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Not,I should have never let you go at all,a part of her remarked—but it was close enough.
With a shaky breath, Loren copied him, losing herself in the heavy scent of pine.
She had forgotten what this felt like. Physical contact. Even a hug. Her body hummed, as if his nearness revitalized parts of her that had grown rusted with disuse. She hadn’t experienced a similar embrace since her mother had been alive. Though McGoven was certainly taller than she had been. And wider, and stronger…
The muscles in his forearms alone were thicker than her own, but he utilized that strength with a gentleness that made her head spin. Even as he maneuvered her against the wall.
He moved too quickly to resist. Within seconds, both of his hands palmed the wall on either side of her, forming a cage of flesh and bone. Another soft intake of air was her only warning as he lowered his head, this time inhaling along the flesh at her throat.
In tendrils of whisper-soft warmth, she felt two fingers trail the length of her shoulder—so gentle, she barely even felt it. But she certainly felt him press the side of his face against her swollen, aching cheek.
He was still breathing, but shallowly, in and out. With every exhalation, his cheek collided with hers. Gently at first, then more firmly. Loren tensed for pain. Instead, a warm tingle washed over her entire being.
Her eyes widened with recognition. It was the same sensation she felt after she’d fallen off Xavier. This time, he concentrated the contact along the worst of the bruising while angling the rest of his body away from hers with what seemed to be a deliberate effort.
By the time he pulled back to observe her with that piercing stare, she couldn’t feel anything at all.
“Better?” he asked.
She could only nod.
“Good—” Even the sound of his voice made her dizzy. Breathless, she slumped back against the wall. “I think you should go to bed.”
She shook her head. “But…what—”
“I’ll explain everything,” he said over her. “Once you wake up. But now…” He trailed a finger down the side of her jaw, brushing back a damp tendril of hair. “You need sleep.”
The words seemed to set something off inside of her. An intense exhaustion she hadn’t even been aware of until then.
Go to sleep.
A part of her wasn’t sure whether she made it to the stairs before her mind drifted into black.
* * *
Loren choked on the verge of a scream.
There were shadows everywhere—hunting her…chasing her through the trees.
She couldn’t see—it was so damn cold—but they were gaining. She could tell that much. Their snarls rode the air, and the harsh snap of biting teeth nipped at her ankles. Any minute, they would catch her, and she was too exhausted to fight anymore—
“I’m here.” The gruff voice shattered the nightmare, ripping her from the icy darkness of the forest, and leaving her curled up and warm on a bed.
Trembling, she inhaled the scent of pine and knew instantly that she was in McGoven’s bed. Only she wasn’t alone. Her companion’s presence was unmistakable. They were big, with a muscular arm thrown lazily over her waist, holding her tight. However, when she attempted to look back, the comforting grip became a restraint.
“You’re alright.” That voice was a soothing rumble that echoed like the thunder sounding beyond the window, where a mid-afternoon rain came down in heavy sheets. “I’m here. You were only dreaming.”
Drowsily, she allowed her eyes to drift shut, surrendering once again to the darkness. And all the while, that deep tone egged her on, as dexterous fingers stroked through her hair. “You were only dreaming…”
* * *
Loren woke up to the sound of a car door slamming shut.
Dazed, she rolled over, almost surprised to find that there was no one beside her. The red sheets had been draped neatly over her, tucked in along the edges of the mattress. There wasn’t even the indent of another body.
With a sigh, she crept to the edge of the bed, shook out her hair, and…
Realized that all she wore was a man’s oversized T-shirt—and very little else. Not to mention, her body ached all over, and the back of her head felt as if someone had taken a baseball bat to it. She traced her bottom lip with a trembling finger, shocked when the tip came away red with blood.
