“No.”
“That matters.”
He rested his forehead against mine.
“I wanted to continue.”
“You may want it again another day.”
“I hate that I can want something and fear it at the same time.”
“Your body can hold both.”
“Dr. Whitcomb said that.”
“She’s annoyingly perceptive.”
A small smile appeared.
“Stay naked.”
“All night?”
“Yes.”
“We should eat.”
“Later.”
He curled against me, placing his head beneath my chin.
Within ten minutes, he was asleep.
I remained awake a little longer, one hand resting at his back.
The room smelled faintly of rain and clean linen. Marlowe snored at the foot of the bed. Noah’s breathing warmed my chest.
He had stopped me.
I had stopped.
Nothing had broken.
In the quiet after desire, that felt as intimate as anything we had done.
Chapter 31
REID
The business settlement reached the yard account on Wednesday morning.
I stared at the balance until the numbers stopped looking theoretical.
Vehicle reimbursement.
Equipment replacement.
Business interruption.
