Page 84 of Sunrise & Serenity

“I’m sorry,” she says, the smile on her face telling me she really isn’t. “I promise I’ll keep my mouth under control.”

Talking about controlling her mouth isn’t a good option either, but it’s probably better not to mention that.

I snag the last blanket, then lie beside her and spread it over us. It’s far from ideal, but it should trap enough warmth to allow us to get some sleep.

The rain drums heavily against the roof, and bursts of lightning intermittently brighten the inside of the barn, followed by booms of thunder. Now that we’ve stopped moving, the chill sets in. When Sage shivers, I give in to the inevitable. “Roll over,” I tell her, my voice gruffer than it should be.

Her eyes meet mine, and she lets out a breath, but she doesn’t argue. Once she’s on her side with her back to me, I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her close, tangling my legs with hers.

My dick, which I’d only just managed to get under control, wakes up again the moment she presses her ass into me.

Fuck. This whole night is going to be torture.

“It’s funny how things work out,” she says, thankfully distracting me.

“What do you mean?”

She shifts against me, and I squeeze my eyes shut.

“Just remembering when we met for the first time,” she carries on, hopefully oblivious to the war going on inside me.

“Yeah. I may have been a little… short.”

She laughs. “You think? There I was, stuck in the middle of the wilderness, recovering from a traumatic accident, and my rescuer was mean to me.”

The memory makes me snort. “You weren’t the slightest bit traumatized. Even emerging from a muddy ditch after crashing your car, you were full of sass.”

“Hmm. I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You should.”

She’s quiet for a beat, and when she speaks again, her voice is softer. “I like it when you compliment me.”

Something hot and heavy settles behind my ribs. “Then I should do it more often.”

“But only if it’s real. I don’t want you making anything up.”

Without thought, I rub my thumb back and forth over her stomach, both hating that her skin is covered by my jacket and grateful that it is. “I don’t need to make anything up, Sage.”

She sighs and presses back against me, and I dip my head closer, my lips almost brushing the top of her head.

“It took me way too long to realize that Graham only said the things he knew I wanted to hear,” she murmurs.

“Guy’s an asshole,” I mutter.

Her body shakes with a quiet laugh. “He is.”

She rests her small hand on top of mine under the blanket. “The thing is, I keep wondering why I couldn’t see it. What’s wrong with me that I let him lie to me for so long?”

I struggle to keep my body relaxed, to let her talk about this Graham dick without letting my anger at the thought of him take over.

“You know the worst part?” she asks.

I’m not even sure she’s talking to me at this point, or to herself. Still, I answer her. “What?”

“It wasn’t even the cheating.”

My focus sharpens, and I twine my fingers with hers, pulling her even closer.