Page 73 of Trust

Olivia wiggled and felt Zane’s grip tighten. “I can make it up the stairs. And really, I’ll be fine on my own.”

“Liv, I haven’t slept over because I don’t want you to deal with my nightmares.”

“Do you have them every night?”

“Just about,” he answered as he ascended the stairs.

“I’ll take the risk if you will.”

A kiss was pressed to her head, and she hoped it was a yes. If he wasn’t going to let her escape into sexual oblivion, then she would take his warm body holding hers.

Even though he wasn’t likely to be around for very much longer.

Did that make her the biggest ninny in all the land? Perhaps, but that wasn’t a truth that needed to be examined at one in the morning.

NINETEEN

Zane opened one eye and squinted into the sunlight pouring through the window. Opening the other, he realized where he was and couldn’t believe he had slept through the night.

An occurrence that only happened rarely.

Did it have anything to do with the snoring beauty in his arms? Pulling Olivia closer, he knew it most certainly did.

His mind was remarkably clear and seemed to have skipped the usual visit to the dark corners, allowing him a night off.

What a relief.

Running his hand over Olivia’s soft skin, he inhaled her scent, knowing he’d never been as intimately entwined with another human. She had somehow managed to do what no other woman had and burrowed under his skin and into the beating muscle in his chest.

He spooned her closer, knowing it wouldn’t disturb her rest, and snapped a mental picture of the red highlights in her wild morning hair. Tucking his knees into the back of hers, he let peace wash in and told himself there had to be a way for them to be good for each other.

What kind of hills did he need to climb to become capable of the type of love the woman deserved?

He had very few clues and knew that’s why he’d always avoided serious entanglements. Easy in and easy out had been his motto.

Until Olivia Elaine Bennett showed up on his doorstep.

Memories of Mosul unexpectedly began crowding in, so he closed his eyes, buried his face in Olivia’s hair, and took long slow breaths. He pushed away the echoes of exploding bombs and replaced them with memories of Olivia's shouts of pleasure. The ones he’d given her when he’d driven himself into her addictive heat.

Relief slowly replaced terror, and he continued to replay each moment of their lovemaking. “Better,” he whispered, remembering how her touch soothed his ragged edges.

Hearing a murmur, he felt her press her ass against his lap. “Good morning to me,” he muttered as his balls tightened. He thickened along the inside of her bare thigh and gripped the generous curve of her hip.

“You stayed,” Olivia whispered.

“I did—hope it’s okay.”

“Silly man, of course it is.” She turned and pressed a kiss to his chest.

How was this his life? “Should I get up and make the coffee?”

“In a minute.”

After biting her lip, she pushed him on his back, and he found himself mesmerized as her beautiful breasts swayed. He leaned up and managed a quick nibble before she snapped the sheet out of the way.

“My turn.”

“Liv…”

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