Page 51 of Grim

And for the first time, she believed him. Trying wasn’t the same as knowing how. But for now… this was enough.

Sophia didn’t move at first. She just stayed there on his lap, her forehead resting against his, breathing him in. The warmth of him. The steadiness of him. The way he held her like she was something fragile and fierce at the same time.

But the ache in her chest, the exhaustion, the grief, the long night, pulled at her, tugging her somewhere softer.

She slid her hands down his shoulders, slow, deliberate, and stood. Grim’s hands stayed on her hips for a heartbeat before he let go, eyes tracking her like he wasn’t sure what she was about to do.

Sophia reached for his hand.

He froze.

She didn’t pull. She didn’t speak. She just laced her fingers through his and stepped backward, giving him the chance to follow or stay.

He followed.

She led him down the hallway, her pulse loud in her ears, her body humming with something warm and overwhelming. When they reached her bedroom, she pushed the door open and stepped inside, holding his hand.

Grim hesitated on the threshold — just for a second — like he was checking himself, checking her, checking the moment.

Then he stepped in.

Sophia sat on the edge of the bed and tugged him down beside her. He came willingly, his thigh brushing hers, his breath uneven in a way she’d never heard from him before.

She turned toward him, cupped his jaw again, and kissed him.

This time it wasn’t soft.

It wasn’t careful.

It was hungry in a way that surprised her, not because she didn’t want him, but because she hadn’t realized how long it had been since someone made her feel anything that wasn’t duty or exhaustion.

Grim kissed her back, one hand sliding to the small of her back, the other curling around her hip, pulling her closer until she was half in his lap again. Her fingers threaded into his hair. His lips parted against hers, deepening the kiss, heat rolling through her in a way that made her dizzy.

She shifted, leaning into him, her body pressing along his, wanting more, wanting him.

Grim broke the kiss with a sharp inhale, his forehead dropping to her shoulder.

“Sophia,” he rasped, voice rough, strained. “You worked all night.”

She blinked, breath unsteady. “I’m fine.”

“Not tonight,” he murmured. “You’re running on nothing.” He shook his head, pulling back just enough to meet her eyes. “You’re exhausted. I’m not letting you make decisions like this when you’re running on fumes.”

His eyes held hers, dark and steady, and something shifted in the air between them. He lifted his hand to her face, his thumb tracing the curve of her cheekbone with a tenderness that made her breath catch.

"You're exhausted," he murmured. "Let me take care of you."

No one has ever said those words to her. Not like this. Not like he meant it.

Sophia nodded in answer.

His hand slid from her cheek down her shoulder, over her collarbone, his knuckles grazing the thin fabric of her sleep shirt. He watched her the whole time, checking, waiting, giving her every chance to stop him.

She didn’t.

He eased her back onto the mattress, her hair fanning across the pillow. He followed her down, propping on one elbow, his body a warm shield beside her. His hand trailed lower, over her stomach, the fabric of her shirt bunching under his palm.

As fingers found the waistband of her panties, he paused. "Tell me if you want me to stop."