“I power napped.”
“It’s not the same thing.” She shot him a warning look that told him not to argue. It made him laugh.
It had been a long time since someone had been concerned about him. The nurses handed over pamphlets with support group names and numbers on them. He’d shot down their concerns, saying he was fine. Saying that he could handle it. Taking care of his wife was not a strain since Lynn was the one suffering. All he wanted to do was be there for her to make the road easier. Funny. You never really thought they were going to die. You held out unrealistic hope that a miracle cure would happen. You held on to stories of others who were knocking on death’s door suddenly cured and back to a normal life, as if anything after an experience like this could go back to normal. And you held on to that hope until they took their last breath.
Then you sat in your disbelief when they were gone.
“Everything okay?” Carys asked. She’d walked up beside him.
“Fine.”
“You sure about that?” Her left eyebrow arched.
“Do I seem like I’m not okay?” he snapped, realizing his tone came out a helluva lot harsher than intended. He put a hand up to stop her from responding. “I didn’t mean that.”
“I know.” She folded her arms and leaned her hip against the car. “And I realize we have to get back to the house as soon as possible. But…do you want to talk about it?”
Did he?
Could he?
Blaize let out a sharp sigh. “If I did talk about it… I’d want it to be with you.”
She took a tentative step toward him. “I’m right here, Blaize. And it’s okay to still be hurting.”
He exhaled, slower this time.
She came closer and then reached for his wrists. Then she took a final step, closing the gap between them. “Is it okay if I touch you?”
“Yes.” Damned if he wasn’t falling down a rabbit hole with Carys. Would he recover this time?
CARYS TOOKBLAIZE’Swrists in her hands and then positioned his arms around her body. This close, she breathed in his spicy, dark-roast scent. She locked their gazes, searching his eyes to make sure that she wasn’t overstepping her bounds. Touching him sent electrical impulses racing through her body. Her breath quickened.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about the kiss from yesterday,” he said, his voice low and gravelly with something that sounded a whole lot like need. And something else. Regret?
“And?” She flinched, preparing for the worst.
“You’re the first person I’ve kissed since…”
Carys sure as hell wasn’t expecting those words. An ache formed low in her belly. Her fingers itched to outline every muscle on his beautiful body. A small smile toyed with the corners of her lips at thinking of him in terms of being beautiful. He wouldn’t see it that way even though he had those hard planes and angles down pat. His jawline could crack concrete. He would laugh at those descriptions, too. And those full lips over straight, white teeth. Warmth pooled between her thighs.
“I’m honored,” she finally said. Her throat suddenly dried, so she swallowed to ease some of it. Did he regret it? “I hope it didn’t disappoint.”
His tongue slicked across his bottom lip. She stared at the silky trail it left behind.
“I know we agreed it shouldn’t happen again, but I would very much like to ask your permission to kiss you one more time.”
Standing this close, her body craved more of his touch. Kissing him complicated matters, but she was tired of refusing to give her body what it desperately wanted and needed…to be touched by Blaize.
Her only hesitation was that she knew one time wouldn’t be enough.
Could she pull back at this point?
A nearby rustling of leaves made the decision for her. Both of their attention snapped to the sound. Blaize took a step in front of her, placing his body in between her and the noise, forming a human shield.
Their movement caused a squirrel to bolt across the street. They stood there for a long moment, waiting, watching.
“That was not a smart move on my part,” Blaize said, shame in his tone.
