She fit.
Not physically—though she did, almost unnervingly, as if she’d been measured against him long before they met—but in some deeper, quieter way he couldn’t begin to explain.
His heart stuttered, then thundered.
She was warm despite the chill in the air. Her hair brushed his jaw, carrying the softest of scents, something uniquely her that settled into his lungs until he couldn’t remember how he’d ever breathed before this moment.
She trusted him. He could feel that in her grip, and the realization hit with a force that should have hurt, but instead felt right.
She trusted him enough to step toward him instead of away, enough to let him hold her, enough to believe him when he promised he would keep her safe.
His protective instincts had always been fierce. It was part of the Storm DNA, something so deeply ingrained, he’d never questioned or resisted it.
But this was different. This felt…primitive. Ancient.
As though every instinct he’d ever possessed had abruptly aligned behind one purpose.
Her.
Keep her safe.
Keep her smiling.
Never let anyone scare her again.
The certainty was so immediate, it bordered on irrational. After all, he barely tolerated her. Everything about her usually annoyed him, grated against his nerves.
Except none of that had been present today.
His hand flexed against the small of her back, the embrace lingering longer than it should. Not that he cared. If it was up to him, he’d hold her from now until the end of time.
The second he touched her, something inside him had simply…settled.
Like he’d spent years searching for something without realizing it existed until now.
It was the legend. It was real.
He couldn’t deny what his body, his heart knew. The relentless noise of the day—the loud music and tipsy people vanished beneath the quiet rhythm of her breathing.
She was trembling less now.
He’d done that, helped her. A fierce, unfamiliar warmth spread through his chest. He was grateful. Grateful that she’d given him something precious simply by trusting him.
Carefully, almost afraid to disturb the peace, he rested his cheek lightly on the top of her head. “You don’t have to be brave every second.”
She laughed, but it was barely more than a shaky breath.
“No one’s ever accused me of that.”
He frowned, confused by her words. Before he could question her, she lifted her head from his chest and shook it, even as she refused to meet his gaze.
“I mean, I don’t know how not to be.”
Grayson wasn’t sure why, but he knew without a doubt, the first thing she’d said had been the true thing.
Regardless, he responded to the last when she placed her head back on his chest. “You don’t have to figure that out tonight.”
Silence settled between them again, but it was comfortable, and unexpectedly intimate.
