh, I just wanted to make sure you survived reconstruction duty.”
A soft snort escaped him.
“Barely.”
Gods.
I loved making him laugh.
Even tiny almost-laughs.
And I knew I should be angry with him—somewhere deep down I was still angry with him—but right then all I felt was relief. And maybe joy.
“You really destroyed half the hallway,” I added.
“No.” His eyes gleamed faintly. “We destroyed half the hallway.”
I blinked.
“We?”
