We washed them side by side.
Later, in bed, Noah curled against me with his palm over my heart.
The bedroom was dark except for the green light in the hallway. Rain had begun again, soft against the windows. Marlowe slept at our feet.
Noah’s breathing slowed.
Just before sleep claimed him, he said, “I liked wanting you.”
I pressed my face into his hair.
“I liked being wanted.”
His arm tightened around me.
“Green?”
I kissed his temple.
“Always.”
Chapter 23
REID
I woke to Noah breathing my name into the dark.
Not with fear.
With urgency.
“Reid.”
My eyes opened.
Dawn had only begun to gather at the edges of the curtains, turning the fabric a dim, cold blue. Marlowe slept near our feet in a warm, unmoving heap.
Noah lay flat on his back beside me.
His right fist had twisted the blanket at his hip. Color burned high in his cheeks, and his expression held the startled confusion of someone who had awakened inside a body already several steps ahead of him.
“What happened?”
“I dreamed about you.”
I understood at once.
“Was it a nightmare?”
“No.”
His gaze dropped toward his waist.
Understanding arrived.
“Are you in pain?”
“No.”
