Page 133 of Only the Hunter

She studies my face like she’s looking for something.

“I don’t ever want to be compared to your father,” I add, the words sitting heavy in my throat. “If I’m honest? I don’t even really like him.”

Her brows lift.

“And I definitely don’t want to be him.”

“That’s—” She stops. Starts again. “That’s the right thing to say.”

“It’s also true.”

I reach for her, touching her shoulder.

“I admire the hell out of you, Evie. Your brain. Your stubbornness. The way you don’t back down even when the world tells you to. I would never want to stifle that. I just…” My voice is rough. “I don’t know how to stand beside you without wanting to shield you from everything.”

Her expression softens. “I know.”

I slide a hand to her waist.

“I don’t need shielding.”

“I'm working on the difference.”

Something shifts between us.

The adrenaline hasn’t burned off. It’s just changed shape.

Her fingers curl into the front of my shirt.

“I was scared,” she admits.

The confession hits nearly as hard as the call.

“So was I,” I share. “More than you know.”

She tilts her head. Runs a finger along my jaw.

“If someone had gotten to you…there would’ve been nothing I could’ve done.”

Helpless.

The word hangs unspoken.

Her hand slides up my chest to my neck.

“I’m here.”

“Yeah.” My thumb brushes her jaw. “You are.”

The kiss this time is slower.

Intentional.

Her back meets the edge of the kitchen counter. My hands find her waist, then her hips. She pulls me closer.

The heat spikes fast.

Her fingers slip under the hem of my shirt.